31st January 2019 - Goring Gap, Littlehampton, Shoreham Harbour, Widewater Lagoon and Brooklands

I started the day at Goring Gap and met up with Nick. We had a seawatch off the beach and hoped for some movement of birds up or down the channel moving ahead of the forecasted snow later in the day. Offshore there were 100+ Great Crested Grebes and several Red-breasted Mergansers although counting them was near impossible due to how choppy the sea was. Further out there was a feeding frenzy near the wind turbines however due to the light it made viewing very difficult and the best we managed were a few Gannets. We also had a single Red-throated Diver east as well as a single Fulmar with the latter being my first off the Gap for 2019. In the roost field there were a few Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Skylark.

We decided after to go and have a look at Littlehampton at the mouth of the River Arun however when we got there the tide was unfortunately still a bit too high for any real numbers of gulls. Only birds we saw here were a few Turnstone and Oystercatcher as well as Black-headed and Herring Gulls.

After Littlehampton we headed back to Worthing and tried the fishing boats where there was a few more gulls however these only consisted of Great Black-backed and Herring. On the greensward opposite Alinora Avenue there was 2 Mediterranean Gulls. We decided to call it a day after the fishing boats and Nick headed home. I decided to press on and try Shoreham Harbour, Widewater Lagoon and Brooklands.

Shoreham Harbour was disappointing with no sign of the Black Redstart or any Purple Sandpipers although i didn't try very hard. Widewater Lagoon was partially frozen (first time I have seen this) and the Eastern lagoon had very few birds just 3 Mute Swans, 2 Mallard and a single Redshank. There was also a few House Sparrows around the bushes in the car park.

On my way to Brooklands from Widewater Lagoon there was a flock of c200 Starlings at New Salts Farm by Shoreham Airport. A quick dash around Brooklands didn't produce much but there was a single Pochard and Teal. As well as 3 Mute Swans and several Coots and Moorhens.

On my way home I had another quick look at Goring Gap but this only produced 2 Stock Doves and several Common Gulls in the roost field.

29th January 2019 - Goring Gap strikes again!

A message from Nick to say that Garry had found another 1st-winter Caspian Gull at Goring Gap had me quickly grab my gear and make the short voyage to the Gap. Upon arrival the bird unbelievably was the closest bird to the road and was probably only c30m away. 

1st-winter Caspian Gull, Goring Gap

It went for a quick fly around and luckily it came back, unlike the others I have seen which have all been short stayers. It gave fantastic views and was by far the best a Caspo has showed so far. Unfortunately for most of my visit to see this beauty, the heavens decided to open so viewing from the car was essential unless I wanted to get drenched. I did brave getting out for a few minutes to get some photographs but quickly got back in the car. 

1st-winter Caspian Gull, Goring Gap

This bird is the 2nd record in 2019 with the previous being on the 11th January and the 5th record since 12th December 2018. All records of Caspian Gulls at Goring Gap constitute 1st-winter birds. 

28th January 2019 - Knepp Estate, Southern Block

I arrived at Knepp at 07:30 and was greeted by a Peregrine flying over the car which made for a nice start. It was a glorious winters morning with the sun shining and a hard frost. Shortly after the Peregrine, I discovered a flock of 10 Lapwing (only the second time I have seen this species at Knepp) which were happily feeding on the bare earth exposed by the pigs which have heavily rooted the fields around the estate. A further 6 Lapwing were seen in flight later in the morning. As well as the Lapwing there was also a large presence of wintering thrushes in the same field with c50 Fieldfare and c50 Redwing.

Heavily rooted field by Tamworth Pigs at Knepp

On the hammer pond there was 13 Gadwall, 6 Mallard, 3 Wigeon, 2 Teal, 2 Shoveler and a single Tufted Duck. The estate was alive with birds and other notable sightings of my walk included 12 Bullfinches, 4 Common Buzzards, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Jays and singles of Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk and Stonechat as well as a free-flying White Stork from the re-introduction programme near the visitor centre. 

