Seaford seawatch (23 April 2019)

Tuesday 23 April. I seawatched at Seaford from 05:30-13:30 arriving about the same time as EU and ME. Other observers came and went and it was slowing down when I left although SL and AG and a few others were persevering. I recorded the following flying east (unless stated otherwise): 10 Brent and a Canada Goose, 2 Shelduck, 9 Shoveler, 7 Pintail, 27 Teal, a female Eider, 370 scoter, 3 each of Red and Black-throated Diver (and 2 more unidentified), a very distant Manx Shearwater, 30 Gannets, a Grey Heron in, 2 superb Avocets (at 09:48), 64 Whimbrel, 670 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Knot, 2 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 5 Little, 192 Mediterranean (162 adults, 16 second-summers and 14 first summers) and 23 Common Gulls, 68 Sandwich, 105 distant Commic and 3 Little Terns, 6 Great, 6 Arctic (3 dark and 3 pale) and best of all a superb pale-morph Pomarine Skua (at 07:02). The Pomarine Skua was motoring and was seen by JFC et al at Birling 11 minutes later. While the tide was low 3 Common Sandpipers were on the groyne and 2 White Wagtails came in although I only saw one of them. SL also had a Garganey with 2 close scoter but I was slow getting onto it and haven't included it in my totals above. Otherwise an enjoyable seawatch. A late afternoon walk along the Adur at high tide with Megan and Cookie produced 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls flying north and a Dunlin. 

Monday 22 April. I watched at Widewater from 05:55-08:55, much in the company of ARK. I saw 44 Brent and 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Mute Swans, 178 Common Scoter, Little Egret, 28 Whimbrel, 21 Bar-tailed Godwits, Kittiwake, 114 Black-headed, 27 Mediterranean (24 adults, 1 second-summer and 2 first-summers) and 47 Common Gulls, 53 Sandwich Terns, 4 dark-morph Arctic Skuas flying E and a Sand Martin and 3 Swallows came in. Rather disappointing compared to the previous couple of days not helped by murky conditions and distant birds. I gave up which turned out to be a mistake as shortly after it picked up, at least nearby sites did. I took Cookie to the Knepp Estate seeing Nightingale, Red Kite and Whitethroats and Blackcaps but didn't even hear a Cuckoo or Lesser Whitethroat although mid/late morning probably isn't the best time to look. With the wind round to SE I tried watching from Shoreham Fort from 19:00-19:40 seeing 15 Brent Geese, 7 Common Scoter, 30 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Sandwich and a Common Tern and 2 pale-morph Arctic Skuas which landed on the sea.

Nightingale at Knepp

singing his heart out