Pied Wheatear and Caspian Gulls in SUSSEX (09-14 November 2024)

Saturday 09 November. I was preparing to visit Mill Hill when I rather belatedly noticed an earlier WhatsApp message about a female Pied Wheatear present at Seaford Head (it had been seen but not identified by Simon Linington the previous afternoon). I changed plans, made sure I had my scope and drove over to Seaford arriving about an hour after it had disappeared over the cliff edge. A very confiding Black Redstart provided some distraction but after about three hours of searching with no further sign, in rather cold conditions, I decided to try the Cuckmere gull roost as there had been some first-winter Caspian Gulls moving in the east of the county the previous day. Two hours studying the roost of at least 650 large gulls, predominantly Great Black-backs, produced what seems to count these days as OK for a first-winter Caspian Gull (trait scores seeming a distant memory). It was near the front of the flock for most of the time I was there and sometimes stood up (in tall grass so not showing much leg). Other potentially interesting looking gulls were generally very unhelpful. What was probably a third-winter Caspian Gull sitting at the back of the flock for a while briefly raised its head although my views were of it were not very satisfactory. A probable adult Yellow-legged Gull was also sitting at the back of the flock and stuck its head up once. Another white-headed adult looked interesting with a slightly lighted mantle and what appeared to be a dark eye but with a squarish head and on a brief view quite a bright coloured bill. My views were very inconclusive. I changed position and joined Brian Cox and John Curson who had also been watching the flock, slightly out of view from where I'd been. They'd had somewhat more success than me with first-winter, third-winter and adult Caspian Gulls and adult Yellow-legged. While trying to find their birds we heard that Matt Eade and Michael Booker had relocated the Pied Wheatear on the cliff edge opposite Seaford Head barn. The attraction of distant, often sleeping, gulls promptly vanished and we hurried over, although my progress up past Harry's Bush wouldn't comply with most definitions of hurrying. The light was starting to go but the Pied Wheatear performed reasonably well until dusk for a small crowd although generally kept its distance. 

Black Redstart on Seaford Head

first-winter Caspian Gull in the Cuckmere gull roost

perhaps a bit dirtier below than one might have liked

I never saw its legs or underwing but what I could see looked the part

third-winter gull which from what I saw of it seemed to fit Caspian Gull (presumably the bird seen by Brian and Jon)

adult/near adult Yellow-legged Gull in the Cuckmere gull roost

adult Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull

Sunday 10 November. Nothing at Mill Hill on a morning walk with Megan and Otis. The male Ring-necked Parakeet was in its usual tree above the Sullington Way bus stop at 15:35 but no sign of the Lord Derby's although the tree still had a lot of leaves. I walked Otis to Buckingham Park but no sign there and when I returned the Ring-necked couldn't be found.

Monday 11 November. Adur with Megan and Otis: 6 Teal, 33 Lapwings, the white-capped Grey Plover (welcome back), 40 Ringed Plover, Curlew, 20+ Turnstones, 7 Dunlin, 27 Redshank, 54 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Rock Pipit.

Curlew on the Adur

Woodpigeon by the Adur

Tuesday 12 November. Beeding Hill triangle with Otis: Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, 13 Skylarks, 10 Stonechats (5 potential pairs), 3 Meadow Pipits, Greenfinch, 12 Linnets, 8 Goldfinches and 2 Corn Buntings. With 2 Ring-necked and the Lord Derby's being seen Otis and I tried the usual trees and Park Avenue between 15:30-15:50 without success. We should have persevered as all three were seen later.

Stonechats on Beeding Hill

Wednesday 13 November. Megan and I took Otis to Harbour Way, walked to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back via the boardwalk and Fort. We saw a female Goosander slowly drifting down-river into the harbour and 8 Turnstones on the beach. Otis and I drew another blank with the parakeets between 15:50-16:30. My last chance for a couple of weeks as I'm off to Southern Argentina tomorrow.

female Goosander in Shoreham Harbour as seen from the Sailing Club slipway

Thursday 14 November. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was briefly on our bird table while a short circuit along Adur/Downslink from Dacre Gardens with Megan and Otis produced 5 Little Egrets, Chiffchaff and 2 Goldfinches. I'd forgotten my binoculars though doubt I'd've seen much more with them.