On my way home to Worthing there was a single Kestrel over Long Furlong and I quickly called into Goring Gap where the 1st-winter female Snow Bunting was still showing extremely well c150m east of the orange boat along the coastal path. 

Dodgy iPhone picture of 1w female Snow Bunting

27th January 2019 - A walk in the woods at Old House Warren

A late start to the day due to the early morning rain which finally cleared around 9am. With it being very windy, Dad and I decided to give the coast a miss and head inland instead for a walk in the woods in search of DKC's Mealy Redpoll, a bird I've yet to see in Sussex. Unfortunately the only Redpoll we had was one flying over calling unseen. There was however a nice selection of woodland birds in Old House Warren - c20 Siskins, 10 Long-tailed Tits, a pair of Marsh Tits (male in song), 3 Nuthatches, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Coal Tits and singles of Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, Jay and Great Spotted Woodpecker. We also had a Grey Heron and Common Buzzard fly over. On the way back to the car we were treated to a flock of c75 Redwing and a single Mistle Thrush.

Old House Warren 

Back at the coast we parked by Carats Cafe at Southwick Beach and walked from there to the end of the East Harbour Arm. The only bird of note here was a single Razorbill close into the arm. A hail storm passed through whilst we were on the arm which curtailed our visit.

20th January 2019 - Kingley Vale NR

A walk with Sophie and friends around Kingley Vale was surprisingly quiet, perhaps due to the amount of disturbance by other walkers and families out for the day. On the way up to Kingley Vale from the West Stoke Car Park a single Raven flew over and the arable fields held lots of Woodpigeons and Black-headed Gulls and near the Northern end of the path a couple of Yellowhammers were seen. Kingly Vale disappointed with just a selection of common woodland birds being seen. Once we arrived at the top near the Devil's Humps, 2 Red Kites were seen and a single Common Buzzard. On our way back down a single female Stonechat was seen in an arable field to the West.

An impressive view from the top of Kingly Vale NR, West Sussex.

18th January 2019 - Heading East again!

An early start today had me arriving in Burwash at 07:00 to meet up with Max. Upon arrival at Max's signs were good with the first bird of the day being a Mistle Thrush in Max's garden. We got our gear ready and headed straight to Penhurst Lane in Netherfield (only 5 minutes from Max's) where the previous day there had been 14 Hawfinches. We arrived at Penhurst Lane around 07:30 and had around a 20 minute wait before any birds showed. In the waiting period there was plenty to keep us occupied with several Great and Blue Tits as well as singles of Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Sunrise at Penhurst Lane, Netherfield, East Sussex.

Bang on cue at 07:50 we saw our first Hawfinch of the morning this being a single bird flying over and then another two and then another singleton. After we then had a flock of six perch up on the trees very briefly before seemingly being spooked by a Kestrel. We watched the birds until around 08:10 after which we didn't see anymore. Also whilst watching the Hawfinches, we also had five Common Crossbill fly over and a single Common Buzzard.

Hawfinch at Penhurst Lane, Netherfield, East Sussex.

After an exciting start to the day we headed to Pett Level where we added 4 White-fronted Geese, 2 Great White Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and a single Ruff as well as lots of Lapwing and Curlew and a handful of Turnstone and Skylark.

White-fronted Geese at Pett Level, East Sussex.

2 Great White Egrets at Pett Level, East Sussex.

On Pett Pools, there was a nice selection of wildfowl these included Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Pochard, Shoveler, Shelduck, Mallard and Little Grebe also a lone Grey Heron was hiding away in the reed beds. A quick look out to sea was productive with 16 Common Scoter, 200+ Great Crested Grebes, 3 Red-throated Divers and a trickle of Auks and Gannets flying past and surprisingly 3 Avocet which flew east.

