Seaford Head- 22 October 2012

I'm afraid I reneged on yesterday's promise of Rouzel-hunting on Malling Down- the option of finding my own on Seaford Head seeming far more appealing! When I left the house it was still pitch black outside, and very, very misty. With NE winds overnight combined with this, I imagined it wasn't going to be a terrible day!

It was marginally lighter by the time I arrived at the south-west corner of Seaford Head Golf Course, from where I began my count of the day's migrants all across the headland. Walking through Seaford in the darkness, Robins and Blackbirds were both calling in gigantic numbers, obvious signs of an overnight arrival! Once on the Golf Course I could see this to be the case, with both species present in every bush and tree! Redwings were also torpedoing overhead, out of sight in the mist. A few were also in the bushes, alongside a handful of Song Thrush, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest. A single Fieldfare was picked up by it's 'chacking' call, which I tried without success to string into a Ring Ouzel. However, this was my first returning Fieldfare of the autumn. A Firecrest was also calling unseen from within these bushes. The calls of Redwing, Robin and Blackbird were with me all the time, accompanying me through a mist so thick I was struggling to see a large proportion of the birds I was hearing!

around the Radio Mast, there were a minimum of 30 Chaffinch, with about this number again scattered around the other areas of the patch. Also present were Redwing, Blackbird, Song Thrush and Robin in decent numbers, though still nothing rarer!

Moving on into Hope Gap, The numbers were really picking up. a little flock of Goldcrest in the north of the gap held at least one showy Firecrest, my finest views of the species for perhaps two years and a real treat! The numbers of all the common thrush species were enormous, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing and Song Thrush once again arriving en force, and two Fieldfares among them. A few Chiffchaff called and showed, while one singing Blackcap was heard halfway down, and a female was present in the bushes near the sea. here the resident pair of Stonechats announced their territory, while I got good enough views to racially identify a Song thrush for the only time today. The yellowish breast and rufousy-brown back identified it as race Clarkei, the british race. I was hoping to identify some continental birds today, but all the other thrushes I saw were too flighty for this! One showy Chiffchaff was hoping around in the low bushes right by the sea, accompanying the pair of Stonechats on their circuit.

I didn't check Harry's Bush, as there were some angry looking heffers with their calves around here; but in the trees opposite the style into that field I found another little crest flock, containing another showy and impossibly gorgeous Firecrest! By now it was time to leave and hastily march to the train station, leaving the birds behind for the sake of this silly thing called an education.

Overall it was a great day for quantity, though the quality bird or two I'd hoped for didn't really materialise! It was the kind of day where binoculars tend to be used just to give you good views of some familiar faces, rather than to pin an elusive ID; but overall it felt good to be out in the morning, and when you see that many Redwings, and get views that good of Firecrests, it would be a bit selfish to complain! However, I was slightly gripped by Seaford Head's third YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER of the year being found later this afternoon! Apparently present in the bushes car park, finder uknown, but Jon Curson visited at about 4.30 and could hear the distinctive calls once or twice, from the line of bushes running north on the eastern side of the car park. I have literally never seen a worthwhile bird here before! What makes it equally galling is that this is only the second time I've made it up in October. both days had perfect conditions for Yellow-brows, and on both days they've been found, but on both occasions, it's been after I left. c'est la vie and all that I suppose, would be nice to see one though! maybe if it sticks around til tomorrow...


my estimates totals for today were;

Meadow Pipit         30
Skylark                   15
Blackcap                  2
Chiffchaff                10
Goldcrest                30
Firecrest                   3-4 (first for Seaford Head this autumn, 2 very showy birds)
Robin                   150 (high count)
Blackbird             120 (high count)
Redwing               130 (high count)
Song Thrush           40
Fieldfare                3 (first of the autumn)
Chaffinch               60
Linnet                    50
Goldfinch              30

Black Redstart mini-influx, and Ode to a Redwing

I don't generally expect to see much while getting ready for school- so a Black Redstart giving a brief show  from my bedroom window was a great surprise today! it's a new bird for the garden (god knows what the list is now, but it included Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Whitethroat, Woodcock and Reed Bunting!) and a rather fantastic bird generally! Mine was a female/juvenile type, but Dad went one better with a gorgeous male by the Golden Galleon, at Cuckmere Haven. He also reported a lot of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, but nothing rarer among the Turdus.

speaking of Thrushes, A while back I asked Bob Edgar about how to tell apart a continental Song Thrush (race philomenos) from a british Song Thrush (race clarkei). I haven't seen any big numbers of Thrushes recently, but if there has been a little arrival I'll definitely pay attention to any Song Thrush I see and report back!

and how can I ignore perhaps my favourite autumn bird, the Redwing? I've so far failed to post anything about them on here, other than my first few at Seaford Head on 7 October when other birds stole some of the headlines; but they're moving over in decent numbers every night now. For me they really are the epitome of autumn, better than the finches and pipits, better than the wagtails pouring along the cliffs, maybe even better than Ring Ouzels, or Whinchats, or the thrill of finding something a bit out of the ordinary. Maybe it's the call, piercing through the typically cold October nights, and how you can take a walk around at night and literally feel like the sky is bursting with them! In Canada, you could have nights where the sky was littered with 'spinks' and 'chips' from thousands of Warblers and Sparrows and Thrushes flying over- but none of the rest of our passerines ever seem to be as vocal as their nearctic counterparts, bar of course the Redwing! It's a sign of autumn wherever you go, you could hear one over a bustling city or a deserted mountainside, and for these reasons and so many others, they're my favourite autumn bird.

I think I got a bit carried away there! I apologise to anyone who tires of the romanticised droolings of bird bloggers, but I can't really help it. I've got to head off to school now so I'll leave it there, but thanks for reading and good birding to all!