Thursday 11 December 2025. Adur with Megan and Otis: Very quiet with 2 Grey Plover (including the individual with white on its head) the only notable sighting. Evening presentation to Shoreham and District Ornithological Society entitled Gulls on the Adur (see here) which seemed to go down well, considering the subject!
Friday 12 December 2025. All morning looking at gulls on the Adur with Otis: Little Grebe, 50 Lapwing, a Grey and 9 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 200+ Black-headed, 2 adult Mediterranean, c1800 Common, 107 Greater but just 2 Lesser Black-backed, 900+ Herring and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. The Common Gulls included five with colour-rings. One from Poland and two each from Norway and Germany although I'm not completely sure of the coding on the German birds.
 |
| adult Yellow-legged Gull on the Adur (seen opposite Ricardo then just south of the Toll Bridge then opposite the old picknick site and finally opposite the Amsterdam). |
 |
| German Common Gull AN0E, just too distant for a readable image |
 |
| Norwegian Common Gull JU602 just north of the A27. An adult ringed at Teglverksdammen, Oslo, Norway in October 2022 |
 |
| German Common Gull thought to be A50X opposite Ricardo. Again too distant for readable images |
 |
| Norwegian Common Gull with damaged ring JN071. An adult ringed at Ensjø Torg, Oslo, Norway in August 2020. Seen Hovindammen, Oslo in September 2020 (x4), June-July 2022 (x18), 24 April-July 2023 (x8), 16 April-03 August 2024 (x29) and 07 July 2025 |
 |
| Polish Common Gull TA6M on the Adur opposite Ricardo, close enough for a readable image! |
An adult ringed at Vistula River, Ruda Tarnowska, Mazowieckie, POLAND on 03 June 2016 and seen there on 31 May 2017 & 29 May 2024.
Saturday 13 December 2025. River Adur at low tide. 8 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 40 Lapwing, 2 Grey and 9 Ringed Plover, Curlew, 53 Dunlin, adult Mediterranean Gull, 320+ Common Gulls (including JP077 and A50X, confirmation of yesterday's reading), 40 Great Black-backed Gulls and 4 Skylarks.
 |
| Norwegian Great Black-backed Gull JP077, ringed as first-year at Byparken, Bergen, Norway on 10 September 2019 and seen in Bergen at Tveitevannet sør on 01 May 2021 and Liavatnet, Nyborg on 15 July 2021, 26 & 29 July 2022 and 23 April 2024 |
 |
German Common Gull A50X. ringed as an adult on Amrum Island off NW German coast on 02 July 2023 and seen there on 03&27 July 2024 and 26 April 2025 and River Adur yesterday
|
Sunday 14 December 2025. Southwick Canal with Megan and Otis: Great Northern Diver, Kingfisher, Kestrel, Peregrine and Grey Wagtail. River Adur at low tide with Otis: 57 Lapwing, 10+ Ringed Plover 66+ Dunlin, 650+ Common Gulls (including TA6M), 47 Great and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Red Kite.
 |
| Great Northern Diver on Southwick Canal |
Monday 15 December 2025. Buckingham Park with Megan and Otis: Jay and Goldcrest. River Adur at low tide: red-head Goosander, Little Grebe, 46 Lapwing, adult Mediterranean Gull and 985 Common Gulls (including JN141, JN146, P8S7 and TA6M).
 |
| Estonian Common Gull P8S7. Ringed as adult female in Kakrarahu colony, Matsalu Nature Reserve, Estonia 58°46’ N 23°26’ E on 20 May 2011 and seen there every summer 2012-18 (no subsequent fieldwork). Previously on the River Adur 15 March 2018 & 22 March 2021 |
 |
| Norwegian Common Gull JN141, an adult ringed at Middelalderparken, Oslo, Norway on 05 October 2020 and seen at Hovindammen, Oslo 0n 28/08/2021 and Koigen, Hamar, Hedmark, Norway on 30 June 2023. JN146 was clearly read through a telescope but not photographed readably |
Tuesday 16 December 2025. Widewater, 08:25-09:35 with Otis. Seawatch: Brent Goose 2E & 1E then W (half hearted attempt to join the 2), goose sp. 10E, Great Crested Grebe 1W, Mediterranean Gull adult W, auk sp. 5W and Red-throated Diver 1E:10W. Lagoon: 30 Mute Swans, red-head Goosander, 8 Coot and 8 Little Grebes. Shoreham Fort with Otis on a falling tide: 9 Ringed Plover, Dunlin, 3 Purple Sandpipers and a Turnstone. A very dull afternoon so gave the Adur a miss.
 |
| Purple Sandpipers at Shoreham Fort |
 |
| graelsi Lesser Black-backed Gull at Harbour Way |
Wednesday 17 December 2025. Shoreham Fort/Boardwalk with Megan and Otis: 3 Purple Sandpipers. River Adur at low tide with Otis: 43 Lapwing, 2 Grey Plover 66+ Curlew, 300+ Black-headed, 680+ Common, 44 Great and 2 Lesser Black-backed and 550+ Herring Gulls but no colour-rings seen.
