30th - The attention yet again returned to the sea after yesterday's excitement. The Woodchat Shrike had moved on unfortunately, but despite promising conditions the sea returns were pretty slim although a Black Tern, a Shag, upto 5 Great Skua were seen and a single Pomarine Skua was seen from the Ferring block mid-morning. 4 Whitethroats and a Reed Warbler were seen at Ferring rife.
29th - The sea was providing some interest in the morning with the first Pomarine Skua seen fairly close as it tracked eastwards from the various watchpoints. A Great Skua and 2 Arctic Skua were recorded and upto 5 Manx Shearwaters were seen off Widewater. A single Little Tern and 12 'Commic' Terns were the best of the rest.
The attention then turned to the land as Ralph Simpson turned up a fantastic find in the form of a Woodchat Shrike just west of Angmering. This proved to be a popular bird and the first recorded in Sussex since 2006, it just fell within the reporting area for our blog too. The bird beacame more distant as the day drew on but on the whole was feeding well and rather settled. 3 Wheatears and 2 Whinchat were in the same area, a White-tailed Eagle was also seen by a couple of observers to the north.
Ralph recalls his find here "My wife and I went for a walk in the fields west of Angmering this morning. The last area of undeveloped countryside we can easily walk to. No common migrants but I did find this lovely Woodchat Shrike"
Woodchat Shrike and some of the admiring crowd (N.Bond top 2, A.Huttly, M.Galtry above, R.Simpson below)
28th - 4 Wheatears, 2 Lesser Whitethroats were at Cissbury Ring, whilst Sompting Brooks produced a Sedge Warbler and a Common Swift a increase in Reed Warbler's was also noted here.
27th - Again the sea was the main focus today with highlights including 2
Arctic Skuas, a
Black-throated Diver a
Velvet Scoter, 3
Avocets, 2
Manx Shearwaters, upto 13
Little Terns,
Wheatears,
Swallows and a
Yellow Wagtail full ebird list here
https://ebird.org/checklist/S170468101A Hobby and Great Skua was also seen later on.
In Angmering, a Osprey flew over and a male Common Redstart was seen.
A Wheatear, Brent Geese, Avocet and mixed flock of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits (N.Bond)
26th - The sea provided plenty of interest again this morning with highlights including a mixed flock.of Common and Arctic Terns, a Great-northern Diver, a Eider, a Arctic and Great Skua all logged off Marine Gardens/Brougham Road/Widewater. 4 Wheatears were seen just west of Marine Gardens and good numbers of Swalllows were logged migrating north. The sea was much quieter in the evening with just a single Arctic Skua flying east and small numbers of Sandwich Terns and Whimbrel.
25th - A nice flock of 7 Velvet Scoter were seen moving eastwards offshore from Marine Gardens which were consequently tracked at various locations further east. A Great Skua and 5 Little Tern also noted offshore from here. At Lychpole Hill several migrants were found including a Grasshopper Warbler others included Whitehroat 8, Lesser Whitethroat 3, Blackcap 6, Willow Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 8, Swallow 8. Willow Warblers were also present at Princess Avenue and Cissbury where a Stoat was also seen.
24th - A singing Lesser Whitethroat was at Patching Hill and a pair of Egyptian Geese were at Patching Pond. A Reed and Willow Warbler were at Ferring Country Centre with a Small Copper and Green-veined White butterfly noted here.
Small Copper - Ferring (N.Bond)
23rd - A Arctic Skua and a Great Skua recorded moving east offshore. 10 Swallows were seen migrating in offshore and 35 Oystercatchers were on the beach at Goring Gap on the low tide.
22nd - The sea provided some interest today with the first hint of wader passage with Whimbrel, Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwits all noted. A summer plumage Slavonian Grebe was seen offshore at Goring Gap in the evening where 2 singing Willow Warblers and a Wheatear were also recorded.
21st - A bit more variety today with a male Whinchat in the paddocks at Ferring Country Centre, the 'albino' Starling was reported too. Small numbers of Whimbrel were seen migrating odd Worthing Pier and Marine Gardens, 30 Swallows were seen heading in. 2 Wheatears were by Goring beach huts and a Hobby in over Lancing Sailing Club. 10 Wheatears and 3 Willow Warblers along the beach from Widewater.
