31st - A better sea-watch today with over 500 Common Scoters recorded off Marine Gardens and a good supporting cast including 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greylag Geese and double figures of Sandwich Tern. A Peregrine Falcon gave a nice fly by. 3 Wheatears were on the beach off Brougham Road, with 3 Swallows over and a Shag was seen seen here too on the basket gantry offshore with Cormorants. The female Goldeneye was still at Brooklands and 5 Red Kites were together over Lancing Ring. All full log from Marine Gardens can be found here : https://ebird.org/checklist/S166601727
Common Scoter - big numbers moving offshore today (N.Bond)
30th - A quiet sea-watch early doors produced 2 Sandwich Terns and 28 Common Scoter of Marine Gardens, a Swallow was over Goring Gap and 2 distant Spoonbills were also observed offshore here at 14.25 hrs
Corn Buntings - many reported singing up on the downs today (D.Kay)
29th - Brooklands Park, the female Goldeneye remains and 2 Cettis Warbler and a Kestrel there
28th - Female Goldeneye still at Brooklands.
25th/26th - A summary of seawatching highlights by N.Oliver.
Steady passage of Brent Geese on both days (275 and 115), Common Scoter (33, 270) and trickle of Sandwich Terns (10,13). Highlight on 25th was Great Skua which flew directly towards us and dropped into to bathe briefly on tide line, before heading back west. Also three Kittiwakes were our first of year. Today (26th) a pod of at least 6-7 Bottle-nosed Dolphins including a youngster put on a superb display including several full breaches. They were watched for 20 minutes hunting of Marine Gardens before heading east and managed to show at least one member of public them through scopes. The female Goldeneye remains at Brooklands Park.
24th - A Willow Warbler was singing in Sompting just west of Sompting Church. 17 Adders recorded at Cissbury Ring.
23rd - The female Goldeneye still at Brooklands Park, at least 5 Adders reported from the west side of Cissbury Ring.
Adder - Cissbury Ring (N.Oliver)
22nd - Another good arrival of Wheatears to the area, a Black Redstart was found on the beach opposite Brooklands Park where at least 10 Wheatear were feeding up. The female Goldeneye was still in Brooklands Park.
21st - A good arrival of Wheatears along Worthing beaches today, a Firecrest was singing in Durrington cemetery.
Wheatear (D.Kay)
20th - A Wheatear on the beach opposite Heene Road, 2 Swallows over Marine Gardens were the first for spring, sea-watching very slow still with just 2 Shoveler, 7 Brent Geese and 17 Common Scoter noted. At Patching Hill an impressive flock of 42 Corn Buntings. In the woods nearby, 3 Firecrests, 3 Chiffchaff and a Blackcap, all in song. 2 Buzzards and 2 Red Kite west over Durrington. Brimstone butterflies were out in force enjoying the spring sunshine. At Brooklands the female Goldeneye was still present, a Buzzard over the park and at least 3 Chiffchaffs. At Goring Gap, a Rose-ringed Parakeet was in the northern end of the plantation, 2 Wheatears by the pumping station.
19th - Single Wheatears were reported at Splash Point, Ferring country centre and at Worthing sailing club. 2 Green Woodpeckers also at FCC
18th - 3 Wheatears were on the beach at Splash Point, Worthing (opposite the Crabshack) and a Cetti's Warbler in Sompting
Wheatear (N.Bond) and Cetti's Warbler (M.Galtry)
17th - 3 Greylag Geese east Iver Offington Avenue was a very un-expected sightings, whilst a singing Blackcap was in Angmering and a Chiffchaff which presumably had just arrived was actively feeding and calling in East Worthing. 3 Adders were at the southern end of Cissbury Ring
16th - Another spring arrival was a Sandwich Tern observed off Marine Gardens, where a c320 Brent Geese moved east and good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers and Great-crested Grebes on the sea. A Bottle-nosed Dolphin was seen briefly. The female Goldeneye is hanging on at Brooklands Park, where 3 singing Cetti's Warblers and a Reed Bunting were around.
