Seaford and Beachy (13 April 2013)

13 April.  Seawatched from Splash Point, Seaford with John King and others from 06:05-09:10 by which time things had died right off.  Species recorded flying east were 28 Red-throated Divers, 4 distant diver sp., 2 adult Shags, 30 Gannets, 275 Brent Geese, 2 Pintail, 4 Shoveler, male Tufted Duck, 100 Common Scoter, 9 Red-breasted Mergansers, dark-morph Arctic Skua, 5 Great Skuas, 43 Mediterranean Gulls (21 pairs and a first-summer), 64 Little Gulls (most adults), 95 Black-headed Gulls, 67 Sandwich Terns and 5 Common/Arctic Terns (they looked like Arctic but it seems very early as i've not seen a Common yet and it might have been an effect of the strange light).  During this time one or two Swallows were noted coming in but I didn't see them.

John and I then went over to Beachy Head where 2 roosting Tawny Owls were the highlight.  We also saw female Black Redstart, 4 Stonechats, male Wheatear, male Blackcap, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest.  We couldn't find a male redstart or any firecrests that had been seen earlier.

Tawny Owl roosting at Beachy

Willow Warbler on flowering gorse

12 April.  Sparrowhawk low across Middle Road in Shoreham.   Peregrine and Rock Pipit at Southwick and local Herring Gulls A4AM, A4AW, A5HH & A5MD by the University of Sussex Sports Centre.

09-11 April.  Peregrine at Southwick.

08 April.  2 Ringed Plover, 108 Sandwich Terns, a Rock Pipit and a Wren on Southwick Beach, 2 Ringed Plover on Portslade Beach.  By all accounts two Spoonbills flew east 10-15 minutes after I'd cycled west along the coast although I would probably have missed them anyway.