Sunday 14th January 2007
Rodmell
Hopes of seeing a Short-Eared Owl led us on a sunny ride to Rodmell, just south
of Lewes. This picturesque village strewn with thatched cottages was the home of
the writer Virginia Woolf. The large area of agricultural land between the
village and the River Ouse is criss-crossed with drainage ditches and reed beds
and is a favourite for birds and birdwatchers alike. There were no owls today,
or at least we didn't see any, but we did see sparrowhawks, kestrels, a tree
pipit, loads of stonechats and Gill saw a grey wagtail.
We also saw a lot of horses. In the first field were normal sized horses. In the
next field along were small ponies and a donkey. In the next field after that
there were very small Shetland ponies. In the next field were the smallest
horse-shaped things we have ever seen. In the next field we couldn't see
anything, but that doesn't mean there weren't horses in there somewhere!
