One small paddock, four species of gull

Passing by the paddocks at Place Farm around 7 this morning, I was pleased to see (after a few weeks’ absence) our very own scraggy-tailed Herring Gull amongst around 30 Black-headed Gulls.

Coming back past a few minutes later, these had all moved on – but in flew three Common Gulls and a Lesser Black Backed Gull.

Still plenty of Fieldfares, Redwings and Mipits going over, plus Reed Bunting (a bit rare around the village). No sign of yesterday’s Brambling though.

Snipe at Glynde

A gentle walk around a wet field next to the Reach produced four Snipe (all feeding in the same spot) but not much else.

A Sparrowhawk cruising through caused a totally disproportionate reaction in the local Rook‘n’Jackdaw population, and a few Reed Buntings kept watch from scrub beside the Reach.

Brambling at Place Farm

With heavy rain until about 10 yesterday, I was late walking the dog, but it seemed to coincide with all the birds starting to get busy after their own delayed start.

Walking up Bostal Road, a gaggle of about 30 noisy Canada Geese – that included one noisy Greylag – flew off the Downs and over my head. Away from the Decoy Pond in Firle Park, Greylags aren’t that common South of the A27.

Feeding groups of Chaffinches were noticeable in a couple of places, including where the bales stacked at Place Farm; and there, making nasal noises from atop a small tree, a Brambling - my first of the winter, and the first stationary one I’ve ever seen in Firle (I usually just catch them going overhead). A Grey Wagtail brightened the puddles on the road nearby

As well as the handful of Fieldfares that have taken up residence around the back of the allotments, quite a few have been moving through in recent days – including one flock of 85 West on Friday. Meanwhile a small party of Redwings, which had apparently been sheltering in a yew opposite the Post Office, decided to make their escape all of a sudden as I walked back into the village.

Warm air, winter birds

A balmy morning  (practically T-shirt weather) but the birds are decidedly autumnal.

At least one Redpoll flew through (following six yesterday), followed by a couple of Redwings. Three Yellowhammers over the centre of the village was a sign of the season too.

The sun seems to be encouraging Skylarks to sing, particularly in the fields by Bostal Road, just west of the school.

And around the Ram/cricket pitch, plenty of the regulars in evidence: Treecreeper, GS and Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest and Grey Wagtail.

Lingering Swallow

A couple of Swallows hawking around the escarpment at Alciston yesterday, alongside some other late-autumn migrants, was less surprising than the lone bird sitting on wires at Place Farm this morning. It was in exactly the spot where the summering birds like to sit, but presumably this was a late migrant, just stopping by.

Nearby a Fieldfare chuckled from atop the highest branch in the churchyard trees – winter and summer cheek by jowl.

Firle in autumn, in pictures

New website for Glynde

and it’s purty. Go look!

Lovely day for almost seeing some stuff

A lot moving overhead this morning, mainly Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches and Pied Wagtails.

In the village, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail, Nuthatch and a single House Martin.

Up at the Plantation, usual suspects in the woodland (both woodpeckers, Jay, Treecreper), and on the escarpment/game cover just to the east, singing Chiffchaff and several calling birds, some vocal RL Patridges, and a flock of 15 Linnets.

Three Common Buzzards around the place, and a male Kestrel hunting mippits adjacent to the Coach Road.

Dropping back into the village, a Yellowhammer overhead (fairly unusual here), a probable Brambling (called once) and a possible Firecrest at Place Farm, near the right-angle turn (again, called briefly).

At least four species of gull around the village, with LBB, Common and prob GBB seen in addition to the usual BH and Herrings.

Also a big swarm of Starlings seen distantly, over the plough between Firle and Littledene – several hundred at least.

Woodcock

A Woodcock yesterday, flushed by Paul adjacent to woodland 300m east of the railway bridge at Glynde, south of the Reach.

Woodcocks don’t seem to like our damp and chalky area very much – this is the first I’ve heard of in years. They’re not the biggest show-offs though, so maybe a few spend the winter in some of the less-walked woodland.

Also a couple of Common Snipe seen here.

First Fieldfare

This morning while walking the dog, the first chuckle from a Fieldfare that I’ve heard this autumn: sat somewhere high in a tree near the Ram, but I couldn’t see it.

Welcome, but put into context by the record of some 21,000 Redwings recorded moving over Sandy, Bedfordshire, in two hours this morning.

Also Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, GS Woodpecker, and Mistle Thrush in the woods between the Ram and the school.