After an enjoyable hour or so at Pett Level we headed to Rye Harbour. Upon arrival in the town of Rye we were greeted with a Peregrine flying over the car. Once we got to the harbour we had fantastic views of a female Kingfisher only a few metres away.

Female Kingfisher at Rye Harbour, East Sussex.

After great views of the Kingfisher, the main objective was to try and see the Twite however despite a 3 hour search around the John Gooders Hide we could not locate them. Although out on the flat beach there were lots of Dunlin and several Grey and Ringed Plovers as well as Gadwall and Pintail.

Max scanning the Flat Beach at Rye Harbour, East Sussex

Cutting our losses with the Twite we decided to head for the Long Pool in search of the Black-necked Grebe, on route we found 2 female Goldeneye on the Farm Pool West. As we arrived at the Long Pool we couldn't locate the Black-necked Grebe and decided to walk to the far end where we would be able to see down the entire pool, this proved successful and within about 5 minutes we had found the bird. A walk back to the car park from the Long Pool was quiet and didn't produce much apart from a few Linnets and a single Rock Pipit. 

Black-necked Grebe, Long Pool, Rye Harbour, East Sussex.

The time was now around 14:00 and we headed down to Scotney Gravel Pits, this proved disappointing as we failed to locate the Whooper Swans or the Pink-footed Geese. However we had some compensation with a single Great White Egret being seen in flight out the back of the farm and also 2 Marsh Harriers as well as a nice flock of Golden Plover. Other birds seen included the feral flock of Barnacle Geese and 2 Egyptian Geese.

Sunset at Scotney Gravel Pits

A great day out with Max albeit extremely tiring and 83 species recorded all together!

17th January 2019 - Goring Gap and Newhaven Harbour

With high tide being at 07:15 at Goring Gap, I decided to head down in the morning to check the gull roost however this didn't produce much. At around 08:50 I saw another birder (Ray Baker) carefully encroaching upon a bird on the greensward in the distance, my instant reaction was "Snow/Lapland Bunting". I decided to get out the car and walk towards him and as I raised my binoculars it turned out to be a 1st-winter female Snow Bunting.  I soon got on the phone to other local birders, and news of this scarce visitor to the Gap was out and the bird was being enjoyed by many. 

1st-winter female Snow Bunting at Goring Gap

Having to be in Lewes for 10:30, I had to leave quite soon but enjoyed crippling views of this bird. Once I had finished what I was doing in Lewes, I headed down to Newhaven Harbour to try and locate the 1st-winter Glaucous Gull which was found here the other day. However despite sitting there at low tide for an hour the Glaucous Gull didn't appear much to my disappointment. However a single Rock Pipit and several Fulmars put on a nice display whilst I waited. 

A nice view at Newhaven Harbour

I headed back to Worthing and once again called into Goring Gap to look for the Snow Bunting and the bird was again showing brilliantly down to a few feet at the Western end near the litter bin. 

Another shot of the 1st-winter female Snow Bunting at Goring Gap

It's been a good start to the year at Goring Gap with 2 Slavonian Grebes and singles of Caspian Gull, Red-necked Grebe, Black-throated and Great Northern Diver and todays Snow Bunting - long may this continue!

15th January 2019 - Goring Gap

Not much time for birding today due to other commitments but I managed to pop into Goring Gap twice once at low tide and once at high tide.

Low tide produced 11 Black-headed, 13 Common, 2 Herring and single Great Black-backed and Mediterranean Gulls in the roost field. Also a single Slavonian Grebe offshore along with several Great Crested Grebes, 3 Red-throated Divers and several Red-breasted Mergansers. Also a few Sanderling and Dunlin along the beach.

High tide, I didn't look at the sea due to fading light. However the roost field was far busier with c1250 Common, c1500 Black-headed, c100 Herring and a few Great Black-backed and Mediterranean Gulls.

Sadly no white wingers, which is what I hoped for but I will keep trying!

