08 March 2006

Alfriston Day Five


In spite of a dreary, wet day we decided to revisit the Booth Bird Museum on Dyke Road in the northern outskirts of Brighton. For Peter this was a sentimental journey some 31 years removed from the last time he visited, whereas the figure for Eric (the local resident!) was more like 51 years. The latter occasion was also notable for the fact that he skipped the freshman's welcome address by the Principal of the college he was joining in favour of a visit to the nesting site of some European Bee-eaters in a quarry in nearby Ditchling.


Huge display cabinets, piled to the ceiling still line the walls but some appear to be covered with later introductions of exhibits dealing with a range of other topics including geology, insects, fossils and so on. Housed in the museum are many bird specimens which one would conclude are implicated in the notorious "Hastings Rarities" scandal of the early 20th century.


Notwithstanding the scope of the collection the sheer numbers being collected at this period is illustrated by the restored 'punt-gun' on show. This weapon was discharged, at some risk to the gunner, and with a charge of over a pound of shot was capable of killing up to many dozens of waterfowl with stealth and luck - a chilling reminder of how things used to be a century ago.

Mr Booth's punt and guns

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07 March 2006

Alfriston - Day Three


Panorama from 'High and Over'

Sign at the carpark 'High and Over'

Pathway to viewing area


Seeing, last night, a posting on the Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS at http://www.sos.org.uk/index.htm) website about six Cattle Egrets recently seen at Piddinghoe, near Newhaven, we decided today to have a look for them.

Cuckmere from High and Over
First, we set off for a view of the Cuckmere valley from 'High and Over', a downland property owned by the National Trust. From the lookout we could see that there was more water in the side streams than usual and the clear day with bright sunshine made the view exceptional. We could see several groups of Wigeon grazing on the flooded meadows. There were perhaps 150 or so in total with many fine males visible. Also seen were some Greater Canada Geese, perhaps 20 or so, and a few Common Shelduck. We could see only one pair of Mallard and a few Mute Swans.


View from above the White Horse 'High and Over' and a typical Sussex footpath gate
Moving on to Newhaven harbour we found some gulls on the west side, attracted by bread crumbs, mostly Black-headed Gull with some Herring Gull but we failed to find any Purple Sandpiper after searching along the jetties with binoculars.



First year Herring Gull

Adult Herring Gull


Summer plumaged Black-headed Gulls



Winter plumaged Black-headed Gull

Jackdaw
However, while watching Feral Pigeon courting in the small caves on the chalk cliffs above us we realized that several Fulmar were prospecting along the face and some were alighting occasionally with a few of them calling in pairs from these nooks and cranies. On the sea we spotted a Great-crested Grebe.


Chalk cliffs west of Newhaven harbour


Fulmar prospecting along the chalk cliffs

'Tilting at shadows'


Courting Fulmars

View of Newhaven harbour and Trans Manche ferry


Rock (feral) Pigeons
We wended our way through the meandering backstreets of Newhaven and eventually find the road to Lewes via Piddinghoe. Missing the crucial turn into Piddinghoe we found a backway to the village on a narrow bend just at the time we spotted two white 'egret-like' birds on the some grubby wetlands close to the road. I was pretty certain that these were Little Egrets but Eric did not see them and there was no way we could stop, so we pressed on. We had seen on the map that there was a large pondage alongside the road at the back of Piddinghoe and we therefore headed in that direction. It turned out to be a large block of open water used by the local yacht club. We found at least one Pochard and three Greylag Geese apart from a mob of roosting gulls. Back on track and returning to the 'egrets' we found that the site was a pig farm and bird sanctuary! However, no signs of the egrets. Back through Piddinhoe for another look at the roadiside meadows towards Newhaven revealed a Cattle Egret feeding close to the road but behind hedges and again no chance to stop before we got involved with a ludicrous excercise of turning the car round in the entrance to the local garbage tip!

THE Cattle Egret
Heading home we stopped briefly to look at the newly developing wetland reserve alongside the road (A259) below Bishopgate between Newhaven and Seaford. This is a project returning some estuarine meadows and rough land back to wetlands. We spotted a few Common Teal and more gulls and a few Common Shelduck but not much else of great interest at the moment. Much has been done to put in hard surface pathways that follow the course of the road and a great deal of planting of shrubs and trees. Presumably the water levels will be regulated to provide open water and other suitable wetland habitats. Home.

The following entry was on the SOS website this evening:

Monday 06 March 2006

At Piddinghoe Pond on Saturday, what we thought were the Cattle Egrets when driving past were actually 9 Little Egrets spread out in a line. Just check when you do drive past that they are Cattle Egrets and not Little Egrets! Today however we did see a single Cattle Egret at 3:15pm just by the side of the road. We did manage to see a hint of summer plumage on the bird.
(Matt & Bob Eade).

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