Old Lodge and Barcombe (11 April)

Sunday 11 April. David Buckingham and I went up to Old Lodge stopping at Barcombe on the way there and back, the first being unsuccessful. At a very cold Old Lodge I saw 2 Stock Doves, Red Kite, Buzzard, 2 Ravens, 2 Wood Larks, 4 Coal Tits, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Goldcrests, male Redstart, female Stonechat, Tree Pipit, 2 Crossbills, 150 very mobile Redpolls and 2 Siskins. A distant Cuckoo and more of some of the above were also heard (mostly by DB). Returning to Barcombe we saw Treecreeper, Nuthatch and the long-staying White-throated Sparrow. The latter giving several brief views and a few erratic bursts of song, seemingly from the ground where it spent most of its time.

female Crossbill at Old Lodge

"N" tree at Old Lodge

the very smart White-throated Sparrow at Barcombe

a brief visit to a picnic table was the only time I saw it in the open

seeing it on the ground was difficult

trying to photograph it almost impossible

Saturday 10 April. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands where we saw 4 Teal, Sparrowhawk, Jay and Chiffchaff. Rather disappointing.

Friday 09 April. I seawatched from Widewater for a couple of hours in a light southwesterly. Four Brent Geese, 91 Common Scoter, a second-summer Mediterranean Gull, 17 Sandwich Terns, 4 unidentified and 5 Red-throated Divers and a Fulmar flew east, 6 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Terns and a Red-throated Diver west, 20 Gannets were offshore and a Whimbrel was heard. Best of all though were a male and female Wheatear on the rock groynes. I returned home and Megan and I took Cookie to Steepdown where we saw 2 Stock Doves, Buzzard, Jay, 12 Sky Larks (lots of others heard), 4 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, male Stonechat, 4 Meadow Pipits, 27 Corn and 4 Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer.

Wheatear at Widewater, always great to see

Corn Bunting at Steepdown

Yellowhammer at Steepdown

Hare at Steepdown

and its off

Sky Lark at Steepdown