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| Mediterranean Gulls on the Adur on 13 July. The right hand bird is colour-ringed - 3P17 from Belgium where it was ringed as a pullus in 2002 and seen in 2004, 2006-08. Since then it has wandered to South Wales (2004 & 2007), France (2005 & 2009), Holland (2009) and Germany (2009). A well travelled bird! |
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| White-tailed Plover at Dungeness on 15 July |
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| its presence just outside the county was hard to ignore and I went over after work |
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| it was well worth the effort and my first in the UK since Little Packington in 1975. |
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| Grasshopper Warbler at Birling on 24 July |
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| they rarely show as well as this in the autumn |
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| Turtle Dove at Thorney on 25 July> now quite a scarcity, I saw just two in 2010. |
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| Hobby at Thorney on 25 July |
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| Herring Gull A2FA on the Adur on 27 July. An orphan ringed in Hastings in 2003 which has ventured as far as Cambridge and Dungeness |
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| Greater Black-backed Gull J1063 on the Adur on 27 August. Ringed as a pullus in Norway in 2009 it was also seen on the Channel Islands prior to its appearance in Sussex. |
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| Spotted Flycatcher at Beachy on 28 August. Another species which sadly seems to be declining fast |
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| Pied Flycatcher at Beachy on 28 August. Always a good bird to see |
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| colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull on the Adur on 28 August. The ring was badly faded and unreadable but I suspect it was a Norwegian bird and hence intermedius |
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| Reed Warbler on the sea wall near Church Norton on 29 August. It looked and behaved as if it was something much rarer |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper playing 'hard to see' at Church Norton on 29 August. |
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| Wryneck at Pagham North Wall on 12 September |
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| John King and I went down to see this after a visit to Beachy. Not sure I really wanted to see its tonsils! |
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| it gave extremely good views, too close really for digiscoping but I didn't want to join the scrum with DSLRs and massive lenses some of whom appeared to want to touch it |
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| Lapland Bunting on Seaford Head on 18 September. |
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| This one gave much better views than those seen in the field at Birling at about the same time |
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| Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Arlington on 2 October |
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| taking advantage of the very low water level in the reservoir at the time and made up being slow off the mark and missing one at Rye the previous year |
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| Raven over Beachy on 2 October |
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| Wheatear at Beachy on 2 October |
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| poor shot of a Brambling at Belle Tout, Beachy on 10 October |
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| Rose-coloured Starling at Newhaven on 16 October - a rather dishevelled individual |
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| Kestrel at Beachy on 17 October |
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| Shore Lark at Cuckmere Haven on 23 October |
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| it was rather too close |
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| Snow Bunting on Kithurst Hill , also on 23 October |
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| seeing these last two species made me feel that winter was coming |
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| Goosander at Pagham on 24 October |
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| it didn't linger ... |
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| Bearded Tit hiding at the Severals on 24 October |
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| Firecrest at Beachy on 30 October, still an all-time favourite of mine |
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| Herring Gull A7HH at Shoreham Harbour on 13 November, an orphan from Hastings |
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| JY22, one of three colour-ringed Greater Black-backed Gulls on the River Adur on 21 November (the other two follow). Ringed as a pullus in Vest-Agder, Norway in 2007, this was my first sighting. It returned to the Adur in September-November 2011 & November 2012 |
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| 70E, hatched in Normandie in 2009, I had previously seen it in January and did so again in April 7 December 2011 a\nd January 2012 |
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| JE486, another Norwegian from Vest-Agder. Ringed as a pullus in 2009, I also saw this bird in April 2011 |
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| Herring Gull A6XY on the Adur on 27 November. An injured bird found in Southwick in 2010 and released after a period of rehabilitation. I saw it twice in 2011 and again in January 2013 |
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| Herring Gull TW7T on the Adur on 27 November. A North Thames bird ringed at Pitsea Landfill, Essex three weeks previously. I also saw it on the Adur in November and December 2011. |
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| Black-necked Grebe in Shoreham Harbour on 5 December |
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| the proof it was there shot, fraudsters take note |
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| adult argentatus Herring Gull on the Adur on 11 December, a big brute with darker mantle, extensive white in primary tips, brighter legs and heavily streaked head |
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| another presumed argentatus Herring Gull on the Adur on 11 December. This one tentatively identified primarily on size |
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| Herring Gull A2FA on the Adur on 11 December. A Hastings orphan from 2008 that I'd seen on the Adur in July (see earlier in this post) and was to do so again in November 2011 and November 2012 |
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| distant White-tailed Eagle on Amberley Wildbrooks on 11 December. Panic and an anxious journey ensued when I got a phone-call from Paul James |
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| better views of the White-tailed Eagle on Amberley Wildbrooks on 12 December. It then flew off almost directly overhead but I didn't have my DSLR ready for it |
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| Greater Black-backed Gull A26 on the Adur on 19 December. Ringed in Normandie in 2007, I had seen it in February 2010 and was to do so during September-December 2011. |
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull EP14 on the Adur on 27 December. Although the ring appeared somewhat faded I was unable to trace which scheme it was from. |
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| Yellow-legged Gull on the Adur on 27 December, a verey smart bird |
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| its neatness made the accompanying Herring Gulls look like argentatus |
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| one of the Waxwings in East Worthing on 28 December |
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| Gulls on the Adur on 29 December |
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| I entertained the possibility that this one might be a Caspian but although the body looked good I wasn't convinced by the head |
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| I didn't get a helpful shot of the primary pattern either so am not sure it is traitable |
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| perhaps it is one I should revisit ... |
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| I revisited the Waxwings in East Worthing on 30 December |
