27th May 2022

ANGMERING: 3 BEE-EATERS flew over calling  moving distantly to the south east (RS)

A STRIPED HAWK-MOTH was trapped also in a private garden (GP)



STRIPED HAWK-MOTH (GP/GDM)

24th May 2022

FERRING: I’m 90% sure I’ve just had a Striped Hawkmoth down Ferring Rife very briefly feeding - shot off before I could get a pic! Red Kite over Ferring Country Centre earlier and the fully lecustic/Albino Starling is still about. A White-tailed Eagle also flew over east (GK)


17th May 2022

WEST WORTHING: Painted Lady butterfly on beach (EC) 



15th May 2022

ANGMERING: 7 Swifts over (RS)

GORING GAP: 5 Great-crested Grebes, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Dunlin, 2 Oystercatchers (RI).

PATCHING5 House Martins, 4 Swallows and 2 Buzzards (RI)

SALVINGTON: 4 Swifts over Rogate Road (NB)

WORTHING BEACH: Seawatch off Worthing quiet, 1 Fulmar 37 Gannets 26 Common Scoters 2 Whimbrels 5 Dunlin's 21 Sandwich Terns & just 1 Swallow.(DS)

14th May 2022

FERRING: Three Spotted Flycatcher (Ferring) and one female Redstart Kingston Gorse. (GK) Upto 4 Reed Warblers along the Rife and by the country centre pond, good number of Whitethroat around, Chiffchaff, Blackcap singing, Stock Dove in paddock at southern end by cafe (NB)

HIGHDOWN: Cuckoo over W, 5 Swift W, 11 Swallows, 2 Grey Heron S, 11 Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Whitethroats, Firecrest (different bird to yday), m Bullfinch, singing Corn Bunting, Red-legged Partridge and 4 Yellowhammer. (GJ)

13th May 2022

CISSBURY: 2 Spotted Flycatcher north path 2 Grey Partridge south path (JJ) 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Hobby sw side, 2 male Whinchats Nepcote gallops (CO)

FERRING: A long day Between East Preston and Goring Gap. Highlights A total of 11 Spotted Flycatcher’s, 5 Redstart (3 Male 2 Female), 3 Whinchat (2 male 1 female) and a Pergerine early morning in farmers field Kingston Gorse. (GK)

Spotted Flycatcher 3 Wheatears Ferring country centre (CH)



Spotted Flycatcher, Peregrine Falcon and Whinchat (GK)

GORING GAP: Wheatears still arriving. 8 at Goring Gap this morning. All moved through rapidly. Also a Bar-tailed Godwit (RS)

HIGHDOWN: 4 Wheatear (horse paddocks), Redstart, Firecrest, Peregrine over W, Red Kite, 18 Swallows, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroats and 2 Yellowhammer. (GJ)

LYCHPOLE HILL: 3 Swifts, 5 + Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Whinchats (MG/KG)

STEEP DOWNA Spotted Flycatcher and female Common Redstart enlivened my usual stroll around Steep Down this morning. Plenty of Skylarks singing, several territorial Corn Buntings and probably 20 Whitethroats churring and displaying on my route. A single Sand Martin was my first this year.  Rather too cool and windy for butterflies but at least two Wall Browns were seen.(JN)

12th May 2022

FERRING: 5 Wheatears at the country centre paddocks (CH)

GORING GAP: 3 Wheatears including a 'greenland' type (GK) Also 1 Fulmar E, 10 Gannet, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Ringed Plovers. (RI)

11th May 2022

ANGMERING: A Whitethroat in garden and a Hobby low over Downs Way (GDM)

DURRINGTON: Two Swifts over the house today. (RI)

GORING GAP:  10 Sandwich Terns offshore this morning (RI)

10th May 2022

ANGMERING: 3 Swifts over Downs Way (GDM)

RUSTINGTON: 6.45 to 8.15am, 2 Great-northern Diver east, Little tern, Common Tern, 2ad KittiwakesBonxie, 1stw Mediterranean Gull, 3 Great-crested Grebe. (GDM)

SOMPTING: 2 Mediterranean Gulls over house this afternoon (MG)

9th May 2022

POM DAY! - A good day to be sea-watching as conditions favoured passage of the Pomarine Skua today! Below logs some of the sea-watching reported with several other observers scattered along the coast below summarises the numbers pretty well without repetitive overlap 🤞

FERRING: 0730 till 1000 and logged the following:

Great Crested Grebe 4 together on sea

Gannet    c.6 offshore

Pomarine Skua - a reasonably close bird with impressive 'spoons' flew E at 0855 (Climbed higher as it went E). Missed the distant flocks as I left just as they we being seen it seems!)
Little Tern - my first for the year
Common Tern c.12E
Sandwich Tern c.35 E
Common Scoter 40 E
Whimbrel 8E
Bar-tailed Godwit one E
Sanderling 42 E

Two Swifts over my garden at 1100 (CH)

MARINE GARDENS: Seawatch - 06:30 -13:00 (light easterly swing round to south easterly)

After missing out yesterday pleased to catch up with a sizeable Pom Skua passage for once intercepting a good percentage of the birds reported past Selesy.

