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| Whinchat DKC |
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| female Redstart - the other two were 1CY males DKC |
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| juvenile Red Kite DKC |
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| Wheatear DKC |
August 31st 2018
GORING GAP: Trektellen Movement was evident as soon as the whistle blew this morning, maintained full flow until mid-morning and trickled on till about midday. I ended up with 260 Yellow Wagtails through, almost entirely east (and including flocks of up to 42), with 1,180 Swallows, 70 Sand Martins, 23 House Martins, a Swift, two Meadow Pipits heading the same way. Nine Grey Wagtails added further spice to the day as they clinked overhead and a single Pied Wagtail headed west. A juvenile Red Kite cruised west and a couple of glances offshore revealed a Shelduck and a Gannet. Grounded migrants included three Redstarts, a Tree Pipit, a Whinchat, four Wheatears, a Willow Warbler, seven Whitethroats and a Blackcap. The Treecreeper was calling in the Plantation, where a Coal Tit was singing. A flock of 17 Dunlin flew strongly inland and wader counts included seven Oystercatchers, 36 Ringed Plovers, 70 Turnstones and 13 Sanderlings. 15 Sandwich Terns entered the roost field and 22 Little Egrets and three Common Gulls were also noted. DKC
August 30th 2018
GORING GAP: Yesterday will be written up soon but highlights then included a Redstart, five Whinchats and four Wheatears.
WEST WORTHING: Working out in the garden today, I heard a couple of fly-over Yellow Wagtails and a Coal Tit was singing next door. Analysis of my nocturnal recording from last night revealed a small flock of Sandwich Terns and - to my astonishment - a very clear few seconds of Wood Sandpiper calls as two birds passed over just after midnight. DKC
WEST WORTHING: Working out in the garden today, I heard a couple of fly-over Yellow Wagtails and a Coal Tit was singing next door. Analysis of my nocturnal recording from last night revealed a small flock of Sandwich Terns and - to my astonishment - a very clear few seconds of Wood Sandpiper calls as two birds passed over just after midnight. DKC
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| Wood Sandpiper sonogram |
August 29th 2018
GORING GAP: Little Egrets feeding on the beach increased to 64. With them were two Grey Herons, 41 Ringed Plovers, a Sanderling, five Turnstones, a Redshank and an adult Mediterranean Gull. Eight Sandwich Terns ventured into the roost field. I started to walk the Gap but it wasn't long before the rain set in. This didn't put off a male Firecrest from calling and eventually bursting into song near the playing field though, nor did it deter me from trying to cover some ground. This produced five Whinchats, four Wheatears, a female Redstart, two Whitethroats and two Willow Warblers. Three of the Whinchats, the Redstart and two of the Wheatears formed an entertaining flock feeding right out in one of the fields in the rain. 23 Yellow Wagtails flew overhead, as did a Pied Wagtail and 11 Sand Martins and 60 or so Swallows. Rain prevented total coverage! DKC/GDM/GJ
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| Whinchats |
August 28th 2018
GORING GAP: Trektellen. Nine Whimbrel were a nice surprise on the beach this morning before they headed east. Counting the Little Egrets led to an impressive tally of 40, while Oystercatchers numbered just 10. A Grey Heron was also feeding and I heard a Redshank. The northwest corner held a female Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher. Two Lesser Whitethroats, 11 Whitethroats, three Willow Warblers and three Blackcaps were noted. Four Yellow Wagtails and two Grey Wagtails flew over, as did nine Sand Martins and six Swallows. 20 Sandwich Terns were using the roost field, along with 53 Ringed Plovers, two adult Sanderlings, a juvenile Dunlin and 89 Turnstones. Nine Mediterranean Gulls included five northbound birds, and four Common Gulls were seen. Four Great Crested Grebes were resting just offshore, while a tight group of six Cormorants was feeding. Three Jackdaws were notable and a Coal Tit was in the northwest corner. DKC/NB/GDM
WEST WORTHING: A Sparrowhawk flew over Boundary Road DKC
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| Spotted Flycatcher DKC |
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six of nine Whimbrel DKC |
WEST WORTHING: A Sparrowhawk flew over Boundary Road DKC
August 27th 2018
GORING GAP: A quick morning visit, pretty birdless on a mini circuit, the Whinchat was still present in the routh field in the southern end, tagging along with a lone House Sparrow. A Mute Swan flew east over the gap NB
WEST WORTHING: A Tree Pipit flew over Boundary Road, where there was a Willow Warbler in the garden. DKC
WEST WORTHING: A Tree Pipit flew over Boundary Road, where there was a Willow Warbler in the garden. DKC
Whinchat - NB
August 26th 2018
