Dotterel

I haven't been spending much time birding lately, but Tuesday's news of three Dotterel, on the downs just south of Ditchling Beacon, soon had my attention. I have seen them before but never in Sussex and my only picture is a distant, barely recognisable shot.

There are a number of traditional stopping off points along the South Downs, that are regularly used by the Dotterel on their spring and autumn migrations. Reports are less and less frequent as the years go by but opportunities to see them still exist.  

Dotterel

I have searched the Ditchling Beacon and Balsdean areas in previous years but with no luck. Unless you spot the bird flying in, they can be very difficult to locate. They have good camouflage and tend to hunker down in dips and gullies and stay still for long periods. It can seem a thankless task, searching for something that is difficult to see, when you know that there is a near certainty that it is not even there. However, someone found these three and they deserve my thanks for putting the report out.

It was a bit different when I went off in search of my first Sussex sighting on the Wednesday. Good directions made the area easy to find and a small group of observers already onto the birds made the exact location clear. In many ways it was a little disappointing to find such a difficult bird with no real effort on my part.

However, I wanted a picture and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity. I spent about an hour just getting brief glimpses of a couple of the birds roosting in amongst the chalk and stubble. Eventually they did move and I got my picture opportunities. Distant but much better than anything I have had in the past.

Dotterel

Dotterel

There were good numbers of Wheatears foraging along the fence lines as I walked back to the car but unfortunately there were no Whinchats visible.

Wheatear

And a few pictures from earlier in the summer, Corn Bunting, House Martin, and Spotted Flycatchers. 

Corn Bunting

House Martin

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

 

Nice to see the Dotterel and as I said above, the pictures are better than anything I had before, but looking at them again they are not really good enough. The challenge of getting a good picture is still there.

Dotterel

I haven't posted much lately, which really sums up my year to date. I have probably seen the same number of birds as usual but the picture opportunities have been few and far between. Unfortunately that goes for the Dotterel as well. Seen it, but only managed a really poor record shot of a distant bird. However, as it's a lifer for me, poor as it is, it does get published.

Dotterel

I have spent a good few days, in the past, wandering around the Sussex Downs hoping to see them. The Balsdean area is said to be a regular stopping off point but it hasn't worked for me. Seen plenty of Wood Pigeons up there but no Dotterel. A one off visit to the Chosely Drying Barns in Norfolk also proved fruitless. I was getting to the point of thinking I would have to try a long distance (for me) twitch up to Pendel Hill or Danby Beacon to see them. Then last week there were reports of a pair of Dotterel showing well at Cheesefoot Head just over the border in Hampshire.

Showing well they may have been but not on the day I visited. I had great hopes of a decent picture. This is a bird that is said to have little fear of people and that can be easily approached. This pair where in the middle of a crop field at least a hundred metres away, they weren't moving and I wasn't about to risk being labelled as a selfish togger for trespassing over the crop. Sad world that we live in!

I saw the male Garganey at Waltham Brooks. Good, but brief views, as it weaved in and out of cover along the bank side. It didn't seem to be bothered by my presence and gradually worked its way closer to my position. I thought I was doing well until I raised the camera and it immediately took off for the back of the pool.

A visit to Pulborough Brooks doesn't usually give many good picture opportunities but this time it was rescued by a couple of good views of Jays, never an easy bird to get close to.

Jay - at the bottom of the zigzags

Jay - just to the east of the Hanger

A Skylark concludes my meagre collection of photographs for the last month.

Probably my worst month since I started birding. I don't think its the birds, it's not the camera, so it must be me. Must try harder, if Tiger Woods can make a come back then so can I.