Worthing Sea-watch
Sea-watching off Worthing can be really productive in the right conditions. Although we never get the numbers that sea-watching sites such as Seaford Head and Selsey Bill get, birds can come through surprisingly close on their migration. Most watches are carried out in the shelters at George V Avenue or the shelter opposite Marine Gardens.
If you conduct any sea-watches please e-mail us your sightings, they will be published on here were possible..thankyou
A couple of sea-watches were done today (6.35-8.50am and 10.38-12.45pm) in rather promising conditions, birds were constantly on the move in-between spells of heavy rain.
By far the highlight was a dark-phased Arctic Skua that headed east just after 8.30 am, the first of the spring for the area. A Avocet flew east, upto 5 Little Gulls including a bird that lingered offshore from mid-day. A summer plumage Black-necked Grebe was also offshore early on drifting slowly east along the tideline. Common Scoter and Sandwich Terns were the high counters, whilst the following below were observed. A Wheatear was on the beach and the odd Meadow Pipit were trickling in off sea. All birds were moving east unless stated NB/GM
Arctic Skua - 1 dark-phased bird @ 8.38am
Brent Goose - 137
Gannet - 47 + 3 west
Common Scoter - 429 + 3 west
Red-breasted Merganser - 28 + 3 west, 7 offshore
Eider - 11 (7 flew in from west an dropped on sea and lingered offshore)
Shelduck - 2 west
Mallard - 2 west
Great-crested Grebe - 23 offshore
Black-necked Grebe - 1 s/p offshore drifted east
Red-throated Diver - 6
Black-throated Diver - 2
Black-headed Gull - 21 west
Little Gull - 5 including one lingering offshore
Sandwich Tern - 212 + 16 west
Common Tern - 3