GORING GAP: Trektellen. Gulls featured strongly today with our second Caspian Gull of the year for the Gap (and all time), a juvenile moulting into first-winter plumage, roosting in the southwest field this morning. Two Yellow-legged Gulls (1CY and 3CY), the first juvenile Great Black-backed Gull of the year and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also seen but Common Gull numbers remained low at just three. Sandwich Terns have begun to use the field, with 22 there today. Ringed Plovers increased to 60 - in the field late morning, along with 18 Turnstones. The beach held 22 Little Egrets, 11 Oystercatchers and two Dunlin. Passerine migrants included two Tree Pipits and six Yellow Wagtails overhead, a female Redstart at the pumping station, a singing male Firecrest along Ilex Avenue, a Whinchat and a Reed Warbler by the dead-end road, three Whitethroats, a Blackcap, seven Willow Warblers and a Pied Wagtail. The Treecreeper was still in the Plantation. A half-hour seawatch in dire conditions around midday produced two Grey Plovers, two Fulmars and three Sandwich Terns. DKC/NB
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| 1CY Caspian Gull |
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| 1CY Caspian Gull |
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| 1CY Yellow-legged Gull |
August 25th 2018
GORING GAP: Between 0700 and 0830; Two Wheatears on the beach and in the NW corner
(only part I looked at) 8 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroats, a Blackcap,
and a female Redstart. Also 6 Chaffinches. No overhead movement seen or heard CH
WEST WORTHING: Leaving the recorder out last night produced digital firsts for the garden in the form of a Sandwich Tern late evening and two Redshanks over together in the early hours, as well as a bonus Yellow Wagtail around dawn. DKC
(only part I looked at) 8 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroats, a Blackcap,
and a female Redstart. Also 6 Chaffinches. No overhead movement seen or heard CH
WEST WORTHING: Leaving the recorder out last night produced digital firsts for the garden in the form of a Sandwich Tern late evening and two Redshanks over together in the early hours, as well as a bonus Yellow Wagtail around dawn. DKC
August 24th 2018
GORING GAP: Trekellen A rushed circuit of the Gap from dawn was my first opportunity to get to the patch for some days so I was keen to make the most of it. Yellow Wagtails were moving, with 22 logged mostly going west into the light breeze, and shortly before I had to go a Tree Pipit called overhead. The northwest corner held a Lesser Whitethroat (patch tick for me - at last!), a Garden Warbler and three Willow Warblers. A Wheatear was near the pumping station, and five Whitethroats and two Blackcaps were noted. Two Sand Martins and 14 Swallows flew through. Five Teal flew west along the beach and counts there and in the roost field (now active, given the season and its fresh, disturbed condition) included 25 Turnstones, three Sanderlings, a Dunlin, an adult summer Grey Plover, 15 Ringed Plovers, 14 Oystercatchers, seven Little Egrets, a Mediterranean Gull and nine Common Gulls. DKC
August 21st 2018
GORING GAP : - Arrived at first light and was still beaten by the early dog walkers and plane flyers! Very overcast to start but mild with no breeze at all! Good number of Black-headed Gull headed inland from the beach, some settling in the nearby fields (204 counted). A Whinchat quickly gave itself up in the rough field at the south end of the gap but remained fairly elusive, as I approached the south-east corner the sound of a calling Yellow Wagtail had me looking to the skies and soon picked up a single bird heading SE. Then another single call initially threw me, my initial reaction was Ortolan Bunting...then it called again, I then picked the bird out in the gloom as it flew fairly low towards me calling a third time and continued east, calling once more before dissapearing over the plantation. I searched the area hoping it pitched down somewhere to no avail. I played some calls back just to confirm my initial hunch and reminding myself I was in Goring and not Cyprus where I used to see these reguarly on their migration. News was put out in the hope there maybe birders further east. A record will be submitted as it will, as far as I am aware be the first record for the gap. I managed to cover the entire circuit around the gap, grounded migrants included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Willow Warblers all mainly in the nw corner. A single Swift was seen over the northern end heading sw as was a single Swallow. As I returned to the car 7 more Yellow Wagtails went over east. Other gulls included 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 6 Common Gulls. Wader numbers have increased yet again with 71 Turnstone between the beach and fields, 24 Ringed Plover, 5 Sanderling and 2 Dunlin. NB
Mediterranean Gulls including 2 juvenilles and 1 adult NB
Turnstone - Goring beach - superb in this plumage NB
August 20th 2018
FERRING RIFE/GORING GAP : Between 0800 and 0900, along the lower part of the Rife (i.e south of the footbridge), a Redstart, a Whinchat, 12 Willow Warblers, 3 Whitethroats. In the Rife a Grey Wagtail. Also 2 Little Egrets, one Heron and 5 Swallows.
