On the Beach and Down by the River - Shoreham 04-10 February

Rarely does a week go by without my listening to something by Neil Young. This week I've pushed the boat out and am systematically working my way through his CDs, not a short undertaking and I'm barely half way through. So many really great songs, the titles of two of his very best sum up my lockdown - On the Beach and Down by the River. 

Wednesday 10 February. An early visit to the Adur to look for my lost notebook. It was not on the bench where I'd left it once before (!!) or any of the other benches I'd stopped at. I did see 3 Little Grebes, the Knot and 33 Dunlin but my mind wasn't fully on it. As a last chance I checked where I'd parked the car previously and there it was in the gutter. An hour or so at Widewater was pretty dull with 8 Great Crested Grebes, over 100 auks (none identifiable), 3 Red and a close Black-throated Diver, a Gannet and 63 Cormorants offshore, 6 Mute Swans, 12 Teal and 9 Little Grebes on the lagoon and 21 Ringed Plover and 126 Dunlin on the beach. I then met Megan and Cookie at Mill Hill where we saw 82 Lapwings in a field and 27 flying west, 10 Blackbirds, 3 Redwings, 9 Song Thrushes, 10 Robins, 35 Linnets and 8 Goldfinches.

Tuesday 09 February. Two hours watching off Widewater was interesting if a little disappointing in a bitter NE wind which I was fortunately sheltered from in the entrance to my preferred beach hut. I saw 7 Brent Geese, 38 Shelduck, 3 Shoveler (mff), 2 Gadwall (mf), 51 Wigeon, 37 Teal, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 20 Dunlin, adult Mediterranean Gull, single Guillemot, 67 Razorbills, 720+ unidentified auks, 29 Red-throated and 7 unidentified divers, Fulmar, 55 Gannets and 60 Cormorants. A quick look at Shoreham Fort revealed both Purple Sandpipers with the Greenshank on the Adur Saltings on the falling tide. On a quest to find the long staying Goosander I'd only seen once in November I walked along the Adur from Dacre Gardens north to Bramber, then south towards Cuckoos Corner, running out of time at Applesham where I returned. A Ruff was with a fairly mobile flock of about 200 Lapwings just west of the river near Botolphs, presumably the Cuckoos Corner bird from the previous evening. I also saw the Cement Works Common Sandpiper, 3 Buzzards, 3 Fieldfares, 90 Redwings, 19 Song Thrushes and 16 Meadow Pipits. At low tide I returned to the Adur seeing 2 Little Grebes, just one of yesterday's Knots, a bit strange as they'd seemed inseparable, 52+ Dunlin, 70 Great Black-backed Gulls and 7 Sky Larks. For the second time this year I left my notebook on one of the benches there. I'm getting very forgetful.

Stonechat on the riverbank near Coombes

Stonechat on the riverbank at Dacre Gardens

Common Sandpiper near Dacre Gardens

Great Black-backed Gull J68X. A bird hatched in 2002 and ringed in March 2003 at Mandalselva Skinsnes, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway and seen nearby three days later

Monday 08 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Widewater and walked along to Lancing Beach Green and back. It was too cold to hang about and I had to restrict myself to frequent scans of the horizon. I saw a Shelduck, 40 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 16 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Oystercatchers, 202 Dunlin, adult Mediterranean Gull, 85 Razorbills, 500+ auks, 6 Red and a Black-throated Diver and 120 Gannets. Nine Teal, 2 Grey and 16 Ringed Plovers, 2 Knot, 44 Dunlin and 2 colour-ringed Herring Gulls were on the Adur at low tide. I came home at 5pm but should have stayed longer as Ruff and Goosander were seen at Cuckoos Corner.

Dunlin in the roost at Eastern Sands

Knot on the Adur

they seemed inseparable at the time

Sunday 07 February. Seawatching from Widewater produced 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Teal, 6 Kittiwakes, 2 Guillemots, 70 Razorbills, 130 unidentified auks, 19 Red-throated and 2 unidentified divers, 45 Gannets and 90 Cormorants. It was too cold (a NNE wind) and too little was seen (perhaps because it was very clear) to keep my attention beyond an hour. 

