The first, shown in the chapter image above, is the Swallow, and I have seen a couple of Swallows a few times above Fairlight Glen, or maybe seen more than 2 at different times? A summer visitor that nests inside barns, sheds, garages and other outbuildings, and which you'll more likely see acrobatically flying about to catch insects to eat. Swallows are recognizable with their long forked tails, pale underneath, but dark metallic blue wings and tail, with a red face and throat, a pleasure to behold, and I have had a 'pin badge' of the Swallow for many years now.
Like the Swallow, the House Martin is another summer visitor, similar in shape, but with a shorter tail and wings, 'stubbier' and with blue-black and white colouring. See the image above which shows the difference between them (and Swifts, which I cannot remember seeing or, rather, hearing). House Martins also eat insects, so are agile in flight too. I have seen quite a few House Martins over the summer months, but the Monday before last (14 September) I saw at least 500 coming together and 'flocking' above Warren Glen (see YouTube, although the video isn't from my sighting, but very similar), presumably on their way to Africa for the winter. It was an amazing sight, I was so lucky to have been there, at that specific time, to see and experience it, quality.
A quite tame garden and woodland bird, the Dunnock (above), spends much of its time searching for food on the ground, though, like the Wren, it may be seen up higher when singing. It can be mistaken for the House Sparrow in size and colouring, but it has grey foreparts and a thinner bill makes it easier to separate the two. The Dunnock also eats berries as well as insects, and has been quite a common sight during my daily exercise/walks across Hastings Country Park.
The Wren, popularly called 'Jenny Wren,' is one of the most widespread birds across the country, and thanks to John Gooders* I discovered it is the only member of its New World family (Troglodytidae) to have colonized the Old World! I have seen wrens right across the walk from Barley Lane to the eastern edge of Hastings Country Park, but most often towards the Hastings end of my walks, and it has a right loud voice for such a wee bird when it sings (YouTube). The Wren is another insect eater that you will more commonly see up in a tree or on a taller shrub, but they spend much of their time hunting for insects under more dense ground cover.
I have seen 2 of the Wagtail family during my walks, the more commonly seen (indeed, in Hastings town centre and along the seafront too!) black and white Pied Wagtail (above). A very familiar sight with it's 'wagging' or bobbing tail, and regularly seen on the ground, searching for insects to eat. Seen in this video (YouTube) is the rarer Yellow Wagtail, which I was pleased to see, as it is a summer visitor only (another bird that migrates to Africa for winter), earlier in my lockdown walking days. An elegant looking bird that I saw a few times over at Firehills and the eastern edge of the Country Park, mostly taking off from the ground, with me trying to follow its flight as long as possible.
Well, that's enough for today and this 'chapter' of my bird observations... The next chapter of the book* is called Pigeons, Cuckoos, Owls, Woodpeckers, Nightjars and Allies, consequently, my Birds Part VII blog will be similarly called, again probably shorter, but please do watch out for it, and many thanks for reading these blogs.
Photograph of the Pied Wagtail with many thanks to Derek Middleton, and of the Dunnock to Roger Wilmshurst, and to the Sussex Wildlife Trust for both, and many thanks to the RSPB for the image depicting the Swift, House Martin and Swallow.
* John Gooders The Complete Birdwatcher's Guide.
John Gooders used to live in East Sussex before he died 10 years ago, sadly, and had previously been Chair of Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.
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