February 26th 2019

GORING GAP: A female Merlin which stopped off for a short while was the highlight this morning - further sightings from today to be added soon. DKC

female Merlin - DKC

 

February 19th 2019

GORING GAP produced two Common Scoters on the sea, four Red-throated Divers, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, 10 Great Crested Grebes, two Gannets, a Redshank, five Oystercatchers, 28 Grey Plovers, 22 Turnstones, 23 Sanderlings, 15 Dunlin, three adult Mediterranean Gulls and a singing Skylark. DKC

February 8th 2019

A seawatch from GEORGE V AVENUE produced a Fulmar, 21 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (13 west), seven Red-throated Divers, a Great Crested Grebes, 16 Gannets, a Kittiwake, 37 Razorbills/Guillemots and an adult Mediterranean Gull. DKC

February 7th 2019

GEORGE V AVENUE: A seawatch for almost an hour and a half off George V Avenue first thing produced the first local Fulmar of the year, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 23 Red-throated Divers, a Great Crested Grebe, 12 Gannets, two Kittiwakes, 18 Razorbills/Guillemots and a small handful of Red-breasted Mergansers. DKC

GORING GAP: I had grand plans for the day but was put off by the gusty conditions in the end, so the only other birding I did was to pop over to the Gap at high tide, where there were 11 adult Mediterranean Gulls (some in fine nick), 74 Common Gulls, three Grey Plovers, 15 Ringed Plovers, 20 Dunlin and four Skylarks. DKC

February 6th 2019

GORING GAP : A very murky morning here on the south coast, a sea-watch was out of the question this morning, but in milder conditions the Snow Bunting was soon found along the stretch of beach to the east of the orange boat (please note that this boat was observed being removed from the beach today so should no longer be used as a marker)! The bird was rather flighty and disappeared onto the beach for long periods. 3 Brent Geese flew west fairly close in. The Stonechat was in the rough field, 3 Greater black-backed Gulls, 4 Mediterranean Gull were the only oddities in the gull roost, whilst a c40 Grey Plover c200 Dunlin, c40 Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Sanderling were also feeding up in the roost field although definitive counts were difficult in the gloom. 6 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipits and good number of Pied Wagtails were around,  a Grey Heron was in the northern fields NB/GDM

Snow Bunting - Goring Gap - NB

Grey Heron - Goring - NB

SALVINGTON : The male Blackcap is still enjoying the fruit fest in my garden, now with Plum on the menu, very protective over its wintering larder NB

February 4th 2019

GORING: I re-learned the lesson that seawatching in a constant-rain forecast is a hiding to nothing, turning up at the George V Avenue shelter at first light. After half an hour, 16 Gannets, six Red-breasted Mergansers and a Kittiwake, I realised I really ought to use today to get other stuff done... DKC

February 3rd 2019

GORING GAP: An enjoyable seawatch for 1.5hrs this morning yielded 3600 Razorbills/Guillemots, 101 Red-throated Divers, 163 Gannets and three Kittiwakes. Again, I didn't get round to counting the Great Crested Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea, though both were present in moderate numbers. Two Redshanks were on the beach and the roost field contained 14 Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin and six Skylarks. A Meadow Pipit flew east. DKC

February 2nd 2019

As I got out of the car at GORING GAP, two Ravens announced their presence as they flew west, a long-awaited patch tick! The Snow Bunting was still on the coast path. These were followed by two Redwings, a species thin on the ground at the Gap recently. Huge numbers of auks, mostly or exclusively Razorbills were instantly evident when I first looked out to sea this morning. I kept up counting as best I could for an hour, racking up some 6,600 individuals in that time, mostly heading east. Three Eiders (an adult drake, a 2CY drake and a female) flew east together, and 24 Common Scoters added some quality. Gannets were hard to keep track of, I'd logged 100 east and 25 west before a scattered feeding flock of 500 or so materialised. Eight Red-throated Divers were on the sea and another 44 flew past, including a flock of 32. A Kittiwake flew past. Decent numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes were also on the sea. 10 Ringed Plovers, 58 Dunlin and four adult Mediterranean Gulls were in the roost field, and a male Reed Bunting flew from the fenced rough. DKC

FERRING RIFE had a Little Grebe - my first locally, so my second patch tick of the day - 13 Golden Plovers in a field on the west side. Two Water Rails were showing on the north side of the road bridge. A Chiffchaff, a Grey Heron and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Redwing, a female Stonechat, a Meadow Pipit and two Jackdaws were among the other birds logged. DKC

February 1st 2019

Off GORING GAP this morning were six Dark-bellied Brent Geese, five Red-throated Divers, 21 Red-breasted Mergansers, 27 Great Crested Grebes, a Kittiwake, 114 Gannets and 80 Razorbills/Guillemots. On the beach at Goring Gap was a Redshank and 27 Grey Plovers, along with a few Dunlin, Sanderling and Turnstone. 17 Ringed Plovers were in the roost field, along with an adult Mediterranean Gull, 45 Common Gulls (just one 2CY) and 20 Skylarks. The female Stonechat was in the rough patch. DKC/GJ

The Snow Bunting has also been reported again via the Sussex birders facebook page, feeding around 4pm along the coastal path near the toilet block/plantation, the bird had not been seen in the area the previous 2 days and had presumed to have moved on

We walked along FERRING RIFE, clocking nine Golden Plovers and 35 Lapwings apparently freshly arrived, looking for somewhere to pitch down. Also noted was a Snipe, two Water Rails, five Chiffchaffs, two Reed Buntings, five Meadow Pipits, a male Stonechat, eight Moorhens, a Buzzard, a Grey Heron and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. DKC/GJ 

FERRING : Amazed to see at 10.40 this morning through the window in my front garden, just as I was preparing to go out, a Yellow-browed Warbler !  Good but  brief view as it vanished round the side of the house. Will keep a lookout for it. Earlier at least two Chiffchaffs survived the night at the top end of the Rife as well as the Water Rail CH

SALVINGTON : The male Blackcap spent most of the day in my garden feasting on the fruit bounty i have spiked on the feeding station tree which includes pear, apple and plum NB