Barnacles passing Shoreham (08-14 December)

Tuesday 14 December. I took Cookie seawatching at Widewater although she was more interested in digging a hole. I had only just settled down when I was completely taken by surprise as about 30 Barnacle Geese flew east along the beach at 08:18. Matt Palmer was a few minutes behind me having seen them as he was leaving his car. We saw two later flocks flying west, 55 at 09:46 and 67 at 11:15 (Matt while returning to his car), while another of about 80 were seen flying west at 12:22 but we were looking at the river then. The westbound flocks were seen elsewhere along the coast and ended up at Pagham where 323 were counted (61 being there the previous day). Also flying west off Widewater were 2 Teal, 6 Wigeon, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Kittiwakes, 2 Razorbills, 5 unidentified auks, 75 Red-throated Divers and 14 Gannets. Two Red-throated Divers flew east, single Great Crested Grebe and Razorbill were on the sea and 3 Little Grebes, male Stonechat and Meadow Pipit were seen around the lagoon. About 25 Teal, 20 Redshank and the Greenshank were in the Houseboat Channel and 80 Lapwings, 2 Grey Plover, 11 Redshank, 60 Common, 300 Herring, 8 Lesser and 30 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Little Egret between the railway and A27.

55 Barnacle Geese having just flown west over Widewater

another 67 Barnacle Geese approaching Widewater from the east

                              

heading towards Worthing Pier (I can only count 66 in this image!)

Herring Gull Z9HT was ringed in its first-year at Rainham in November 2013 and was seen at Beddington in May 2014. Since then it hss been reported from between the Adur and Brighton seven times between April 2016 and May 2021 (five from the Adur)

Monday 13 December. Megan and I took Cookie to Lancing Ring and walked around Steepdown, the eastern path being quite muddy. I saw Red Kite, 9 Skylarks, a Redwing, 3 Stonechats, 10 Goldfinches and 35 Corn Buntings and heard a Chiffchaff.

Corn Buntings on Steepdown

                             

Sunday 12 December. Megan and I took Cookie to Worthing and walked along the beach and out onto the pier. Only birds noted were 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (matching my total off Widewater since late October!) and a Great Crested Grebe. I also bought a warm coat.

Saturday 11 December. Cookie and I went seawatching from Widewater. Offshore from 08:15-10:15 we saw 2 Brent Geese, 7 Shelduck, Teal, the Velvet Scoter (still very distant), 6 Great Crested Grebes,  54 Ringed Plover, Guillemot, 3 unidentified auks, 43 Red-throated Divers and 2 Gannets. At least 5 Little Grebes were diving on the lagoon. On our way home we looked at the Adur as it was low tide. Between the railway and A27 from the east bank we saw a few Lapwings, 2 Grey Plover, Curlew, 12 Redshank, 44 Great Black-backed Gulls and 2 Skylarks.

Norwegian colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull J15AA on the Adur. An adult ringed in Brønnøy, Nordland, Norway in late July 2021 (about the latitude of Iceland and further north than most colour-ringed Norwegian GBbGs seen previously)

Herring Gull X2HT. Ringed at Pitsea in its first-winter in October 2013, seen at Dannes, Pas-de-Calais in Febrary 2014, Greater London in July 2015, Hove in January 2018 & August 2019 and the Adur in March and October 2020 and August 2021

Friday 10 December. Drawing the curtains at dawn I noticed a parrot-shaped silhouette in the top of a neighbours hawthorn. I dashed for my bins and returned to see it was the locally escaped Lord Derby's Parakeet I'd seen twice poorly in the past fortnight (both from nearby Middle Road). It seemed settled and I dash back for my camera. I fired off some shots but they were almost black. I changed the settings for a slower shutter speed but it had gone. Why hadn't I grabbed my bins and camera? With no further sightings I took Cookie up to the Beeding Hill car park and we walked SE down the Monarch's Way, up to Truleigh Hill and back around Room Bottom. The cold wind made birding difficult but I managed 27 species including Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Buzzard, 2 Peregrines, 2 Ravens, 32 Skylarks, 5 Redwings, 330 Fieldfares (in a mobile flock), 4 Stonechats, 4 Chaffinches, 9 Goldfinches, 3 Corn Buntings and 9 Yellowhammers.

escaped Lord Derby's Parakeet in Shoreham - never expected to see a World Tick from my garden!

Stonechats along the Monarch's Way

Fieldfares near Truleigh Hill

Peregrine over Beeding Hill

Red Kite  over Beeding Hill

Thursday 09 December. I seawatched from Widewater from 07:45-09:15 seeing the Velvet Scoter (still very distant), Goosander (drake W at 08:34), Red-breasted Merganser, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 25 Turnstones, 18 Kittiwakes, 2 Guillemots, 2  Razorbills, 6 Red-throated Divers, an unidentified diver and a Gannet. I then met Megan and Cookie at Harbour Way at 09:25 and we walked to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back along the boardwalk. Six Meadow Pipits and 7 Greenfinches were around the Fort and a Guillemot was in the harbour entrance near the Lifeboat Station. In the afternoon I took Cookie along Southwick Canal where the Long-tailed Duck showed well.

Guillemot at Shoreham Fort

Long-tailed Duck in Southwick Canal

                              

Wednesday 08 December. I seawatched from Widewater from 08:30-09:25 seeing 5 Great Crested Grebes, 14 Kittiwakes, single Guillemot and Razorbill and 5 unidentified auks, 13 Red-throated Divers and 2 Gannets. Also a probable Slavonian Grebe appeared briefly out of a trough twice but I didn't quite see enough on it to be sure. I left Widewater to join Megan and Cookie for a walk around the Adur. We saw a Canada Goose on a sandbar with a hybrid (Canada x Snow?), 96 Lapwings, Grey Plover, 2 Redshank, 61 Great Black-backed Gulls, 9 Skylarks and a Meadow Pipit. 

hybrid goose on the Adur

it was with a Canada Goose