Little Bunting

Spent a morning on Thursday at Portsdown Hill looking for the Little Bunting that had been present since Tuesday but only had a few vague flight-calling views on which I wasn't prepared to tick. Went back on Friday and after an hour or so in better weather I refound the bird in the near hedge and managed a few pics and to get another birder on it before it flew. The pics don't do it justice as it was much brighter in the field but after dipping the Scotney Lapland Buntings I was pleased to get it.

Little Bunting:

Firecrest

New birds for the year today in West Sussex:  Firecrest at last, a pair of cronking Ravens and a single Brambling. The next day Hawfinch and an unexpected raptor...

Waxwings & GWE

All out timeline here but these are the East Grinstead Waxwings from the other day; it was really nice that the workers in the area took an interest and hats off to Weatherford (UK) Labs for being so nice and patient with the birders.

Waxwings:

At Arundel from the banks of the Arun I had the Great White Egret in the roost at WWT and on Dunstable Downs (Hertfordshire) between snow showers all I could find were Red Kites, Kestrels, Buzzards & Fieldfares.


Great White Egret:

Kestrel:

Pink-footed Geese

A partially successful trip to East Sussex on Friday gave me the much-wanted Sussex Pink-footed Geese, four at Scotney & one at Pett Level, two Tundra Bean Geese 12+ White Fronted Geese, and plenty of feral Barnacle & Greylag Geese; two feral hybrid-type Emperor x Barnacle Geese were also nice to see. Also added Tree Sparrow to the Sussex list & drove-by the Camber Red-necked Grebe back on the small pit. Unfortunately though my appalling record with Sussex buntings continued as I dipped the two Lapland Buntings at the back of Scotney Pits, if they stick I intend to dip them again next week! I hope we don't get a Pine Bunting I've no chance! In my defence, on arrival I found another birder with little clue walking around in the area trying to flush everything..he succeeded!

Tundra Bean Geese:

Emperor x Barnacle hybrid type & Barnacle Goose:

Pink-footed Geese:

Water Pipit

I heard a Pipit sp. calling constantly at Fishbourne Creek last Thursday and tracked it down, took the pictures and they revealed a Water Pipit, a decent bird for West Sussex especially. Also saw a lovely Kingfisher hovering by the sluice and landing on the rocks.


Water Pipit:

Kingfisher:

Taiga Bean Geese & RN Grebe

Another trip to East Sussex on Friday, this time for the assembled Geese on Pett Level and the Red-necked Grebe near Camber. The main target were the five Taiga Bean Geese, a rare bird for Sussex, and they duly obliged along with Barnacle Geese, Greylag Geese, Brent Geese and White-fronted Geese but I dipped the Pink-footed Geese I so dearly want on my Sussex list...c'est la vie and my second dip of this species in Sussex in a week..

The Red-necked Grebe at Camber was brilliantly close and showed so well, very pleased to see it and a bit different from a fly-by at Selsey or dot at Hayling Island.


Red-necked Grebe:

Taiga Bean Geese: