22nd January 2020 - Iford Brooks

On my drive into work two Woodcock flew over the Ashcombe Bottom Roundabout near Lewes. After I had finished for the day in the office, Max and I headed out again onto the Brooks. The pond by the car park held two pairs of Mallard the first time we had ever seen a bird on here! Down the lane on our way out to the brooks we recorded a female Kestrel and a Song Thrush however there was no sign of any Redwing and Fieldfare presumably both had moved on from the day before. When we got out onto the brooks it seemed quieter than the day before but there was a flock of c150 Starling and an adult Common Gull. Also noted was a Great Spotted Woodpecker heard distantly in an isolated patch of trees whilst the ditches held two Moorhen, four Mute Swan and a Cetti's Warbler. The duck pond still had c200 Wigeon and Shoveler had increased to four. On our way back to the cars we found two Firecrest in a hedgerow about half way down the lane - a nice grip back for Max as he missed the last one on 6th January. We also added a Sparrowhawk which shot through and at dusk 8 Lapwing flew overhead and when we got back to the car a Tawny Owl was calling very close to us but we could not locate it. Also of note for the time of year was a Bat sp. foraging around the village.

Looking towards The Downs from Iford Brooks, East Sussex