UNST Autumn 2024: part 4 the long journey home (17-19 October)

 UNST Autumn 2024: part 4 the long journey home (17-19 October)

Thursday 17 October. In mist and heavy rain Dave took me to the bus stop for the 07:45 connecting service to Lerwick. The bus arrived at Belmont on time to find a single ferry service was in force due to a cement mixer rolling of a trailer and onto a pickup, fortunately with no injuries. The ferry from Fetlar arrived and we were loaded but had to wait half an hour or so to cross. We switched buses at Gutcher and raced across Yell arriving at Ulsta just in time for a Toft ferry. We arrived in Lerwick about an hour late, not that it mattered to me as I wasn’t leaving until 19:00. I brought my ticket forward by a day, left my rucksack in lost property and set off to Cope where I found 5 old Ross Macdonald paperbacks at £1 each. Leaving those with my rucksack I spent all afternoon in Lerwick, along the harbor (visiting French frigate Aquitaine, Jimmy Perez’s house and 5 Black Guillemots), Clickmin (11 Oystercatchers and 81 Turnstones roosting on the playing fields and a Blackcap in the willows) and Helendale (nothing) and down Sea Road (2 Purple Sandpipers but only Mallard on the lake). After a brief visit to Tesco I was back at the ferry terminal at 17:00 (noting the Aquitaine had departed), boarded Hjaltland at 18:00 and left Lerwick at 19:00.

Black Guillemot in Lerwick Harbour

a more wintery indvidual

Jimmy Perez's house in Lerwick

model village at Clickmin

Friday 18 October. A more comfortable night on cushions, rather than the floor or my ‘reserved’ reclining chair, despite being a little bumpy at times. We docked just before 07:00 and I sorted my gear and disembarked an hour later. My hotel, OYO Aberdeen City, was about 15 minutes walk and had left luggage facilities so I dropped my bag and walked out to Girdle Ness spending several hours there seeing a selection of mainly female or immature duck and roosting waders: 8 Eider (3 males), a Goldeneye, 2 red-head Goosanders and a Red-breasted Mergansers, 95 Oystercatchers, 45 Turnstone, 32 Purple Sandpipers, a Dunlin and 30 Redshank. Also a Kingfisher from the bridge over the Dee, at least 13 Shags (one with a green colour ring WNA), 50+ Cormorants, a Rock Pipit and 3 Dolphins. Offshore in heavy swell there appeared to be an Air Sea Rescue drill with a man being winched into a helicopter from a small catamaran fishing boat which then steamed into the harbour.

Goldeneye in Aberdeen Harbour

Goosanders in Aberdeen Harbour

Aberdeen Harbour Inner Breakwater

Shag, Oystercatchers and Turnstones on the Inner Breakwater

Redshank, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers on the Inner Breakwater at high tide

outer Breakwater

Eider passing Girdle Ness

Air Sea Rescue drill

Saturday 19 October. I put my rucksack in store and left OYO at 08:50 to walk back out to Girdleness. It was a lovely morning, sunny with a gentle breeze, and I spend a couple of hours on the headland seeing 6 Eider (3 males), 3 red-head Goosanders, 40 Oystercatchers, 25 Turnstone, 30 Purple Sandpipers, 60 Cormorants, 55 Shags (including WNA and JIX), male Stonechat, 2 Rock Pipits and a Dolphin. I was back at the OYO just before 13:00 to collect my bag, having been informed of a 30 minute delay to my flight when halfway there. I caught a bus to the airport to find the flight had been put back again. It was two hours late when it finally arrived in Aberdeen and although we made up a bit of time I missed the bus I’d booked from Gatwick. I had over an hour to wait for the next one and was home soon after 23:15. Another very enjoyable trip staying the Dave and Brenda although increasingly the travelling seems to take its toll – it would be almost quicker to fly to New Zealand to see my sister!

Aberdeen Shag JIX on the Inner Breakwater

Aberdeen Shag WNA on the Inner Breakwater

colour-ringed face-off

presumed Dolphin off Aberdeen

Goosanders on the bank of the River Dee