a red kite flew west over stanmer park this afternoon.

Drake goosander still on falmer pond tonight (9.45pm).

At least one water rail still at sheepcote this morning. This afternoon there was a 1st winter male scaup and 8 red breasted mergansers at Arlington.

2 water rails were a surprise at sheepcote this morning. also a ring ouzel there. 2 black reds were at rottingdean and 2 were at shoreham harbour east side.

A Pallass warbler was found at sheepcote this morning, it was in sycamores at the southernmost end of 'the crescent' but was only present for a matter of seconds. It flew in from across the road with 2 goldcrests but seemed to disappear and we could not relocate it. A Lapland bunting was also heard.

A yellow browed warbler was seen on Saturday but unfortunately the highlight was probably a greylag over sheepcote, surprisingly a site first! Dreadful today with next to nothing anywhere, overhead or in the bushes.

This weekend, the highlights were 2 yellow browed warblers and a rather nice caspian gull. the seagull was on newhaven west beach late afternoon (today).

couple of holiday pics below.

So that's it then, back to work today, shame as theres obviously stuff out there waiting to be found. Me and me bro had the 3rd-13th off work and once again thinking big was the way to go, unfortunately this is sussex and a couple of padder finds was the best we could do. My best find was a rose coloured starling (my 4th county find), whilst Ian bagged a barred warbler and yellow browed. Birding was quite hard work, with not a lot generally going on from day to day, over head still no siskins or redpoll but loads of reed buntings. Other bits and bobs included tawny pipit 7th (not found, present previous day), 2 firecrest in Harry's bush (11th), 5 ring ouzels and 93 Brent geese sheepcote (11th), woodlark sheepcote (12th) and little gull at the res (13th). However, also a contender for best find was a wood warbler which spent 3 days in ovingdean up to the 13th. The latest county record i think. On the final day, a juv male goshawk complete with jesses was in Harry's bush. Roll on next year!

yday: tawny pipit newhaven tidemills.

An osprey flew over Brighton late morning.

Two splendid ospreys (juv and pres parent) at the res this afternoon from 4 :00-4:40 when they flew down the valley. One landed on the point for a quick bathe.

A honey buzzard flew over Brighton and I also saw my first merlin of the autumn.

as the autumn is so far rather boring, a few late pics from recent months. glossy ibis rodmell, wood sand rodmell, little egret princes park, an extremely distant white stork!!, red legged partridge at the marina and a med gull from the undercliff.

Down the cuckmere a marsh harrier flew in low over the scrape. On the river, large numbers of waders with 83 Dunlin and 30+ ring plovers. A little grebe at the res and gropper at rodmell.

yday: 5 garganey and 14 green sands (flyover flock) in the ouse valley.

yday: 2 quail calling from fields west of ditchling beacon.

A rather lost looking red legged partridge was roosting amongst the rocks at the marina this evening. A single cuckoo remains at sheepcote, the first instance of summering at this site. Hopefully it's done its business and a juv will appear soon.

slightly amusing, 4 great crested grebes flew high NE over the long car park (ashdown forest) this morning.

Late news: last Saturday (14th) , the highlight was a white stork which flew west.

yday: red kite over brighton.

yday: male serin at sheepcote valley briefly in the bmx track.

the highlight today was actually a little egret. a confiding bird at princes park.

during the week a red kite flew over barcombe and a curlew sand was at rodmell

a temmincks stint briefly at the east end of the scrape in the cuckmere this morning before flying towards the river mouth.

yday: 3 wood sands in the ouse valley and 2 marsh harriers over brighton.

red kite over southease.

few old pics below and todays serin above. i first heard this bird whilst seawatching and it was very mobile, never landing for more than a few seconds, once on the cliff face itself. 80 poms were off newhaven and on the way home found 2 delightful wood sands in the ouse valley.

yday: another little tern at the res til 8pm when it flew off high.

what the fuck sos! there is no fucking way that somebody elses initials should appear on the raddes at sheepcote. I found it and id'd it, so why does someone who merely took a picture of it get his initials. as I haven't yet submitted the record personally this makes it all the more annoying. the sos is shit, always has been, always will be, and its this kind of action that really pisses me off.

A male serin flew east along the cliff top at newhaven this morning.

2 red kites over glyndebourne this afternoon.

red kite, male whinchat and redstart at newhaven.

A local mega at the res this evening, a little tern!

an osprey flew over rottingdean this morning.

yday: male whinchat at sheepcote.

glossy ibis still at rodmell this morning.

The Glossy ibis still on Lewes brooks this morning. I then saw it at rodmell before it flew back towards the brooks. Also a nice male redstart at newhaven.

Bumped into the glossy ibis again this evening down at rodmell. I then saw it a little later on Lewes brooks viewable from the layby on the A27 westbound.

yday: a glossy ibis was found on lewes brooks.

completely shite weekend with a white wag at west rise, ruff at southease and a little gull at the res. a fire at the phoenix gallery, lewes.

red kite over brighton.

yday: red kite over falmer pond and another flew over greatham bridge.

a long eared owl was on hollingbury camp this morning and 2 red kites flew over brighton.

2 dead puffins on rottingdean beach and a dead gannet at saltdean.

Yday: dead puffin on Brighton beach.

woodingdean, 25 feb.

2 caspian gulls at arlington, 6 feb. the adult also roosted on 8th.

newhaven, 10 feb.

dead puffin and bonxie on brighton beach.

sat: walked from the marina to the pier finding the following dead birds: 21 razorbills, 9 guillemots, 7 kittiwakes, 5 starlings and a fulmar. I actually walked all the way to shoreham harbour but the totals fell dramatically with just 5 razorbills and a gannet between the pier and the harbour. I walked ovingdean, rottingdean and saltdean beaches in the evening finding more auks and kittiwakes.

• 16 feb: walked from the pier to the marina finding the following dead birds: 20 razorbills, 2 guillemots, 1 puffin (which I took home), 3 fulmars, 5 starlings and 4 kittiwakes.
• 14 feb: 2 dead puffins (which I took home) and a dead fulmar on the beach at brighton marina. also 2 dead kittiwakes further along the beach.
• 12 feb: walked from the pier to the marina finding 2 dead kittiwakes. another dead kittiwake on ovingdean beach.
• 11 feb: Caspian gull in the Cuckmere.
• 10 feb: walked from brighton marina to shoreham harbour finding the following dead birds: 9 razorbills, 2 guillemot, a shag and a gannet. I then walked newhaven beach and collected the dead puffin found the previous day. on the beach were 3 razorbills a kittiwake and a bunch of mute swan feathers.
• 8 feb: Caspian gull and kittiwake at Arlington.
• 6 feb: 2 Caspian gulls and a little gull at Arlington.
• 26 jan: Caspian gull in the Cuckmere.
• 25 jan: 'neck collared jackdaw' at woodingdean.
• 22 jan: Caspian gull at the marina.
• 18 jan: Caspian gull at Arlington.
• 12 jan: Caspian gull at the marina.
• 3 jan: Caspian gull in the Cuckmere.
• 31 dec: probable Viking gull on roedean golf course.
• 22 dec: 8 two barred crossbills broomhead res.
• 14/15 dec: another one of those crazy weekends with gulls everywhere. 20+ Caspian gulls were seen in the Cuckmere, Arlington, Newhaven west beach and on seaford head itself. the gull roost at Arlington was huge with massive numbers of lbbgs. on the Saturday, a 3rd winter 'Azorean type' yellow legged gull roosted.
• 5 dec: 2 Caspian gulls at Arlington.