Seaford Seawatch and White-crowned Sparrow (25-27 April)

Tuesday 25 April. I took Cookie to help with my South Downs Farmland Birds Survey at Lancing Hill. Not a very inspiring location and expectations were not exceeded with highlights being 2 Red Kites, 10 Skylarks, a Greenfinch and 2 Corn Buntings. On the way back we called in at the Downslink just north of the A27 to look at and listen to an interesting Chiffchaff that had been found there. It had a song with similarities to Iberian Chiffchaff without being totally convincing. It's structure and plumage seemed to fit quite well although it had solid rather than diffuse ear coverts which I later learned are a pro-Iberian feature. I've seen very few Iberian Chiffchaffs (just the original Portland bird in 1999 and 4 in Spain) so am not familiar with the range of variation in their songs. Recordings of a bird at Otterbourne Park Wood, Hampshire in May 2022 sounds quite similar.

Common/Iberian Chiffchaff on the Downslink

sonogram of my rather messy recording, frequency of all notes in the range 3-7 kHz (I had it in mind that the frequency, if not the note structure, is better for Iberian Chifchaff whereas Common Chiffchaff is more normally 4-8kHz) but individual notes look much simpler than on sonograms of Iberian Chiffchaff

Wednesday 26 April. With several others I seawatched at Splash Point, Seaford from 05:55-11:00 in light but cold ESE winds and in good visibility. During that time I noted 2 Barnacle Geese, 3 Shelduck, 89 Common Scoter, single Great Crested Grebe and Oystercatcher, 37 Whimbrel, 245 Bar-tailed Godwits, 48 Sandwich Terns, a dark morph Arctic Skua, 3 Red-throated and a Black-throated Diver, 25 Gannets and a Great Egret (at 10:25) flying east. Also a Merlin came in and 2 Peregrines were seen offshore.

Thursday 27 April. I went to Splash Point, Seaford with David Buckingham and with several others we seawatched from 06:00-11:10 and 12:10-14:00 in light/moderate ESE/SE winds and reasonable visibility. During that time I noted 9 Brent Geese, 11 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, Gadwall, 8 Pintail, 2 Teal, 15 Velvet and 505 Common Scoter, 6 Oystercatchers, 332 Whimbrel, 3 Curlew, 155 Bar-tailed Godwits, 20 Knot, a Sanderling, 5 Dunlin, a Redshank, 15 Little and 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 146 Sandwich, 3 Little, 160 Common/Arctic and a Black Tern, 13 Arctic Skuas, 5 Red-throated, 8 Black-throated and 5 unidentified Divers and 110 Gannets flying east. Also a Hobby came in, along a similar line to yesterday's Merlin but further out. Between bouts of seawatching we visited Hope Gap where the White-crowned Sparrow was being watched. Very leisurely and no stress at all, in complete contrast with my previous visit!

pale morph Arctic Skua passing Splash Point, Seaford

mostly Whimbrels passing Splash Point, Seaford

                             

White-crowned Sparrow in Hope Gap, Seaford Head

More seawatching and an American Sparrow (17-23 April)

Monday 17 April. I seawatched at Widewater from 06:15-08:45 in very light SE winds and reasonable visibility. Flying east (unless stated otherwise) were 2 Brent Geese, 6 Shelduck, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 175 Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, 12 Oystercatchers, 2 Whimbrel (1E & 1N), 7 Turnstones, 13 Black-headed, 4 Mediterranean and 6 Common Gulls, 24 Sandwich Terns, 3 Common/Arctic Terns, a Guillemot (on the sea), 3 Fulmars, 11 Gannets, a Short-eared Owl (first seen at some distance as it came in off the sea and headed over to the airport) and 2 Wheatears on the rocks. I returned home to collect Cookie and we went to West Mill where 2 Nightingales were singing and 2 Lapwings and 7 Sand Martins were seen over the levels but otherwise it was fairly quiet (Cetti's Warbler and Chiffchaff heard, Blackcap and 2 Reed Buntings seen but no sign of the Stonechat I had seen carrying nesting material on my last visit). Mid-afternoon I drove over to Rackham to look for Garganey but by the time I arrived the light was atrocious and even the closest duck were unidentifiable silhouettes. One of the introduced Wight-tailed Eagles was sat in a tree, also against the light and so even less exciting than usual. Greatham was better and I soon picked up the pair of Garganey feeding voraciously in the far SE corner of the flood where I had nice but still fairly distant scope views. Also at Greatham were a pair of Tufted Duck and several of Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal, 2 Swallows and 7 Sand and a House Martin. A Nightingale and Cetti's Warbler were heard and 3 Reed Buntings. I continued on to Lavington Common where I heard a couple of distant Woodlark and saw Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit and a male Siskin but no Woodcock despite staying until after dark.