14th January 2019 - Heading East

I met up with Nick and Garry and we left Worthing at 09:30. First port of call was the 2 Pink-footed Geese out on Rodmell Brooks, upon arrival they were still with the herd of Mute Swans and still hadn't got any closer but a successful start to the day.

We then headed down the Ouse Valley to the waste ground at Newhaven to have a look for the Hume's Leaf Warbler, we arrived and other birders told us it had been seen. We waited around for about an hour and finally the bird showed up and gave good but brief views.

Twitchers in Newhaven for the Hume's Leaf Warbler 

With time pressing on and lots to do we had a quick look at Newhaven Harbour, enroute to the harbour we saw a flock of c50 Lapwing over the swing bridge. Around the harbour itself there were lots of Fulmars flying around and on the cliffs and Nick also managed to scope a single Purple Sandpiper on the arm on the other side of the harbour.

After Newhaven we headed to Pett Level, on the way I saw a Kestrel out the window over Southease. We arrived at Pett after an hour and found the White-fronted Geese without too much trouble they were with the Greylags and I personally saw around 10 however there has been 19 reported so the other 9 were obviously around somewhere or were hiding away. Other birds seen at Pett Level included a raft of 60 Common Scoter offshore.

2 of several White-fronted Geese at Pett Level

Rye Harbour was now in touching distance and we set off for the 3 Twite which have been seen around the John Gooders Hide for the last week or so. Upon arrival we bumped into a volunteer who worked in the information centre and she told us that they hadn't been seen all day. We walked South towards the John Gooders Hide/Red Roof Hut and were all feeling slightly nervous, however after a 15 minute wait or so the 3 Twite popped up out of nowhere and gave great views! A Sussex tick for me having missed the Cuckmere bird back in 2017! Out on the Narrow Pits there were good numbers of Golden Plover, Pintail and Lapwing. 

1 of the 3 Twite at Rye Harbour NR

With big grins on our faces we headed back to the car and decided we would go and have a look at Scotney Gravel Pits. We pulled into a lay-by on the right hand side of the road and distantly picked out a single Whooper Swan out the back before it quickly disappeared behind the grass banks. Also seen here were the large flock of feral Barnacle Geese. 

Feral Barnacle Geese at Scotney Gravel Pits

We moved onto Dungeness in fading light and had a single Cattle Egret out the car window halfway between Lydd and the entrance track to the reserve in a field on the left hand side of the road. Also 2 Great White Egrets (1 on the reserve and 1 on ARC) also a single Common Snipe on the way to ARC hide and 3 Goosanders on ARC Pit. On the way home we also saw a single Barn Owl over Lydd MOD Ranges.

A busy busy day with some great birds seen and well done to Nick for doing all the driving!

13th January 2019 - Around Arundel

Not strictly a birding day but a walk with friends around Arundel Park and back along the River Arun to the Black Rabbit in glorious sunshine produced a single adult Mediterranean Gull and Pochard on Swanbourne Lake however I couldn't find any Mandarin Ducks. Heading North of Swanbourne up through the valley was very quiet and only produced a single Kestrel and Common Buzzard. We soon approached the top of the valley and I distantly picked out a single Red Kite looking towards Amberley. We dropped down onto the River Arun and followed the path round to South Stoke where I saw a Grey Wagtail. Before long we had arrived at Offham and the 10 Bewick's Swans showed nicely in the water meadows.

Arun Valley looking towards Amberley

After Offham, we soon got to the Black Rabbit Pub where we all enjoyed a nice drink and sit down meal. On the way home I saw a single Raven over Poling Corner.

A nice walk with friends and a total of 39 species recorded all together.

11th January 2019 - Ouse Valley

David picked me up from the flat at 06:45 and we headed straight to the old waste ground at Newhaven where there had been a Hume's Leaf Warbler since 27th December. We arrived in good time and soon located the area where the bird had been seen and heard it call almost instantly. However, actually seeing it proved to be a lot more difficult and after about an hour we eventually located the bird and obtained good views through both bins and telescope. Other birds of note seen whilst we were here included 5 Goldcrest, a few Redwing and a single Cetti's Warbler.

