West Sussex (06-15 April)

Saturday 06 April. Widewater 06:30-08:30, moderate SE: Brent Goose 14E, Shelduck 2E, Shoveler 10E, Common Scoter 14E, Turnstone 4 on beach, Sandwich Tern 18E, Gannet 2E, Sparrowhawk 1E. Mill Hill with Megan and Cookie: Skylark 3, Chiffchaff heard, Blackcap heard.

Sunday 07 April. Widewater 06:40-10:50, moderate/strong SW: Brent Goose 70E, Common Scoter 45E, Black-headed Gull 7E, Mediterranean Gull 118E:1W, Common Gull 40E, Sandwich Tern 9E:2W, Great Skua 2E (08:10 & 09:35), Guillemot 1E, Red-throated Diver 1E, Gannet 4E, Sand Martin 1 in, Swallow 3 in, House Martin 1 in.

Monday 08 April. Cookie was rather poorly, not having eaten since Thursday we took her to Grove Lodge in Worthing. The vet gave her an injection to encourage her to eat and us some nausea tablets for her but didn't expect her to last more than a few days. The medication had no appreciable effect.

Tuesday 09 April. Middle Road: Lord Derby's Parakeet 1 female, Ring-necked Parakeet 1 male. Shoreham Fort with Cookie: Eider 1 immature male, Turnstone 23, Purple Sandpiper 1, Peregrine 1, Raven 1, Goldfinch 5. Adur Saltings (almost high tide) with Cookie: Curlew 1, Common Snipe 8, Common Sandpiper 1, Redshank 10, Greenshank 2, Reed Bunting 4 males. Cookie has lost a lot of weight and is still not eating but gamely came to Shoreham Fort and the Adur Saltings with me. She's about 15 (almost half with us) and a tough old thing but cancer, failing kidneys and a dodgy liver, not to mention Cushing's, are proving too much. In February, while I was in Panama, the vet gave her 1-3 months and her time is fast running out.

Turnstones and Purple Sandpiper at Shoreham Fort

Eider at Shoreham Harbour

Greenshank on Adur Saltings

waders on the saltings

Wednesday 10 April. Widewater 06:35-09:15, light W: Brent Goose 7E, Common Scoter 10E, Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea, Black-headed Gull 7E, Mediterranean Gull 118E:1W, Common Gull 40E, Sandwich Tern 9E:2W, Great Skua 2E (08:10 & 09:35), Guillemot 1E, Red-throated Diver 1E, Gannet 4E, Sand Martin 1 in, Swallow 3 in, House Martin 1 in. Cookie was noticeably weaker and we took her to the vet a final time. She weighed 9.2 kgs (her normal weight being about 13). Very sad, she was put to sleep and slipped away very quickly and peacefully. On our way home we stopped at Brooklands, somewhere we'd often taken Cookie and it seemed strange not to have her with us. I saw the long staying female Goldeneye, Little Grebe, 2 Jays and excellent views of a Cetti's Warbler with 4 others and a Chiffchaff heard.

Thursday 11 April. Widewater-Beach Green 07:30-09:30, poor visibility: Mute Swan 22, Wheatear 1. Adur with Megan: Oystercatcher 4, Turnstone 5, Kestrel 2, Skylark heard. West Mill/Downslink: Egyptian Goose 4, Shoveler 14, Gadwall 1, Wigeon 4, Pintail 3, Teal 15, Cuckoo heard, Lapwing 6, Cattle Egret 2, Grey Heron 5, Little Egret 16, Red Kite 1, Green Woodpecker heard, Raven 2, Skylark heard, Cetti's Warbler 1 + 1 heard, Chiffchaff 4, Blackcap 5, Nightingale 1, Meadow Pipit 1, Linnet 5, Yellowhammer 2, Reed Bunting 1 male. Middle Road: Lord Derby's Parakeet 1 female, Ring-necked Parakeet 1 male.

early morning Wheatear at Widewater

Kestrel at Shoreham Airport

Nightingale at West Mill

Friday 12April. Widewater 06:50-08:20, light SSW, clear: Common Scoter 26E, Oystercatcher 1W, Kittiwake 2W, Mediterranean Gull 7E, Common Gull 40, Sandwich Tern 13E:9W, Common Tern 1E, Fulmar 1w, Gannet 8, Wheatear 11 on beach. Pulborough RSPB with Megan (somewhere we couldn't take Cookie so hadn't visited for some time): Cuckoo heard, Avocet 6, Great Egret 1, Jay 1, Cetti's Warbler heard, Blackcap 2, Whitethroat 1, Nightingale heard. West Mill/Downslink: Shoveler 10, Wigeon 5, Black-necked Grebe 2 in full summer plumage, Great Crested Grebe 1, Lapwing 1, Cattle Egret 1, Grey Heron 4, Little Egret 8 (5 on nests), Great Egret 1, Buzzard 2, Cetti's Warbler heard, Chiffchff 1, Blackcap 2, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Nightingale 1.

Wheatear at Widewater

Black-necked Grebes on Henfield Levels

Great Egret at West Mill

Saturday 13 April. Cowbottom triangle including Lancing Hill TQ1806 South Downs Farmland Birds Monitoring: Stock Dove 1, Red Kite 2, Green Woodpecker 1, Peregrine 1, Skylark 25, Blackcap 4, Whitethroat 1, Stonechat 3, Wheatear 1, Chaffinch 2, Greenfinch 1, Linnet 29, Corn Bunting 16, Hare 1. I'd been unaware of the Eastbound A27 road closure until I reached Lancing Manor on my way over. Coming home through Lancing and along the seafront took almost 80 minutes.

Wheatear on Lancing Hill

Buzzard over Cowbottom

Stonechat at Cowbottom

Red Kite over Steepdown

Sunday 14 April. West Mill/Downslink: White-fronted Goose 4, Egyptian Goose 2, Garganey 1 male, Shoveler 19, Gadwall 2, Teal 25, Cuckoo heard, Lapwing 4, Common Snipe 1, Greenshank heard, Cattle Egret 2, Grey Heron 4, Little Egret 10, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers heard, Skylark 3, Cetti's Warbler 3 heard, Chiffchaff 3, Blackcap 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1 + 1 heard, Nightingale 2 heard, Linnet 5, Yellowhammer 1, Reed Bunting 4. Megan and I went to the cinema in Worthing on the bus. Returning it was non-stop to Shoreham via Washington to avoid the Eastbound A27 closure.

Garganey on Henfield Levels

Monday 15 April: Widewater 06:50-09:20, strong WSW: Common Scoter 2E, Red-breasted Merganser 2W, Whimbrel 1W, Grey Plover 2W, Bar-tailed Godwit 6W, Mediterranean Gull 7E:3W, Sandwich Tern 7E:1W, Fulmar 3W, Gannet 11, Hobby 1 in, Wheatear 3-5 on the beach.

Wheatear at Widewater

Mediterranean Gull off Widewater