Wheatear on the rocks at Widewater

Whimbrel over the beach at Widewater

Short-eared Owl heading inland over Widewater

Nightingale at West Mill

Garganey at Greatham

Tuesday 18 April. Cookie and I walked from Cuckoo Corner to Dacre Gardens and back. It was somewhat disappointing in a cold NE wind with 2 Red Kites, a Buzzard, 2 Skylarks, 6 Linnets and 3 Reed Buntings seen. The ditch I was hoping for a Sedge Warbler in looked fairly sparse with the reeds having died back although was still attractive to Reed Buntings. Later Megan, Cookie and I went to the Adur walking down from the Old Toll Bridge. Megan wanted to visit Pets Corner for some dog biscuits so I took Cookie on to Town Quay where I saw 2 Whimbrel. We walked back up to the Old Toll Bridge but our timing could have been better as probably while we were passing Ropetackle Tony Benton had a Spoonbill briefly drop in north of the railway bridge before being harassed by gulls and flying off north. We had been walking opposite the Waterfront 10 minutes too early and 5 minutes too late, not something I'm keen to repeat!

Whimbrel at Town Quay

                              

Wednesday 19 April. I seawatched at Widewater from 06:25-09:20 in very light/moderate NE/E winds and reasonable visibility. Flying east (unless stated otherwise) were a drake Pintail, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, an 1 Oystercatcher, an Avocet that came in over the beach heading west, 8 Grey Plover, 34 Whimbrel, 83 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Black-headed, 30E+1W Mediterranean and 6 Common Gulls, 42 Sandwich Terns, a Red-throated Diver, 3 Fulmars, 39 Gannets and 3 Linnets while a Yellow Wagtail was heard but not seen. I met Megan and Cookie at Harbour Way and we walked around the Fort and along the boardwalk.

Wall Lizards on Shoreham Fort

Thursday 20 April.  I seawatched at Widewater from 06:35-08:50 in moderate NE winds and good visibility. Flying east (unless stated otherwise) were 5 Common Scoter, 42 Whimbrel, 12 Black-headed, an adult Mediterranean and 9 Common Gulls, 32 Sandwich Terns (and 5 W) and 24 Gannets. A Chicffchaff came in and 2 female Wheatears were on the rocks when I arrived. Later on Mill Hill with Megan and Cookie I heard a Lesser Whitethroat and saw 2 Swallows, single Chiffchaff and Blackcap and 5 Linnets.

Friday 21 April. After dropping Megan in Shoreham I took Cookie to the Adur where in a brief visit I saw 2 Greenshank opposite the airfield.

Greenshank on the Adur

Saturday 22 April. With seawatching from Widewater usually being uninspiring and a light E/SE forecast I decided to try Seaford. Knowing Matt Eade would be there provided a welcome 'push' to leave my local area. I arrived at Splash Point at 06:05 joining ME and Brian Cox on the groyne. We were joined on the groyne by Nick Pope and Liam and Jon Curson with Simon Linington and others watching from the beach. It was fairly slow but just enough was passing to keep my interest although some drifted away. I counted 11 Brent Geese, 7 Velvet and 385 Common Scoter, 40 Whimbrel, 19 Bar-tailed Godwits, 95 Black-headed and 41 Mediterranean Gulls (30 adults, 7 second-summers and 4 first-summers), a Great and 7 Arctic Skuas (4 dark and 3 pale morphs), 33 Sandwich Terns (but missed a distant flock of Commics when I arrived) and 7 Red-throated Divers flying east up to 09:50. Then, soon after ME had returned from a circuit around Seaford Head, Brian received a call from Nick Pope who had been home and with his wife taken Brillo to Hope Gap for a walk  where he'd found a White-crowned Sparrow! The fastest ever abandonment of a seawatch ensued, a race through Seaford to South Hill Barn Car Park and a hurried walk into Hope Gap for the most stressful 4 hours I can remember. Nick had seen the sparrow well twice but had to leave the area to get a phone signal and put out the news. When he returned he couldn't relocate it and neither could the gathering crowd for the next 3 hours, despite covering a wider area. Then it reappeared very briefly in the top of a bush by the path for a second or two before flying out of sight. I was too slow and very frustratingly only saw the bird in silhouette. Another hour passed before it was seen again, another similarly very brief appearance which I missed completely. Soon after it was spotted in a rather obscured Elder where just about everyone of the 25 or so now present saw varying amounts of it as it moved around, everyone except John King and myself it seemed. I didn't even manage to see a movement despite valiant attempts of several others to help me onto it. After what seemed an age, but was probably only 10 minutes of extreme tension, the White-crowned Sparrow worked its way up in a small tree and appeared on a bare branch in almost full view (very many thanks to Jake Everitt for getting me onto it). Fantastic and a massive relief. I had long since given up on any thoughts of photographing the bird (my camera was firmly in my bag), being much more concerned about actually seeing it. Here is a BoC of one Jake took while I was next to him.

