Down at the lagoon seawatching from first light but no movement other than 2 Shags (one W and then presumed same E, and then another E). Seemed good conditions to locate a singing Black Redstart but only Dunnocks were singing everywhere despite a good search on the beach and along Basin Road North. Finally rewarded with my hoped for but not expected target species with a female Black Redstart showing well at the top end of Basin Road North near the junction with Wellington Road. Three Ringed Plover were on the beach. Late news from Thursday was a first winter Mediterranean Gull on the lagoon late afternoon, and a Rock Pipit showing at close range that looked classic for spring littoralis.

This morning we watched, for at least five minutes, three Common Buzzards working together along Centurion Way, near Lavant, with a fourth soaring high above them - two distracting a Rook which was trying to mob them whilst a third was in amongst the rookery presumably robbing eggs or young. Is this a normal practice for them to be so well organised?

At the Steyning sewage plant off King's Barn Lane still one if not two Black Redstarts and a flyover Red Kite at 10 o'clock while up on the floods on Henfield Levels there were 30 Bewick's Swans (22 ads, and 8 juvs in broods of 2, 2, 1 and 3; one pair of adults which had two juvs both had yellow neck bands) as well as say 200 each of Wigeon and Pintail largely paired up and ready for the push to Russia. A flock of 17 Tufted Ducks was here too. Picture attached.

Thanks to a fellow birder answering my question "Do you know which is the usual tree for the Little Owl?" near Stapleash Farm in West Dean Woods, and him answering in the affirmative and kindly describing its whereabouts, we saw not one but two Little Owls! This was a first for me and made up for dipping on everything else up there!we think it must be a male female pair? Sadly I didn't have my camera with me.

After somewhat reluctantly being talked into going to Nymans Gardens this afternoon I was rewarded with some nice birds. In the Walled Garden area in one little corner was a splendid male Firecrest, a Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, a Robin and a Wren and when walking back to the car a male Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a Carrion Crow. It almost made the £9 per person entry fee worth it!!

Two Shags on the west arm of Brighton Marina this morning at the far end beyond the security gate.

A walk today along the east bank of the River Cuckmere from Long Bridge down to Litlington, I saw a juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL resting with some other gulls on the flooded fields just to the south of the church at Alfriston. Managed to get a couple of record snaps (see attached) before it flew off south towards Exceat at midday.

In perfect weather conditions on Friday afternoon at The Burgh it was a pleasure to see the usual range of birds: Grey and Red-legged Partridges, Corn Buntings, plenty of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Reed Buntings. The raptors were interesting, 3 Buzzards sitting in a field together, a single Peregrine sitting in a field with Lapwings and Starlings nearby, and best of all a flyover male Hen Harrier.

Didn't find a Caspian Gull in the large mixed flock (500+) of gulls, but managed a single summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull. Also flock of 50 Curlew in fields.

The tops of the oaks in the southern part of Great Racks Wood were being nicely warmed by the sun this morning and were teeming with Great, Blue and Marsh Tits with a Coal Tit being chivied by a pair of territorial Long-tails. To the north a Stock Dove was crooning, an area from which I have not heard one previously. On the west side of the water one was seen and heard in the usual area.

Rather nervous adult Shag perched on rail in shallows just south of Kingfisher-bank promontory in Loder Reserve, with crest lifting in gentle breeze. Eventually flew off to the north.

I have seen Blackbirds flying to feeders and snatch a beakful of food but the one in my garden goes one better. He has recently discovered how to perch on the upright metal pole. With a couple of wing flaps he lands on the feeder, clings to one of the perches and, with wings a-flappin has a good feed.

From the M23 at Crawley, mid-morning, I saw a Red Kite flying NW, and then found another one hunting near the railway viaduct just north of Haywards Heath at 13.00.

Blackcap singing in trees on riverbank opposite my house in Pevensey. Is this an early returning migrant - not heard any here since last year.

A Barn Owl hunting and feeding at Pulborough Brooks at about 4.30pm. My video can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=phatrobert#p/u/0/XfXpojhhMJg

On my way home from work at 17.30 a barn owl flew low over the B2115 (between Cuckfield and Staplefield).

What a difference it makes being light on the way to and from work. On Southwick Beach this week a Black Redstart by Carat's Cafe car park on Monday and this morning, 1-2 Mediterranean Gulls each evening at low tide (with up to 3000 other gulls, mostly Commons) and a Peregrine on the Power Station chimney (where the nest box used to be).

A second short March seawatch at Splash Point today. The first, on Tuesday had no movement whatsoever, and just two Great Crested Grebes and an unexpected pair of Pintail on the sea. Two pairs of Fulmars and plenty of Kittiwakes were on their cliff nest sites. Today, not a single Kittiwake in sight, no grebes or anything else on the sea, but there was movement: two male Goldeneye flew east at 9am. That was all!

Very little around Old Lodge but by far the best was a mobile group of at least 20 Crossbills (possibly as many as 30) with many fine males clearly seen. Later at Weir Wood most of the usual suspects around the feeders but 100metres further along the road from the car park at least six Yellowhammers including two males of which one was singing lustily.

..........well they might be on my home patch just south of Uckfield (TQ4181). There has been a flock of up to 50 plus about 10 reed buntings hanging around in the field next to my house since 3 Feb. If anything the flock is increasing in size. They have taken a liking to an unremarkable hedge with a grass field one side and a set-aside field the other. I've been out of action recently due to a knee replacement operation and birding has been mostly confined to (con)observatory birding but I can report a regular barn owl, fieldfares and redwings still about, up to 4 buzzards and a possible goshawk, also two pairs of bullfinches on site today.