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 |
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