Saturday 25 January 2014

Up to West Dean Woods today, parked up at the "car park" up the hill to the right of Staple Ash Farm, didn't fancy getting the van stuck on the verge although a couple of other birders took the risk and were OK.
Plenty of finches about round the farm, mainly Chaffinches but there were also three Brambling mixed in. Walking towards the cottage there were two, maybe three Hawfinch with scope required to view in the tall trees,  further up at Monkton Farm and I thought I had a flyover Lesser Spotted Woodpecker though far from 100% on this one. A gentle amble back to the sounds of a shooting party (ahem) and pleased to see this Red Legged Partridge had escaped for the time being:


Nipped in to Pagham Lagoon on the way back to find a force eight gale and no Slavonian Grebe for me just a single female Goldeneye, the grebe is in residence apparently so will be back another day.