Seaford seawatching (29-30 March 2014)

Saturday & Sunday 29th & 30th March. Enjoyable, busy seawatches with Simon, Matt & other Spalsh Point regulars, although nothing particularly out of the ordinary was seen. Both days the wind started a bit north of east and ended up a bit south of east although was never strong.

	29 March 2014 06:25-13:05 GMT	30 March 2014 07:25-13:35 BST
diver sp.		1E ?Blk-thr (big foot)
Red-throated Diver	39E:2o/s	109E
Black-necked Grebe	3 o/s
Great Crested Grebe	3E	1 o/s
Fulmar	50+	50+
Gannet	59E	10E
Little Egret		1E
Brent Goose	221E	532E
Barnacle Goose	1E
Canada Goose	8E
Shelduck	7E
Mallard	2E
Gadwall	?2E
Teal	11E	13E
Shoveler	22E	4E
Pintail	4E	2E
Eider	4E
Common Scoter	725E	772E
Red-breasted Merg	25E	19E
Oystercatcher	2E	1E
Grey Plover	3E
Dunlin	1E	3E
Curlew	10E	20E
Whimbrel		2E
Bar-tailed Godwit	1E
Redshank	4E
Arctic Skua	5E	1E
Mediterranean Gull		17E
Little Gull	53E	16E
Black-headed Gull	few	169E
Common Gull	12E	47E
Kittiwake	250+	200+
Sandwich Tern	105E	96E
auk sp.	2E	1E
Rock Pipit	1
Chiffchaff	1

Also on 30th, singing male Stonechat at Newhaven Tidemills and 2 Little Egrets on the Adur

Stonechat at the Tidemills

Monday 24-Friday 28 March.  Cycling to and from work 1-2 Peregrines on or around Southwick Power Station chimney most days and a/the juvenile/first-winter Glaucous Gull on a warehouse roof NW of the lock-gates.



Shoreham-Arundel-Pulborough (22-23 March)

Sunday 23 March.  An hour looking off Shoreham Fort was expectedly poor, it was clear & NW, but I did see my first Sussex Gannets this year (all 2 of them), also 2 Common Scoter and 4 distant Eider flew east and a petrosus Rock Pipit was on the arm.  A Great Crested Grebe was the most notable bird on the Adur while a Whimbrel flew N.  Visited Arundel WWT with Megan.  The Black-necked Swans have cygnets while I enjoyed seeing my usual favourites (Blue Duck with white 'Call Duck' friend, male Scaly-sided Merganser, Harlequins and Emperor Geese).  We also saw a pair of fully-winged Mandarin, a Cetti's Warbler and 10 Mediterranean Gulls amongst the Black-headeds.  No slow-worms yet on the allotment.

Saturday 22 March.  A morning with John King where we finally, at the fifth attempt in the last month, saw Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  At Greatham the Great Grey Shrike, which I'd failed to find on three previous occasions this year, was showing well although somewhat distantly. Definitely a lucky day.  We also saw 7 Sand Martins which looked great but soon moved on and from the bridge the Black-necked Grebe coming into summer plumage. Pulborough RSPB was quiet with a distant Red Kite, male Peregrine, a summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, Treecreeper and three superb Bullfinches pretty much it.

fifth time lucky and even then it stayed mainly on the opposite side of branches

Great Grey Shrike at Greatham

it caught several flies while we were watching it and seems to have its eye on something here

Bullfinch at Pulborough.  Probably my favourite British finch and one that I sadly see less and less frequently

Scintillating Bronze Pheasant, and yes I was completely gripped by the image on DC's blog too

Friday 21 March.  The male Wheatear on Southwick Beach on my way to work and a Mistle Thrush singing its hauntingly beautiful song when I arrived.

Thursday 20 March.  Two Peregrines on Southwick Power Station chimney on my way to work and a Mistle Thrush singing when I arrived.  Walking a section of Southwick Beach on my way home finally paid off with a male Wheatear.  More than any other migrant the first Wheatear of the year is eagerly anticipated by me.  23 Pied Wagtails by the Lock-gates, but I was a bit earlier.

Wednesday 19 March.  Nothing seen on the beach again.  55 Pied Wagtails at a pre-roost gathering by the Lock-gates.

Tuesday 18 March.  Nothing seen on the beach.

Monday 17 March.  A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney on my way to work.  On my way home a walk along sections of the beach at Portslade and Southwick failed to turn up any Wheatears but a/the juvenile Glaucous was with other gulls on the sand exposed by the low tide.