At the SE corner of the Gap two more Whinchats, a Wheatear and a Whitethroat CH
At the SE corner of the Gap two more Whinchats, a Wheatear and a Whitethroat CH
August 16th 2018
GORING GAP: Trektellen. With a fresh southwesterly, I figured a seawatch would be more productive than checking the bushes this morning so I did just over four hours from the George V Avenue shelter from dawn. It was pretty slow really but worthwhile, with season-firsts in the form of a Great Crested Grebe, four Kittiwakes and two adult Grey Plovers in summer plumage. Also logged moving offshore were 17 Common Scoters, 104 Gannets, three Fulmars, nine Sandwich Terns, a Ringed Plover and three Sand Martins. 16 Little Egrets were feeding on the beach. DKC
August 15th 2018
GORING GAP: The best migrant during my walk around Goring Gap was a Spotted Flycatcher in the hedge by the sports field. Other grounded migrants were in short supply, with two Wheatears, just five Willow Warblers, a couple of Blackcaps and three Whitethroats - the latter two species quite possibly still represented by locals. A total of 16 Sand Martins and a Swallow flew west. Birds on the beach included 27 Little Egrets, 15 Oystercatchers, 26 Ringed Plovers, 39 Turnstones, 10 adult Sanderlings, four Dunlin and singles of Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull and juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. A glance out to sea revealed a Fulmar, three Gannets and seven Sandwich Terns. DKC
WEST WORTHING: A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was in a private garden on Boundary Road. DKC
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| Spotted Flycatcher at Goring Gap DKC |
August 14th 2018
I had a quick whizz around Goring Gap early morning, rewarded by a fly-over Tree Pipit (a patch tick), a Whinchat and 15 Willow Warblers. On the beach were 10 Sanderlings, 25 Turnstones, 28 Little Egrets, four Oystercatchers, two Dunlin and a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. A male Sparrowhawk flew over with prey. DKC
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| Whinchat at Goring Gap DKC |
August 13th 2018
GORING GAP : Brief visit this morning Wheatear on beach. 2ad Med Gulls, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat nw corner. Waders building up. GDM
MARINE GARDENS : I did an hour at Marine Gardens shelter this morning from 0835 to 0935.
Gannet 4E 2W
Cormorant 3E 1W
Fulmar 1W
Med Gull 2 Imms W
Sandwich Tern 2W
Whimbrel 2 on the beach flew off W
Sanderling one on beach
BH, Herring and GBB Gulls present CH
MARINE GARDENS : I did an hour at Marine Gardens shelter this morning from 0835 to 0935.
Gannet 4E 2W
Cormorant 3E 1W
Fulmar 1W
Med Gull 2 Imms W
Sandwich Tern 2W
Whimbrel 2 on the beach flew off W
Sanderling one on beach
BH, Herring and GBB Gulls present CH
August 11th 2018
BROOKLANDS: Around midday just one Willow Warbler and one Grey Wagtail were landward, while on the lake a Common Sandpiper was noted again. AK
GORING GAP : Waders on the beach this morning were 11 Oystercatchers, 20 Ringed Plover, 8 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin and several Turnstones (30 on 4th). Also a Wheatear. 2 Shelduck flew W.
