30th September 2020

ADUR ESTUARY: Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit north of railway bridge. 

FERRING RIFE: Four Little Egrets, 10 Moorhens, five Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and a Grey Wagtail. Gareth and Paul James

GORING GAP: 29 Ringed Plover, 12 Sanderling, 87 Turnstone, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, c250 Starlings, 2 Little Egrets flew east and a Mediterranean Gull offshore. Gareth and Paul James

MILL HILL: 230 Swallows and two House Martins over; also distant Cetti's Warbler.

SHOREHAM HARBOUR: Four Sandwich Terns and two Common Terns. Alan Parker

WORTHING:  Two Common Scoters, three Sandwich Terns and a first-winter Mediterranean Gull flew past Marine Gardens in a short evening seawatch. David Campbell and Gareth James

29th September 2020

BROOKLANDS PARK:  I managed to dip both the Tufted Duck and the Yellow-browed Warbler; no sight nor sound of either. I did have two redpolls, 16 Siskins, a Mediterranean Gull, 23 Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 150 House Martins, two Swallows, two Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks fly over. Two Little Grebes were on the lake, where the adult female Mute Swan was still accompanied by four juveniles. David Campbell

CISSBURY RING: Highlights of today's visit to Cissbury Ring was cracking, very close, low flying WOODLARK, great Bullfinch male, Redstart and my first this autumn 5 Fieldfares plus great number of House Martins, I reckon hundreds if not thousands of them passing. Shemi via SOS

GORING GAP: 250+ Mediterranean Gulls feeding off shore, 17 Little Egret on beach altogether, 5 Stonechat 3m, 2f,  300+ Wood Pigeons on fields and a Clouded Yellow butterfly. Garry Messenbird

LADYWELL: Two Firecrests, two Kingfishers, a Red Kite, a Tawny Owl, a Grey Heron, 10 House Martins, two Cetti's Warblers, 163 Chiffchaffs, 43 Blackcaps, five Goldcrests,  

SALVINGTON: A single Firecrest was my first locally this autumn in Durrington rec, a calling Goldcrest was also heard, a Common Gull dropped in on the football pitches briefly. Nick Bond

SLONK HILL, SHOREHAM: Four Kestrels, eight Chiffchaffs, eight Stonechats, c200 Starlings, 70 Meadow Pipits and a Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Bridget and Gareth James

WORTHING: Two Sandwich Terns. David Campbell

28th September 2020

ADUR ESTUARY: A tour around the lower Adur by bike this afternoon began on the east bank near the railway, where there were several Oystercatchers and Turnstones, and a Kingfisher perched on a mooring rope. Just upstream a Bar-tailed Godwit was feeding close to the shore, and a little further on still there were 11 Ringed Plovers. As usual several Little Egrets along the river up to the Toll Bridge, where there were two Redshanks. A pause half way along the airport road was rewarded by a flock of about 15 Lapwings flying north, ten or so each of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, 20 Swallows flying east and on the river bank three Clouded Yellows, a Small Copper and a Common Blue. At the Dogs Trust a Cetti's Warbler was the first I've heard locally for several weeks. In the reeds and brambles were at least 20 Chiffchaffs, calling and very active, with some pecking on the ground of the staff carpark, in a manner rather reminiscent of Dunnocks. Indeed to cement the comparison a Dunnock appeared from among the cars. A Kingfisher flew over the sluice and along the ditch towards New Salts Farm. A Migrant Hawker dragonfly here also. A brief stop overlooking the low-tide saltmarsh south of the road added four Grey Herons. Shemi via SOS. Seven Sandwich Terns and six Grey Herons. Alan Kitson via SOS

ANGMERING: 7 Chiffchaffs in garden on Downs Way, a Clouded Yellow also. Garry Messenbird

BROOKLANDS PARK: A YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER heard calling once late morning in the trees to the right of the top end of the stream at Brooklands (East Worthing) and again mid-afternoon in the same area but not seen on either occasion. No further sight or sound up until 17.00. Also drkae TUFTED DUCK still on the lake, Buzzard, 4+ Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Kestrel, 2 Cetti's Warblers (h), c30 Chiffchaffs, c6 Blackcaps, 1 Goldcrest, 18 Meadow Pipits N, 12 Siskins N and Redpoll (h flying over). Paul James via SOS

CISSBURY RING/NEPCOTE: Two Whinchats, a Wheatear, 30 Chiffchaffs, 16 Blackcaps, a Mistle Thrush, two Skylarks, four Ravens and 50+ Meadow Pipits. SOS

THE DOWNS: Quick ride to the Downs north of Lancing was productive. I had probably my last Whinchat this year plus flock of 5 Woodlarks heading E. Also good numbers of House Martins, Swallows, Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaff and Stonechats. Shemi via SOS

FERRING RIFE: Kingfisher again. Five Stonechats and six Chiffchaffs by country centre. Clive Hope

