An early Nightingale - my earliest ever? - singing in Abbots Wood, nr Hailsham, around 250m south of the lake.

Many Chiffchaffs, Coal Tits and Great Spotted Woodpeckers calling, with a couple of Mistle Thrushes, Treecreepers and Siskins heard, and a single Firecrest singing.

A patch of Scarlet Elf Cups among the mosses and damp dead wood.

#SussexBirding ##Sussex #birding #ukspring

Some spring variety on Down and Horseye Levels this morning, with an OSPREY high North at 10.42, a record (for me) 8 WATER PIPITS sitting in hawthorns, the long-staying ringtail Hen Harrier, an adult male Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Shelduck, 3 Sedge Warblers, Swallow, 2 Great White Egrets, 5 each of Gadwall and Shoveler, and a Green Sandpiper. #Sussex #birding #SussexBirding #PevenseyLevels #PatchBirding

#WeBS survey for on Down and Horse-eye Levels this morning: 2 Black-t Godwits, a pair of Shelduck, a few dozen Wigeon and Teal still, Peregrine & Red Kite, Egyptian Goose, Water Pipit (CB), Water Rail and 3 Great White Egrets. Chilly, but spring in the air with display from Lapwings, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. The first Wheatear or Garganey this week? #Sussex #birding #SussexBirding #PevenseyLevels

A ringtail Hen Harrier, three Pintail and twelve beautiful (but not entirely wild) Barnacle Geese were the highlights of Wetlands Bird Survey (WeBS) core February count this morning on Down Level. Also 61 Teal, 13 Gadwall, 20 Wigeon, 360 Lapwing, 3 each of Snipe, Stonechat and Great White Egret, plus Raven over and Reed Bunting singing as best they can. #birding #sussexbirding #sussex #birds #WeBS

20 Barnacle Geese flew in to Horse-eye - presumably part of the feral band touring Sussex, but it’s nice to wonder.

Also 1 Cattle, 2 Great White and 5 Little Egret, 2 distant Golden Plover and 5 Shelduck on Down scrape.

Chaffinch and many Skylarks in song. A single Fieldfare and 3 Redwings in the hawthorns.

#sussexbirding #birding #sussex #PevenseyLevels

At least 3, perhaps 5 Great White Egrets, across Horse-eye and Down, 3 Little and a Cattle Egret at White Dyke farm, a Shelduck on Down scrape, and my first Chaffinch song of the year. #imbolc #sussex #sussexbirding #ukspring #PevenseyLevels

What’s that you say? Oh just a Sardinian Warbler wintering in Sussex, UK. In somebody’s garden. #climate #SussexBirding #sussex #wtf

Today I was ten minutes too late to see the Little Swift at Eastbourne.

Great to get a dip in at the seaside so early in the year. 🤓

#birding #Sussex #SussexBirding

Three hours walking between Ripe and Laughton under mainly sunny Boxing Day skies.
Much of the land is dismayingly tidy, over-fenced and overdrained. Few wildfowl or waders seen.
A handful of tangled corners and small old-fashioned ‘unimproved’ fields keep some interest alive.
Birding highlights: 1 Chiffchaff, 22 Skylark, 20+ Teal, 1 Snipe, 6 Buzzards, 20+ each Fieldfare & Redwing, 3 Bullfinches.
#sussexbirding #sussex #walking #BoxingDay

On Christmas Eve we took a speculative look at Glynleigh Level, a lesser-watched corner of the Pevensey Levels. So glad we did. At least 1250 Lapwing in the air at once, perhaps 2000. 25 Golden Plover, Green Sand, 2 Egyptian Geese, 13 Shoveler, 33 Teal, 3 Little Egrets, Water Rail and a Roe Deer. Well worth the wellie wading. #sussexbirding #ukbirding #WeBS #sussex #patchbirding

After six and a half years of living here, finally added Little Egret to the list for our local pond. Wandering around beside the road in the middle of town, like the most sinuous of pigeons. #sussexbirding #Hailsham

A morning spent sloshing around West Rise Marsh - no Penduline Tits for us at the pagoda, but good to see a Water Pipit well, hear a few Bearded Tits, and witness a Marsh Harrier put up 27 Snipe from among the reeds. #sussexbirding #birding