Friday 19 December 2025. Cowbottom Triangle (Lancing Ring-Cowbotton-Steepdown) including South Downs Farmland Survey with Otis: 37 species including 130 Stock Doves, 5 Buzzards, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Jay heard, 95 Jackdaws, 2 Ravens, 15 Skylarks, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 male Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrests, 220 Starlings, 4 Song and a Mistle Thrush, 8 Redwings, 7 Blackbirds, 8 Robins, male Stonechat, 4 Pied Wagtails, 11 Meadow Pipits, 4 Chaffinches, 110 Linnets, 25 Goldfinches and 8 Corn Buntings.
 |
| Raven at Lancing Ring |
Saturday 20 December 2025. Petworth Park with Megan, Nessa, Seb and Otis. 4 Egyptian Geese, 6 Wigeon, 21 Tufted Duck, 2 Red Kites, 2 Nuthatches and a Treecreeper.
Monday 22 December 2025. Southwick Beach and Canal circumnavigation with Otis. 3 first-winter Little Gulls, Great Northern Diver, 2 juvenile Shags and a Peregrine.
 |
| Great Northern Diver on Southwick Canal by Parker Steel |
 |
| Little Gulls on Southwick Beach |
 |
| showing all three |
Tuesday 23 December 2025. Widewater with Otis. Brent Goose 139W (three flocks), 4 Teal on sea, the red-head Goosander, 6 Little Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe on the sea, 7 Coot, 2 Oystercatchers, 51 Ringed Plover, and 112 Dunlin roosting on the beach, 8 Turnstones and 3 Gannets offshore.
 |
| Brent Geese on the move off Widewater |
 |
| a small part of the Ringed Plover and Dunlin wader roost at Eastern Sands |
 |
| Teal on the sea off Widewater |
 |
| another Brent flock heading east |
 |
| red-head Goosander on Widewater |
 |
| more Brents |
Wednesday 24 December 2025. Mill Hill with Otis: Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrushes, Redwing, 3 Chaffinches, 3 Linnets and 2 Goldfinches.
Thursday 25 December 2025. Widewater with Megan and Otis. White-fronted Goose 5E (flying away), 34 Mute Swans, red-head Goosander, 7 Coot, 20+ Ringed Plover and 80+ Dunlin disturbed from the beach.
 |
| red-head Goosander on Widewater |
Friday 26 December 2025. River Adur at low tide with Megan and Otis. 47+ Lapwings, 7 Ringed Plover, 20 Dunlin, 69 Great Black-backed and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, Kestrel, 2 Skylarks and a Meadow Pipit. West Mill and Downslink to Henfield Levels: 150+ Canada, 130+ Greylag, a Tundra Bean and 15 White-fronted Geese, Black Swan, 9 Egyptian Geese, 25+ Shoveler, male Gadwall, 80+ Wigeon, 40 Pintail, 50+ Teal, 4 Stock Doves, 700 Lapwing, Curlew, Common Snipe, Red Kite and 2 Redwings.
 |
| adult Yellow-legged Gull on the Adur |
 |
| distant Tundra Bean Goose on Henfield Levels |
 |
| mostly White-fronted Geese on the flood at Henfield Levels |
Saturday 27 December 2025. A return to Henfield Levels, this time with Otis approaching from the north: 200+ Canada, 100+ Greylag and 7 White-fronted Geese, Black Swan, 2 Egyptian Geese, 40+ Shoveler, a pair of Gadwall, 500+ Wigeon, 50 Pintail, 200+ Teal, 300 Lapwing, Buzzard, Jay and 2 Redwings.
 |
| White-fronted Geese amongst others on the flood at Henfield Levels |
Sunday 28 December 2025. Buckingham Park with Megan and Otis. Jay heard.
Monday 29 December 2025. Brooklands with Megan and Otis. Great Spotted Woodpecker heard, Kestrel, a Coal and 5 each of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits and 3 Goldcrests.
Tuesday 30 December 2025. Steyning Round Hill towards Cissbury with Otis, 09:30-13:30, 31 species including 4 Stock Doves, 350 Common Gulls (too distant to see any rings), 3 Red Kites, 2 Buzzards, 2 Tawny Owls, Kestrel, 6 Great Tits, 2 Song Thrushes, 4 Redwings, female Stonechat, 9 Chaffinches, 45 Linnets, 3 Goldfinches, 18 Corn Buntings and a male Yellowhammer. Also 2 Hares.
 |
| veery happy to see a Tawny Owl in daylight |
 |
| it was only when reviewing my photos that I noticed a second bird (bits of it can be seen in all but the last photo) |
Wednesday 31 December 2025. Widewater, 08:10-08:40, fog down to 50m: 32 Mute Swans, 7 Teal, red-head Goosander, 4 Turnstones and 2 Meadow Pipits. Beeding Hill triangle with Otis, 09:45-12:00, high ground sunny, foggy lower: just 16 species including 3 Stock Doves, Kestrel, 7 Blue Tits, 2 pairs of Stonechat, Linnet and Corn Bunting. Sullington Way: the female Lord Derby's and male Ring-necked Parakeets flew into their usual tree at 15:00, my first sighting of them since mid April - nice to see them again. |
| Shoreham from Beeding Hill |
 |
| Wolstenbury, Newtimber and Devil's Dyke from Truleigh Hill |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.