White Fronted Geese

Yesterday I was out and about in the Arun Valley searching for the elusive Bewick Swans, all to no avail but it did mean that I got to tick off a few more birds. Up at the Burgh the Red Kites were active and at one time, thanks to other kind birders,  I had five in the scope - four sitting and one flying. Skylarks were singing and Corn Buntings very active. However, best of the day was a covey of eight Grey Partridges, tucked up in the hedge out of the wind.

 

Today was a different kettle of fish, east again, this time to the Cuckmere in search of what has proved to be a bogey bird for me - the White Fronted Goose. We parked at the Golden Galleon and the first bird in the log was a Kingfisher, sat above the sluice, he relocated to a perch just below the road bridge and we tried for a shot but he disappeared as we set up our cameras. Making our way down the west side path, which I have to say is exceptionally muddy, we located the birds easily amongst the countless Canada Geese and captured some rather distant record shots.

 

Transverse belly markings clearly visible

On the Cuckmere there is a fairly large roost of Great Black-backed Gulls, something spooked them and they rose as one and were wheeling above the geese. Fortuitously, under the cloud of birds, I spotted a lone Brent Goose which turned out to be a specimen of the light bellied form  Branta bernicla hrota. Sorry about the quality of the shot, it was a long way off.

The journey home took us to Seaford Splash Point and Newhaven West Beach, at both venues Fulmars are present on the cliffs but not Kittiwakes as yet. By now the weather had picked up with some really nice sunshine, too nice to go home early so we called into the Widewater at Shoreham. A total of seven Red-breasted Mergansers were feeding and bathing in the lagoon and who can resist taking a few photographs - I know I can't

Colour ringed Brent Geese

Whilst searching for the Black Brant at West Wittering I logged the following colour ringed Brents:

 

RANH

RANH a female, was first ringed on 30/01/2011 at Black Point, Hayling Island. In April it relocated to Schleswig-Holstein and this sighting is the first recorded this winter.

RANT

RANT a male, was first ringed on 30/01/2011 at Black Point, Hayling Island. In March it relocated to Friesland and this sighting is the first recorded this winter.

RAND

RAND a female, was first ringed on 30/01/2011 at Black Point, Hayling Island. In April it relocated to Schleswig-Holstein via West Wittering The first sighting this winter was on 05/10/2012 at Leigh on Sea and today's sighting is the second recorded this winter.

 

RANR

RANR a female, was first ringed on 30/01/2011 at Black Point, Hayling Island. It was recorded several times at West Wittering over the winter. Today's sighting is the first recorded this winter.

RANU

RANH was first ringed on 30/01/2011 at Black Point, Hayling Island. In April it relocated to Schleswig-Holstein and subsequently returned for the winter of 2011/12. This sighting is the first recorded this winter.

GJY5

GJY5 is a male first ringed in Terschellinger polder midden on 17/05/2002, reported to have mated with G8YF in 2003. This is the first record this winter

If you see any ringed Brents then please report them

Brent Geese

Oddly enough I found myself at the North Wall yet again today, this time determined to find a Black Brant. With the amount of Brent Geese present this was something akin to looking for the proverbial needle, the Brents were highly mobile due to some inconsiderate farmer installing several extremely loud birds scarers, this made it the equivalent to rearranging the haystack during each search. Having nearly gone cross-eyed I finally found a likely candidate but it turned out to be another false alarm. Perseverance, perserverance, perserverance and then give up!

 

The Hooded Merganser is still showing well but has become more wary still, hiding for several hours at the back of Breech Pool, having been active in the sluice until Derek Bell's gardener flashed up his rather noisy motor mower. It was that loud he couldn't hear what we were calling him.

The corvid population has risen dramatically, and in the fields behind and to the west of the pool, large flocks of both Jackdaws and Rooks were vociferous.

In the sluice were a single Grey Wagtail and three Rock Pipits