GORING GAP: The Golden Plover was still there this morning surprisingly with the Sanderlings and Turnstones. Also still three Stonechats along the dead -end road and c15 Meadow Pipits, 5 Skylarks and Swallows and House Martins going over in small numbers. At least ten Chiffchaffs in the south end of the Plantation out to the beach. Offshore two Sandwich Terns and three Gannets. In the NW corner, four Blackcaps and two more Chiffs. Clive Hope. 2 Red Kite were seen going east, 2 Sand Martin, 500+ House Martins, numbers of Swallows and Meadow Pipits on the move too. Garry Messenbird

SALVINGTON: upto 4 Chiffchaffs were feeding up in my garden and surrounds most of the morning, small groups of Swallows were migrating east in the afternoon. Nick Bond

SHOREHAM FORT: Two Rock Pipits and 30 Turnstones. Alan Kitson via SOS

STEYNING ROUNDHILL: This afternoon we popped up here and found in the run wild field to the NE of the monument some dozen Stonechats and a Whinchat  as well as lots of Goldfinches and Meadow Pipits and some Linnets and Clouded Yellow butterflies out in gorgeous sunshine. Alan Kitson via SOS

WIDEWATER LAGOON: Little Grebe. SOS

27th September 2020

ADUR ESTUARY: Just after midday as the tide was falling, opposite the Airport the Adur estuarine mud held a single Bar-tailed Godwit, 27 Ringed Plover and three Dunlin and a Turnstone flew by and a single House Martin battled into the bitter north wind. Alan Kitson via SOS

BROOKLANDS PARK:  Drake TUFTED DUCK, Teal, Little Grebe plus singing Cetti's Warbler this evening, plus Sandwich Tern along the coast. Shemi via SOS

GORING GAP: A brief look at the beach at the Gap today revealed a Golden Plover down near the water's edge (tide in) near about a dozen Sanderling. c.50 Turnstones on beach or field, also one Wheatear on beach. Clive Hope

At Goring Gap this afternoon at 14.20 a flock of 11 Brent Geese flew W.  Ralph Simpson via SOS

WORTHING: Strange phenomenon this morning along the beach road in Worthing with House Martins flying between cars as they moved eastwards probably 500 of them. Richard Ives

26th September 2020

CISSBURY RING: Ring Ouzel female Rifle Range. Nick and Claire Oliver

FERRING RIFE: This morning's walk over to Ferring Rife and fields was enlivened by a female GOOSANDER flying down the Rife (at about 1015). I think it may have been disturbed from the small pond near the Country Centre. Other sightings were a Kingfisher, two Stonechats, a couple of Chiffchaffs, five Meadow Pipits and three Skylarks. Five small finches that rapidly disappeared north were probably Siskins. Four Little Egrets were fishing in the Rife. Clive Hope

GORING GAP: With a northwesterly breeze blowing I thought I'd give Goring Gap a go. Two Yellow Wagtails flew over and another was in the fields with 12 Pied Wagtails, 73 Turnstones and at least 12 Ringed Plovers. Three Grey Wagtails flew moved west, as did most of the 160 Meadow Pipits, though at least 50 of these came in off the sea. It was somewhat jarring to see 90 House Martins arrive off the sea and head north inland too! Two Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew east before correcting themselves and heading back down the Channel, where four Teal also headed. A Great Crested Grebe and a Red-breasted Merganser flew past offshore and just one Sanderling appeared on the beach. Two Stonechats were in the rough area and six Little Egrets included one in the recently tilled field. An adult and a juvenile Common Gull made their way west separately. David Campbell and Richard Ives

LANCING TO SHOREHAM VIA THE DOWNS: Cycling from Lancing through Downs to Shoreham brought 6 Wheatears, Stonechats, 7 Red-legged Partridges, 2 Ravens (all Downs) plus Chiffchaffs and Meadow Pipits all over the place. Still quite a few House Martins and Swallows passing low over Downs. Adur in Shoreham: 50-60 Ringed Plovers, some Dunlins, Greenshank and Redshanks plus nice surprise Bar-tailed Godwit and Grey Plover also there. And cracking Peregrine circling over river. Very chilly and windy but worthy. Shemi via SOS

25th September 2020

ADUR ESTUARY: 22 Ringed Plovers and a Kingfisher. SOS

BROOKLANDS PARK: Two Spotted Flycatchers, Kingfisher, c20 Chiffchaffs, a male Stonechat and eight Siskins. SOS

SHOREHAM HARBOUR: juvenile SHAG till early afternoon then flew east; also a Rock Pipit, a Kingfisher, a Mediterranean Gull, Little Egret and two Sandwich Terns. SOS

SOMPTING BROOKS: We had a Garden Warbler, a Yellow Wagtail, two Reed Buntings, a Little Egret, two Cetti's Warblers, a Sparrowhawk and a Whitethroat. David Campbell and Dave Sadler

WEST WORTHING: Seven Siskins, six Rooks, eight Meadow Pipits, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Chiffchaff were seen from the garden this morning.

WIDEWATER LAGOON: MANDARIN still and Kingfisher. SOS

23rd September 2020

SHOREHAM: Two Mistle Thrushes, a female Sparrowhawk and a Swallow. SOS

WORTHING: An hour at the end of my road in Worthing produced a Wheatear, a Common Scoter, a Dunlin, a Grey Wagtail, two Sandwich Terns and 73 Gannets. David Campbell