White-crowned Sparrow at Hope Gap (photo: Jake Everitt)

Sunday 23 April. Megan and I took Cookie to the Adur for a quick walk around the Adur in the rain. We saw single Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank on the river and 2 Skylarks, 4 Meadow Pipits and 2 Linnets by the airfield.

Bar-tailed Godwit on the Adur

Mostly seawatching (30 March-16 April)

The first half of April in Sussex rarely lives up to my expectations of falls of arriving migrants and impressive seawatches although my rarely venturing more than 10kms from home in recent years rather stacks the odds against me. It hasn't always been this way and a few of the better birds or seawatches during this time of year are noted below. Hopefully they might encourage me to go a bit further afield.

Thursday 30 March. I seawatched from Widewater from 07:15-09:15 seeing 2 Common Scoter, 13 Sandwich Terns and 4 Red-throated Divers flying east. A Great Crested Grebe, 4 Mediterranean Gulls and 11 Gannets flew west and a Red-breasted Merganser was on the sea. Later nothing was seen at the Fort with Megan and Cookie but there were 4 Mediterranean Gulls on the Adur.

Mediterranean and Common Gulls on the Adur

Friday 31 March. Very little at Shoreham Fort or Widewater, the best being 11 Turnstone at the former and another at the latter. [On this day in 1975 I saw 1000+ Common and 2 or 3 drake King Eider✔️, 1500+ Long-tailed Duck, 1000+ Common, 200+ Velvet and 2 drake Surf Scoter✔️on the sea off Loch Fleet. In 2021 a first-winter American Herring Gull✔️at Newlyn and Northern Mockingbird✔️in Exmouth.]

Saturday 01 April. Despite light NE winds seawatching from Widewater from 07:00-08:20 produced just 2 Brent Geese and a Great Crested Grebe flying west. Shoreham Harbour was better with 22 Turnstone, one of the wintering Purple Sandpipers and 3 Rock Pipits. Later with Megan and Cookie 2 Chiffchaffs and 7 Linnets were best at Mill Hill.

Cemex Go Innovation leaving Shoreham Harbour

Purple Sandpiper on the west arm of Shoreham Harbour

Turnstone at Shoreham Harbour

Sunday 02 April. For a change Megan, Cookie and I visited the east side of Shoreham Harbour. Seeing only a Rock Pipit and some distant Turnstones (on the west side) reminded me of why we don't try that side very often.

Monday 03 April. I seawatched at Widewater from 07:00-09:05. It was very clear with light NE winds. Flying east were 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 30 Wood Pigeons, 148 Black-headed, 7 Mediterranean and 22 Common Gulls, a Sandwich Tern, 6 Gannets, 8 Carrion Crows and my first Swallow of the year. No Brent or Scoter passing was a bit of a shocker, not something it is usually easy to miss unless a long way out.

Tuesday 04 April. With NW winds I had a break from unproductive seawatching and took Cookie to Buckingham Park where a male Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming, a Chiffchaff singing and a Goldcrest responded well to pishing.

