Woodcocks

Willow Trail

 Mid morning in the Willow Trail I flushed 1 Woodcock and little else. At Hanson Hide met RCand LC on a day out from Beachy Head. There we was several hundred Wigeon, Shoveler and Gadwall, with smaller numbers of Teal, Tufted Duck and Pochard, 3 Goldeneye and 2 Marsh Harriers.
Walking the track to the Water Tower a Chiffchaff in the bushes with 10+ Long Tailed Tits, loking south down the pit from the Water Tower a flock of 15 Smew.

Flock of 15 Smew in NE corner of ARC

 On the sea from the fishing boats it appears that most of the Auks and Grebes have moved on leaving 150+ Cormorants and 2 Red Throated Divers.
As the reserve was officially closed I parked back in the ARC car park and walked in. At Boulderwall farm 20+ Tree Sparrows round the feeders and 2 Stonechats a liitle further on. Between the bend in the track and the Hookers I flushed 2 more Woodcocks and a Snipe, a Bittern flew towards Christmas Dell and 2+ more Marsh Harriers was seen. Round the back of Hookers another Woodcock was flushed and 6 Reed Buntings. Dengemarsh was very quiet considering the weather but a Firecrest flew across the track disappearing into the Gorse. From the the track to Christmas Dell a Great White Egret and Little Egret flew over and from the hide a red head Smew and 3 Marsh Harrriers.
Christmas Dell to Scott hide yet another Woodcock and a Kingfisher on the return journey. Burrowes Pit held several hundred Shoveler, Wigeon and Gadwall and few Pintail but no sawbills were seen. The return plod from Makepiece Hide to the car produced the much the same birds but on more Woodcock. 


The usual Woodcock view