Goring/Marine Gardens
Just a couple reports from sea-watches today. With migration kicking in it was no surprise Wheatears have started appear along the coast today so we should expect the first for spring for the area any day now and also appears a few bits starting to move up-channel and the following was logged. Redwings and several Blackbirds were heard migrating through the night along with several Blackbirds in Worthing Town Centre
Seawatch from 0700 to 0900 at the Marine Gardens Shelter, Worthing today:
Brent Goose 177 E; Common Scoter 8E; Shoveler 7E; Shelduck 11E; Red-throated Diver 8E; Gannet 2 E; Oystercatcher 8E; Skylark 2E; Meadow pipit 2E.
On the sea were 52 Great Crested Grebes and c.40 Red-breasted Mergansers several of which flew E.
Later at the Gap on beach a Bar-tailed Godwit with the usual waders and 3 Med Gulls CH
A good variety of birds were moving east this morning although only Brent Geese were passing in any numbers. Totals were: 1 Curlew, 231 Brent Geese, 8 Common Scoter, 1 Little Gull, 5 Wigeon, 5 Red-throated Divers, 2 Shoveler, 3 Shelducks, 2 Pintail and a Velvet Scoter. Other unidentified ducks were moving a long way out. A Sandwich Tern was resting on a piece of driftwood before flying off west, my first of the year. Also on the sea were 16+ Red-breasted Mergansers and 24 Great Crested Grebes. On the beach were 66 Sanderlings, 42 Grey Plovers, 44 Turnstones, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and up to 12 Oystercatchers but only 3 Dunlins and 1 Ringed Plover. 9 Mediterranean Gulls were in the cultivated fields and 2 Stonechats were in the overgrown field RS
