Sussex 17-20 April: mostly seawatching and Meds

Tuesday 20 April. I seawatched at Widewater from 6-9am in a light NE wind. Visibility was moderate with the Rampion turbines obscured for the first couple of hours. I saw a single Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, 7 (or 9) Avocets, 6 Oystercatchers, 4 Whimbrel, 38 Black-headed, 28 adult and a first-summer Mediterranean and 7 Common Gulls, 35 Sandwich Terns, Fulmar and 9 Gannets. Virtually all were flying east. Five Swallows flew north and a male and 7 female Wheatears briefly rested on the rock groynes and/or beach before disappearing over the beach huts. I drove to Harbour Way where I met Megan and Cookie and we walked back to the Adur Ferry Bridge, along the boardwalk and back via the Fort and Sailing Club. A male Wheatear and several Wall Lizards were on the Fort. I stopped at the Adur on the way home seeing a Shelduck, 2 Oystercatchers, a Little Egret and a few uninteresting gulls.

Oystercatcher at Harbour Way

Wheatear on Shoreham Fort

Monday 19 April. I arrived at Widewater at 05:55 to find a sea mist rolling in from the east. Not ideal for a seawatch and neither was the light NE wind. I gave it 90 minutes and saw 2 Shelduck, 12 Mediterranean Gulls, 9 Sandwich Terns and 7 Linnets. Later I took Cookie to Woods Mill and we walked along West Mill to the Downslink and Wyckham pool. I saw Stock Dove, 11 Lapwings, 4 Sky Larks, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Whitethroats, male Stonechat, 7 Reed Buntings, 2 Yellowhammers and an Orange Tip. A distant Cuckoo was heard briefly as was a nearer Nightingale.

Yellowhammer at West Mill

Chiffchaff from the Downslink

Blackcap from the Downslink

Sunday 18 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:00-09:00 in a light N>NE wind. Birds were generally distant, some very distant. Flying east were 4 Brent and 3 Egyptian Geese, 17 Common Scoter, 2 Great Crested Grebe (on the sea), a Whimbrel, 20 Black-headed and 131 Mediterranean Gulls, 31 Sandwich Terns, a Red-throated Diver, 12 Gannets and a Swallow. One of the Mediterranean Gulls was a first-summer, two second summers and the remaining 128 adults. Half the adults were in pairs some distance from any others with the largest flocks five of 5 birds and one of 7. On returning home Megan and I took Cookie walking along the beach from the Aquarena to Marine Gardens adding 4 Great Crested Grebes and 5 Sandwich Terns to the day's totals.

Saturday 17 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:30-09:00 recording 14 Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe (on the sea), a Whimbrel, 46 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 23 Sandwich Terns, a Fulmar and 25 Gannets. Virtually all were flying east against a moderate N>NE wind. After a quick turnaround at home Megan and I took Cookie to Steepdown. There we saw Buzzard, 16 Sky Larks (others were heard), 2 Ravens, a Swallow (flying N), a pair of Stonechats, 3 Meadow Pipits, 11 Linnets, 3 Corn and a Reed Bunting and 4 Yellowhammers.

Mediterranean Gull passing Widewater