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| male Blue-headed Wagtail at Goring Gap DKC |
May 23rd 2019
GORING GAP: The highlight was a brief male Blue-headed Wagtail on the greensward at 10.13am. It then flew west DKC
April 25th 2019
GORING GAP: Trektellen. A brisk SSE/southerly breeze saw another decent seawatch. Highlights included three Arctic Terns (at least, among Commics), eight Little Terns and Swift, as well as two Manx Shearwaters, a flock of seven Velvet Scoters, 20 Bonxies, 12 Arctic Skuas, four Fulmars, 218 Common Scoters, 206 Gannets, six Red-throated Divers, 29 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 21 Whimbrel, 22 Bar-tailed Godwits (including two on the beach), five Guillemots/Razorbills, 44 Mediterranean Gulls and eight Common Gulls. DKC/GJ
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| Bar-tailed Godwits DKC |
April 24th 2019
GORING GAP: I arrived at dawn for what turned out to be a steady but hugely satisfying seawatch. Waders were soon on the move, mainly Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel (72 and 24 in the end, respectively), with singles of Dunlin and Grey Plover thrown in. Skuas soon started as well, though never reached any lofty numbers, with four each of Arctic Skua and Bonxie. One of the Bonxies lingered offshore the whole morning, at one point shredding a gull/tern corpse on the water's surface, which it may well have killed. More importantly, one of the Arctic Skuas was in the company of a group of three Pomarine Skuas in the distance as they tracked east. Despite the great range, they were in decent enough view for a minute or so and a very pleasing way to get my first of the year. These birds weren't picked up further west beforehand, at least not today, but made it to Splash Point 45 minutes later. Other seawatch highlights included 48 Mediterranean Gulls, 11 Common Scoters, a Red-throated Diver, two Fulmars, 50 Sandwich Terns, 28 Gannets and a Swallow. Two Yellow Wagtails flew over, as did 17 Linnets and a further five Swallows. The beach held 21 Turnstones, a Dunlin, two Sanderlings and four Oystercatchers. A quick walk around the Gap revealed just three Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, a Green Woodpecker and a Whitethroat, though a Whimbrel flying over the fields was nice. DKC
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| Pomarine Skuas (left/lower) and Arctic Skua [phonescoped] DKC |
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| Whimbrel flying over land DKC |
April 23rd 2019
GORING GAP was quiet this morning, though a flock involving two Shovelers and seven Teal flew east, as did a Whimbrel and 16 Mediterranean Gulls. Eleven Linnets flew over and later on a Greenshank - only my second record for the patch and my first seen - was on the beach, making the visit worthwhile. Also noted were three Great Crested Grebes, a Grey Heron, 12 Turnstones, four Sanderlings, a Swallow and two Blackcaps. DKC
FERRING RIFE added two Reed Warblers, a Reed Bunting, four Whitethroats, a Song Thrush, three Linnets, a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, five Swallows, 12 Moorhens and singles of Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. DKC
A wander around HIGHDOWN produced a House Martin, two Lesser Whitethroats, a Red Kite, six Buzzards, three Mallards, two Green Woodpeckers, a Kestrel, two Yellowhammers and small numbers of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Four pairs of Long-tailed Tits were going about their business. DKC
Later, a Linnet flew over my WEST WORTHING garden. DKC
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| House Sparrows at Goring Gap DKC |
FERRING RIFE added two Reed Warblers, a Reed Bunting, four Whitethroats, a Song Thrush, three Linnets, a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, five Swallows, 12 Moorhens and singles of Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. DKC
A wander around HIGHDOWN produced a House Martin, two Lesser Whitethroats, a Red Kite, six Buzzards, three Mallards, two Green Woodpeckers, a Kestrel, two Yellowhammers and small numbers of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Four pairs of Long-tailed Tits were going about their business. DKC
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| Chiffchaff at Ferring Rife DKC |
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| Red Kite over Highdown DKC |
Later, a Linnet flew over my WEST WORTHING garden. DKC
April 22nd 2019
GORING GAP : I had a great seawatch at Goring Gap this morning!