After the excitement of seeing my first Hume's Leaf Warbler we moved onto Piddinghoe Boating Lake in the hope of finding some Bearded Tits. However this proved to be unsuccessful although we did see a single Rock Pipit which was my first of the year.  

Moving on from Piddinghoe we headed back North up the Ouse Valley to Rodmell where we saw 2 Pink-footed Geese out on the brooks with a herd of 44 Mute Swans albeit distantly. Also seen here was a single Skylark in the field from where we viewed them. 

1 of the 2 Pink-footed Geese on Rodmell Brooks 

From Rodmell, we then headed back South down the Ouse Valley and decided we would go to the Cuckmere Haven to look at gulls, with time pressing on, we parked on Chyngton Way and walked through the farm so we were walking down onto the roost. There were lots of gulls however we couldn't find a Caspian amongst the 588 Great and 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Other birds of note seen in the Cuckmere were 12 Shelduck and a single roosting Grey Plover. 

We walked back to the car and decided we would head home to Worthing, on the way home I saw a Red Kite over Southease. Just as we were approaching Lyons Farm, we received a message from Nick to say that Garry had found a Caspian Gull at Goring Gap, being handily placed we arrived within 15 minutes and luckily the bird was still there. This was a cracking 1st-winter bird and the first time I have seen one properly at The Gap with my previous only being seen in flight. 

1st-winter Caspian Gull at Goring Gap

A fitting end to a great day and thanks to David for doing the driving! 

10th January 2019 - Goring Gap and Ferring Rife

Upon arrival at the Gap I started with scanning the sea. This produced a single Slavonian and 83 Great Crested Grebes as well as c50 Red-breasted Mergansers. Along the beach on the low tide there were Grey Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Oystercatcher and Sanderling. I usually like to count the waders but on low tide it is a tricky task due to how far the tide goes out and the birds easily go missing amongst the rocky shore. 

After scanning the sea I had a quick look at the roost field which held 5 Black-headed, 2 Common and 4 Mediterranean Gulls. A walk around the plantation produced c50 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 3 Stock Dove, 4 Redwing and a single Song Thrush. As I walked back towards the car I also noted 2 Skylark. 

Later in the afternoon I decided I would have a search of Ferring Rife arriving just after 14:00. I started at the Northern end by Ferring Country Centre where the horse paddocks held 13 Black-headed and 9 Herring Gulls as well as 21 Moorhen and a single Pied Wagtail. Moving South along the rife there was a single Little Egret and Grey Wagtail by the bridge. 

Grey Wagtail - Ferring Rife 

Unusual for the rife a bit further down towards the sea was a single Little Grebe the first time I have seen this species here. Other birds logged on my walk included 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Reed Bunting and singles of Common Snipe and Kestrel.

Little Egret - Ferring Rife 

An enjoyable day spent locally with 42 species recorded in total. 

9th January 2019 - Goring Gap

There were lots of Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes offshore but searching for birds on the sea was not easy due to how choppy the sea was. Singles of Little Egret and Curlew were also noted flying West. It wasn't until I panned my scope back round to the left towards Worthing Pier I picked up sitting on the sea, much to my amazement a lone Canada Goose. I watched this bird for several minutes as it swam towards the beach and just before it hit the beach it flew up and over the greensward before landing in the roost field at 12:35. I watched this rare visitor to Goring Gap in the roost field for quite a while where it seemed settled and was happily feeding. I was joined for a short period of time by Garry who was surprised as me to see the Canada Goose in the field. A completely unexpected patch tick!

Also in the roost field was Black-headed, Common, Herring and Mediterranean Gulls as well as a few Dunlin and Sanderling.

Canada Goose - Goring Gap

Feeling motivated after finding the Canada Goose, I had a quick stroll around the plantation and football pitches. Where I noted several Blue Tits, Goldfinches and Robins as well as 2 Greenfinches.

