Shoreham-by-Sea (13-24 December 2022)

Tuesday 13 December. I took Cookie to Dacre Gardens and we walked a circuit down the Adur, across to Coombes and back via Botolphs. I saw 22 Lapwings, 5 Golden Plover flying high SE, single Common Snipe, Common and Green Sandpiper and Redshank, Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, 2 Green Woodpeckers, Peregrine, 6 Fieldfares, a Redwing, 8 Song Thrushes, Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtails, 5 Linnets and 6 Goldfinches. The Golden Plovers and Green Sandpiper were my first locally for some years and with the winter thrushes provided some evidence of a cold weather movement.

Common Sandpiper at Dacre Gardens, just one this time

Grey Wagtail at Dacre Gardens

male Stonechat at Dacre Gardens

Botolphs

Wednesday 14 December. Megan and I took Cookie to Widewater and walked along to Lancing Beach and back. We saw 8 Great Crested Grebes on a flat sea, 22 Lapwings that flew high west along the coast, a Sparrowhawk and one or two male Stonechats. Better than recent visits but not particularly special, that was until almost back at the car I noticed a white bird on the beach. It was a Cattle Egret looking rather out of place. Matt Palmer cycled from Hove for it, by then it had moved but he refound it on Adur Rec.

six empty dumper trucks on their way to Shoreham Fort

confiding male Stonechat at Widewater

male Sparrowhawk on an interesting perch at Widewater

the convoy returning an hour and 20 minutes later

interesting white blob on the beach

a local Cattle Egret, despite the numbers (40+) around Arundel it is still a decent local scarcity

it didn't look overly happy and it was no surprise it moved somewhere more suitable

Thursday 15 December. We collected Nessa from Peckham, Cookie came too. Really glad we don't live in London! Saw a couple of Buzzards along A23/M23 but nothing else remotely worth mentioning.

Friday 16 December. I cycled to the dentist in Hove seeing a pair of Stonechats just east of Hove Lagoon. Six Teal were the only birds of note during an afternoon walk by the Adur.

Saturday 17 December. Another walk by the Adur but only a Grey Plover and Kestrel of note.

Sunday 18 December. A thoroughly unpleasant day. Our solar panels hit an all time low (since their installation in mid February) generating just 0.06 kWh all day.

Monday 19 December. Adur again, this time 14 Teal and 2 Dunlins seen. The lack of gulls is very disappointing. Another very dull day.

Tuesday 20 December. I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort where we saw single Turnstone and Sparrowhawk, 3 Meadow Pipits, 11 Greenfinches and 7 Goldfinches. Later there were 70 Lapwings, my first local Black-tailed Godwit this year, Kingfisher and Kestrel.

Kingfisher on the Adur

Black-tailed Godwit on the Adur

at dusk

Wednesday 21 December. Mill Hill produced a single Kestrel. One of my quietest visits ever.

Thursday 22 December. Just 3 Long-tailed Tits in Buckingham Park. Not a very nice day

Friday 23 December. Watching over the Adur saltings with Cookie for an hour as they were flooded by a good high tide produced 33 Teal, 2 Curlew, at least 132 and probably 166 Common Snipe (my highest count for several years), 37 Redshank, the wintering Greenshank and 7 Reed Buntings. We continued on to Shoreham Fort hoping to see Purple Sandpiper but failed again. A Kingfisher was some consolation but only 2 Greenfinches were seen. We continued to Widewater and walked along to Lancing Sailing Club. The tide was still high and we hoped to see some roosting waders but only found a Ringed Plover with 15 Turnstones on the groynes. 2 Gannets flew west, 5 Little Grebe were on the lagoon and a male Stonechat was by the Widewater car park. Late afternoon with the tide halfway out but no sandbanks visible it was no surprise there were few gulls about. I did see the Kingfisher from a few days ago again, 50 Lapwings and a Grey Wagtail.

Common Snipe flying around Adur Saltings on the flooding tide

too deep for Curlews too

Kingfisher at Shoreham Fort

Saturday 24 December. Megan and I took Cookie to Buckingham Park where we saw 2 Jays, a Goldcrest and 2 Mistle Thrushes. One of my better visits! We came back via the allotment to pick some sprouts and saw a Chiffchaff.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS