Slowly edging towards spring around Shoreham (02-09 March 2023)

Thursday 02 March. I took Cookie up to the Beeding Hill car park and we walked our not so regular circuit along the Monarch Way, up to Truleigh Hill and back along the top of Room Bottom (where there had been some extensive scrub clearance on the lower slopes since our last visit). We saw 26 species including 2 Stock Doves, Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, Peregrine, Raven, 15 Skylarks, 33 Redwings, 9 Stonechats, 2 Meadow Pipits, 35 Linnets, a Goldfinch and 9 Reed Buntings. It is a nice walk with some great views but the birds are often a bit disappointing, especially in winter.

Reed Buntings near Truleigh Hill

                             
Friday 03 March. A high tide visit to Shoreham Fort produced a Great Crested Grebe and 5 Turnstones while 35 Goldfinches were seen near the Library.

Saturday 04 March. After a visit to Lancing Ring was cut short to return home for the delivery of a parcel Megan, Cookie and I walked a short circuit around the Adur (Old Toll-Norfolk Bridges) seeing a drake Wigeon, a single Grey and 4 Ringed Plover and 32 Dunlin.

Sunday 05 March. We returned to Lancing Ring and walked around Steepdown which was being ploughed. An estimated 1200 gulls were following the plough. Most were Black-headed (c1000) and Common (c200) but included 12 Mediterranean Gulls (11 summer adults and a second-winter). Also seen were a Kestrel, 9 Skylarks, 2 Goldfinches and 5 Corn Buntings.

ploughing at Steepdown

Mediterranean Gull at Steepdown

Monday 06 March. Megan, Cookie and I walked the short circuit around the Adur (Old Toll-Norfolk Bridges) seeing 30 Lapwing, both Grey Plover and 4 Skylarks while later the Curlew was seen from Town Quay.

Tuesday 07 March. I took Cookie to Shoreham Fort on an incoming tide and was pleasantly surprised to see both Purple Sandpipers. Initially below the wooden jetty the flew to the rough concrete base of the West Arm before being pushed back onto the top of the wooden jetty. Also seen were 2 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Turnstones and a Meadow and 2 Rock Pipits. With tide almost fully in we stopped at the Adur Saltings on the way home and saw presumably Saturday's drake Wigeon, 20+ Teal, Little Grebe, Curlew, 50+ Common Snipe, 42 Redshank, the Greenshank and a male Reed Bunting. Approaching dusk both female Lord Derby's and male Ring-necked Parakeets were feeding above the Sullington Way bus stop, next to their roost tree.

Purple Sandpiper having a good shake

                             

Wigeon on the Adur Saltings

Greenshank with Redshank on the Adur Saltings

Wednesday 08 March. Megan and I took Cookie to Southwick Canal where House Sparrow was the best/virtually only bird seen. At dusk both female Lord Derby's and male Ring-necked Parakeets were in their roost tree although I only saw the latter.

Thursday 09 March. My first seawatch of the spring, at Widewater (07:40-09:25 in a light SE with poor/moderate visibility) produced 2 Sandwich Terns and 2 Gannets east, a flock of 32-33 Brent Geese west, a summer adult Mediterranean Gull north over the beach and a winter Red-throated Diver on the sea. I met Megan and Cookie and we walked the short circuit around the Adur seeing 12 Lapwing, a Ringed Plover, the Curlew, 5 Dunlin, 5 Skylarks, 2 Meadow Pipits and 2 Reed Buntings as the tide raced in. Late afternoon both female Lord Derby's and male Ring-necked Parakeets were feeding next to their roost tree.

Lord Derby's and Ring-necked Parakeet above the Sullington Way bus stop

female Lord Derby's Parakeet

male Ring-necked Parakeet

the female could look quite menacing at times

courtship behaviour

although the male still looked a bit wary