Shoreham and Pulborough (15-16 December 2012)

Saturday 15 December.  Wet and very windy, I cycled around the usual areas but with low tides before dawn and after dark I was not hopeful of seeing much on the Adur and that was the case with a single Grey Plover evident.  An adult argentatus Herring Gull was briefly on the mud by the Yacht Club but didn't linger for its photograph to be taken.   Seven Purple Sandpipers were roosting on the wooden pier at Shoreham Harbour as the tide came in and lots of gulls were flying around.  At Widewater the five young Mute Swans had rejoined their parents, while seven Red-breasted Mergansers and a/the returning Coot were also present on the Lagoon.  A big high tide revealed at least 60 Snipe, all looking very ordinary,   96 Teal and 75 Redshank and a Curlew flew in too.  A few urban diversions produced plenty of berry bushes but no Waxwings although it is still early days.

One of seven Purple Sandpipers seen on the wooden pier, others have seen up to 12 so I was missing a few

new gate on the West arm on 17 June 2012,  soon after being errected

new gate on West arm 15 December 2012

a very bad storm or very poor workmanship as it has lasted barely six months

Sunday 16 December.  Same again, but with much less wind and no rain, but I was a bit against the clock so drove to the usual places.  Five Stock Doves over the Adur but little else despite the tide still being quite low.  Shoreham Fort was more productive with single Black Redstart, Robin, Purple Sandpiper and two Rock Pipits (one a suspected littoralis) on the West Arm.  An adult Mediterranean Gull flew east as did two divers, considered most likely Black-throated, and two Brent Geese.  At Widewater six Red-breasted Mergansers, the Coot and Mute Swan family were on  the Lagoon.  An immature male Eider (my first of the year!) and at least 60 Common Scoter were on the sea and seven Brent and seven Red-throated divers flew west.

The sun was still shining so Megan and I then went to Pulborough RSPB where a single Bewick's Swan, about 150 Black-tailed Godwits and a pair of Coal Tits chasing around the feeders were the highlights.

Bewick's Swan at Pulborough