birding never sleeps: Shoreham and Blackdown (10-17 March 2023)

Friday 10 March. As it was a cold, damp and thoroughly miserable morning I dropped Megan off in Shoreham and continued on to Shoreham Fort with Cookie where we saw one of the Purple Sandpipers and 2 Rock Pipits. Back home, with the weather improving late morning, I walked down to the Adur Saltings. There at high tide (just over 6m), I saw the drake Wigeon, 26 Teal, single Great Crested Grebe (my fist at this site?), Lapwing and Curlew, c40 Common Snipe (the tide not being high enough to reveal them all), 37 Redshank, the Greenshank and 2 Reed Buntings. Late afternoon Cookie and I saw the parakeets fly in and land near their roost tree.

Lord Derby's Parakeet

Ring-necked Parakeet

Saturday 11 March. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:55-09:20. Despite the wind being from the SE it was disappointing. Flying east or on the sea were a drake Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, Oystercatcher, 12 Turnstones, 4 Kittiwakes, 4 distant auks, 5 Red-throated Divers and 14 Gannets. I went on to meet Megan and Cookie at Harbour Way and we walked back to the Adur Ferry Bridge and along the boardwalk to the Fort. Half way back while watching a male Stonechat fly behind a bus I was pleasantly surprised that it and a female-plumaged Black Redstart flew out the other side, the latter landing on a garden wall. Just a single Turnstone was seen at the Harbour although the tide was only half way in. A brief look for the parakeets before dusk was unsuccessful, Cookie was keen to get back for her tea!

Black Redstart from Shoreham Boardwalk

Sunday 12 March. Megan and I took Cookie to Devils Dyke on a blustery morning with few birds in evidence. Late afternoon both Lord Derby's and Ring-necked Parakeets were feeding next to their roost tree.

Monday 13 March. Our usual walk around the Adur at low tide and in strong winds produced 36 Turnstone, 6 Dunlin, 150 Black-headed, 4 adult Mediterranean, 200 Common, 500+ Herring and 30 Great and 18 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Skylarks over the airfield and a Chiffchaff, probably a new arrival, moving north through the Adur Rec pines. Late afternoon both Lord Derby's and Ring-necked Parakeets were near their roost tree.

gulls on the Adur

Mediterranean Gull on the Adur

it is not often that the windsock is almost horizontal

Tuesday 14 March.I took Cookie to Widewater for a seawatch and wander on the beach. Passage was non-existent with a single adult Mediterranean Gull flying west. Five Teal were feeding on the lagoon, another adult Mediterranean Gull and 2 Linnets at Harbour Way Shoreham Fort and a Great Crested Grebe on the sea off the harbour mouth.

Wednesday 15 March. I spent most of the morning at Widewater, being joined by Megan and Cookie in a walk along to the far end of Lancing Beach Green. I then took Cookie to Shoreham Fort and Harbour Way and in the afternoon returned to Widewater. An interesting mix of species although not the hoped for Wheatear, several of which were seen at Goring and elsewhere. Twelve Brent and 2 Canada Geese and 2 Red-throated Divers flew west while seawatching, 3 Great Crested Grebes were on the sea, 6 Teal were on the lagoon with a Little Ringed Plover and a Dunlin feeding on the muddy seaward edge. A flock of about 100 Black-headed Gulls at Harbour Way included 3 with colour rings. Back home an Adur Birding WhatsApp message had me cycling back to Widewater where I saw 3 Chiffchaffs and one of two Firecrests in tamarisks beside the car park.

Little Ringed Plover at Widewater

with Dunlin

it had a very discrete/faded ring on its left leg, so discrete that I didn't notice it at the time

Black-headed Gull T5PE at Harbour Way. It was ringed when adult at Koronowo, Kujawsko-Awsko-Pomorskie, POLAND (25km N of Bydgoszcz) in May 2017 and has been seen by the River Adur in December 2018, February & December 2019 and January 2020

Black-headed Gull 2SDR at Harbour Way. I believe this to be a bird ringed by the North Thames Ringing Group so most likely at Pitsea or Rainham. It was ringed as adult at Pitsea in June 2013 but was much more interesting than I was expecting as it was then seen at Getlini Rubbish Dump, Stopinu, near Rumbula, Riga, LATVIA in April 2016, but nothing since.

Black-headed Gull EE8S at Harbour Way. This is most likely a Dutch ringed bird. It was a Dutch bird, ringed as a 3CY at Griend May 2016 and seen there in April 2019 and June 2020

Chiffchaff at Widewater

Firecrest at Widewater

Thursday 16 March. David Buckingham took me over to Blackdown. It was generally quite cold with little song and not much flying around but seeing the Great Grey Shrike soon after arriving was a very pleasant surprise. It was initially very distant on the far side of the main valley but we walked around to look back at it and had closer views, nice through a telescope but still a bit distant for photography. During the morning I also saw Red Kite, 5 Buzzards, Raven, Coal Tit, 2 Wood Larks, Dartford Warbler, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Stonechats, 5 Linnets and Siskin. A worthwhile visit made more enjoyable with good company. Late afternoon both Lord Derby's and Ring-necked Parakeets were near their roost tree.

Great Grey Shrike at Blackdown

Friday 17 March. A Chiffchaff was singing from our front garden as I went out at 06:20 but any hopes it might have heralded an arrival were dashed at Widewater where an hour's early seawatch only produced a male Red-breasted Merganser flying west and 2 Great Crested Grebe on the sea. I gave up with the drizzle intensifying and went to look at the lagoon. The Little Ringed Plover was still present just west of the causeway but despite spending 40 minutes trying, including sliding down the bank to get closer, I was unable to read it's ring. It looked to be a very faded red ring with two characters on it although the poor light and drizzle didn't help. Looking on the cr-birding web-site suggested it might be from a long running Dutch project. A brief look in the tamarisks for the nearby Firecrest was unsuccessful and with the rain heavier I returned home to take Megan into town. Cookie and I continued on to Shoreham Fort. I was hoping for a Wheatear and a promising looking chat popped up onto the Fort as I was walking around its perimeter. It was a male Stonechat but my disappointment didn't last long as I soon realised there were at least 5 Wheatears on the flat area between the Fort and the West Arm. They were very mobile and hard to keep track of disappearing over the brow onto the beach. Two flew over to the East Arm and it appeared all the others had disappeared but I then followed one around the fort which returned to the beach where 7-8 had appeared. I approached but then couldn't find any! Assuming the two which flew east didn't return, which seems likely, there would have been a minimum of 10 birds present. Also around the West Arm were 2 Rock Pipits, one or both probably Scandinavian (littoralis). A second calendar year Mediterranean Gull was on the mud at Harbour Way.

Little Ringed Plover still at Widewater

Scandinavian Rock Pipit coming into summer plumage - suggested by its greyish head, beginnings of white supercilium, clean underparts with limited streaking and a buffy throat and breast

the other Rock Pipit had heavier streaking below but a more pronounced supercilium and white edge to the outer tail feathers. It would be interesting to see what it looks like in two weeks time