Saturday 06 February. It was thick fog at Widewater so I continued to Shoreham Fort where at times it was better. David Buckingham joined me on the beach there and we socially distance seawatched/practiced angling for almost two hours. The highlight was a pair of Tufted Duck on the sea which soon flew west, the first time I can remember being excited to see the species. We also recorded 2 Greylag Geese, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 7 Kittiwakes, 4 Guillemots, 150 Razorbills, 900+ unidentified auks, 81 Red-throated and 3 unidentified Divers and 2 Rock Pipits. Stopping at the Adur on the way home at low tide I saw 4 Grey Plovers, an adult Mediterranean and 800 Common Gulls and a Mistle Thrush. 

Great Crested Grebes off Shoreham Harbour

Common Gull JE64. It was ringed at Kongsgård, Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway in April 2006 when already at least in its fourth year making it at least 19 now. It was also seen at Dawlish Warren in February 2014

Friday 05 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands for a change of scenery. The male Pochard, 2 female Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a smart Coal Tit and a decent if somewhat brief view of a Cetti's Warbler were nice but the coast was shrouded in sea mist and attempts to find any Sanderling on the beach were soon curtailed as we couldn't see the sea from halfway down the beach.

Thursday 04 February. 07:45-09:45 at Widewater produced 10 Brent Geese, 2 Shelduck,  41 Kittiwakes, 3700 auks (10% were identified, all Razorbills), 85 Red-throated Divers, Fulmar, 118 Gannets and a Kingfisher on the lagoon. I stopped at the Adur at low tide but it was disappointing with 4 Grey Plover, a North Thames Herring Gull and 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A Curlew and 16 Oystercatchers were seen during a brief look from Coronation Green. 

Red-throated Diver east

an untraced bangled Common Gull that I'd seen on the Adur last February

another odd looking Herring Gull on the Adur

Herring Gull G2JT. A North Thames bird ringed as 1CY at Pitsea in November 2014 and seen at Shoreham Harbour in January 2015, Pitsea and Beddingham that October, the Adur and Beddingham the following month, Beddingham in January 2016, Pitsea in March 2016, the Thames Barrier Park in August 2017 and on the Adur in December 2019, January 2020 and several times since November

Another week around Shoreham (28 January-03 February)

Wednesday 03 February. With the promise of a SE wind I went to Widewater for an early seawatch. Despite BBC Weather showing a couple of hours of SE when I left home it was light NW when I arrived. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, when I'd looked the previous evening and made my plans t was shown as a morning of SE. The sea was fairly calm with an offshore wind and visibility there was poor, half a mile at best. It was very quiet for the first half hour but then suddenly picked up as presumable a shoal of fish moved closer. In a very active hour, mostly in heavy rain, 70 Gannets were offshore and 2 Great Crested Grebes, 10 auks of which at least 5 were Razorbills, 7 Red-throated and a Black-throated Divers were seen on the sea fairly close to the shore. Flying east were 8 Brent Geese, 2 Oystercatchers, a Kittiwake, 550 Herring Gulls (but only single figures of other gull species), 1170 auks (of which 67 were identified as Razorbills) and 55 divers (including presumably the same Black-throated and 39 Red-throateds). Again no duck were seen which was disappointing. Seven Little Grebes and a Kingfisher were seen on the lagoon, nothing amongst the gulls at Harbour Way and 2 Teal, 3 Oystercatchers, 129 Lapwings, a Grey Plover, 9 Redshank and 50 Common, 8 Great and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Adur opposite Shoreham Airport. Sadly no American sparrows in my garden, not that I was looking ... 

poor image of Common Gull JL207 on the Adur. It was ringed as an adult in a colony just west of Oslo in April 2019 and I saw it once on the Adur last February. Welcome back to West Sussex

Tuesday 02 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Cissbury, the furthest I've been during lockdown but Megan needed to visit a garden centre to get some stuff for the allotment. It was expectedly quiet although a Treecreeper in the woods was nice (and my first of the year). Also seen were 2 Kestrels, Raven, 3 Sky Larks, Goldcrest, 30 Redwings, male Stonechat and 3 Greenfnches.