14th - 3 Wheatears were first for the spring at Shoreham Fort and beach, the wintering Eider was in the harbour and 1 Purple Sandpiper still around.
13th - A night of Redwings migrating followed by a morning of Brent Geese migrating off our shores with c1,400 recorded moving through from Marine Gardens, the largest flock being a c180 which out-numbered Saturdays count alone! A fantastic spectacle as was a flock of 64 Mediterranean Gulls moving east. 6 Mediterranean Gulls were on the fields at Goring Gap and the female Goldeneye still at Brooklands Park.
Brent Geese moving eastwards off Marine Gardens (N.Bond) and Mediterranean Gulls - Goring Gap (R.Allan) Ringed individuals in breeding plumage
12th - 5 Ringed Plovers were on the roost field at Goring Gap, a Pheasant was crossing a road nearby. A large Redwing movement could be heard through the night by several observers.
11th - Goring Gap 0650-0945: Brent Goose 63W c50E, Shelduck 7W, Black-tailed Godwit 1W, Meadow Pipit 23N, Reed Bunting 1W. 32 Red- breasted Mergansers, 13 Great-crested Grebes and 1 Mallard on sea. 5 Mediterranean Gulls. 3 Chiffchaffs including 1 in off (R.Simpson)
10th - Nocturnal movement of Redwing and Fieldfare was heard by J.Grundy over Lancing, interestingly, Dungeness had recorded a large movement overnight aswell of various migrating birds
9th - The sea was fairly productive first thing with good number of Brent Geese and Black-headed Gulls moving east and at least 2 Fulmars offshore from Marine Gardens..full account here https://ebird.org/checklist/S164176749 A Brimstone butterfly was seen in Sompting
Record shots of Brent Geese, Common Scoter and a Curlew as they flew past (N.Bond)
8th - Only reports came from Goring Gap. Light passage this morning included (flying east) 3 Shelducks, 2 Curlews, 13 Teal, 4 Shovelers, 2 Mallards, 17 Pintails, 16 Wigeon. 7 Grey Plovers were on the beach when I arrived. A handful of Meadow Pipits flew in overhead (R.Simpson).
Peacock - (Emma Cameron)
7th - The first Common Redstart of the year was at Sompting (M.Galtry) and a Goshawk was sighted over Worthing (R.Ives). A few more signs of spring with a Brimstone butterfly in a Ferring garden and a exceptionally early Hummingbird Hawk-moth in East Worthing
6th - A showy Cetti’s Warbler by stream at Brooklands plus another in west side reeds. Goldeneye still and Little Grebes. A singing Chiffchaff at Widewater.
Black-headed Gull and Cetti's Warbler - Brooklands (R.Allan)
4th - The Goldeneye still remains at Brooklands, 2 Teal and 2 Chiffchaff also reported here. Upto 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls remain at Goring Gap.
3rd - A major improvement in the weather with spring finally in the air, 2 Red Kites moved purposely North East over East Worthing were a pair of Sparrowhawks were also displaying overhead here. A Blackcap was also seen in the same East Worthing garden. A Firecrest was near Downs Barn Sompting and 2 Velvet Scoter were reported offshore from Ferring.
2nd - 6 Egyptian Geese flying west over Sompting Church was a good local record, the female Goldeneye was showing really well in the afternoon from.the concrete steps in Brooklands Park, a pair of Teal and 4 Little Grebes were also around. On the beach were 6 Turnstones, 2 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin, whilst offshore good numbers of Common Gulls were patrolling the beach
Goldeneye and Teal - Brooklands (N.Bond)
1st - Grim conditions again today but this produced some decent Gull numbers at Goring Gap with a influx of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with at least 12 birds present along with 20 plus Great Black-backed Gulls, a 2nd cy Yellow-legged Gull hanging around the south western roost field
Yellow-legged Gull - Goring Gap (N.Bond)
