Shoreham Beach (23-26 April)

Sunday 26 April. Groundhog Day, again. I cycled down to Shoreham Beach, had a rest then walked along towards Widewater before returning via the Adur. Birds seen flying East in the NE veering SE wind were a Mute Swan, 37 Common Scoter, an Avocet, 10 Whimbrel, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits (and one on the beach), 11 Black-headed, 4 adult and a first-summer Mediterranean and 5 Common Gulls, 20 Sandwich, 2 Arctic and 5 Commic Terns, 2 Great and 2 Arctic Skuas, 3 Fulmars, 12 Gannets and 5 Swallows. The 8 Pomarine Skuas seen off the Isle of Wight and Beachy would have past Shoreham Beach while I was there but were most likely too distant to pick up. 

Saturday 25 April. I cycled down to Shoreham Beach, had a rest then walked along towards Widewater before returning via the Adur. Birds seen flying East in the NNE wind were 11 Brent and a Canada Goose, 5 Shelduck and 3 Common Scoter, 4 Whimbrel, a Turnstone, 9 Black-headed and 6 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 31 Sandwich Terns an Arctic Skua, 2 Fulmars, 23 Gannets and 4 Swallows. Six Wheatears were on the beach, but I missed the Whinchat seen at about the same time by DB. The Black-tailed Godwit was still on the Adur.

Friday 24 April. I cycled down to Shoreham Beach and walked along towards Widewater before returning via Cuckoos Corner and the Adur. Birds seen flying East in the Northerly wind were single Shelduck and Common Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 69 Black-headed, 195 Mediterranean and 11 Common Gulls, 7 Sandwich Terns and 4 Gannets. Other birds were doubtless missed as a lot of the time I was scanning to the West anticipating the next gull flock. Today's Meds were 33 first-summers, 12 second-summers and 150 adults and took my total passing Shoreham this month to 1033. At Cuckoos Corner I saw a Buzzard, 7 Sedge Warblers and 6 Reed Buntings and heard Cetti's and Reed Warblers. On the exposed margins of the Adur were 2-4 Whimbrel and the long staying Black-tailed Godwit. Still no House Martins over Lancing College.

Thursday 23 April. I cycled down to Shoreham Beach for a spot of self-isolating, immediately finding my 'lost' cycle-lock key on the pebbles where I'd sat the previous morning. Flying east were 30 Brent Geese, 2 Shelduck, 2 drake Eider, 2 Common Scoter, a Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Avocets, 42 Whimbrel, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 251 Black-headed, 318 Mediterranean and 12 Common Gulls, 39 Sandwich and 2 CommicTerns , a very distant Great Skua, another smaller distant skua (probably Arctic), a Red-throated Diver, 27 Gannets, a Great White Egret and 18 Swallows. Unbeknown to me at the time Owen Mitchell saw 2 Great White Egrets flying east off Climping half an hour before my sighting. did one veer off somewhere else or did I miss it? Mine was high and only picked up when straight out/going away so perhaps I did. The egret was only the second I have seen on a seawatch, the other, first picked up by Simon Linington, was at Seaford exactly three years earlier. Today's Meds were 22 first-summers, 7 second-summers and 289 adults. Nothing was seen on the Adur on my way home

Mediterranean Gulls flying East high over the sea

the last of a group of four adults almost slipping through unseen as they flew East behind me. Others certainly did as three times I heard Mediterranean Gulls calling but couldn't locate them