Treecreeper at Cissbury

Monday 01 February. Megan and I took Cookie to Harbour Way, walked to the Adur Ferry Bridge and returned along the boardwalk and around the Fort. It was very quiet with a Great Crested Grebe and 2 Razorbills on the sea, a Red-throated Diver west and 5 Turnstones at the Fort.

Sunday 31 January. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill where, between 09:30 and 10:50 I saw 15 species, the most interesting being single Buzzard, Peregrine and Long-tailed Tit.

dark Buzzard on Mill Hill

Saturday 30 January. I seawatched from 08:20-10:30 at Widewater, sheltering by a beach hut from a moderate easterly wind. It was drizzly with poor visibility (maybe halfway to Rampion) and the majority of birds seen were close. The only duck seen, in what has been a very poor start to the year for them off (and on) Widewater, were a pair of Pintail, my first this year. On the sea and moving close offshore I identified similar numbers of Guillemots (34) and Razorbills (35), having managed just one of the former this year. Also seen were 2 Great Crested Grebes, 59 Kittiwakes (most flying E), 18 unidentified auks, 7 Red-throated and 4 unidentified divers, 3 Fulmars and about 80 Gannets.

 
Friday 29 January. I took Cookie up to the Beeding Hill car park and we walked along the Monarch's Way, up to Truleigh Hill and back along the top of Room Bottom. A strong wind kept birds down and in a little over two hours I saw 21 species. These included a Red Kite, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 600+ Jackdaws, 2 Ravens, 3 Sky Larks (and 3 heard), c925 Starlings, a Fieldfare, 6 Meadow Pipits, 3 Goldfinches, c185 Corn Buntings (including a flock of 180) and 2 Yellowhammers.

skirting Room Bottom

Thursday 28 January. Megan and I took Cookie to the Lancing Ring car park and walked around Steepdown in a strong NW wind. We saw Green Woodpecker, 2 Peregrines, 23 Sky Larks, 3 Redwing, a male Stonechat, 2 Linnets and 14 Corn and 9 Reed Buntings.

Little change around Shoreham (21-27 January)

Wednesday 27 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Widewater and walked along to Lancing Beach Green and back. The wader roost opposite Eastern Sands comprised 46 Ringed Plover and 172 Dunlin and we also saw 2 Teal, 4 Little Grebes, Grey Heron, Little Egret and Kingfisher on the lagoon. It was mild (and murky with little wind) but was still a surprise to hear one of the Little Grebes singing and chasing another. At home I rescued an 'Ashy' Wood Pigeon that had fallen down our chimney and flew off strongly when released in the garden. I hope it learnt its lesson. Very little on the Adur late afternoon, not helped by the presence of two bait diggers. I saw 2 Oystercatchers, a Grey Plover, 7 Redshank and Little Egret.

Kingfisher on Widewater

Dunlin roosting on the beach

and Ringed Plover

Tuesday 26 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Harbour Way, walked to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back via the boardwalk and Shoreham Fort. One of the Purple Sandpipers was feeding briefly under the west arm before flying to join a Turnstone the wooden jetty. An auk and 15 Gannets were seen off-shore. Late afternoon on the Adur with Cookie I saw a Little Grebe, just one Grey Plover, 3 Redshank and over 2000 gulls. A smart first-winter Mediterranean Gull flew south down the river but didn't stop. Otherwise going through the roosting/bathing gulls in a gusting wind, intermittent drizzle and fading light was disappointing. No colour-rings, no more Meds, poor views of a potential first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Lesser and 10 Great Black-backs, 300+ Black-headed, 450 Common and 1400 Herring Gulls.

Purple Sandpiper under the western arm of Shoreham Harbour

Monday 25 January. Megan and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill on a clear frosty morning. We saw 16 species including a Stock Dove, 13 Song and a Mistle Thrush, 13 Robins and a male Bullfinch. Later on the Adur with Cookie I saw c100 scattered Lapwings, 5 Grey and 41 Ringed Plovers, 102 Dunlin and 12 Redshank.

