2nd February 2019 - East Sussex

A day of mixed fortunes with no sign early morning of the Rodmell Pink-footed Geese nor the Newhaven Hume's Warbler though Dad and I didn't give the latter that long. A Kingfisher was seen there however. At Newhaven Harbour there were two Purple Sandpipers roosting with seven Turnstone on the pebble beach at the start of the east arm but none on the arm itself and a Razorbill was in the harbour. At Butchershole car park on the edge of Friston Forest we found a couple of Bramblings with the Chaffinch flock despite the area between heavily disturbed by dog walkers. A circuit of West Rise Marsh turned up probably six different Water Pipits with four seen in flight together. They were typically hard to pin down giving flight views only until we had good views of one on the ground. Also at West Rise Marsh was a Water Rail, 56 Wigeon, 82 Shoveler, 12 Common Snipe and a pair of Stonechat. A quick call in at Sovereign Harbour produced nothing of note and on the way home no unusual gulls on the exposed sand at Newhaven Harbour at low tide.

1 of up to 6 Water Pipits at West Rise Marsh, Eastbourne