January 2021

January ended with me recording 96 species all within close proximity to home. Not a bad start to 2021! 

28th January 2021 - Birding from home

A 10 minute observation from the flat balcony produced eight Feral Pigeons, 40 Woodpigeons, 40 Herring Gulls, a Great Black-backed Gull, three Magpies, three Carrion Crows, a Goldcrest, a Blackbird, two Robins, a Dunnock, 10 House Sparrows and nine Goldfinches. 

24th January 2021 - Birding from home

A 10 minute observation off the flat balcony today produced five Feral Pigeons, six Woodpigeons, 18 Herring Gulls, a Great Black-backed Gull, a Magpie, two Carrion Crows, three Long-tailed Tits, two Starlings, two Robins and a Chaffinch. 

20th January 2021 - Goring Gap

The high tide roost today at Goring Gap produced 13 Grey Plovers, 30 Ringed Plovers, 11 Turnstones, 48 Sanderling, 250 Dunlin, 10 Black-headed Gulls, four Common Gulls, 76 Herring Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 41 Great Black-backed Gulls. Other birds noted included 12 Carrion Crows, two Skylarks, 17 Starlings and a Pied Wagtail. 

19th January 2021 - Goring Gap

In the high tide roost at Goring Gap today was 16 Ringed Plovers, 15 Turnstones, 67 Sanderling, 226 Dunlin, 23 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 186 Herring Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and six Great Black-backed Gulls. Other birds noted included 19 Carrion Crows, six Skylarks, 16 Starlings and two Pied Wagtails. 

17th January 2021 - Goring Gap

Quiet morning at Goring Gap just a Mediterranean Gull, 158 Black-headed Gulls, 26 Common Gulls, 70 Herring Gulls, four Great Black-backed Gulls, a Jackdaw, 13 Carrion Crows, a Skylark and a Pied Wagtail. 

Mid-afternoon I tried a 10 minute observation form the flat balcony where I logged the following: three Woodpigeons, a Collared Dove, 38 Herring Gulls, two Carrion Crows, two Blue Tits, two Great Tits, a Goldcrest, five Starlings, a Blackbird and two Robins. 

16th January 2021 - Goring Gap

Another 2cy Caspian Gull found by Garry at Goring Gap today along with 20 Ringed Plovers, 32 Grey Plovers, c100 Dunlin, five Turnstones, 100 Sanderling, two Redshanks, a Mediterranean Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

2cy Caspian Gull at Goring Gap

15th January 2021 - Marine Gardens and Goring Gap

A quick look around Marine Gardens whilst dropping Sophie off at the dentist produced three Magpies, six Carrion Crows, two Blue Tits, a Great Tit, five Starlings, two Robins, two Dunnocks and two Pied Wagtails.

At Goring Gap was eight Great Crested Grebes, two Redshanks, eight Skylarks, a Stonechat and two Pied Wagtails. 

10th January 2021 - Botolphs to Upper Beeding

A walk form Botolphs to Upper Beeding and back produced 20 Lapwings, a Barn Owl, 500 Jackdaws, a Peregrine, a Goldcrest, five Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail. 

9th January 2021 - Lychpole Bottom

A circular walk around from Lychpole Bottom to No Man's Land and back again produced, seven Stock Doves, a Red Kite, a Kestrel, 28 Skylarks, a Goldcrest, 161 Starlings, a Song Thrush, 12 Redwings, 23 Blackbirds, four Fieldfares, a Stonechat, three Pied Wagtails, 29 Meadow Pipits, 32 Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, 17 Linnets, 35 Goldfinches and three Reed Buntings. 

Route around Lychpole Bottom/No Man's Land

8th January 2021 - Ferring Rife and Goring Gap

Highlights from Ferring Rife included, a Little Grebe, a Water Rail, seven Moorhens, a Grey Heron, a Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, two Greenfinches and 19 Goldfinches. 

Next stop was Goring Gap where I noted, six Brent Geese, eight Red-breasted Mergansers, three Great Crested Grebes, a Stock Dove, 28 Oystercatchers, five Grey Plovers, 21 Ringed Plovers, 28 Turnstones, 42 Sanderling, 142 Dunlin, a Redshank, 11 Skylarks, two Song Thrushes, two Stonechats, four Pied Wagtails and three Greenfinches. 

7th January 2021 - Marine Gardens, Goring Gap and Patching Pond

A Slavonian Grebe was offshore at Marine Gardens along with three Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great Crested Grebe. Opposite the shelter 12 Starlings on the roof of a house. 

