At least 20 crossbills present on the heathland resoration areas this morning and yesterday (Tuesday). Two unusual species for PB were seen yesterday - a brent goose was on the south brooks and a very conifding red-legged partridge was under the feeders in the courtyard. Adders still being seen alongside the trail between Little Hanger and Winpenny hide.

A short mid-afternoon visit to the Gap today. A Jack Snipe was flushed from the damp set-aside strip and 2 Grey Partridges were nearby, whilst the flooded horse field held 10 Song Thrushes and a couple of Redwings, but there was little else of note. A dozen Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Great Crested Grebes were offshore, but hopes of an early incoming spring migrant were soon dashed; still, what will tomorrow bring?

No sign of the Garganey just north of Piddinghoe near Dean's Farm this morning. At Splash Point, Seaford a Black Redstart showed around the sewage buildings and 4 Kittiwakes were offshore.

Driving to work this morning (8.55am) I had the great view of a low flying (just above the car) Red Kite outside Balcombe village. It flew across the road from east to west just before Bowders Farm.

One Little Owl still in the favoured tree at West Dean yesterday, trying to appear fierce but actually looking like a grumpy teddy bear. A great collaboration of birders - one couple suggested moving to a different angle to find it, I managed to spot it in the tree and another lady provided her scope for a closer view!

A pair of Garganey for fourth day on flooded fields between Southease and Piddinghoe. Also a Red-throated Diver nearby on the Ouse. (Les Bird, via Cuckmere-Ouse Bird Blog.

A pair of shelduck near the Canada geese on the splash north of Exceat off the R. Cuckmere. Also 30+teal, 20+wigeon, usual mallard and the odd heron.

Having missed the purple sandpipers at Newhaven on Saturday I wandered along the east arm of Brighton Marina after work today. Arriving at the end and peering over at the concrete sea-break on the outer wall it all looked deserted, but then I caught a glimpse of something amongst the huge concrete forms. After a while I realised there were lots of birds flitting about: purple sandpipers (5 for sure but possibly more) and turnstones (at least 12). Also a great crested grebe fishing in the inner harbour.

Stunning day but very cold. Huddled like us further down the beach was a small group of ringed plovers. Seven brent geese suddenly settled on the sea in front of us and paraded up and down for a while. The odd cormorant flew by. No purple sandpipers seen despite a quick look on the east pier. On the way back along the creek we were treated to a flock of ca. 60 curlew on the flooded field, undisturbed by a limping fox. Finally a flock of 17 redshank on the shore. We didn't get close to the gull flocks.

Bob Self and I spent some time at the Ouse Estuary Project on Saturday, looking for the gull that Paul James found on Wednesday.

We found a gull which, like Paul's, showed a number of typical features: small, beady dark eye; legs (always difficult to see) were buffish-greyish-pinkish but always pale and not the striking pink characteristic of Herring Gull; bill relatively narrow and straight-sided (like Caspian) but also shortish and brightish yellow (unlike the typical - but not invariable - Caspian Gull where the bill is typically longer and slender and greenish-yellow in winter); the red spot on the bill was confined only to the lower mandible.

By no means a definite claim, but an interesting bird nonetheless. It was very windy, and the attached digiscoped shot is the best of a blurry bunch. Comments welcome.

On a lovely bright but cold day we located the Crossbills (at least 2 red males and some females) in the plantation. Also Marsh Tit, Siskin and Redpolls, plus the usual tits and some Goldfinches. (Thanks to Robin for letting us know the Crossbills were still around).

Approximately 20 Redwings and 10 Fieldfares in a collection, very cold east wind but bright sunshine, near New England Wood, Cuckfield.

Today walked down to Stretham Manor, saw a Kingfisher zipping up the river, and found the family of four Bewick's Swans which Alan & Miou must have seen on Saturday. Don't know if they managed to read the neck rings, but I got the numbers today and have sent these off. Yesterday there were 6 Egyptian Geese with Greylag to the north of the village, just above the river fork, and on Friday it was reported via the Henfield group that a dog (not mine!) disturbed a Bittern in roughly the same area, east of the Adur, near Chates.

Still quiet, but it's good to be out. At the dam this morning a Green Sandpiper was new for the year seen in the overflow and then on the lagoon, where a few Reed Buntings were noted. A pair of very vocal and showy Jays are always good to see. Goldcrests were in song this morning, as were Song Thrushes and on the dam a splendid looking male Grey Wagtail. At the west end 21 Pochard and six Tufted Duck still, a few Teal flew in later. At the feeding station at least nine Long-tailed Tits were on the feeders as was a male Reed Bunting, not what I'd usually expect. Marsh and Coal Tits also joined in. A Sky Lark flew over the car park and a pair of Magpies were already set up in a new nest here. Along the lane two Yellowhammers and Bullfinch added some colour on this lovely morning. Lastly the heronry is very busy, the Great Crested Grebe are displaying and only a few Common Gulls remained with the small numbers of Black-headed Gulls.

A single Black Redstart at Widewater Lagoon today, originally found on the beach to the west of the last beach huts to the west of the car-park, seemed to favour the beach hut area for the duration I was there. Photo attached

While walking at Blakehurst, Angmering Park yesterday we came across the dead body of a Buzzard on the edge of the woods. It loked recently dead and we did not see any marks on it.

A beautiful day to be walking, we started with West Dean's Little Owls (thank you Clare) - 1 was showing well at 13.45 exactly where we were directed to. We trotted up through the woods and conifer plantation and saw several groups of finches - greenfinches and chaffinches, and many feeding groups of long-tailed tits. Favourites of the day here were several firecrests, three treecreepers and a male bullfinch. A strange bark was followed by a sighting of a beautiful fox who stopped for photographs. A buzzard showed well over the ploughed fields by Colwood Barn and we spooked 2 red-legged partridges here too. A final trip to the owl tree at 17.30 produced 2 Little Owls, one sitting in the original tree, the other on the ground below it.

Still lots of wildfowl present as the water recedes including 3 Pochard and a few Tufties scattered about. Snipe are showing well from West Mead and a Water Rail was less obliging from Nettleys. Redshank, Peregrine and Crossbills were seen by others. A very distant wader on the North Brooks was probably a Green Sandpiper. Three adders were showing well between Little Hanger and Winpenny. As dusk approached a Barn Owl was hunting on the other side of the river beyond the South Brooks .

Whilst carying out my Beached Bird Survey between Telscombe Cliffs and Rottingdean I noticed a raft of Great Crested Grebes opposite the cafe at Saltdean and numbering 42. A smaller raft was spotted on the sea opposite the Peacehaven Carvery numbering 12. Whilst Great Crested Grebes are frequent visitors to the shore in the area I have never seen such large numbers in 30 years of birding the area.

Walked about three-quarters of a mile from Rodmell village carpark to the River Ouse where I saw two grey herons taking off and landing for about thirty mins, when to my surprise and delight two more flew up and they also did a couple of circuits before flying off. Lots of dunnocks on my way back to car park.