Most were distant following the same line across the bay but eventually the final two groups passed much closer to shore beyond the line of yellow bouys.
Great Crested Grebe still 2 os
Mute Swan 2 drifted west
Fulmar 2e
Pomarine Skua 30e  - (2@07:10, 1@08:55, 3@09:56,  3@10:0, 12@10:15, 4@10:32, 1@11:46, 4@12:05)
Arctic Skua 1e @12:43
Whimbrel 6e
Bar-tailed Godwits 54e
Sanderling 3e
Dunlin 11e
Brent Goose 3e
Shelduck 2e
Common Scoter 15e
Common Terns 32e
“Commic" Terns circa 30 (all distant presumably Common Terns)
Sandwich Terns os plus an increase in numbers moving east
Bottle-nosed Dolphins 3 distant east @ 12:15
(NO/CO/JN/JD et al)

WEST WORTHING: 5 Swifts over seaward end of Grand Avenue (NO)

8th May 2022

FERRING: 2 Avocets east @7.50am (CH) 
4 Pomarine Skuas and 2 Arctic Skuas east @ 17.15 (GJ) also logged by (MG/KG) at Marine gardens

HIGHDOWN: Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, Kestrel, 6 Swallows, 8 Chiffchaffs, 14 Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Whitethroats, Goldcrest, 8 Linnet, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting. (GJ)

MARINE GARDENS: 0715-1700: Brent Geese 38E, Shelduck 3W, Eider M 1W, Avocet 2E, Grey Plover 26E, Whimbrel 64E, Barwit 44 E, Dunlin 18E, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern 6E, Arctic Skua 3E, Fulmar 1W, Gannet, Swallow 21 in. (MG/KG)

RUSTINGTON: A Serin in off sea (GDM)

7th May 2022

ANGMERINGGreat-white Egret over heading w n w to Arundel direction 11.50am (GDM)

CISSBURY RING: 2 Ravens at eastern end (Daryl Peters)

RUSTINGTON: Possible Bonaparte's Gull flew east with 4 Black-headed Gulls 7.25am (GDM)

6th May 2022

GORING GAP: highlights - 35 Whimbrel E, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit E, 2 Swift, and all usual suspects (GK)

KINGSTON GORSE: Male Whinchat in horse paddocks adjacent to Kingston Lane. Later, a male Redstart also appeared in the garden adjacent to same paddocks on my route back. (GK)


Redstart and Whinchat - Kingston Gorse (GK)

SOMPTINGSedge Warbler singing in our garden this morning. Karen heard Reed Warbler from the garden yesterday. (MG/KG)

5th May 2022

BROOKLANDS PARK: A single Reed Warbler (RI)

DURRINGTON: 6 Red Kites over north at 13.30 (RI)

GORING GAP: A Red Kite was thermaling with the gulls at lunchtime, 3 Swallows and Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing from the middle plantation (NB)

SOMPTING: 12 Wheatears and 1 Whinchat in fields just north of St Mary's Church this evening. (TS)

WORTHING: A Whitethroat singing in Steyne gardens (RI)

4th May 2022

GORING GAP: 2 Whinchats and 3 Wheatears were along the fenceline by the rough field all day. All 3 Wheatears displayed features consistent of the 'Greenland' race. Also noted was a p/p Arctic Skua east at 10.49, a Bar-tailed Godwit on the beach, 2 Swallows, 1 Little Egret, several Oystercatchers, c10 Great-crested Grebes and a few Gannets (RS/NB/GDM/GJ et al)


Wheatear and Whitethroat - Goring Gap (NB)

LANCING: A Wheater in a private garden (RI)

LONG FURLONGWhinchat and Wheatear in paddocks at the end of Michelgrove Lane. Another Whinchat by Long Furlong Farm (RS)

SALVINGTON: 2 Little Egrets flew low west over the North end of Durrington rec mid afternoon (NB)

3rd May 2022

CISSBURY RING: Butterfly news - 2 Grizzled  and 4 Dingy Skippers and singles of Green Hairstreak and Small Copper just north of rifle range . 10 species seen in total (CO)
10 Whitethroat, 8 Blackcap, 2 Stonechat, 1 Corn Bunting and a Red Kite (RI)

SOMPTING BROOKSWheatear on fence line leading to stream & Reed Warbler singing from stream. (MG)

WORTHING: A male Whitethroat singing along the railway line adjacent to Morrisons car park east of Worthing Station (NB)

2nd May 2022

FERRING: Seawatch 1230-1430 Brent Geese 9E, Gannet 3E, Fulmar 1W, Whimbrel 20E, Bar-tailed Godwit 15E, Bonxie 1 on sea. At 16.55 5 Pomarine Skuas were seen flying east high (CH)

GORING GAP: this morning 1 Bonxie, 10 Sandwich Terns, 12 Sanderlings, 3 Oystercatchers, 10 Swallows N, 10 Great-crested Grebes (RI)

MARINE GARDENS: seawatch 0720-1200: Brent Goose 10E, Shelduck 3W, Common Scoter 19E 10W, Whimbrel 28E,1W, Dunlin 8E 1W, Bonxie 1, Fulmar 1W, Swallow 10 in, Bar-tailed Godwit 19E 1W, distant wader sp 56E, Sandwich Tern plenty os, no significant movement. Many gulls in rafts E and W, a few Gannets loafing. (MG)

DOLPHINS: Another day of sightings with anything upto 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins seen off Marine Gardens and Goring Gap by various observers. A Grey Seal was also noted 

Bottle-nosed Dolphins (MG)

1st May 2022

GORING GAP:  this morning 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Oystercatchers, 4 Little Egrets, 8 Gannets, 2 Great-crested Grebes a few Swallows in. (RI)

LADYWELL: Ringing - birds trapped and ringed logged in the table below


MARINE GARDENS06:45-10:45 flat calm with very light southerly wind. Bonxie 3e, Pomarine Skua 1e @07:15 and 1e @08:59 both relatively close to shore, though 2nd bird appeared to come in from south rather than further west along coast. Bar-tailed Godwits 6e, Whimbrel 2e. Brent Geese 6e  Common Scoter circa 80e, Eider female 1e. Gannet 20+ Red throated Diver 2e, Great Northern Diver 1os. Common Tern 4, Sandwich Terns c15e. 3+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins again 07:50 & 10:25 with further reports at same time off Ferring & Rustington. (NO/CO)