October 15th 2018

GORING GAP : A good movement of finch's east with the highlight being a Brambling over the northern fields flying NW. A single Wheatear was on the beach keeping a good number of Pied Wagtails company. A total of 151 Goldfinch moved through, mainly in groups of around 30 birds all keeping low as they bounded along the beach. 8 Siskin and 10 Linnet were recorded moving east. 6 Chaffinch were in the lower plantation area and 2 Chiffchaff were in the hedgerows that surround the football pitches. A Raven also went over west whilst only 2 Little Egret were on the beach. 15 Skylark were also in the area, many of them still singing NB

October 11th 2018

GORING GAP : Very breezy on patch made birding fairly difficult but a full circuit was made with a few birds around as summer was doing its best to cling on, the fields held most of the birds seen with a c20 Skylarks around, by far my largest count here this autumn, and numerous Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were grounded. A flock of 14 Linnets lingered whilst another 6 flew east, a single Rock Pipit flew towards the beach and a very late Yellow Wagtail flew from the rough field area and towards the beach, a single female Reed Bunting also dropped into the rough field again highlighting the potential of this habitat for birds dropping in. Swallows were still trickling through in small numbers (totalling 17east) with a single House Martin tagging along. The area surrounding the football fields and the plantation found c5 Chiffchaffs and a single male Blackcap whilst a noticeable increase in Goldcrest numbers was evident, a Treecreeper was heard in the middle plantation, whilst 8 Siskins were in the north east corner, 2 continental Blackbird were also also presumably fresh in. A quick look on the beach revealed 5 Little Egret, 8 Sanderling, c20 Ringed Plover, c30 Turnstone and 6 Oystercatchers, gulls were represented with 4 Common Gull, 4 Mediterranean Gulls and 15 Greater-black backed Gulls between the beach and the fields. Still some butterflies on the wing with a single Clouded Yellow in the north fields and Red Admiral and Speckled Wood around in small numbers, the only raptor recorded was a single Sparrowhawk NB/GDM

October 9th 2018

WORTHING : Good movement of Song Thrushes heard throughout the night, a couple of Redwing were also on the move NB

GORING GAP : I did a seawatch from Ferring block this morning from 0805 to 0920 with 
the following logged.

Gannet           35 W     2E
Cormorant     10 W   2 E
Little Egret     3 W
Common Scoter  6 E
Arctic Skua     2 W (@ 0822)
Common Gull    2W
Oystercatcher    15 W - landed on shore
Meadow Pipit 6W
Pied Wagtail  4W
Swallow one E (!)

On the beach at the Gap was a Wheatear, 25 Ringed Plover, 16 Sanderling, 
Turnstone c.50 and 3 Little Egrets CH

October 6th 2018

Movement over GORING GAP this morning included a Rock Pipit, a Reed Bunting, eight Siskins, 53 Chaffinches (a noticeable start-up of these), two Grey Wagtails, 55 Pied/White Wagtails, 32 Linnets, 14 Rooks, two Jackdaws, nine Swallows, 26 House Martins, a northbound Song Thrush and 61 Meadow Pipits. Offshore, three Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Great Crested Grebes, five Sandwich Terns and 22 Gannets flew past. Five Mediterranean Gulls, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (intermedius-type) and four Common Gulls were around. On the beach were 16 Sanderlings, 33 Turnstones, 31 Ringed Plovers and six Little Egrets. The Treecreeper was still calling somewhere in the Plantation. 10 Skylarks, seven Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest and a Song Thrush were also present, as well as singles of Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker. DKC

A walk along part of FERRING RIFE produced 11 Little Egrets, 32 House Martins, a Grey Wagtail, a Meadow Pipit, a Kestrel, a flyover Pied/White Wagtail, two Swallows, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, a Moorhen and two Common Gulls. A Great Crested Grebe was on the sea. DKC

October 4th 2018

GORING GAP: Trektellen In thick fog, the beach finally hosted a decent wader this morning, with a juvenile Little Stint keeping company with two Dunlin, 32 Sanderlings, 35 Ringed Plovers and 25 Turnstones before being flushed by a metal detectorist. Two Golden Plovers dropped into the rost field. Overhead movement was hindered by the fog but by early afternoon five Rock Pipits - our first of the year - had flock west, while over vismig figures included 70 Meadow Pipits, 18 Pied/White Wagtails and two Rooks. On the ground was a male Stonechat, two Blackcaps, 13 Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests, 13 Skylarks a Song Thrush, along with 20 Robins. The Treecreeper was heard in the Plantation and a Jackdaw flew over. A Wigeon and eight Teal alighted just off the beach, while offshore three Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Common Scoters, 12 Gannets and 25 Cormorants flew past. 19 Little Egrets, 17 Oystercatchers, a Sandwich Tern, a 2CY Lesser Black-backed Gull and eight Mediterranean Gulls were also logged. DKC/NB/GDM

Little Stint

 

Dark-bellied Brent Geese

2 xGolden Plover - poor record shot taken in the gloom at a fair distance 

October 2nd 2018

GORING GAP: The sea was the busiest it's been since the spring, though that's not saying much. A Bonxie, five Dark-bellied Brent Geese, four Wigeon, a Teal and a Curlew moved west, while 23 Gannets flew past and a Sandwich Tern blogged. The favourable overcast conditions were blighted by overly breezy conditions for much vismig but a Yellow Wagtail, a Reed Bunting, 11 Linnets, 24 Meadow Pipits, 13 Siskins, five Swallows, a Chaffinch, five Swallows and 16 Pied/White Wagtails passed over. 10 Siskins were settled around Ilex Avenue and other grounded migrants were represented by 15 Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps and small numbers of apparently freshly arrived Blackbirds and Robins. A flock of 13 Greenfinches behaved like a migrant group. A Kestrel was hunting near the pumping station. Four Skylarks were in the fields. On the beach, 13 Little Egrets, 17 Oystercatchers, 22 Ringed Plovers, 18 Turnstones and three Sanderlings were logged on the ebbing tide. A Mediterranean Gull and three Common Gulls were noted. DKC/NB/CH

October 1st 2018

GORING GAP: Visible migration this morning included a Golden Plover, a Reed Bunting, 63 Pied/White Wagtails, 10 Siskins, 10 Linnets, 90 Meadow Pipits, two Grey Wagtails, 13 Swallows and a Rook. Grounded were nine Chiffchaffs, a Wheatear, a Blackcap and a Skylark. Movement offshore was limited to three Sandwich Terns, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two Gannets. Also around were two Mediterranean Gulls and 10 Common Gulls. 17 Little Egrets and 19 Oystercatchers were on the beach, along with two Dunlin and modest numbers of Sanderlings, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones. DKC