West Sussex (17-28 February)

Monday 17 February. Brooklands with Megan and Otis: 3 Little Grebes, Peregrine (over coast road) and Chiffchaff. Middle Road: female Lord Derby's Parakeet.

Tuesday 18 February. Mile Oak-Perching Hill with Otis: A very impressive 900+ Stock Doves, 2 Sparrowhawks, 3+ Red Kites, 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 20+ Skylarks, 6 Stonechats, 5-600 Linnets, 6 Goldfinches and 50 Corn Buntings.

Linnets on the Downs

Stock Doves on the Downs

50% more than I'd estimated at the time

Wednesday 19 February. Adur with Megan and Otis: 26 Teal, 71 Lapwings, 2 Grey and a Ringed Plover, 22 Turnstones, Dunlin, 350 Herring, 26 Great and 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 3 Meadow Pipits. Middle Road: Grey Heron (flying E).

Thursday 20 February. Harbour Way/Boardwalk and Shoreham Fort with Megan and Otis: 200 Brent Geese (4 flocks including 95E:1W), Great Crested Grebe (on sea), 9 Teal and 2 Oystercatchers.

Oystercatcher at Harbour Way

Friday 21 February. Widewater 09:30-13:00 with Otis: 41 Mute Swans, 14 Teal, 8 Little Grebe, Coot on the lagoon and a Turnstone and 17 Dunlin E along the beach. During 10:45-12:45 seawatch: Brent Goose 550E (including flock of 220), 41 Shelduck 2E, Pintail 90E, Mediterranean Gull 9E:1W (all adults) and unidentified diver 2E.

Brent Geese passing Widewater

Sunday 23 February. Dacre Gardens/A283 with Megan and Otis. Red Kite. 

Monday 24 February. Widewater 08:55-11:15 with Otis: 41 Mute Swans, 11 Teal, 2 Coot, 8 Little Grebe and a Kingfisher on the lagoon; 10 Ringed Plover, 15 Turnstone and 46 Dunlin roosting on the beach; 17 Great Crested Grebe on the sea, 3 Oystercatchers E and an adult Mediterranean Gull W. Later Sparrowhawk over our house.

Kingfisher at Widewater

    

Tuesday 25 February. Widewater 08:50-10:20 with Otis, partly a successful visit to find a lost woolly hat: 41 Mute Swans, 18 Teal, 3 Coot, 9 Little Grebe , 2 pairs of Stonechats and a Meadow Pipit on/by the lagoon; 2 Ringed Plover, 10 Turnstone and a Dunlin roosting on the beach and nothing on the sea. Shoreham Fort: male Eider, 9 Turnstones, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Cormorants and a Rock Pipit.

Rock Pipit at Shoreham Harbour

Purple Sandpipers at Shoreham Harbour

Eider in Shoreham Harbour

sinensis Cormorant at Shoreham Harbour

26 February. Boardwalk/Fort with Megan and Otis: Cormorant. Adur at dusk with Otis: Grey Plover, Curlew, 4 Oystercatchers and 800 Black-headed, 17 adult Mediterranean, 300+ Common, 200 Herring and 2 Lesser and 25 Great Black-backed Gulls.

27 February. Mill Hill with Megan and Otis: 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, Peregrine, Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipits and Goldfinch. Crown Road: Stock Dove.

28 February. St. Anne's Well Gardens, Hove: Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jays and Nuthatch (heard). Kingston Beach: male Eider from 700 bus.