[Misc] The Official NSC Bird Spotting Thread.

[Is it PotG?]

Haven't spotted it yet but it's nice and quiet and sunny out front this morning and the woodpecker is extremely busy.
What a lovely, reassuring and regular sound that is.

 

[tedebear]

Rare Red Kite sailing over the allotment this morning...stunning bird with that incredible tail...freshly ploughed fields over the downs brings them to the downs but they rarely venture to town...

 

[FamilyGuy]

2 Red Kites spotted this morning on our dog walk between Piddinghoe and Southease, first time I have seen any over here.

That surprises me, I thought they were pretty much everywhere around here now. I often see a pair over Copthorne Golf Course.

 

[Si Gull]

Swallows and House Martins popping up in coastal areas. Won't be long before they're all back for the summer. Anyone seen one yet?

 

[BN9 BHA]

That surprises me, I thought they were pretty much everywhere around here now. I often see a pair over Copthorne Golf Course.

The two I saw were flying quite high and seemed like they were just flying over, rather than circling. Others i have seen near motorways and walking in the Cotswolds were flying very low.
I regularly walk around Piddinghoe and Southease and like looking up at the Buzzards but don’t see Red Kites

 

[Diablo]

Recently seen a couple of Shellducks in amongst the flocks of geese on Sothease/Northease Brooks. Don`t recall seeing them before.

 

[dazzer6666]

The two I saw were flying quite high and seemed like they were just flying over, rather than circling. Others i have seen near motorways and walking in the Cotswolds were flying very low.
I regularly walk around Piddinghoe and Southease and like looking up at the Buzzards but don’t see Red Kites

Seen them several times from the SDW between Southease and Alfriston

 

[SouthSaxon]

I saw the storks for the first time at Pulborough Brooks last year. Huge, magnificent birds.

Storrington in West Sussex named UK’s first European stork village

Village joins continental network alongside nearby Knepp estate, as birds previously extinct in Britain flourish

www.theguardian.com

 

[amexer]

Has the white tailed eagle that was reintroduced on I.O.W been seen in Sussex

 

[Peter Grummit]

Has the white tailed eagle that was reintroduced on I.O.W been seen in Sussex

Yes, saw one at Pulborough Wild Brooks last year. Not saying they are huge but it had been taking Geese out of the sky!

 

[Peter Grummit]

The two I saw were flying quite high and seemed like they were just flying over, rather than circling. Others i have seen near motorways and walking in the Cotswolds were flying very low.
I regularly walk around Piddinghoe and Southease and like looking up at the Buzzards but don’t see Red Kites

Saw a pair flying over Mount Caburn 10 days ago. They are still fairly unusual this far south.

 

[WATFORD zero]

There's a couple of red kites near the pylons on the A23 and I saw one today near Hassocks. I'm out a lot around Brighton and surrounding areas and see a few a month over the last 2/3 years. Still 10/15 - 1 Buzzards over kites but a huge reduction in Kestrels over last 10 years

Still dying to see a White tailed Eagle over Sussex and although the ones from the Isle of White have occasionally been up and down the South Downs, haven't seen one yet. I remember someone on NSC linking to a site that tracks the White tailed Eagles.

 

[dazzer6666]

There's a couple of red kites near the pylons on the A23 and I saw one today near Hassocks. I'm out a lot around Brighton and surrounding areas and see a few a month over the last 2/3 years. Still 10/15 - 1 Buzzards over kites but a huge reduction in Kestrels over last 10 years

Still dying to see a White tailed Eagle over Sussex and although the ones from the Isle of White have occasionally been up and down the South Downs, haven't seen one yet. I remember someone on NSC linking to a site that tracks the White tailed Eagles.

My mate is one of the volunteers at Pulborough Brooks - they very regularly have white-tailed eagles there (there’s a regular blog with details of sightings of various birds and other wildlife https://community.rspb.org.uk/place...jsprbINstpUN7HFeyY_aem_5UzqnKrHkTif_vkLfcKxJQ)

Agree Red Kites aren’t at all rare any more. I fish 2-3 days a week and it’s more usual to see one than not in the mid Sussex countryside now

 

[Sirnormangall]

Saw a pair flying over Mount Caburn 10 days ago. They are still fairly unusual this far south.