8th January 2019 - West Rise Marsh

The day started out as a non-birding day and at around 9am I headed into Brighton University to crack on with some much needed essential assignment work. At around 11am I recieved a text from Dad to say that David Campbell had found a 1w female Ring-necked Duck at West Rise Marsh. After completing my work, I rushed back to the car and had every intention of driving straight to West Rise Marsh. However realisation suddenly dawned on me that I had no telescope or binoculars on me. I quickly thought what would be the quickest way to be able to get my hands on some without driving all the way home to Worthing. I decided the best thing to do would be to drive to Mum and Dads and grab the spares from their place.

As I pulled up Mum had just arrived home and I mentioned the duck and she wished to join me on the adventure. We had a smooth drive over with very little hold ups and soon arrived at West Rise Marsh. We walked swiftly to the lake and started looking at first there was no sign but we were starring straight into the sun and the light was dreadful. We moved round to the other side of the lake with the sun behind us and found Bob Hastings watching the bird which was loosely associating with Tufted Ducks. We enjoyed good scope views of this 12th record for Sussex and the first since 2007!

1w female Ring-necked Duck - West Rise Marsh

6th January 2019 - Knepp Estate and Tilgate Park

Today was the next instalment of my wintering bird surveys at Knepp for my dissertation.

Across the 15 hedges I surveyed it felt quiet compared with other surveys with significantly lower number of winter thrushes. Highlights of my walk around the estate included a single Raven, 6 Bullfinch and a fly-over Green Sandpiper. Not really a highlight but may be of interest to some, were 6 White Storks in the campsite field looking most out of place. A huge thank you to Mum as well for helping me out!

An interesting sign at Knepp

After Knepp, Mum and I decided to go on an adventure to Tilgate Park in Crawley to look for the drake Ferruginous Duck which had been on the Silt Lake the day before. We arrived after 30 minutes or so and were graced with large amounts of people out with families for the day. We looked at the park map and located the Silt Lake, upon arrival at the lake the Ferruginous Duck was visible within about two minutes. The bird gave great views and was a real pleasure to watch. 

Drake Ferruginous Duck - Tilgate Park, Silt Lake, Crawley

It turns out this Ferruginous Duck has a yellow ring on its right leg reading (C1) and also a metal ring on its left leg ending in (52). This bird was traced back to the German re-introduction scheme and is the same bird which spent the winter of 2017 at Dinton Pastures in Berkshire. 

Other birds seen at Tilgate Park included a flock of c10 Common Crossbill which flew over and also c50 Siskin which showed nicely at the top of some trees in the heathland area. Birds around Tilgate Lake included 3 Egyptian Geese, 3 Pochards and other common waterbirds. 

5th January 2019 - Petworth Park

A glorious winters morning led Sophie and I to have a stroll around Petworth Park although not strictly a birding day I kept note of whatever I saw whilst we were there.

At the Upper Lake there was a smart drake Goosander, perhaps the same returning bird from previous years. On our walk we also saw 6 Egyptian Geese and 3 Kestrel all hovering within close proximity of each other. We recorded a total of 33 species on our walk.

Petworth House and Lake on a fine winters morning

On the way home we quickly stopped at Burpham where we saw 8 Bewick's Swans, sadly the herd was obscured by trees whilst we were there. A phone call from Dad shortly after confirmed the herd had moved back into their usual meadow and all 10 were again visible. Also a single Red Kite from Burpham Triangle.

4th January 2019 - Climping Beach and Goring Gap

With news of a Red-necked Grebe found off Climping Beach the day before whilst I was in Essex (3rd), I decided to have a go the following morning.

I arrived at Climping Beach around 09:00 and walked straight to the beach. The conditions were perfect it was flat clam and very little wind which made scanning for seabirds a lot easier. Shortly after setting my scope up I soon picked up a Red-throated Diver and also several Great Crested Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers as well as a few auks offshore all of which were Razorbill.

