Mostly Shoreham in poor weather (06-11 January)

Friday 06 January. Taking advantage of a decent day I took Cookie to Brooklands where I eventually had reasonable views of the wintering Dartford Warbler. Also the immature male Shoveler, 2 Stonechats and single Goldcrest and Chaffinch. On the beach opposite were 34 Ringed Plover and 200 Dunlin. 

Shoveler on Brooklands, what a bill

Saturday 07 January. A seawatch from Widewater produced 29 Brent Geese west then 20 east, single Kittiwake and Red-throated Diver west and 3 Gannets. Later on a very blustery Lancing Ring with Megan and Cookie I saw a Goldcrest and my first Wren for the year!

sunrise at Widewater

Sunday 08 January. Cookie and I visited Goring Gap briefly while Megan had an appointment in Worthing. We saw 6 adult Mediterranean Gulls but only 4 Dunlin on the roost fields. The Lord Derby's and Ring-necked Parakeets were around the Middle Road roost tree just before 16:00.

Polish Black-headed Gull T4T2 at Goring Gap, it's been seen here, at Littlehampton and Southwater previously 

Monday 09 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Harbour Way and walked to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back via the Fort. A single Turnstone was the only bird I noted in very blustery conditions.

Cemex Go Innovation leaving Shoreham Harbour

Tuesday 10 January. I heard the Lord Derby's Parakeet while walking Cookie along Park Avenue. Later I spent 4 hours at the Cuckmere gull roost seeing over 1150 Great Black-backs (including a first winter with an unread Norwegian colour-ring), 20+ Lesser Black-backs (including an adult with an unread red colour ring, possibly the Suffolk bird seen there in December), 150 Herring, 5 adult Yellow-legged and eventually an adult Caspian. Most of the gulls were adults.

an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the Cuckmere, it did eventually stand up

another adult Yellow-legged Gull in the Cuckmere

after several false starts this one looked promising and after checking the following images when I returned home I felt it met the criteria for an adult Caspian Gull without doing a trait-score

Wednesday 11 January. Eight Mute Swans, a few commoner gulls, 30+ Lapwings, 2 Grey Plover and 8+ Redshank were seen during a quick walk along the Adur with Megan and Cookie. It was then time for some final packing before catching a couple of buses to Heathrow and flying to India with Nick and Paul for a Covid-delayed trip to the south.