Shoreham Wren, Shetland Wren (11-14 November)

Thursday 14 November. I took Cookie down to Shoreham Harbour although it is not one of her favourite places. We saw 9 Turnstones below the wooden jetty on the rising tide and 29 Greenfinches by the coastguard lookout but nothing appeared to be on or out to sea. An hour before high tide we watched over the Adur saltings opposite the houseboats and saw 11 Teal, 17 Lapwing, single Grey Plover, Curlew and Dunlin, 17 Common Snipe, 49 Redshank, the wintering Greenshank, 3 Grey Herons, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Wrens. Seeing the latter brought home how pale they were compared to those seen on Shetland a couple of weeks ago.

Greenshank on the Adur

present for its fourth winter, my first sighting of what was presumably this bird was on 12 November 2015

Shoreham Wrens on the Adur

individually quite variable but generally small and pale

Shetland Wren on Unst (13 October 2019)

also individually quite variable but appearing larger and much darker

Wednesday 13 November. I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw Peregrine, 11 Long-tailed and 9 Blue Tits, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Jay, 3 Linnets and 7 Goldfinches. There were also 22 Goldfinches in trees by Shoreham Football Club at dusk.

Tuesday 12 November. I took Cookie to Brooklands where a couple of hours walking around produced 8 Teal, 2 Little Grebes, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers (both heard only), Goldcrest, Firecrest, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Grey Wagtails and 4 Goldfinches. 

Firecrest at Brooklands

Monday 11 November. I took Cookie to Goring Gap hoping for some waders roosting in the fields at high tide but none were seen, either there or along the beach. Five Mediterranean amongst 500 mainly Black-headed Gulls were some compensation.

Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Goring Gap

Bishopstone, Cuckmere and Mill Hill (03-10 November)

Sunday 10 November. DB and I went to Bishopstone looking for the released (by Wiltshire reintroduction programme) Great Bustard. A smart bird feeding in a large kale field where most of the time its red leg flag remained hidden. At times it crouched down reminding me of the only other one I've seen in Britain, in Kent in March 1978 (thankfully pre release scheme). A Buzzard and 1-2 Sparrowhawks were also seen. We went on to Seaford Head and the still very flooded Cuckmere. Very busy on a sunny Sunday but we did manage to see Barnacle Goose, a red-head Goosander (on the sea before flying east), adult Yellow-legged Gull, 8 Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrest and 6+ Rock Pipits (some or all probably Scandinavians). 

released Great Bustard near Bishopstone

showing its red flag as it stretched a wing

an impressive bird to see irrespective of its origin

that flash of red again

adult Yellow-legged Gull in the Cuckmere

standing up

fully awake but in poor light

one of the iconic views of the Sussex coast - Cuckmere Haven to Belle Tout

Saturday 09 November. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill seeing 4 Long-tailed Tits, a nice Firecrest, 8 Linnets and 3 Goldfinches.

Friday 08 November. I took Cookie up to Mill Hill. Several low flocks of Wood Pigeon flew NE totalling about 850 while 2 Redwing dropped in and as we left a Sparrowhawk flew over. There were fewer Robins and Song Thrushes than on recent visits.

Thursday 07 November. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands but it was quiet with 5 Teal, 3 Little Grebe and single Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chiffchaff seen and a Cetti's Warbler heard. Two Buzzards were sitting by the A27 cutting on our way home and 2 Sparrowhawks flew over our garden. Later, at low tide, I took Cookie to the Adur where we counted 33 Ringed Plover, a Dunlin and 5 Redshank.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Brooklands

Wednesday 06 November. I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw a Buzzard, 55 Wood Pigeons (flying N), a flock of 18 Long-tailed Tits, 14 Blackbirds, 12 Song Thrushes, 14 Robins, a male Stonechat, 3 Greenfinches and 6 Goldfinches. I also heard a Cetti's Warbler.

Sunday 03 November. Megan and I took Cookie to Mill Hill where we saw a late House Martin, a superb Firecrest (aren't they all), 3 Wrens, 3 Song Thrushes, 5 Robins and 4 Goldfinches.

Red Admiral at Mill Hill

Widewater (2 November)

Saturday 02 November. With very strong SW winds (gusting to 50 mph) I tried seawatching from Widewater. Hut 32 provided some shelter from the wind and some heavy showers and I stuck it for 90 minutes. During that time, often in poor visibility, I saw 2 Great Crested Grebes, an adult Mediterranean Gull and 2 Red-throated Divers flying quickly east and a Brent Goose, 3 auks (one appearing to be an oiled Razorbill), 16 Gannets and a Shag flying west. Six Common Scoter were on the sea just offshore (although initially only 3 were noted) and during the heaviest shower 3 Ringed Plover were present on the beach.

Ringed Plover on the beach at Widewater, focusing not helped by the conditions

Friday 01 November. Megan and I took Cookie for a walk beside Southwick Canal where we saw 2 Greenfinches and a Grey Wagtail.

Thursday 31 October. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands where we saw 10 Teal, a Little Grebe, 14 Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests and a Grey Wagtail.

Beachy (29 October)

Tuesday 29 October. A morning at Beachy visiting Shooter's Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Cliff Path, Birling and Bell Tout. I recorded 920 Wood Pigeons and 3 Stock Doves NE, single Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, 3 Ravens, 7 Swallows and a House Martin E, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, a juvenile Ring Ouzel, an impressive 33 Mistle Thrushes (flocks of 8, 10 & 15 low E over the cliff edge), 18 Robins, 3 Black Redstarts, 3 Stonechats, a Redpoll (heard only) and 105 Goldfinches E. A couple of others saw a ring-tailed Hen Harrier but I was too far east at the time, but in any event would probably have been looking the wrong way ...

Ring Ouzel at Shooter's Bottom, Beachy Head

part of a flock of about 600 Jackdaws opposite Bell Tout Wood

Monday 28 October. Megan and I took Cookie up to Cissbury where we saw 3 Stock Doves, 2 Jays, 12 Fieldfares, 2 Mistle Thrushes and 20 Goldfinches.

Cuckmere (26 October) & travel to and from Shetland

Saturday 26 October. Megan, Nessa and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill which was very quiet in a strong SW wind, a Kestrel being the only species noted. Megan and I then had our flu jabs before I took Cookie to the Cuckmere to look for the Grey Phalarope which had been found a week earlier. This wasn't quite my first opportunity to look for it but I'd only returned from visiting Dave Cooper and Brenda Kay the previous morning and after 48 hours of travelling (overnight ferry, a day in Aberdeen and overnight bus) didn't feel up to it. We walked from Chyngton Farm and dropped into the Cuckmere to see it extensively flooded. Nothing was obvious amongst the roosting gulls but 11 Rock Pipits along the river bank seemed a decent count. I wondered how many were Scandinavians hiding in winter plumage. The Grey Phalarope was on the pools near the entrance to Foxhole Farm but was very flighty, probably not helped by the Beachy Head Marathon going on right next to it. We watched its quick circuit a couple of times and I took some photos although it didn't stay still for a moment and the light wasn't great. A Swallow flew over and in a field by the car two adult Mediterranean Gulls were present in a small roost.

Grey Phalarope in the Cuckmere

  

Mediterranean Gulls in the Cuckmere

Wednesday 23 October-Friday 25 October. Dave dropped me at Belmont where I just caught an early ferry to Gutcher. I had over an hour wait for the bus across Yell and it was raining so I tried hitching when the next ferry came and a couple from Unst were kind enough to pick me up and take me all the way to Lerwick on their shopping run. I checked into the ferry terminal, left my bag and wandered around Lerwick. So much cover in the gardens, especially compared to Unst. There were a few gulls in the harbour and I saw 19 Eider and 2 Black Guillemots in the sound. The MV Hjaltland departed on time at 17:30 and arrived in Aberdeen at 07:00 on Thursday morning. As it turned out I could have caught the 07:35 bus to London but I'd not wanted to risk the ferry being late had booked the next, at 18:20. Unfortunately Northlink wouldn't allow me to leave my bag in their left luggage, there was none at the Bus Station and the railway's had closed 10 days earlier. The Tourist Office didn't know of anywhere, and weren't offering so I was stuck with my bag all day which ruled out revisiting Girdle Ness. I slowly walked around a sculpture trail, with plenty of stops, and had lunch and read a book in a churchyard. I bought a paperback in an Oxfam bookshop and when asked if I wanted a bag replied I'd far to many as it was and recounted the unleft luggage tail. The guy there offered to keep my bag until they closed which gave me the opportunity to visit the Maritime Museum. My bus left on time, was changed at Hamilton (for some unspecified problem) and I arrived at Victoria a few minutes late. There was an early Brighton bus which I was allowed on and I was back home two hours earlier than expected at 11:00. The journey home from Unst had taken 49 hours and cost £38.

Viking influence on Lerwick street names

argentatus Herring Gulls in Lerwick

MV Hjaltland in Lerwick

Trumpet Leaf on the roof garden at St Nicholas Centre, part of the Aberdeen Sculpture & CuriosTrail  

Moon Table on the roof garden at St Nicholas Centre, part of the Aberdeen Sculpture & CuriosTrail

Poised, Marischal Square, one of the stars of the Aberdeen Sculpture & CuriosTrail

Robert the Bruce outside Marischal College, still on the Aberdeen Sculpture & CuriosTrail

The Well of Spa, gifted to the City in 1635 according to the Aberdeen Sculpture & CuriosTrail guide

Aberdeen street art that surprisingly didn't feature on the trail

my favourite, another that didn't make the cut

Aberdeen Harbour from the Maritime Museum

MV Hjaltland

model of MV St Clair III in the Maritime Museum, the Shetland ferry in the 1970s when I first visited

Saturday 05 October-Wednesday 23 October. Birding with Dave Cooper on Unst (and two unsuccessful trips to Feltar). Will be blogged when photos sorted although they are probably not worth waiting for. Full accounts for this period with much better photos are already on Dave's Birding North Unst blog http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.com/2019/10/23rd-october-2019-unst-sw4-light-rain.html and earlier.

Thursday 03 October-Saturday 05 October. Buses to Brighton, Victoria Coach Station and overnight to Aberdeen arriving at noon. Checked onto Northlink Ferry terminal and left my bag (not an option on the return). Walked to Girdle Ness seeing a male Pheasant cross the road in Baxter Street on the way. Offshore at least 400 Kittiwakes and 40 Gannets flew north and a few Razorbills and Guillemots were seen on the sea. There I flushed a Common Snipe, saw a Blue Tit and 4 Rock Pipits on the walk back and an Eider in the harbour. After a comfortable overnight crossing n MV Hjaltland I arrived in Lerwick and caught the bus to Toft, ferry to Ulsta, minibus across Yell to Gutcher (I was the only passenger, often there weren't any) and ferry to Belmont where I was met by Dave Cooper. Transport from Shoreham to Unst had cost me £45 but taken 42 hours. 

Aberdeen Harbour

MV Hjaltland rear left

Aberdeen from the Torry Battery

Rock Pipit

Shags

Cormorants

repairs to Toft Pier