it was t-shirt weather down the cuckmere today. on this day last year however     

- a different story

4 black redstarts at newhaven tide mills today, the adult male was singing quietly

the aptly named lesser spotted woodpecker, the press would have a field day over this one. seen in the same trees where i saw my first, 16 years ago, good to know they are still hanging on in this wood.

a marsh harrier lingering high over west rise this afternoon was surprisingly a site tick. also the pair of bearded tits still there and the pied wag flock has built up to around 60 birds but i could only spot a single white wag. yesterday a visit to the cuckmere failed to produce any migrant birds but there were some mullet in the river. things are happening.

white wag at west rise today. on 7th i visited the usual sites between dunge and rye. saw the hume's warbler, glauc and glossy ibis at dunge. was good to catch up with a few species that i didn't see at all last year - tree sparrow, scaup, ruff and spotshank.

 just like the good old days at scotney. well....

rye is so good these days. even the hides are dog friendly