At Goring Gap, I noted 36 Red-breasted Mergansers, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Oystercatchers, eight Grey Plovers, four Turnstones, eight Sanderling, c100 Dunlin and three Pied Wagtails. 

My last stop of the morning was Patching Pond where I found, five Mallards, a drake Tufted Duck, two Coots and five Black-headed Gulls.  

6th January 2021 - Angmering Decoy Ponds

A circular walk from Angmering to the Decoy Ponds (a new location for me) produced a vocal pair of Pergerines resting in an arable field. A very high count of 171 Mallards (may include some deliberately released birds) on the decoy ponds along with six Moorhens. The woodland and hedgerows produced 10 Long-tailed Tits, two Goldcrests, two Song Thrushes, 11 Redwings, two Chaffinches and seven Goldfinches. Other birds included 28 Meadow Pipits and a Stonechat.

4th January 2021 - Goring Gap

A quick visit, late morning yielded three Mediterranean Gulls, 34 Grey Plovers, 24 Ringed Plovers, 153 Dunlin, two Skylarks and two Pied Wagtails.

3rd January 2021 - Shoreham Cement Works to St Peter's Church

A walk along the Adur from the Cement Works to St Peter’s Church in Upper Beeding produced a Wigeon, two Egyptian Geese, two Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk, two Kingfishers, two Kestrels, Raven, 32 Redwings, two Fieldfares, two Stonechats, Grey Wagtail and four Meadow Pipits. No sign however of any Goosanders. 

2nd January 2021 - Goring Gap to Shoreham Beach

A good selection of birds at Goring Gap this morning. The highlight was a Great Northern Diver offshore. Also noted were 41 Red-breasted Mergansers, 41 Common Scoter, ten Brent Geese, 22 Red-throated Divers and 20 Great Crested Grebes. On the beach, waders comprised of 30 Oystercatcher, 23 Grey Plover, 11 Ringed Plover, ca.100 Dunlin, six Sanderling and two Redshank. As I was heading home, a Sparrowhawk passed over the roost field.

Early afternoon, I headed over to Lancing College to check the small pond near the Sussex Pad. I found 19 Teal, nine Mallard and two Chiffchaffs. Also of note was a flock of ca.100 Redwings feeding in the paddocks.

I moved round to Shoreham Beach where after a bit of searching I found the Dartford Warbler (poor photo below), also two Meadow Pipits there. Then moving onto the harbour where there was a juvenile Purple Sandpiper on the wooden jetty and four Turnstones on the west arm. Offshore there was still a feeding frenzy of around ca.100 Gannets, three Red-throated Divers flew east and two Razorbills were close inshore. The Black Redstart at Shoreham Sailing Club was still present. Final stop was the Adur Estuary RSPB viewpoint where I found the over-wintering Greenshank, 58 Lapwing, 12 Redshank and a Grey Heron.

Dartford Warbler, Shoreham Beach, West Sussex

1st January 2021 - Goring Gap, Ferring Rife, Brooklands, Shoreham Harbour and Burpham

I started the morning at Goring Gap where I recorded the following: on the sea was six Wigeon, four Brent Geese, four Teal, four Common Scoter, 10 Great Crested Grebes and two Red-breasted Mergansers. The beach held nine Oystercatcher, four Grey Plover, two Ringed Plover, 20 Turnstone, 20 Sanderling and 53 Dunlin. Noted in the roost field was just a single Skylark.

Next stop was Ferring Rife where the highlight was two Little Grebes, my first here since a single on 10th January 2019. Elsewhere, a Water Rail near the small group of conifers. Other notables included four Stock Doves, 23 Moorhens, a Grey Heron, a Jay, three Song Thrushes, a Stonechat, nine Linnets and a Reed Bunting.

Moving onto Brooklands where I saw the Great Northern Diver offshore and the drake Pochard on the lake and a very showy male Kingfisher on the stream. Afterwards, I moved onto Shoreham Beach which was very productive and produced a Purple Sandpiper on the west arm along with a Rock Pipit. Offshore was a feeding frenzy of c100 Gannets and two Mute Swans were at the harbour mouth. The Black Redstart was still present at Shoreham Sailing Club.

Purple Sandpiper, Shoreham Harbour, West Sussex

I ended the day at Burpham where I had good views of the 10 adult Bewick's Swans and a Barn Owl was seen near the dew pond.