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
