Not convinced by email, YouTube or Google? Well here’s proof that the internet is useful after all. This blog is devoted to the birds of Firle, a small village on the slopes of the Sussex Downs.
It includes the latest sightings (not restricted to birds) and links to useful sites. As of July 2007 I have the use of an ancient (20th century) digital camera, so there will be a sudden surge of pictures too. Mainly of landscapes, bugs and flowers I think – bird shots require a more sophisticated piece of hardware.
Please feel free to leave comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks for dropping in.
Charlie
This page has the following sub pages.
What a good idea and very easy to use.
Thanks Charlie
I love reading your articles. If I wasn’t colour blind, shortsighted and astigmatic I would be able to see them clearly as well!
Have seen housemartins in Barcombe Thursday 12th April but not in Firle yet…?
Thought I saw three swallows a fortnight ago but as have seen nothing since think I must have beein seeing things.
Has anyone heard the first Firle cuckoo of the year yet? I am convinced I have heard one at Glynde station one morning a week ago, but not yet at Firle.
Very interesting and well-presented site!
I travel from East Kent to Eastbourne most weekends, and seek out the inland pubs for lunch (Old Oak & Cricketers are the favourites), with a little birding en route.
I’ll be checking your site regularly for info.
Keep it up.
Hello there – last evening I visited Firle Church and thought that I could hear a nightingale in the bushes on the long pathway just off the road leading up to the church. Could this be correct? regards to all and love the website – Rosemary
Thanks Rosemary!
I’d be (pleasantly) surprised if it was a Nightingale, because I haven’t heard one in the village this spring, and I have been listening out in the evenings – one near the church should easily carry to my house.
Thrushes, however, are particularly vocal and noticeable at the moment. There are some creative song thrushes in the village, and so if the song you heard was loud and varied, with elements of repetition, I would suggest that it is more likely to have been one of those.
There’s a recording of nightingale embedded in this article about nightingales. Compare this to the recording of the song thrush at the RSPB website.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep leaning out of the window in the evenings.
thank you for your reply, I think it was a thrush that I heard as I have had a very vocal one in my garden to compare it with ! also since writing to you I heard a Nightingale in a Bush where they can be heard every year on the Downs .
Best wishes ,
Rosemary
dear Charlie ,
after you left us on safari Britain we saw a skylark it was amazing see you soon
fred
Hi Fred
That’s great – strangely, we haven’t seen very many Skylarks on the Safari Britain walks (certainly we’ve seen far more Meadow Pipits) so that’s a good sighting!
Sun 4th Oct We spent a couple of hours this morning on foot from Darp Lane to Laughton Level and mainly over towards Laughton saw up to eight Buzzards soaring at a time, one or two Sparrowhawks, a flock of say 300 Meadow Pipits, 50 Swallows on wires, one Chiffchaff and a really tame Wheatear. We saw several clouded yellows and even photographed one albeit with wings shut(Don’t know how to send it to this web page). We saw, along an as yet still wet ditch several bonded pairs of darters evidently egg-laying and some bigger blue and green dragonflies which we thought perhaps emperors but is too late for this species and Geof Gowlett on the phone suggested more probably migrant or southern hawkers.