I also managed to connect with my target species after extensively scanning the sea for around 45 minutes. I picked up the Red-necked Grebe around c250m West of the Car Park. The bird was constantly drifting West and was always distant. Slightly unsatisfactory but it will do! The first time I have seen Red-necked Grebe in Sussex since 09/01/2018 at Church Norton. An added bonus on the sea was a single Great Northern Diver which was about halfway out.

After Climping, I went to Goring Gap and was pleasantly surprised to find 2 Slavonian Grebes off the concrete platform. Only the second time I have seen this species off Goring Gap. Other sightings included a single Red-throated Diver offshore as well as a few Red-breasted Mergansers and Razorbills. Also 2 Redshank flew along the tide line before landing on the beach.

2 Slavonian Grebes - Goring Gap

Feeling motivated after what had been a successful morning I pushed onto Ferring Rife for what would be my first visit for a few months. Highlights here included a single Common Snipe, Chiffchaff and Great Spotted Woodpecker as well as 2 Little Egrets and 14 Moorhens.

3rd January 2019 - Coalhouse Fort, Essex

Today saw the next instalment of wintering bird surveys on the River Thames in Essex, I was greatly looking forward to this and seeing the large numbers of waders on the mudflats.

Due to it being a rising tide the mudflats were absolutely rife with waders with counts including 1713 Avocet, 676 Black-tailed Godwit and 4533 Dunlin, 126 Grey Plover, 38 Curlew and 13 Redshank. As well as 154 Shelduck, 224 Teal and 10 Pintail.

Perhaps most interesting of the near 7000+ birds on the mudflats was a colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit (GO right leg and RW left leg) frequenting the eastern end of the mudflats right on the boundary of my survey section. Anyhow it turned out the bird had been rung in Iceland which I suspected and has been recorded in the UK 30 times since 03/08/2011. 

Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit - Coalhouse Fort, Essex

Other birds seen whilst visiting here included a male Marsh Harrier quartering up and down the saltings, a female Merlin which shot over the saltings and flushing all the waders creating an amazing sight and sound! Also a healthy flock of 37 Corn Bunting the most I've seen together for a long time. Around the car park was the usual Mistle Thrush and also my first Ring-necked Parakeets of the year which were heard before they were seen and shortly after touched down in the trees around the fort for a short period of time before heading off South towards East Tilbury village. The moat around the fort was quiet again just holding 8 Little Grebes, 16 Coots, 4 Mallards and a single Tufted Duck. An enjoyable survey with 46 species recorded!

On the way home I quickly called into Hedgecourt Lake in Surrey to look for the Ferruginous Duck sadly there was no sign but other sightings on the lake included a single Pochard, Greylag Goose, Moorhen and Great Crested Grebe. Also a few Canada Geese, Mallards, Black-headed Gulls and Coots.

A nice day outside of Sussex and I look forward to the next survey! 

2nd January 2019 - Birding around Shoreham

I made plans with Mum to meet me at Shoreham Fort at 8am.

Upon mums arrival, it didn't take long to locate the lovely male Black Redstart. This smart individual showed well around the moat of the fort and perching up on the heras fencing and fort walls from time to time giving great views. We had a look for Purple Sandpipers on the wooden jetty sadly we didn't see any. The tide was just a tad too high, I always find the best time to see these birds is around an hour or so after high tide. 

Having missed the Purple Sandpipers we had a look out to sea off the Fort which was quite fruitful and produced a single Brent Goose which flew west, lots of auks most of which were Razorbill however there was a single Common Guillemot quite close inshore which gave nice views and I counted around 6 Red-throated Divers offshore as well. 

