Saturday 10 October 2015

Blues & Ouzels

A day that was half a success. The letdowns were no Long-Tailed Blue at Beeding (Shoreham) Cement Works and no Crossbills at Lavington Common but "fishing would be called catching" as they say. The site for the LTBs at Beeding Cement Works is by the side of the road as you are going south at TQ 19905 08681. There are three concrete bollards which you can park by and view just over the fence into the cement works; lots of Everlasting Pea of course marks the spot. Four Commas, a few Small Whites and three Red Admirals were the best I could do today and I understand no LTBs showed on Friday either.

A note on the site from Neil Hulme via the Sussex Butterfly Conservation website:

 If you visit this site please do not block the track up to the houses (there is really only room for one car to park here). Parking can be found in the layby a few hundred metres further north, on the left-hand side. Please do not walk up the private track which serves these houses. Please do not trespass over the private garden to the left of the track. I still believe that the main emergence of British Long-tailed Blues is yet to begin, but the forecast of a big freeze next week may yet spoil the party. (Neil Hulme)

The successful part was an early-ish visit to Cissbury Ring for Ring Ouzels and Mistle Thrushes. When I arrived in the area of the far Yew tree I was informed somewhat taciturnly that there was nothing about by two birders present. Rather than wait and stare gormlessly at the tree waiting for a bird to emerge with a big fat sign pointing at it, I mooched off towards the flint mines and had found the first Ouzel of the day within five minutes! Good views were then had of three/four Ring Ouzels flying above my head, joined by a few Mistle Thrushes, which then sat on the bushes giving great static views. I managed to get another birder on the birds too which was nice and the other birders had them later too over the Rifle Butts area. No sign of the Yellow-Browed Warbler today, for me at any rate.


Mistle Thrush & Ring Ouzel:




Ring Ouzels:




Ring Ouzels:




Ring Ouzels:




Mistle Thrush: