birding never sleeps: February drags on in and around Shoreham (10-26 February)

Saturday 26 February. Megan and I took Cookie for a walk around Mill Hill seeing 2 Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Goldfinch and hearing Skylarks. Both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets at Park Avenue late afternoon.

Friday 25 February. Cookie and I failed to find any Parakeets but perhaps looked a bit early as it was a sunny afternoon.

Thursday 24 February. I tested positive for Covid as did Josh, Megan having done so earlier. Just as well there isn't much about as socially distanced dog walks seem the order of the day (although I'm told I've spent most of my life trying to socially distance so what's new). Today 24 Goldfinches in Buckingham Park and the Lord Derby's Parakeet.

Wednesday 23 February. Megan and I took Cookie for a quick walk around the Adur seeing 2 Shelduck, 2 Skylarks, 4 Meadow Pipits and 5 Linnets.

Tuesday 22 February. Six Stock Doves were feeding on our lawn with both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets at Park Avenue

Monday 21 February. An hour at Widewater produced a Red-breasted Merganser and 2 very distant Kittiwakes. Later Megan and I took Cookie to Dacre Gardens for a short walk along the Adur. I saw the drake Goosander, Little Grebe and Grey Wagtail. An afternoon walk with Cookie produced the Lord Derby's Parakeet at Park Avenue.

Goosander below Dacre Gardens

with Little Grebe

Grey Wagtail at Dacre Gardens

Sunday 20 February. A quick look at the Adur for gulls produced just 52 Great and 5 Lesser Black-backed, no Meds or rings. Lots of gulls at Brooklands with Megan and Cookie later but nothing stood out amongst them. No sign of the Mute Swan with 2 Teal and 2 Little Grebes just about scraping a notebook entry.

Saturday 19 February. Hoping for something in the wake of Storm Eunice I seawatched from Widewater from 07:20-08:20 by which time it was pretty clear little was moving. I saw 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 22 distant Kittiwakes, an auk and 2 divers (one a definite Red-throated) flying west and single Oystercatcher, auk and diver flying east. A Turnstone was on the beach and a drake Red-breasted Merganser on the lagoon. Nothing was seen at the Fort on the way home but a stop at the Adur to check the gulls revealed an adult Mediterranean and a colour-ringed Lesser Black-back as well as single Little Grebe and Grey Plover. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill but only saw 2 Buzzards and heard a Skylark. A Stock Dove was feeding in our garden, unconcerned by a flapping fence, and a quick walk around to Park Avenue drew a blank but the 'parakeet' tree was very exposed.

Lesser Black-backed Gull V8L2 on the Adur, my 200th colour-ringed gull on the Adur between the railway and A27 although being a Danish bird rather took the edge off it as if previous experience is anything to go by I'm unlikely to receive any details

Friday 18 February. Storm Eunice came in overnight bringing down a section of our garden fence but fortunately our new solar panels were unaffected. I seawatched from Widewater between 08:55-09:55 but was disappointed seeing just 5 Brent Geese, 4 Turnstones, 40 Herring Gulls, an auk, 2 superb Fulmars and a Carrion Crow. I came home via Shoreham Fort but only saw 5 Turnstones. In the afternoon I propped the fence back up (unsurprisingly it didn't last) and Megan and I took Cookie to Southwick Canal seeing Great Crested Grebe, Rock Pipit and Paul and Bridget James.

Storm Eunice at Shoreham Fort

Thursday 17 February. Megan dropped her car off to be serviced and I took her and Cookie to Mill Hill. With strong SW winds hardly any small birds were seen - a hardy Skylark in song, a Song Thrush, 2 Chaffinches and a Greenfinch with a Bullfinch heard. Walking back to the car we saw in quick succession, a Buzzard, 3 Red Kites (flying SW) and a Raven which improved things no end.

Red Kite over Mill Hill

sunshine!

Wednesday 16 February. I seawatched from Widewater from 07:25-08:55. Conditions were poor with Rampion not visible, most birds distant and those seen regularly disappearing into troughs. I saw 5 duck (probably Scoter), 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Crested Grebe, 98 Kittiwakes, 40 auks, a diver and another 23 Gannets. I met Megan and Cookie at Harbour Way where the incoming tide hadn't quite pushed a gathering of about 30 Black-headed Gulls which was fortunate as they included a colour-ringed bird from Poland. Nothing else was seen on our walk with just 5 Turnstones at the Fort at high tide. A late afternoon visit to the Adur for low tide produced over 1000 gulls including 5 adult Mediterranean and 2 repeat colour-ringed Herrings (one local and the other a North Thames bird I'd seen in 2015).

Black-headed Gull T13H

it was ringed when adult in WRZEŚNIA, WIELKOPOLSKIE, Poland April 2020 and seen there in April 2021

Tuesday 15 February. I seawatched from Widewater from 08:00-09:00 seeing 3 Brent Geese, Great Crested Grebe, 16 Kittiwakes, 230 auks (3 identified as Razorbills), 3 Red-throated Divers), a Fulmars and 23 Gannets. A high tide visit to Shoreham Fort failed to produce anything. Two Stock Doves were feeding in the garden and late afternoon I took Cookie to Park Avenue where we saw both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets.

solar panels, no sun

Monday 14 February. We had solar panels fitted to our roof. I'd thought as we don't have a south facing aspect it wouldn't be worthwhile but technology has moved on and even north facing panels can be effective. Half of the panels are on flat rooves and face south, 4 face east and 3 north. With soaring energy prices we should recoup the cost in under 10 years. A Stock Dove was feeding in the garden and late afternoon I took Cookie to Park Avenue where we saw both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets.

Sunday 13 February. I seawatched from Widewater from 07:30-09:15 being joined before 08:00 by MP. I saw flocks of 25 and 6 distant duck, 2 close Velvet Scoter (W at 08:12), 9 Great Crested Grebes, a Curlew, 130 Kittiwakes, a summer adult Mediterranean Gull, 200 auks (2 identified as Razorbills), 25 divers (17 identified as Red-throated), 2 Fulmars and 85 Gannets. The divers were flying east, pretty much everything else west. I returned home and Megan and I took Cookie to Southwick Canal where we could only find 25 Cormorants. Late afternoon in persistent drizzle I took Cookie to Park Avenue but we failed to see the parakeets.

Saturday 12 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Dacre Gardens and we walked up to Bramber and back to Coombes. We saw 2 Grey Herons, Sparrowhawk and Stonechat and heard a Skylark. Late afternoon I took Cookie to Park Avenue where we saw both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets.

Friday 11 February. I took Cookie up to Steyning Bowl and spent almost 4 hours walking a triangle from the Langmead Memorial, SW along the Monarch's Way, N to the South Downs Way and back. It was disappointingly quiet with 3 Kestrels (the only birds of prey seen), Jay, 20 Skylarks, 10 Chaffinches, 4 Corn Buntings and a Yellowhammer. Late afternoon I took Cookie to Park Avenue where we saw both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets.

Thursday 10 February. I seawatched from Widewater between 07:50-09:20. Most birds seen. apart from the divers, were flying west and included 3 juvenile Mute Swans, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Grey Plover, 55 Kittiwakes, 450 auks of which 55 were identified as Razorbills, 15 Red-throated and an unidentified Diver, Fulmar and 42 Gannets. I met Megan and Cookie by the Adur and we walked our usual circuit between the bridges. The tide was high and subsequently we saw very little. Late afternoon both Ring-necked and Lord Derby's Parakeets were at Park Avenue.