Staying local (01-11 January 2026)

Thursday 01 January 2026. Widewater (seawatching 8:30-09:15): Great Crested Grebe 4W, Kittiwake 60W, Guillemot 4W, Razorbill 1320W, auk sp. 600W, Gannet 560 offshore feeding frenzy and 34 Mute Swans, 5 Teal, 7 Coot and 6 Little Grebes on the lagoon. Shoreham Fort/Boardwalk with Megan and Otis: 7 Turnstones and a Purple Sandpiper. River Adur: 2 Brent Geese, Kingfisher, Peregrine and 200 Black-headed, an adult Mediterranean, 490 Common, 46 Great Black-backed, 400 Herring, an adult Yellow-legged and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The Common Gulls were mostly roosting between the A27 and Cuckoos Corner and included German bird A39P.

Purple Sandpiper at Shoreham Harbour (west side)

Mediterranean Gull on the Adur near Cuckoos Corner

Common Gull A39P in the gull roost near Cuckoos Corner, a German ringed bird (history awaited)

Friday 02 January 2926. Widewater (mostly seawatching 07:50-09:00): Great Crested Grebe 5W, Kittiwake 116W, Guillemot 4W, Razorbill 62W, auk sp. 350W, Gannet 110W and 6 divers E including single Red-throated and Black-throated. Old Toll Bridge to Cuckoos Corner and back with Otis: Stock Dove, Water Rail heard, Little Grebe, 2 Common Sandpipers, Red Kite, Green Woodpecker heard, 4 Skylarks, Goldcrest, Redwing, 2 Song Thrushes and 2 Stonechats.

Common Sandpiper on the Adur at Dacres Gardens

perfect full moon

Saturday 03 January 2026. Widewater (mostly seawatching, 08:25-09:30): Great Crested Grebe 2 on sea, Kittiwake 1W, Guillemot 1W, Razorbill 25W & 80 on sea, auk sp. 125W, Gannet 525 offshore feeding frenzy and 30+ Mute Swans, 9 Teal, 7 Coot and 7 Little Grebes on the lagoon. Worthing Pier with Megan and Otis: 3 Great Crested Grebes on the sea and 7 Turnstones.

Gannets off Widewater

Sunday 04 January 2026. Adur Rec, mostly frozen Widewater and Adur Saltings with Otis: 180 Teal, red-head Goosander, 8 Coot, Grey Plover, 2 Curlew, 20+ Common Snipe, Greenshank, 55 Redshank, 2 Razorbills on the sea, 30+ Gannets offshore, Kingfisher and Chaffinch.

fourth time lucky with the Widewater red-head Goosander

it wasn't particularly co-operative

Monday 05 January 2026. Adur (highish tide) with Megan and Otis: 8 Lapwing, 2 Grey Plover and a Peregrine.

the white-headed Grey Plover giving better than usual views on the Adur

Tuesday 06 January 2026. Tottington Woods and nearby with Otis: Stock Dove, 17 Lapwing flying high SW, female Goshawk flew east out of wood, 3 Buzzards, Little Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay heard, 5 Long-tailed, 20 Blue and 2 Great Tits, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Nuthatches, 15 Blackbirds, 25 Redwings, single Song and Mistle Thrushes, 12 Meadow Pipits, 2 Chaffinches, Bullfinch heard and 4 Goldfinches.

Little Owl

Wednesday 07 January 2026. Brooklands with Megan and Otis: 80+ Coot, 2 Little Grebes, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Coal, 6 Blue and 8 Great Tits, Goldcrest and 2 Chaffinches.

Friday 08 January 2026. Widewater with Otis, 09:30-11:10, cold NNW wind and rain: Common Scoter 1 landed on sea, Goosander 1 on lagoon, Little Grebe 6 on lagoon, Great Crested Grebe 7 on sea:1W, Razorbill 5E:1o/s, Red-throated Diver 5E:1W:6o/s, Gannet 11 offshore.

Goosander on Widewater

Red-throated Divers on the sea off Widewater

Saturday 10 January 2026. Mill Hill with Megan and Otis: male Pheasant, Skylark, Goldcrest, 6 Blackbirds, 4 Song Thrushes, 2 Wrens, 7 Robins, male Chaffinch, 2 Linnets and 8 Goldfinches. Crown Road: 5 Goldfinches.

Sunday 11 January 2026. Adur with Megan and Otis: 7 Teal, 2 Little Grebes, 30+ Lapwings, 2 Grey and 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and 77 Great and 7 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls.