Seaford & cycling to work (07-11 May 2012)

Monday 7 May.  Forecast SE at last so Martyn Kenefick and I met John King at Splash Point at 05.30.  Tony Wilson and Ewan Urquhart where already ensconced, and had been since (before?) first light.  Considering the SE did eventually arrive, just, it was a rather disappointing seawatch, especially for terns.  We stuck it out until 13.00 by which time I'd recorded the following flying east: 38 Black-throated Divers, 1 Red-throated Diver, 3 diver sp., 178 Gannets, 1 Little Egret, 2 Canada Geese, 15 Brent Geese, 8 Shelduck, 397 Common Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Avocets (at 06:20), 9 Sanderling, 31 Whimbrel, 47 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Pomarine Skuas (pale & 06:09, pale & dark at 06:11, pale at 06:50 and dark at 09:40), 4 Arctic Skuas (all dark), 2 Great Skuas (08:16 & 09:30), 1 Mediterannena Gull (1st summer), 1 Little Gull (1st summer), 22 Sandwich Terns, 46 Commic Terns, 6 Little Terns, 7 Razorbills, 1 Guillemot and 31 auk sp.  2 Hobbies flew north as did 4 Swallows and a Wheatear was on the cliff edge.

From 16:00-17:00 Megan and I walked along the beach behind Southwick Power Station seeing a Peregrine on the chimney, 2 Sandwich Terns and 4 Wheatears.  I'd hoped that tern passage might have picked up but it didn't appear to have done so.


Tuesday 8 May.  Left home early and watched off Hove but only 1 Sandwich Tern east and a flock of 16 Common Scoter west during 06:00-07:00 so I left and was in work early.  12 Wheatears on Southwick Beach on the way home, one of the Peregrines on the chimney and 3 Sandwich Terns offshore.

Wednesday 9 May.  On the way to work I stopped for a superb male Whinchat on Southwick Beach where there were still 3 Wheatears.

Thursday 10 May.  Still a male Wheatear on Southwick Beach where earth moving vehicles are messing up the Ringed Plover habitat.  Herring Gull A4AJ was seen for the second time by the University entrance.

Friday 11 May.  A Rock Pipit singing from Shed 7 and a Peregrine on the chimney on the way to work. A Ringed Plover sitting tight on the beach with 3 Dunlin by the tideline.  Walking up the road to the letterbox this evening I was delighted to see (and hear) a Swifts overhead.  Welcome back.