Across The Border

 Rye Harbour....one of my favourite stomping grounds for birding.....

Rather colder even before setting off....DH and I headed south to the coast.....and blimey, when we got there cold was not the word....eye watering....

A stop at the viewing point..as we got out of the car a Buzzard went over....now...when we visited some time ago it was blocked off and a notice up about work going to be undertaken.  Then it was simply one piece of wood across the entrance which we stepped over.....this time....there was a big wire fence section secured with pieces of wood, nails and screws....they really meant it this time....but really?...Sussex Wildlife Trust....really?....one of the most important viewing sites on the reserve and you STILL havent done anything about it.  

So we just stepped off the walkway, walked round the it of fencing and climbed back on the walkway.  And just as well we did.

Plenty on offer.  Fabulous views, close, of Marsh Harrier, couple of Teal flew in, Tufted Duck, Coot, Cormorant all obvious.  In the distance across the fields we could see Curlew, Magpies, Greylags...and....a Wheatear!  Extremely distant, but coudnt be anything else from its size and behaviour.  

Meantime a Bittern decided to 'boom' a few times.  Then gave up and wasnt heard again.

There were also plenty of Chiffchaffs around and a Cettis Warbler.

We moved on to the main site.

Reed Bunting was first up as we walked toward Limekiln.....Skylark singing.  Avocets were obvious white blobs on the distant water.  A Red Kite, most unexpected, put many birds up and caused a short panic.

In the hide we spied....Pintail, Great-black-backed Gulls, Wigeon, Brent Geese, plenty of gulls...Herring and Black-headed......19 Sandwich Tern was a nice surprise, though of course they arrive this time of year.  Dunlin, Grey Plover, Oystercatchers, Shoveler....and a single Turnstone.

We meandered to the end to see if we could find some more Turnstone...and decided to sit down behind a wall out of the wind.....we were mulling over why there were so many shells at that point when DH called out as a bird flew past us.....white rump...Wheatear....just arriving.....immediately plopped down on the stone a way away.....we were the first to see if in the UK.....

It didnt stay long, there was a number of people around and as usual, dogs running all over....so off it flew....and we gave chase....we found a couple of Skylark and nearby re-found the Wheatear, looking for and finding food.  It even chased off one of the Skylark....we watched for a while....then made for the car to get away from the wind and the c-c-c-c-c-cold....

We decided to head to Winchelsea Beach to try along the cliffs....slightly out of the wind, but still cold....a bit of patience paid off.....we found Fulmars and Peregrines.....just about nothing out to see other than gulls, cormorants and one Great-crested Grebe....

Off again with a much discussed decision to stop at Brede Woods.....unsure of what we might find...really hoping for a Blackcap...which we failed on....

Instead we were favoured by 15 Common Crossbills....absolutely fabulous....they fed happily in a near by larch tree.  It poured....but the birds remained.  As we watched we then found a Marsh Tit....amazing ten minutes.....

We meandred to the reservoir at the far end of the woods....noting Nuthatch along the way....followed by great views of a Treecreeper that hung around for five minutes.....

Walking back to the car we found ourselves in the spot where the Crossbills had been and they were still present....then joined by a flock of Siskins....in amongst them were a few Lesser Redpolls....2 Marsh Tits were calling....

For a stop in 'hope' of one species that we failed on...we were handsomely rewarded by great views of several others we never expected and mostly new for the list this year...

All in all....a grand day out....