We moved onto Widewater after Shoreham Fort which produced the usual Little Egret, Mute Swans, Redshank and Little Grebes but the main reason for visiting was to try and find the two Velvet Scoter which have been offshore between Lancing and Shoreham. We started off with a scan from the Eastern end of Widewater with not much luck, we continued to walk along the beach and came to Eastern Sands Holiday Park at the far Western end of Widewater, after a few minutes of scanning Mum found the two Velvet Scoter a long way out giving a lot worse views then when I saw them with Dad a few days before (Photo below of birds on 30/12/18). Also at the far Western end of the lagoons was a single Grey Wagtail, Redshank and a nice flock of House Sparrows in the brambles below the coastal path. 

2 Velvet Scoter - off Widewater Lagoon (30/12/18).

After the Velvets we moved round to Shoreham Recreation Ground which produced a a couple of Greenfinch and a single Kestrel and Goldcrest. Before moving onto the River Adur mudflats to scan for waders and gulls. The tide was still a bit too high for any gull roost but the mudflats that were exposed held a few Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls. We decided to walk North as far as Cuckoo's Corner and we were duly rewarded for our efforts with great views of a Kingfisher on the dropping tide and also 3 Little Grebes along the river. 

A good day spent birding around the area I grew up with a total of 48 species recorded. Not bad for Shoreham!

1st January 2019 - Birding around Arundel

Hello everyone and welcome to my brand new blog. My blog will mainly focus on birding around the county of Sussex with the occasional twitch and foreign trips!

To kick the new year off Dad, Mum and I went for a 5 mile walk around Arundel Park and took the path back along the River Arun towards the Black Rabbit pub before ending back up at the car at Swanbourne Lake.

Nursing a rather sore head after New Years Eve, Mum and Dad picked me up from the flat at 10am. Before leaving the flat I had managed to clock my first bird of the new calendar year. These were 4 Woodpigeon feeding on the berries on the bush just off the balcony. Two and three shortly followed with a Herring Gull passing over the flat and the resident Robin showing itself in the bushes just below the balcony. Before I knew it, Mum and Dad had arrived and I dragged myself downstairs with a cold bottle of water to try and relieve the sore head.

The drive over was a straight foreword journey with very little traffic. It was to be Mum who found the first good bird of the day which was a single Grey Wagtail on the Western edge of Swanbourne Lake. We continued our walk along the Western path where we soon saw a single Pochard and Mandarin and again Mum picked up a single Teal close into the reeds near the northern end of the lake. From the far Northern end of the lake we headed North up through the valley and soon added Common Buzzard, Stock Dove, Meadow Pipit and Kestrel as well as Dad pointing out a rare plant to me White Horehound near one of the stiles we crossed. We soon dropped down onto the banks of the River Arun walking alongside the walls of Arundel Park. As we approached North Stoke the first Red Kite of the day was seen and was shortly joined by two more these gave great views and were a pleasure to watch.

White Horehound - Arundel Park

Before long we were fast approaching Offham and our minds soon turned to the Bewick's Swans however our luck wasn't to be in and there was no sign, probably due to amount of disturbance caused by NYD walkers along the river bank. We did however have 3 Snipe flyover whilst we were there and heard Water Rail. We pressed on and soon got back to the Black Rabbit where we all enjoyed an ice cold drink after a long walk.

After we had finished our walk we continued onto Lyminster to look for the Cattle Egret at Broomhurst Farm. Upon arrival we could see the cattle in the field a little distance away. Due to Dad knowing the area we followed the footpath North of Lyminster Church and soon came to an area where we view the field with cattle in much more easily. At first there was no sign and then after 5 minutes or so the Cattle Egret showed itself and we enjoyed good views. Also seen here was a flock of around c50 Lapwing and a Jay in the church yard.

Cattle Egret at Broomhurst Farm, Lyminster

We ended the day at Goring Gap which produced a few Mediterranean Gulls, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Sanderling feeding along the beach on low tide. Whilst out at sea there several Red-breasted Mergansers, Great Crested Grebes and a few Gannets.

An enjoyable start to the new year spent with my parents and a good days birdwatching! A total of 62 species seen all together.