Wheatear - Worthing beach ((D.Kay)
19th - A ringtail Hen Harrier wS seen at Highdown Hill, 3 Wheatears were also noted here. 33 Wheatears on the Downs this morning, 16+ in a bare (but not flattened) field east of Findon Gallops, 14 in field with emerging crop west of Steep down and 3 others. 2 Common Sandpipers were at Patching Pond and Hares were observed on the downs above Sompting.
17th - Not surprisingly given NW winds sea has been dead last two mornings. A few Gannets ( c20 both days) starting to appear now and Mediterranean Gull (26w)seen Common Scoter (8e,3w) the best today . Still no waders!. 3 Wheatears and singing Willow Warbler at Goring and the female Goldeneye is hanging on at Brooklands.
16th - A Swallow flew over East Worthing station as did 6 Linnets, a Egyptian Goose was at Patching Pond.
15th - A distant Great Skua was seen off Widewater.
14th - A Velvet Scoter, a Great Skua and a distant Manx Shearwater all flew west off Marine Gardens other highlights included a Black-throated Diver offshore and a Egyptian Goose and 3 Swllows in off , a scattering of Wheatears along various coastal locations, with 12 at Highdown and a further 13 at Ferring Country Centre paddocks. 3 Common Sandpipers were at Patching Pond with a singing Lesser and Common Whitethroat nearby. Another Common Sandpiper was at Widewater.
13th - Singing Reed and Willow Warblers heard in Brooklands Park, along with 4 Cettis Warblers and the female Goldeneye hanging around still. A Peregrine flew south over Adur Avenue. A Lesser Whitethroat singing in Sompting whilst the sea was dead again, just a Black-throated Diver and a Common Tern of note.
12th - 3 Wheatears on the beach opposite George V Avenue, today saw a good arrival of Whitethroats with birds in Sompting and Stump bottom. The sea was quiet again with just 7 Brent Geese and a few Scoter noted. 13 Mute Swans flew over Brooklands. The first Swift of the year was reported over Worthing seafront.
11th - A Osprey drifted over East Worthing station upsetting the local Gull population and a Firecrest was singing in High Salvington.
10th - A Little-ringed Plover flew west over Goring Gap beach (only the 2nd site record), the female Goldeneye still at Brooklands, good numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap were at Highdown
Blackcap and Chiffchaff - Highdown (N.Bond)
9th - A Common Redstart and 2 Chiffchaffs were reported from Cissbury Ring.
8th - Highlights of todays seawatch from Marine Gardens 06:30-11:00. 170 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Great Skua, 3 Black-throated Diver, 4 Red-throated Diver and a frustratingly brief Little Gull that vanished into troughs. Only 16 Brent Geese, 60 Common Scoter and a handful of Sandwich Terns in light SSE winds. 13 Whimbrel were also seen flying east from East Worthing. A singing Whitethroat was on the east side of Goring Gap, whilst at Cissbury, highlights included 2 Wheatear, 14 Yellowhammers and singing Willow Warbler
7th - A summer-plumage Black-necked Grebe was offshore from Widewater this evening, 5 Wheatears were at Sompting Brooks and several Swallows and House Martins were over West Street Sompting.
6th - A bit of interest recorded on sea-watches with 2 Arctic, 1 Great Skua, 2 Whimbrel and 42 Sandwich Terns a Common Tern of note. 150 plus Mediterranean Gulls passed east in a 45 minute period mid-morning.
5th - 4 Whimbrels and a Bonxie(Great Skua) were recorded going west at Goring Gap where 3 Wheatear were seen heading north, Swallows were recorded in Angmering, Highdown Hill and Sompting Village where both Sand and House Martins were seen. 5 Yellowhammers, 7 Willow Warblers and a Firecrest were noted at Highdown Hill.
4th - Willow Warbler was singing this evening at Cissbury Fields near Shephards Mead
2nd - A Wheatear was on the beach at the end of Grand Avenue.
1st - 2
Egyptian Geese and a
Grey Wagtail were present at Patching Pond, whilst a seawatch from Marine Gardens produced the following
0730-1130hrs Brent Geese 74E, Common Scoter 64E 3W, Wigeon 6E Curlew 1W, Sandwich Tern 5 E, Mediterranean Gull 4E, Gannet 4E, Bonxie 1 from W then lost on sea, Red-throated Diver 8 E, Black-throated Diver 1E, Diver sp 4, Kittiwake 1E, Bottlenose Dolphin 6+, Grey Seal 1. A singing Sedge Warbler was at the southern end of Brooklands Park where the female Goldeneye made it into April. 4 Cetti's Warblers were heard around the park
