Greatham, Beeding & Widewater (22 February 2014)

Saturday 22 February.  A morning out with John King started at Rackham where we saw Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Treecreeper.  The female Scaup was showing distantly from Greatham Bridge, a bit smaller than I was expecting but measurements overlap with Tufted Duck.  No sign of the Great Grey Shrike (again) but better luck at Beeding Sewage works where the tristis type Chiffchaff was seen (but unfortunately not heard) with 3 adult Little Gulls at the back of a waterlogged stubble field halfway to Wyckham Farm easily 'bird of the day'.  I came home via Widewater seeing 3 Goosanders, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, Coot and the pair of Mute swans (their youngsters finally appearing to have left home or been evicted).

Amberley Wildbrooks/lake from Rackham viewpoint, panorama feature not working well 

Scaup at Gratham, big round head but appeared no bigger than nearby Tufted Ducks

the very small amount of black on the bill rules out any hybrid possibility

the second best gull in the world'?

Goosanders at Widewater

I'm not sure if I've been stared at quite like this before.  They then flew the length of Widewater and SE out of sight over the beach huts

 Wednesday 19 February.  Nice to now be cycling to work in daylight, even better today as 3 Peregrines were on Southwick Power Station chimney.  Still worth fighting over despite the lack of a nest box?  Also 2 Linnets on the beach.  Still a glimmer of light in the sky when I got home where 'our' Blackbird was singing his heart out (as he was Thursday evening and Friday morning).