We monitored the messages on Bird Guides and knew that the bird had
already left its favoured morning spot before we even arrived but
remained undetered as we made our way to Gills Lap Carpark and joined
the others who had gathered to glimse the bird that is the third
recorded visit of this species to the UK.
Chris, preferring not to stand about, went off hoping to photograph Silver-studded Blues (although there were none in evidence) and to look for Stonechat (quite a few) and Dartford Warbler (not cooperating at all) on the common, taking the Pooh Walks from the car park past the Milne & Shepherd memorial and through Wrens Warren Valley (Eeyore's Sad and Gloomy Place) - http://www.ashdownforest.org/enjoy/walking/docs/Walk1_PoohWalksFromGillsLap.pdf
I staked out a spot with a view least obscured by trees and vegetaion skirting the adjacent road. It had been some time, and Chris was only 5 or so minutes away from returning to the carpark when the bird flew into the watched area from behind us. I was the first person to see it as I happed to be assessing cloud cover at the time, considering their height and wondering whether any approach might be below cloud level (as was the case) or by dropping down through the cumulus formations.
The bird hovered briefly, showing dangling legs and splayed tail, then dropped to the ground in an area of gorse. The feeding foray was successful and a snake was seen, hanging from the beak as it rose into the sky before alighting on a dead tree.
Chris, preferring not to stand about, went off hoping to photograph Silver-studded Blues (although there were none in evidence) and to look for Stonechat (quite a few) and Dartford Warbler (not cooperating at all) on the common, taking the Pooh Walks from the car park past the Milne & Shepherd memorial and through Wrens Warren Valley (Eeyore's Sad and Gloomy Place) - http://www.ashdownforest.org/enjoy/walking/docs/Walk1_PoohWalksFromGillsLap.pdf
I staked out a spot with a view least obscured by trees and vegetaion skirting the adjacent road. It had been some time, and Chris was only 5 or so minutes away from returning to the carpark when the bird flew into the watched area from behind us. I was the first person to see it as I happed to be assessing cloud cover at the time, considering their height and wondering whether any approach might be below cloud level (as was the case) or by dropping down through the cumulus formations.
The bird hovered briefly, showing dangling legs and splayed tail, then dropped to the ground in an area of gorse. The feeding foray was successful and a snake was seen, hanging from the beak as it rose into the sky before alighting on a dead tree.
A rather distant view of the bird perched in Wrens Warren
Valley after the first capture of prey (DKL).
Valley after the first capture of prey (DKL).
After
a brief spell it tried again, this time capturing a shorted animal,
possibly a smaller snake, slow worm or lizard. There followed a time
when the bird flew around, including an interaction with a buzzard that
attempted to drive the eagle out of airspace to the left of the viewing
area.
Aerial shot against thickening cloud (CL).
The
bird returned to the more central area of the viewing vista and perched
closer on a conifer tree between some dead trees for quite some time.
Photographs were not possible due to the significat heat haze. It was
some time after 2pm when the bird took off, gradually gained height and
disappeared into the cloud cover.