We took advantage of the lovely sunny weather today and took a short walk down the Downs Link to where the Mill Stream joins the link. We walked on the Levels parallel to the Link and just as we said this is an ideal habitat for Snipe, 2 of them suddenly exploded out the reeds right in front of us. A Kestrel hovered ahead of us and then looking over Rye Farm and sitting on the mud was a large female Peregrine which then took flight and lazily drifted off towards Ashurst. A couple of Bullfinches were seen and heard and a Little Egret flapped slowly into view.

 

Walking back, both Fieldfare and Redwing shot out of the hedgerow, a party of Long-tailed Tits accompanied us for a while, a Green Woodpecker yaffled from a field nearby and as we approached the Windmill Lane junction with the track, I high-pitched call made us look down at the small stream under the track and a we just managed to catch a brief glimpse of a Kingfisher, the source of the call. Approaching Hollands Lane, a Red Kite drifted over ahead of us again, probably the same one  reported a few minutes ago as the times appear to coincide. (MR/LM)