Along the closed off road near the plantation just 6 Whitethroats. CH
CISSBURY RING: Val, Mya and I had quite a busy ringing session at Cissbury this morning. We caught 80 birds including 39 Willow Warblers (with a good few more around), six Garden Warblers, 16 Blackcaps, seven Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Bullfinch. While doing the rounds I found a Pied Flycatcher - perhaps two - by one of the tracks and picked up 10 distant Wheatears from our ringing station. During a later walk around the Ring itself, I encountered a Tree Pipit and another Lesser Whitethroat, as well as three Mistle Thrushes. A Swift, two House Martins, 25 Swallows and a Raven were among the other birds noted. DKC
WEST WORTHING: A Blair's Mocha was caught overnight on 26-27th July DKC
GORING GAP : Waders on the beach this morning were 11 Oystercatchers, 20 Ringed Plover, 8 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin and several Turnstones (30 on 4th). Also a Wheatear. 2 Shelduck flew W.
Along the closed off road near the plantation just 6 Whitethroats. CH
CISSBURY RING: Val, Mya and I had quite a busy ringing session at Cissbury this morning. We caught 80 birds including 39 Willow Warblers (with a good few more around), six Garden Warblers, 16 Blackcaps, seven Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Bullfinch. While doing the rounds I found a Pied Flycatcher - perhaps two - by one of the tracks and picked up 10 distant Wheatears from our ringing station. During a later walk around the Ring itself, I encountered a Tree Pipit and another Lesser Whitethroat, as well as three Mistle Thrushes. A Swift, two House Martins, 25 Swallows and a Raven were among the other birds noted. DKC
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| Lesser Whitethroat |
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| Garden Warbler |
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| Treecreeper |
WEST WORTHING: A Blair's Mocha was caught overnight on 26-27th July DKC
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| Blair's Mocha |
August 10th 2018
GORING GAP: The tide was out when I arrived so I spent an enjoyable couple of hours scanning the beach. For the first time this season, there was some number of waders to look at, with three Sanderlings - the first returners - along with 20 Ringed Plovers, 10 Dunlin and nine Turnstones. Best of all, though, was a flock of six Common Sandpipers which were at first on distant sand to the east then flew west past me, close inshore. Intermittent seawatching during the morning produced two Arctic Skuas, Common Terns, a Fulmar, 20 Gannets, four Mediterranean Gulls and four Sandwich Terns, as well as a Sand Martin battling into the wind. 16 Little Egrets were feeding. I saw my first juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year on the greensward. Yet again I left it too late, once the wind has well up, to start looking for passerines, and thus only five Willow Warblers, five Whitethroats and a Blackcap represented the warbler tally in my notebook. However, four Wheatears flying high north was good to see, and a further singleton was near the beach later on. Eight Common Gulls were in the fields. DKC
BROOKLANDS PARK : General lack of migrants this morning around Brooklands Park and Lagoon.With only 6 Goldfinch noted.In the disused paddling pool 3 Grey and a single Pied Wagtail were coming and going.On the lagoon the new tern raft is now in place and occupied by loafing juvenile Herring Gulls.There is another raft that has been floated out which is hopefully designed for breeding Mute Swans BFF
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| Common Sandpipers DKC |
Grey Wagtail - Brooklands Park - BFF
August 8th 2018
GORING GAP: A very early morning visit and my first for a long while to the gap took a while to get going probably down to the overnight thundery downpours and much fresher and autumnal atmosphere. 6 Little Egrets were seen departing to the west from the beach and was a constant movement inland of Black-headed Gulls. 2 Stock Dove were around the southern most fields and the Whinchat was still around the rough field area. 17 Cormorants were seen flying high east out to sea, otherwise the area in general was quiet with little in the bushes around the pumping station and surrounding fields. Things picked up somewhat when checking the area in the north-west area which hosted a large number of birds with birds constantly feeding up and on the move. Highlights here included a good number of Blackcap and 3 Garden Warbler which were all observed in one tree together. A Lesser Whitethroat popped up and there was constant activity with Willow Warbler featuring strongly, some breaking out in sub-song as the sun warmed things up a little. There was a large tit flock passing through which featured mainly Long-tailed and Blue Tits with many fledglings in-tow hopefully signifying a good breeding season. 2 Common Whitethroat were also seen on my return route. A Swift flew northwest. NB. I had an additional three Willow Warblers and three Whitethroats, as well as a Swallow, a Pied Wagtail and two juvenile female Sparrowhawks. Offshore or on the beach was a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, two Common Terns (adult and juvenile), a Ringed Plover, three Turnstones, a Redshank, nine Gannets, three Sandwich Terns and nine Little Egrets. DKC
BROOKLANDS PARK: Couple of hours birding around the park this morning produced 2 Pied Flycatchers with the possibility of a third bird.All three birds were in the 2 sycamores by the first seat north of the stream.We had 2 birds close together with another bird in the same area.They were very flighty this morning frequently very high in the canopy being extremely difficult to watch.Also noted 8 Willow Warbler,Coal Tit and 7 Little Egrets around the lake BFF/DM
LANCING: A Wood Warbler was trapped and ringed at private site.
