Seaford seawatch (29 April 2017)

Saturday 29 April. I seawatched at Seaford from 05:30-13:30 mostly with the usual suspects (Matt, John, Simon, Bob, Derek ...) and a rare visitor Jake. During that period I saw the following flying east: 4 Red and 2 Black-throated Divers (with 5 unidentified), 122 Gannets, 5 Brent Geese, 852 Common and 8 Velvet Scoter, single Red-breasted Merganser, 560 Bar-tailed Godwits, 48 Whimbrel, 17 Artcic and 26 Great Skuas (with 2 very distant skuas that might have been Pomarines), 55 Mediterranean and 7 Little Gulls, 230 Sandwich, 1815 Commic and a Back Tern and 2 auks. Most of the Commics were very distant but included a close Arctic and 5 Commons while two high flying flocks totalling over 500 birds looked good for Arctics too. I left Matt on his own in the front row at 13:30, the news of a singing Wood Warbler 'showing well' during the morning at Woodingdean was too much to ignore. It gave good views on occassion and was my first for 4 years.

Wood Warbler near the Bexhill/Falmer Road car park at Woodingdean

Friday 28 April. Megan needed to visit the KIA garage in Washington and after we went to Greatham. I wasn't sure where the Ring Ouzel had been seen but thought it was worth going over being that close. Ads Bowley's car parked by a footpath was a welcome clue and the male Ring Ouzel was still present, if a little distant. On a circuit of Waltham Brooks we saw Nightingale, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Stonechats, 2 Cetti's Warblers and Sedge and Reed Warblers. Later I made the mistake of going to Arlington arriving to find the Red-rumped Swallow had gone. The Osprey didn't show either having been sat on a pylon just before I arrived and seen fishing before and after. A slight diversion to West Mill, Small Dole on my way home was more successful with 3 Turtle Doves, Nightingale and Lesser Whitethroat.

Ring Ouzel at Coldwaltham

Turtle Dove near Mill Farm

two more Turtle Doves in the area

Wednesday 26 April. Two Blackcaps and 4 Whitethroats singing at Mill Hill and later a vocal Reed Warbler in a ditch by the Adur.

Blackcap at Mill Hill

Monday 24 April. A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney, my first there for some months, and a Wheatear on the beach.