Seeing Red

Redpoll, Redwing and Red Kite - three not so common sightings for us, but all three spotted in the past few weeks. The Redpoll (Lesser) arrived on the 26th March amongst the many Siskins and Goldfinches in the Nature Area. The initial rush to get record photographs has proved unnecessary as it is still around now, with two couples spotting it from the hide yesterday morning. Still, an unusual visitor here, though perhaps not too much of a surprise with numerous sightings locally this winter, including a few here one or twice late last year. The Redwing was in fact in the Nature Area at the same time as the initial sighting, and though not as uncommon as the rest (certainly during a cold winter or in the Autumn as they demolish the yew berries) was still a surprise given the time of year.

Last Spring, Red Kites were not an uncommon sighting in East Sussex, with the SOS receiving many reports of most likely migrants arriving back in the UK after spending the winter in warmer climes. Even here we had a period of a week or two (around late March) where we were spotting them regularly, though between then and now we have only noted one sighting on the 10th October, perhaps a bird making its way back south. Yesterday morning (12th April) a single bird graced the glorious blue sky and was soon joined by 2 Buzzards - a delight to watch and made all the more enjoyable by the long time it spent lazily soaring in the thermals, allowing for some nice views through the bins and a few record shots with the camera.

Red Kite (right) with 2 Buzzards

The feeders have quietened down significantly as anticipated; April is always a quiet month as the birds have other things on their mind, along with a more plentiful supply of natural food. Still it's one of my favourite times of the year, with longer (plus hopefully warmer) days and the arrival of the spring migrants. Our first Cuckoo was heard this morning, Chiffchaffs chiffchaffing for perhaps a couple of weeks and a couple of local Swallows, though none here yet. You can see our spring first dates here which will be updated as new arrivals turn up.

Once again, the Kestrels are inspecting the church, and once again they are getting hassle from the local Jackdaws. It never seems to put them off so hopefully we will witness this space being used once again to raise another brood.

Binocular sales have been exceptionally good for us since adding Swarovski to our range late last year, allowing us to expand very recently with the addition of Vortex optics. On Sunday 17th April I will be attending Kent Wildlife Trust's Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve for an Optics Demonstration Day, and another on Sunday 1st May at Bough Beech, so do pop along if you can.

Firsts and lasts

Good numbers of House Martins were lingering on, though no sightings today so at the minute the last record is down for the 9th October. Today was our first sighting of a Siskin in the Nature Area this year, however! Adger spent an hour or so in the hide and photographed a female, a nice surprise, shame neither Allan or I have seen one here yet. The day started well with a pair of Ravens cronking overhead and ended even better as a Red Kite passed over the hide :)

Red Kite - Salehurst, East Sussex, 10/10/2015

March Roundup

Allan's Beckley garden often attracts Reed Buntings in the winter, but up to the 9th March they were a no show, until one female arrived for a brief visit.

 The Treecreepers have been quieter though a ringed one visited the feeder on the 10th and another was back on the wall by the car park on Sunday 22nd, when Allan took this lovely shot.

 At home (Staplecross) in the early afternoon on the 22nd, two Red Kites passed overhead. On his way to work on the 26th, there was another Red Kite on the brow of the hill just up the road from the shop, heading off in the an easterly direction, later spotted perched in a tree off the Hawkhurst Road by a customer at around 11am. The 26th March also brought about a surprise visit from a drake Mandarin duck, landing in the tree overhanging the entrance to the car park.

In the afternoon, 5 visitors to the hide reported seeing a pair of Siskins in the Nature Area, though unfortunately the sighting wasn't confirmed by ourselves and we are still, as of yet this winter, to see any Siskins at Feathers.

At around half 8 in the evening, driving back past Footland Woods near Cripps Corner, a Tawny Owl was sat right in the middle of the road, only flying off when I was pretty close by.

At around 2 oclock on the 27th, I spotted another Red Kite in the same place as Allan had the day before, so presumably the same bird has been lingering in the area. There has been plenty of reports of Red Kites on the SOS sightings pages recently, with records of 6 nesting pairs on the downs in West Sussex. Perhaps a sign of things to come!

The Wren (or Wrens!) has been very showy in the Nature Area, often spending prolonged periods down by the rocks and logs next to our pond. They're great fun to watch but are a real challenge to photograph as they flit about.

We're not sure what stage the Kestrels are at in the Church or whether they will nest there at all, though they have been spotted on numerous occasions so we hope they choose to use it.