Mostly Shoreham (17-23 February)

Friday 17 February. I took Cookie to Widewater and we walked along the beach to Brooklands and back. We saw 8 Teal at Widewater and although the tide had fallen the Brooklands wader roost still contained 7 Sanderling, 180+ Dunlin and 10+ Ringed Plover. Only the Lord Derby's Parakeet was seen by the roost tree during a brief visit before dusk.

waders roosting on the beach opposite Brooklands

mostly Dunlin with a few Sanderling

and Ringed Plover

                          

Saturday 18 February. Six Greenfinches were in the large tree above my car as we prepared to visit to Mill Hill. Once there we saw Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, 4+ Buzzards and a distant Peregrine but virtually no small birds. Both parakeets were around the roost tree late afternoon.

Sunday 19 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Worthing where we saw 18 close Sanderling on the beach just west of the Lido at high tide. I was cursing only having taken a bridge camera as I was not expecting to see anything. I was cursing even more when I discovered its battery was flat.

Monday 20 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort and walked to the Adur saltings and back along the boardwalk. There was a single Brent Goose at Harbour Way, 20 Teal, 25 Common Snipe and a Curlew on the saltings and a Purple Sandpiper on our return to the Fort.

Brent Goose at Harbour Way

Purple Sandpiper at Shoreham Fort

Tuesday 21 February. I walked to Buckingham Park with Cookie seeing presumably the singing Coal Tit from earlier in the month, 2 Goldcrests and 15 Goldfinches and distantly hearing the Lord Derby's Parakeet. By the time we were back home I felt it was too late to visit the Adur saltings before the big high tide started pushing the waders off. It was a decision I soon came to regret as a very impressive 200 Common Snipe were seen (my best count being 172 in November 2008).

Wednesday 22 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Arundel and walked around Swanbourne Lake before leaving her in the car for a quick look around Arundel WWT. It was quiet with over 30 mostly adult Mediterranean Gulls and a Goldcrest best. Collection highlights were Scaly-sided Merganser, Spectacled Eider, Harlequin and Long-tailed Duck, all in the Coastal Creek Aviary which was closed so viewing was through fine netting.

Harlequin at Arundel WWT

Scaly-sided Merganser at Arundel WWT

                          

Spectacled Eider at Arundel WWT

Mediterranean Gulls at Arundel WWT

Thursday 23 February. A walk around the Adur with Megan and Cookie on a rising tide produced 2 Shelduck, the white-capped Grey Plover, 49 Turnstones, an adult Mediterranean, 4 Lesser and 47 Great Black-backed Gulls, a Skylark and 4 Meadow Pipits. Later I cycled down to the Norfolk Bridge for the hour before a big high tide (6.5m). Most of the saltings were already covered and with a loose flock of about 130 Common Snipe flying around I wished that I had arrived earlier. Fortunately most/all of the snipe dropped back into the saltings although there was quite a bit of toing and froing as the water level rose, more of the saltings were submerged and more waders exposed. As the tide came in I was busy counting and ended up with 37 Teal, 34 Lapwing, a Curlew, 196 Common Snipe, a Greenshank, 44 Redshank, a Meadow Pipit and 6 Reed Buntings. I hadn't quite matched the 200 Snipe count from earlier in the week but was satisfied with my 196, a personal record.

the white-capped Grey Plover on the Adur for at least its second winter

Common and Mediterranean Gulls on the Adur

Common Snipe, Redshank, Greenshank and Teal on the Adur Saltings

Common Snipe, Redshank and Curlew on the Adur Saltings