Almost as soon as I arrived It was clear that good numbers of birds were on the move, although sadly no poms for me. As I approached the beach I was surprised to hear a Snipe call and then watch it fly off west, I'm pretty sure I had flushed it from the edge of the sand. Totals of birds moving were: Mediterranean Gull 146E 9W (mostly adults), Black-headed Gull 141E 3W, Common Gull 42E, Whimbrel 44E, Dunlin 2E, Common/Arctic Tern 13E, Brent Goose 107E, Common Scoter 136E, Sandwich Tern 101E 10W, Arctic Skua 3E, Bonxie 3E and 1 on the sea, Fulmar 2W, Red-breasted Merganser 3E, Bar-tailed Godwit 400+E mostly after about 9am and including impressive flocks c100 and at least 150 (probably more), Linnet 23E 4W, Yellow Wagtail 2E and Swallow 4E. 21 Gannets were feeding offshore and a Peregrine flew along the tideline RS
April 17th 2019
FERRING : I did a watch from Ferring 'bock' this morning from 0940 till 1100. Sea fog limited visibility to c.500 m but there was a good passage of Med Gulls, many of them nearly overhead. I logged 52. Also 20 Whimbrel, a Great Skua, a Gannet and a few Sandwich Terns CH
April 16th 2019
MARINE GARDENS: A Red-necked Grebe, was picked up mid-morning offshore. The bird was distant but showed reasonably well. Presumably the the same bird which has been lingering off this area of the coast for a while and was seen off Rustington by GDM the other day. The sea was dead other than the grebe and the only notables I had were 7 Common Scoter east as well as 2 Gannets. GJ
GORING BEACH (SDOS outing) : In calm conditions and with visibility far from ideal we struggled to get 14 species in the log between 0700 (0800 for most) and 0945. For the record they were as follows.
Gannet 8E, Cormorant 5E and 2 on sea, Fulmar one W, Brent Goose 19E, Common Scoter 9E, Whimbrel one E, Sandwich Tern 21 E (two were loafing offshore for much of the time) Common Gull 2E, Med Gull 2 W, BH Gull 2E, Herring Gull and GBB Gull both present as were a couple of Turnstones.
Three Swallows flew in off the sea CH et al
GORING GAP : Nice to hear the middle plantation full of bird song in a brief visit, several Blackcap and Chiff chaffs around and a single Willow Warbler giving several brief bursts of song NB
CISSBURY RING: A gentle-paced and enjoyable morning's ringing with Val. We caught a small number of Blackcaps and a few Long-tailed Tits, a couple of Song Thrushes, etc. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming all morning and a couple of Green Woodpeckers yaffled. A Tawny Owl hooted briefly. Skylarks were in voice in the surrounding fields and a walk around the top later on revealed a pair of Stonechat and half a dozen Yellowhammers. A Red Kite and seven Buzzards soared overhead.
GORING BEACH (SDOS outing) : In calm conditions and with visibility far from ideal we struggled to get 14 species in the log between 0700 (0800 for most) and 0945. For the record they were as follows.
Gannet 8E, Cormorant 5E and 2 on sea, Fulmar one W, Brent Goose 19E, Common Scoter 9E, Whimbrel one E, Sandwich Tern 21 E (two were loafing offshore for much of the time) Common Gull 2E, Med Gull 2 W, BH Gull 2E, Herring Gull and GBB Gull both present as were a couple of Turnstones.
Three Swallows flew in off the sea CH et al
GORING GAP : Nice to hear the middle plantation full of bird song in a brief visit, several Blackcap and Chiff chaffs around and a single Willow Warbler giving several brief bursts of song NB
CISSBURY RING: A gentle-paced and enjoyable morning's ringing with Val. We caught a small number of Blackcaps and a few Long-tailed Tits, a couple of Song Thrushes, etc. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming all morning and a couple of Green Woodpeckers yaffled. A Tawny Owl hooted briefly. Skylarks were in voice in the surrounding fields and a walk around the top later on revealed a pair of Stonechat and half a dozen Yellowhammers. A Red Kite and seven Buzzards soared overhead.
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| adult male Blue Tit, ringed as a juvenile in 2014! |
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| male Blackcap |
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