I saw a Red Kite at Ditchling Beacon last week - the furthest south I’ve seen one. I travel to rural Oxfordshire regularly and I’m used to seeing 20 or more in the sky at the same time. They’ve taken the ducklings in many villages and their growing numbers means we will increasingly see more in Sussex.

 

[Zeberdi]

Still dying to see a White tailed Eagle over Sussex and although the ones from the Isle of White have occasionally been up and down the South Downs, haven't seen one yet. I remember someone on NSC linking to a site that tracks the White tailed Eagles.

Yes that was me when you asked for info previously.

I gave you a link to the Roy Dennis web page who has spearheaded the IoW introductions as well as heading up raptor ringing studies in Scotland etc.

As I said a few months ago, many of the WTE sightings in the South will be from the IoW project and are radio tagged. https://www.roydennis.org/category/sea-eagle/isle-of-wight-sea-eagles/

This is the most recent tracking data of South of England releases (including IoW and Exmoor) I could find taken originally from the Roy Dennis Foundation - January 2024.

Predictable backlash from NFU to proposed releases of White-tailed Eagles

Last week I wrote a blog about three separate proposals to release White-tailed Eagles in Cumbria, Wales, Severn Estuary and Exmoor National Park in a strategic attempt to bolster and connect the c…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

If you really want to see one maybe keep your eyes on the latest sighting for eg RSPB Pulborough latest sightings on e-Bird

There was a provisional/unconfirmed report TODAY of a WTE at Pulborough

Bird List - South Downs NP--Pulborough Brooks RSPB Reserve, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom - eBird Hotspot

Explore a complete list of bird species observations in this region.

ebird.org

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Yes that was me when you asked for info previously.

I gave you a link to the Roy Dennis web page who has spearheaded the IoW introductions as well as heading up raptor ringing studies in Scotland etc.

As I said a few months ago, many of the WTE sightings in the South will be from the IoW project and are radio tagged. https://www.roydennis.org/category/sea-eagle/isle-of-wight-sea-eagles/

This is the most recent tracking data of South of England releases (including IoW and Exmoor) I could find taken originally from the Roy Dennis Foundation - January 2024.

Predictable backlash from NFU to proposed releases of White-tailed Eagles

Last week I wrote a blog about three separate proposals to release White-tailed Eagles in Cumbria, Wales, Severn Estuary and Exmoor National Park in a strategic attempt to bolster and connect the c…

raptorpersecutionuk.org

View attachment 198609

If you really want to see one maybe keep your eyes on the latest sighting for eg RSPB Pulborough latest sightings on e-Bird

There was a provisional/unconfirmed report TODAY of a WTE at Pulborough

Bird List - South Downs NP--Pulborough Brooks RSPB Reserve, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom - eBird Hotspot

Explore a complete list of bird species observations in this region.

ebird.org

Yes, a white tailed eagle was caught by the stork camera. It is confirmed that it’s one of last year’s fledglings.

photo saved from the FB White Stork Project.

 

[Dun Lurkin]

Reverting to the smaller birds I had another first time visitor in my Southwick garden this morning. There was a willow warbler singing its heart out in one of my apple trees.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

A woodcock shrike (female) has been photographed on the West Beach in Newhaven.

 

[Zeberdi]

A woodcock shrike (female) has been photographed on the West Beach in Newhaven.

Nice bird but I think you mean a Woodchat Shrike

ML633294964 - Woodchat Shrike - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML633294964; © Alan Bird; East Sussex, England, United Kingdom

macaulaylibrary.org

Hard to know if it’s a female or immature looking at the images but looks like a young female to me - (edit confirmed as immature female on BG) still there this morning if anyone is interested. Not on beach but will be in scrub next to car park - look on top of bushes (there’ll be other birders around who will be on it to help) - been there for a week now so will probably hang around for a while (unless a Sparrowhawk nabs it! )

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Nice bird but I think you mean a Woodchat Shrike

ML633294964 - Woodchat Shrike - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML633294964; © Alan Bird; East Sussex, England, United Kingdom

macaulaylibrary.org

Hard to know if it’s a female or immature looking at the images but looks like a young female to me

Yes, that’s what I meant. I’m not au fait with south European birds but just saw the photo on the local group page.