Thursday 29 January 2009

Waxwings

An early morning text message from Nick Ellis to say that the Waxwings were still at Windmill Hill convinced me that it was time to make another visit over there. This time the birds (20) were on view when I got there, sitting in the top of an ash tree and calling almost continuously. Unfortunately a couple of photographers were rather too near the bushes so that the birds never came down to feed before they finally flew off eastwards. Torn between standing around in a pub car park or moving on elsewhere, I decided to go to Newhaven Harbour where, perhaps unsurprisingly, there was no sign of the injured Glaucous Gull. Ten Fulmars on one short stretch of cliff and 4 Rock Pipits were the only birds of note. Brighton Marina looked like being a waste of time until I reached the far end of the east arm where there was a juv Shag resting with Cormorants on one of the pontoons, 9 roosting Purple Sandpipers and a splendid adult Little Gull patrolling close to the seaward side of the arm. By the time I reached Southwick Beach the tide was up so there was no sign of the Iceland Gull. It had however been seen earlier.

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