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Description
Newhaven Tide Mills hosts some good specialities in the winter, and can be good for migrants in spring and autumn. Summer is quieter. In the winter the best birds are the jespák mořský on the Breakwater at the mouth of the River Ouse. They show very well here at high tide, and on particularly high tides with stormy conditions will show up top on the highest truts. kamenáček pestrý and linduška skalní are also seen along this pier. At low tide from the end of the Pier, it is worth checking the beach on the opposite side of the river, for a gull roost that has in the past included racek bělohlavý, Racek středomořský, racek šedý and racek polární.
At high tide there is also often a small roost of jespák obecný and kulík písečný on the shingle beach, with low double figures of each. The Mill Creek (a tidal creek and the remnant of the old course of the river) normally only holds jespák obecný, vodouš rudonohý and koliha velká but other waders occasionally appear, especially in cold weather movements. There are extensive patches of rough grassland which sometimes attract wintering kalous pustovka or Sova pálená. Another species always worth looking out for is rehek domácí; one or two normally spend the winter here but roam widely. The best spots to search are the perimeter fence of the industrial land, or the caravan park as you walk towards Seaford. If accessing the site by train then always check around Newhaven Harbour station too. There is a large roost of racek chechtavý and racek bouřní on the sea offshore every evening, with persistence and a telescope a racek černohlavý or two can often be seen.
Spring can bring good numbers of migrant bělořit šedý from mid March to early May, and smaller numbers of Warblers and other passerine migrants. The Mill Creek will often have a few migrant waders, amongst the most regular are tenkozobec opačný (especially in March), and koliha malá and břehouš rudý (in April and early May). Summer is quiet, but breeding species include rákosník obecný and rákosník proužkovaný, pěnice pokřovní, bramborníček černohlavý and often a pair of kulík písečný, although these typically fail due to disturbance. From mid-July onwards it is worth checking any gulls for juvenile Racek středomořský.
Autumn migration can be a good time to search the scrub for Warblers, while bramborníček hnědý and bělořit šedý in particular favour the open areas of this site. Stormy weather will on occasion result in sightings of lyskonoh ploskozobý on the Mill Creek, and in such weather it is also worth checking Newhaven Harbour for storm-driven Seabirds, there have been records of racek Sabinův here.
Newhaven Tide Mills has a fairly good track record for rarities and scarcities; in the winter these include sněhule severní, racek šedý, racek polární, a racek vnitrozemský (in 1991), vodouš tmavý and kolpík bílý. Rarities or scarcities that have shown up during migration have included skřivánek krátkoprstý, pěnice vlašská, linduška úhorní and ťuhýk obecný, and the site has good potential, particularly for autumn rarities.
Details
Access
Park either at the Buckle Car Park in Seaford or the Tide Mills Car Park, on the A259 between Newhaven and Seaford. You can also access from the bus, take a 12/12a/12X and depart at the Tide Mills bus stop. If accessing via train, you can take the train that runs between Seaford and Brighton, and disembark at either Newhaven Harbour or Bishopstone stations.