Robin at Mill Hill

one of thirteen Song Thrushes seen at Mill Hill

Sunday 24 January. I sea-watched from Widewater in unpleasant conditions - strong SE from which it was hard to shelter from and persistent rain. In 90 minutes I saw 4 Brent Geese, a Teal, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, Great Crested Grebe, Oystercatcher, 17 Turnstones, Kittiwake, 28 unidentified auks, a Red-throated and 3 unidentified divers, my first Fulmar of the year and 48 Gannets.

Saturday 23 January. Cookie and I met David Buckingham at Steyning Round Hill and we walked down to No Man's Land and on towards Cissbury returning along the Monarch's Way. Some nearby shots on the way back had Cookie pulling me up the hill in her haste to return to the car. Until that point an enjoyable walk with decent number of small birds around. I saw 2 Stock Doves, 21 Lapwings, 2 Buzzards, a Merlin, 2 Kestrels, a Raven, 36 Sly Larks, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Redwings, 11 Stonechats (7 males), 2 Meadow Pipits, 2 Chaffinches, 60 Linnets, 14 Corn Buntings and 23 Yellowhammers.

Stonechat at No Man's Land

Friday 22 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Dacre Gardens and walked up along the river to Bramber and back via Beeding Hill car park. Few birds were around although I saw 11 Sky Larks, 7 Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail. Later 5 Turnstones and a Purple Sandpiper but there was no sign of the New Salts Farm Barn Owl between 16:20-17:05 when I cycled home just making it before a following rain cloud.

Stonechat near Bramber

Grey Wagtail at Dacre Gardens

Purple Sandpiper at Shoreham Fort

Thursday 21 January. After an unsuccessful look for the New Salts Farm Barn Owl I visited Widewater seeing 3 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Kittiwakes, 3 Razorbills and 12 unidentified auks, 23 Gannets, 3 Cormorants and a Red-throated Diver. A colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull was at Harbour Way (Nick Bond seeing it and another later), Sparrowhawk and Black Redstart at the Sailing Club but nothing at the Fort. I counted 139 Lapwings and 5 Grey Plover opposite the airport during a quick look at the Adur on my way home, both were my highest counts there this year. 

Great Black-backed Gull 628, ringed as a chick at Portland on 28 June 2016 and subsequently seen at Boulogne-sur-mer in April 2018, Portland during October-early December 2018, the Axe Estuary in mid December 2018 and Portland again in April 2020.

Black Redstart in Shoreham Sailing Club

Another week in Shoreham (13-20 January)

Wednesday 20 January. Another miserable day. Megan and I took Cookie to Harbour Way, walked along the south side of the Adur to the Adur Ferry Bridge and back by the boardwalk, Shoreham Fort and Sailing Club. Despite the low tide few gulls were seen with nothing of any interest amongst them. There were more kite-surfers than birds off-shore with a flock of 13 Brent Geese, 2 unidentified auks and 4 Gannets flying east. A few distant waders from the Ferry Bridge weren't worth closer inspection, nothing at the Fort and 2 Turnstones by the Sailing Club. Maybe not a great day birdwise but NO MORE TRUMP!!!

Tuesday 19 January. I left home at 07:00 and was at New Salts Farm at 07:15. It was very dark and squally but I was able to overlook the Dog's Trust field from the car. At 07:30, with it still being close to pitch black, the Barn Owl appeared in front of me. I quickly exited the car and watched it for 17 minutes as it flew low around the field, often at the back and sometimes briefly behind the brambles, before flying west over the road, presumably to roost. It was good to have such a lovely bird as subject for my repaired camera although even at 07:47 the light was very poor. Flushed with success I headed to Shoreham Fort but there was no sign of the Iceland or Caspian Gull despite looking around the area for a couple of hours. With the gate to the harbour arm open I tried a short seawatch from the end seeing 2 Great Crested Grebes on the sea, 35 unidentified auks and 46 Gannets flying east and 2 Kittiwakes, 55 unidentified auks and 2 Razorbills flying west. Another check through the gulls at Harbour Way failed to produce the goods and a look through at the not very many gulls on the Adur on the way home was no more successful with 2 Grey Plover and 7 Redshank little compensation.

