Call of the curlew ...

Curlew (Numenius arquata)

N. arquata is our largest wader and probably the easiest to identify, being long-legged and with a long down-curved bill and evocative bubbling call. It can really only be confused with the more compact, stripe-headed Whimbrel.

Although the Curlew no longer breeds in the county, last breeding on Ashdown Forest in 1991, Sussex remains an important migration stop and wintering destination. Their breeding range has now contracted away from most of lowland Britain, although a few non-breeding birds still spend the summer in Sussex, usually on the coast.

A bird who’s beautiful voice embodies the atmosphere of the lonely marshes and high moorland where it is found …

References:

Barfield, C. (2014). Curlew. The Birds of Sussex. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Books on behalf of the Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 276-277.

Nobbs, J. (1996). Curlew. Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 278-281.

Through the Looking-Glass …

Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)

Although found in many areas across the southeast, L. europaeus has become much more intermittently distributed during the last century; no more so than in my home county of Sussex. Reasons for the decline are varied but are believed to be connected to a range of factors including agricultural intensification, predation, disease, and both legal and illegal human persecution. It is due to this decline in distribution and numbers that L. europaeus was made a UK BAP priority species for conservation in 1995. Despite its decline, L. europaeus is the only game species in Britain, which does not have a shooting close season.

Although mating can take place almost all year round, with February to September forming the principal breeding season, the familiar boxing and chasing is most easily observed during March and April. Most boxing is typically a doe, the female, fighting off the unwanted sexual advances of a buck, the male, although male to male fighting is also recorded. When a doe is ready to accept a buck, following a period of chasing and a variety of gymnastic like movements, she presents herself and allows the buck to advance and briefly mate with her.

I can't help thinking he's watching me ...

References:

Bjärvall, A. and Ullström, S. (1986). Brown Hare. The Mammals of Britain and Europe. Beckenham, Kent: Croom Helm Ltd, pp. 60-62.

Corbet, G.B. and Harris, S. (1991, third edition). Brown Hare. The Handbook of British Mammals. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, pp. 154-161.

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)

The Long-tailed Duck C. hyemalis is a circumpolar marine species that breeds mainly in the Arctic tundra and winters further south, often far out at sea. It is estimated that only around 3,500 birds winter in Britain; most of these are thought to breed in Fennoscandia or northwest Russia and Sussex is on the southern edge of their wintering range. During 1992-2009, wintering numbers in the Baltic Sea, which held 70% of the world population, declined by an alarming 65% for unknown reasons.

In Sussex it is a very scarce passage migrant and winter visitor and a rare non-breeder in summer. The above image, of a spring plumaged female, was recently taken in Lancashire.

References:

Cowser, R., 2014. Long-tailed Duck. The Birds of Sussex. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Books on behalf of the Sussex Ornithological Society, p. 125.

Wilson, T.J. 1996. Long-tailed Duck. Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 175-176.

Skyfall ...

Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

The unmistakable song of the Skylark A. arvensis heralds both the arrival of spring and its transformation into summer. Who has not spent time staring into the sky to try to find and focus on that small dark spot before it comes falling to the ground?

A. arvensis is found across much of the Palearctic, including almost all of Britain and Ireland, wherever there are extensive habitats of low vegetation, including dunes, moors, meadows and arable crops. Although still very common in Sussex, no lover of the countryside can be unaware of the severe decline in numbers over recent years.

Long may its beautiful and charismatic voice grace our skies …

References:

Gutteridge, T., (2014). Skylark. The Birds of Sussex. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Books on behalf of the Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 427-428.

Scott-Ham, M. (1996). Skylark. Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 383-385.

Signs of spring ...

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

The Linnet C. cannabina is a small, lively bird, of warm downland, heathland, rough grassland and suitable areas of farmland; requiring places where it can forage safely on the ground, often in flocks, for seeds.

Breeding Linnets are widespread in Sussex and are locally common in their favoured haunts; it is even recorded as a garden bird in a few rural locations. Ashdown Forest and the northwest heathlands are especially favoured, as are coastal areas with gorse, scrub and where farming practices are accommodating to their needs. In full summer plumage the males are attractively marked with crimson foreheads and breasts, the females are much browner. Spring plumaged birds are pictured.

A delicate bird with a song once heard not forgotten …

References:

Perry, A., 2014. Linnet. The Birds of Sussex. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Books on behalf of the Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 558-559.

Bentley, V. and Newnham, J. 1996. Linnet. Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 529-532.

First impressions ...

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

A first year male Shelduck attends to the finer detail ...

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

As our most numerous diving duck, A. fuligula has rapidly expanded its population nationally since the late 19th century, in part helped by the colonisation of the UK by the invasive and non-native Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). A. fuligula is particularly adept at exploiting this mollusc as a food resource and it forms their staple diet where it occurs. Males are depicted below.

The low winter light, combined with the reflection of bankside vegetation, providing excellent opportunities for images on a golden pond ...

References:

Cowser, R., 2014. Tufted Duck. The Birds of Sussex. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Books on behalf of the Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 120-121.

Kalaher, M., 1996. Tufted Duck. Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 171-172.