Today was the first day in a while that Brian and I were both free for a birding trip, so when he offered to drive to Seaford to give me a chance to see a Pied Wheatear, which would be a new addition to my life list if successful I accepted immediately.
We left at 5 a.m. and were driving along the Esplanade shortly before 7 a.m. We parked at the far end, leaving a short walk up the hill to the ruined walls of the old hotel. After a brief search, one of the other two birders present spotted the wheatear. As we joined him the bird popped up onto the brick wall. It would show regularly throughout the morning but would never stay in one place for very long.
The Pied Wheatear was my eighth addition to the life list this year, one I was pleased to see as I had missed the Landguard bird in November 2015.
A pair of Black Redstarts was also present. The female bird showed no fear and would walk right up to us several times. We also enjoyed close views of two Rock Pipits as they fed on the grass banks.
Pied Wheatears are widely distributed. They breed in SE Europe from NE Bulgaria, E Romania, and S Moldova to the S Urals, Mongolia, C&W Afghanistan, N Pakistan, NW Himalayas, and NE China, and winter in NE Africa and the SW Arabian Peninsula.
It's only the 2nd record for East Sussex, the first being a male seen at Newhaven which was present from 7th-9th July in 1990.
 |
| Ruined walls of Hotel |
 |
| Black Redstart |
 |
| Rock pipit |
 |
| 1st winter female Pied Wheatear |
 |
| The outside walls of the old hotel |