Blackcap - Goring Gap - NB
BROOKLANDS PARK: Couple of hours birding around the park this morning produced 2 Pied Flycatchers with the possibility of a third bird.All three birds were in the 2 sycamores by the first seat north of the stream.We had 2 birds close together with another bird in the same area.They were very flighty this morning frequently very high in the canopy being extremely difficult to watch.Also noted 8 Willow Warbler,Coal Tit and 7 Little Egrets around the lake BFF/DM
LANCING: A Wood Warbler was trapped and ringed at private site.
August 7th 2018
GORING GAP: There were a handful of migrants on offer this morning, including singles of Whinchat, Garden Warbler and Reed Warbler, along with seven Willow Warblers. A Treecreeper was in the Plantation and two Pied Wagtails flew over. Four Whitethroats were probably still local birds and seven Swallows flew east. Non-passerines included two Grey Herons, two Little Egrets, a Redshank, six Turnstones, a Ringed Plover, three Mediterranean Gulls, six Common Gulls, two Sandwich Terns and six Gannets. DKC
Mid-afternoon at Ferring Rife, the horse paddocks at the northern end held c50 Starling, 12 Black-headed Gull and 2 Herring Gull. Walking towards the sea was very quiet and the only notable birds were 3 Little Egrets and 6 Swallows which flew west. Upon arrival at the sea I walked along the coastal path on a rising tide and logged c30 Turnstone, 10 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover and 2 Sanderling. The high-tide roost field at Goring Gap produced 1 Mediterranean Gull, 38 Black-headed Gull and a single Common Gull. GJ
Mid-afternoon at Ferring Rife, the horse paddocks at the northern end held c50 Starling, 12 Black-headed Gull and 2 Herring Gull. Walking towards the sea was very quiet and the only notable birds were 3 Little Egrets and 6 Swallows which flew west. Upon arrival at the sea I walked along the coastal path on a rising tide and logged c30 Turnstone, 10 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover and 2 Sanderling. The high-tide roost field at Goring Gap produced 1 Mediterranean Gull, 38 Black-headed Gull and a single Common Gull. GJ
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| Whinchat at Goring Gap DKC |
August 6th 2018
GORING GAP: A superb evening started with a single Willow Warbler in the North-west corner of the Gap. As I walked towards the sea the fields held 2 Stock Dove. The bushes around the pumping station held a single Whitethroat. The weedy field near the sea produced a single Wheatear my first here for the Autumn and a Whinchat however the Whinchat was very flighty and elusive. After I walked north back towards my starting point and I came across a single Nightingale, a patch first for me. Also in the same area was c15 Willow Warbler. GJ
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| Late evening sun at Goring Gap GJ |
August 1st 2018
CISSBURY RING: A ringing session with Val and Finch. It was clear that warblers were starting to move, and it was pleasing to catch two Garden Warblers and a Reed Warbler. Around 15 Willow Warblers were on site, including a handful caught. Four playful Ravens were over the distant hillside. A Yellowhammer and two Bullfinches were among the other birds noted, and at least 10 of both Blackcap and Whitethroat were around.
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| Garden Warbler at Cissbury Ring DKC |
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| Willow Warbler at Cissbury Ring DKC |
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