Wednesday 05 April. It was very clear with light northerly winds and I seawatched from Widewater from 07:00-08:00. Flying east were 4 Brent Geese, a Shelduck, 2 unidentified large duck, 18 Common Scoter, 3 Turnstones and 7 Sandwich Terns. A Red-breasted Merganser flew west. Later Megan and I took Cookie to Lancing Ring and we walked around Steepdown seeing Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, 26 Skylarks, Long-tailed Tit, 3 of the 5 Chiffchaffs heard, Stonechat, 4 Linnets, 14 Corn Buntings, 2 Yellowhammers and 2 Reed Buntings. [On this day in 1990, and most others during its stay to 01 May, I saw the Shoreham Great Spotted Cuckoo beside Ricardos. In 2019 ]

Corn Bunting at Steepdown

Stonechat at Steepdown

Thursday 06 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 07:10-08:40 in light SSW winds and moderate visibility. I saw 102 Brent Geese, 14 Common Scoter, 38 Common Gulls and 28 Sandwich Terns flying east; a drake Gadwall and a Red-breasted Merganser west and 8 Gannets milling about near the horizon. Returning via the Adur I saw a Curlew, first-summer Mediterranean Gull, North Thames Herring Gull R7LT (for the 4th time since May 2018) and a Sparrowhawk. Later Megann and I took Cookie to Brooklands seeing Teal, Grey Heron, 2 Cetti's Warblers and a Chiffchaff. [On this day in 1975 I saw a Slate-coloured Junco✔️ at Haresfield in Gloucestershire; in 1991 the very short staying Laughing Gull found by Ralph Simpson on the Adur; in 1998 the white Gyrfalcon✔️at Wembury in Devon; in 1993 Sussex's first Pacific Golden Plover on the Flat Beach at Rye Harbour; in 2018 flying east at Seaford 2 Garganey, 5 Velvet and 2025 Common Scoter, 84 Little Gulls and 584 Sandwich Terns.]

Friday 07 April. David Buckingham and I went looking for Goshawks near Balcombe. After a fairly long wait, had fairly distant views of 3 Goshawks as well as 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Red Kites, 4 Buzzards, Marsh Tit, 4 Mistle Thrushes and several distant finches which might all have been Goldfinches. On the way back we visited Henfield levels where David had seen a pair of Garganey on the floods that morning. Unfortunately we could only find 2 Shelduck, 26 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon, 30+ Teal and a Great Crested Grebe. Also in the area, 4 Lapwings, Common Snipe and Raven. [On this day in2013 I saw 2159 Dark-bellied and 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and flying east at Seaford.]

Saturday 08 April. I seawatched at Widewater from 07:00-07:30 hoping the thick fog would clear but it didn't. It was clear at home (and I'd not heard the fog horn as I was leaving suggesting it was at Shoreham Harbour too) and almost to the Adur where visibility quickly deteriorated. Having seen absolutely nothing I gave up. With Nessa and Chris down we all went to Lancing Ring, where it was clear, and walked towards Steepdown although Nessa, only recently off crutches, was finding the uneven paths a bit hard going and we returned.  was recovering well from ther accident. I saw Green Woodpecker, 8 Skylarks, 3 Swallows,  4 Corn Buntings and a Yellowhammer. Later a quick look at Town Quay at high tide produced the Curlew and 8 Redshank roosting on the saltings. [On this day in 1977 I went to Portland by train and bus to see a Hoopoe✔️. In 2020 flying east at Shoreham were 107 Mediterranean Gulls; in 2021 I saw the Exmouth Northern Mockingbird again, this time beside the Arun at Pulborough.]

Sunday 09 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:30-08:30 in very light NE winds and moderate to poor visibility. Flying east I saw 3 Greylag Geese, 3 Oystercatchers, a flock of 12 Mediterranean Gulls, 32 Sandwich Terns and 10 Common/Arctic Terns. 2 Gannets. flew west and 2 Great Crested Grebes were on the sea. A very poor return given decent numbers of Brent Geese and scoter were seen further west and east (including 19 Velvet Scoter at Seaford). Later I took Cookie to West Mill and we walked out to the Downslink and the Wyckham pit where a/the pair of Garganey had been seen that morning. On our walk we saw 5 Lapwings, 4 Buzzards, Jay, 2 Skylarks, 3 Chiffchaff, a female Stonechat carrying nest material, 3 Meadow Pipits and 3 Reed Buntings. No Garganey and we also drew a blank on the Nightingale which had been heard in the recently trashed hedge along West Mill before we arrived (and it turned out after we left). [On this day in 1977 I saw the Wallcreeper✔️ at Hastings, getting a lift up from Portland. In 1978 I made the reverse journey from Sussex to Portland for an Alpine Accentor✔️.] 

