The forcast for today was for sunny spells and rain moving in around 3.00pm, however at dawn there was a threatening red sky and by 7.45am it was starting to rain Seven of us met up with Paul at 8.30 at Pevensey Castle and drove off to Horse Bridge on Wallers Haven south west of Hooe. As we waited for the rain to subside 5 decided to call it a day which left Paul, Roger, and I in our waterproofs heading south over the levels towards the A259. On the river and floods we saw plenty of Teal and Wigeon, 7 Shelduck and 5 Gadwall. Despite walking through the waterlogged grass we only manged to flush a few Snipe and no Jack Snipe or Short Eared Owls.
On the return trip back to the cars we were rewarded with a female Merlin chasing a Skylark for several minutes until they went out of view. Next stop was at Herstmonceux Church (still raining) where a circular walk through more wetland flushed some more common Snipe. We then set off for Horse Eye level and after negotiating more mud above our ankles we came accross this wetland
Here there were large numbers of Wigeon, Lapwing, Fieldfares, 3 Greylags flew over, a couple of Canada's were in the distance and a couple of Golden Plovers put in an appearance. 12.30 and we were wet, the rain stinging our faces, so we called it a day. An interesting place and surely has a lot of potential.
The next day on the SOS sightings page revealed a Male Hen Harrier near to where we were was seen early morning and a couple of Bewick Swans seen on Horse Eye Level in the afternoon - a place to revisit in the late spring when it is warm and dry!
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