The first 100 (to 04 February)

I've never been too interested in day lists, I regard birding as a marathon rather than a sprint, but it is always nice to see my first 100 species in the UK at the start of the year (species heard only don't do much for me). I've never managed to see 100 on 1 January but have done so four times by 2nd, my best being 107 in 2010. It gets harder each year, a combination of motivation and my reluctance to travel to the far ends of the county (or even outside the Shoreham area) to see birds I've seen frequently/sometimes before. It doesn't help that a lot of species that used to be regular winter visitors are becoming decidedly scarcer. This year I left for India on 8 January having seen 85 species in the UK, helped greatly by a day on the Selsey Peninsular with David Buckingham. I returned on 24 January and it still took me almost 

Saturday 25 January. Shoreham Fort/Boardwalk with Megan and Otis: a single Turnstone.

Sunday 26 January. Shoreham Fort and Harbour Way in rough weather: Male Eider, 4 Turnstones and a first-winter Caspian Gull (86).

Eider and Caspian Gull at Harbour Way

Monday 27 January. Brooklands with Megan and Otis: 6 Little Grebes, 82 Coot and a Great Spotted Woodpecker (87 for the year).

Tuesday 28 January. Widewater with Otis, pretty rough: 42 Mute Swans, 7 Teal, Little Grebe, 4 Coot, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Redshank, Kingfisher and a pair of Stonechats on/around the lagoon. Six Turnstones on the beach and seawatching an adult Little Gull (88) feeding offshore with plenty of Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls.

adult Little Gull off Widewater

Wednesday 29 January. Steepdown with Megan and Otis: 5 Red Kites, 2 Great Spotted and a Green Woodpecker (89), 35 Skylarks, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, 11 Goldfinches and 50 Corn and a Reed Bunting. Adur/Town Quay: 4 Teal, Grey Plover, 14 Common Snipe, 20 Dunlin, 14 Redshank, 700 Black-headed, 450 Herring and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (90), Grey Heron, 2 Little Egrets and a Sparrowhawk (91). Earlier Ring-necked Parakeet seen and Lord Derby's heard flying over our garden.

Thursday 30 January. Southwick Canal with Megan and Otis: 2 Ravens (92).

Friday 31 January. Widewater with Otis: 41 Mute Swans, 7 Teal, 7 Little Grebe, 4 Coot, and a pair of Stonechats on/around the lagoon.  4 Oystercatchers, 9 Ringed Plover, 10 Turnstone and a Dunlin on the beach. Seawatch from 09:40-11:15: Brent Goose 1W, Great Crested Grebe 5 on the sea, Mediterranean Gull 1 adult W, Guillemot (94) 1W, Razorbill (93) 2W & 1 on the sea, auk sp. 3W, Red-throated Diver 6E and Gannet 4 off shore.

male Stonechat at Widewater

Saturday 01 February. Adur with Megan and Otis: Little Grebe, 101 Lapwing, 2 Grey Plover and 12 Redshank. Middle Road roost: female Lord Derby's and male Ring-necked Parakeets in their usual pre-roost tree.

Lord Derby's and Ring-necked Parakeets in Middle Road

Sunday 02 February. Dacre Gardens/Beeding with Megan and Otis: 3 Buzzards, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Song Thrushes, 12 Redwings (95) and 4 Greenfinch (96).

Monday 03 February. Shoreham Fort/Boardwalk with Megan and Otis: 17Teal and male Eider. Middle Road roost: female Lord Derby's and male Ring-necked Parakeets in their usual pre-roost tree.

Tuesday 04 February. Figure of 8 walk centered on No Man's Land with Otis, 09:05-13:10: 33 species seen including 2 Grey (100) and a Red-legged Partridge, 6 Stock Doves, 850 Common Gulls, Sparrowhawk, 5-7 Red kites, 5 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 14 Skylarks, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Chiffchaff (99), 5 Stonechats, 21 Pied Wagtails, 16 Meadow Pipits (98), 2 Chaffinches, a Goldfinch, 2 Corn Buntings and 6 Yellowhammers (97).