Monday 10 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:45-08:45 in moderate WSW winds with persistent rain making visibility on the poor side of moderate. Flying east I saw the back end of 12 geese, 64 Common Scoter, 2 Oystercatchers and 8 Sandwich Terns with 5 of the latter flying west as well as a flock of 70 Common Scoter, an adult Little Gull and close flocks of 15 and 38 Arctic Terns. Two Gannets also flew west and a Great Crested Grebe was on the sea. Later with Megan and Cookie I saw 2 Linnets beside Southwick Canal and a Greenfinch opposite our garden. [On this day in 1995 I drove down to Mortwenstow in North Cornwall to see a Scops Owl roosting on the cliffs, a vast improvement on my views of the Dummer bird in 1980!]

Tuesday 11 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:40-08:45 in moderate W winds and very clear visibility. A male Wheatear was on the rocks when I arrived but given the conditions the sea was expectedly quiet with 2 Red-throated Divers and another 2 too far out to be sure, a Whimbrel, a first-summer Mediterranean and 9 Common Gulls, a distant auk and 6 Gannets. Later I took Cookie to the Beeding Hill car park and we walked the triangle, along Monarch's Way, up to Truleigh Hill and by Room Bottom. Amongst the 22 species seen were 3 Red Kites, 25 Rooks on nests, 30+ very vocal Skylarks, a Swallow, 5 Chiffchaffs (most only heard), 6 Meadow Pipits, 4 Chaffinches and 3 Corn Buntings.[On this day in 2022 I saw 42 Shelduck, 3 Garganey, 139 Shoveler, 101 Teal, 5 Pochard, 29 Velvet and 630 Common Scoter, Red-necked Grebe, 3 Avocets, Little Ringed Plover, 66 Whimbrel, 850 Sandwich Terns, 21 Arctic Skuas flying east at Seaford.]

Wheatear on the rocks at Widewater

Wednesday 12 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:30-08:30 in moderate W winds seeing 46 Sandwich Terns, my first Fulmar of the year and 3 Gannets. Later with Megan and Cookie a circuit of the Adur produced 31 Turnstones, nothing amongst the gulls and 2 Meadow Pipits. [On this day in 1979 I saw a Cory's Shearwater ✔️flying west off Hove; 1331 Common Scoter and 427 Sandwich Terns flying east off Hove in 1980; 15 Eider, 4 Velvet and 588 Common Scoter, 362 Sandwich Terns and my earliest ever Pomarine Skua flying east  off Seaford in 2022.] 

Friday 14 April. I seawatched from Widewater from 06:30-08:45 in moderate S winds and drizzle. I saw 9 Brent Geese, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Turnstones, 2 Kittiwakes, 18 Black-headed, 19 Mediterranean and 17 Common Gulls, 69 Sandwich and 3 Common Terns, a pale morph Arctic Skua, 2 Fulmars and 4 Gannets. Three of the Mediterranean Gulls were second-summers, the rest adults. I returned with Cookie at 09:30 for an hour but the drizzle had turned to rain and nothing was moving.

Saturday 15 April. Megan and I took Cookie to Dacre Gardens and walked up the river to Beeding and back along the Downslink. I saw Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, Chiffchaff, my first Blackcap this year, 2 Goldfinches and a Yellowhammer.  [On this day in 2019 I saw a Barnacle Goose, 4 Garganey, a drake Scaup, 8 Velvet and 1089 Common Scoter, 21 Little Gulls, 4 Great Skuas, 9 Black-throated Divers, 3 Manx Shearwaters and 292 Gannets flying east off Seaford.]

Sunday 16 April.  I seawatched from Widewater from 06:25-09:20 over a very calm sea (very light SE winds) with moderate visibility. Perhaps most unusual was a Canada Goose, that flew over from behind the beach huts and landed on the sea before drifting off west (probably the individual seen earlier doing similar at Hove). Flying east were 3 Shelduck (with 3 much closer flying west at the same time), 43 Common Scoter, 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5 Oystercatchers, a Curlew, 22 Black-headed, 105 Mediterranean and 6 Common Gulls, 31 Sandwich Terns, a Fulmar, 3 Gannets and a Grey Heron. The Mediterranean Gulls (11 first and 7 second summers, the rest adults) made it my best seawatch to date although still lacking in variety. They included an impressive flock of 32 noisy adults. [On this day in 2020 I saw an adult Iceland and 158 Mediterranean Gulls flying east off Shoreham.]

Canada Goose off Widewater