A pair of Ravens has been present almost daily here in this part of Hastings, much of which is Victorian. In January they were flying past every morning, always one slightly behind and above the other (incidentally this is the same formation as the two-plane Schwarm of the Luftwaffe fighter aircraft in the second World War, devised to allow maximum defensive coverage). One morning I found the pair in a treetop near the railway station. I have heard them calling from there since, from my open window, but have not seen them in the same tree. I suspect they are nesting either in one of the trees of the Ore Valley or are here to forage for food before returning to the sea cliffs. I have not seen any carrying nesting material.
Otherwise very quiet, despite morning watches. No sign of early spring passage except one or two flocks of Black-headed Gulls in the last week and a Grey Wagtail flying north on 21st.

Two Great Crested Grebes dancing on Lower Woman's Way Pond and a Chaffinch feeding on ground near two seater bench. Also Red Kite drifted over Coke Road Reservoir @ 11.30am.

Most notable sighting this morning on our walk around the Lower Cuckmere was a Barnacle Goose amongst the omnipresent Canada Geese. Also a group of Wigeon, a group of five Shelduck, Little Egret, five Mute Swans, three Oystercatchers, and many singing Skylarks.

Also my wife saw a Sparrowhawk over our Seaford garden. This is the second sighting and we think its a new bird searching for territory as this is the first year we've seen one here.

09.50 to 11.20, wind S force 2 to 3. movement not brisk, but still interesting. Red-throated Diver 4E, Brent Goose 70E, Pintail 9E, Common Scoter 1E, Eider 5E, Red-breasted Merganser 1E and Mediterranean Gull 1W.

Eight Crossbill feeding in St.Leonard’s Forest this morning (Mick Mills Race). At Slaugham Mill Pond yesterday, two Great Crested Grebe were showing interest in breeding. A Skylark was singing and displaying. At SunOak Farm, a furrowed tilled field frequently has many foraging winter thrushes, e.g. 200+ Redwing and 20+ Fieldfare this week. A single Redpoll was foraging in my garden pond.

I had two displaying and singing Woodlarks over the arable plot on this morning's survey, which then departed over towards the heath. There were also numerous singing Skylarks and four Ravens which went overhead in a group. Also a male Peregrine was mobbing a Buzzard on the south brooks and a Barn Owl flew out of its tree hole roost close to West Mead hide.

Dead Gannet found on the 'central' beach of Saltdean, on shingle between the two main groynes, south of the tunnel underpass entrance. Bottom half of bird was missing, and body partly hollowed out. 

Late afternoon adult male Hen Harrier seen flying low over the heath,10mins earlier a female Merlin dashed by posing briefly in a pine. Other bits included 300+ Fieldfares on the move, eight Linnets and a singing Yellowhammer. There was also a Mallard flying around which looked a bit out of place.

A Great Egret near the middle of the Wildbrooks late morning (presumably the same bird that we saw at dusk on Saturday from Greatham Brooks; at that time, it was more than a mile a way and we watched it fly off to roost in a tree). Today, there were ca.2000 ducks below the Rackham Woods viewpoint, mostly Wigeon and Teal with good numbers of Shoveler and Pintail. About 1500 Lapwing flew up at one stage but we could not see why. Other birds of interest were; three Ruff, two Dunlin and one Golden Plover, a Little Egret, three Buzzards and two Kites. On the way home there were the "usual" 20 Egyptian Geese in the fields west of Greatham.

Well I think this was a remarkable sighting. Whilst working in my Horsham garden this afternoon, a pair of Ravens flew directly through the garden, just below roof-top height, one giving a 'cronk'. I only ever see Ravens in fairly wild locations, and imagined that if I were ever to spot one from here, it would be at some height and very much 'on passage'. In good weather Buzzards are almost daily sightings and we do see the occasional Red Kite, rarely a Hobby, but a Raven (well two in this case) seemed particularly novel for the environment.