Barn Owl at the Dog's Trust

Monday 18 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Mil Hill. I recorded 23 species but few were notable - a Peregrine on a distant chimney, 16 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes and single Sky Lark, Long-tailed Tit and Greenfinch. Relaxing at home a WhatsApp message that a Barn Owl had been seen hunting by the Dog's Trust at New Salts Farm on previous evenings had me heading there. Unfortunately I didn't hear the ping for the next message, sent just after I'd left home, that there was an Iceland Gull on at the Harbour entrance by Shoreham Fort. It would have taken priority but I failed to look at my phone until I'd been at New Salts Farm for 10-15 minutes, missing a couple of further pings in the process. The Iceland Gull had disappeared, there was a Caspian Gull there. It seemed too late to dash although if I'd been thinking straight I would not have misinterpreted a final message that it was back to mean the Caspian when it was obviously about the Iceland. AAGH, though probably still not enough time as my car was five minutes away. At New Salts Farm I saw my first Sparrowhawk of the year and a Stonechat but the Barn Owl never showed. Disappointing, but being retired there is usually tomorrow ...

distant Peregrine on the old cement factory chimney

Sunday 17 January. The wind had gone around to the NW and it was very clear. Widewater log (08:25-10:05): Oystercatcher 4E, Kittiwake 2W, unidentified auk 225E:980W, Razorbill 6E:13W:9o/sea, Red-throated Diver 5E:13W:4o/s, Gannet 36E:24W, Cormorant 8E:38W and Peregrine off-shore. Also a Kingfisher was at the eastern end of the lagoon. The Peregrine was spotted being harassed by about 15 Herring Gulls and was watched for several minutes trying to shake off the gulls while hunting low over the sea. On three occasions as it presumably attempted to stoop, from quite a low height, onto an auk a resulting splash suggested the auk had escaped underwater. Stopping at the Adur on the way home I saw 2 Grey Plover, 7 Redshank and few gulls.

Saturday 16 January. In a strong SW wind and heavy rain I sheltered as best I could in hut 62 at Widewater seeing just 2 Turnstones on the beach and 4 Gannets west. Harbour way was no better with nothing of note amongst 120 or so Herring Gulls.

Friday 15 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Lancing Ring car park and walked around Steepdown. We saw Red Kite, Kestrel, 11 Sky Larks, a female Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, 5 Goldfinches and 8 Corn and 10 Reed Buntings. Back home in the evening my repaired camera lens had arrived. Great to have it back, as good as new, but after breaking it (a fall of 15 inches onto a carpet) I'm handling it as if it is made of eggshells.

Ash Dieback work at Lancing Ring resembling something on the HS2 route

Red Kite at Steepdown

Corn Bunting at Steepdown

trying out my repaired lens in the garden

Thursday 14 January. Another damp and windy day, Megan and I took Cookie to Brooklands seeing 3 adult Mute Swans (a newly established pair chasing an imposter), the male Pochard, 11 Moorhen, 13 Coot, Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard only) and 8 Goldfinches. 

Pochard at Brooklands

Mute Swans on Brooklands seeing off an unwelcome visitor

Wednesday 13 January. Megan and I took Cookie to Widewater and we walked along to Lancing Beach Green and back. We saw 2 adult Mute Swans (last year's youngster having been encouraged to leave home), Teal, 8 Little Grebes, 2 Oystercatchers, 57 Ringed Plovers and 113 Dunlin roosting by Eastern Sands, Grey Heron, 3 Little Egrets and a Kingfisher. Megan had to go into town so we stopped at the Adur Rec and while she did so I took Cookie to the Adur saltings viewpoint seeing 49 Teal, the Curlew, 2 Common Snipe, 16 Redshank, the Greenshank and a Reed Bunting.

hut 55 at Widewater

Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank and with a bit of imagination Common Snipe on Adur saltings