West Sussex and wet Sussex (25 & 26 January 2014)

Sunday 26 January.  Megan and I walked from Widewater around Brooklands and back, mostly in the rain. Unsurprisingly little was seen.   On Widewater were 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 7 Little Grebes and the Mute Swan pair with four of last years cygnets still in tow.  Eight Sanderling were on the beach and three Teal, a male Pochard and 70 Coot at Brooklands.

Saturday 25 January.  A day in west Sussex with John King.  We started at Chichester Gravel Pits were nothing unusual was noted.  Selsey Bill was quiet with a distant Great Northern Diver that spent most of its time underwater and two adult Mediterranean Gulls.  It was low tide at Church Norton with most birds being distant, a handful of sea duck unidentifiably so.  Highlights were a Goldeneye, several Red-breasted Mergansers and at least 30 Mediterranean Gulls.  The Glaucous Gull had flown east to the end of the spit before we arrived and was carried back past us on its way into care.  We finished the day at West Dean Woods seeing two Little Owls, 3 Marsh Tits and 4 Hawfinches (around the bend below Yewtree cottage). 

Glaucous Gull being taken into care

Quite a handful

Little Owl near Stapleash Farm

Hawfinch at West Dean Woods