Window to Wildlife

 Since my last posting, our birding has been very slow, operating under the constraints of local exercise, with all outings on foot, and around Shoreham and the surrounding area. On 9th January I met with Becky for a socially distanced walk to Shoreham Beach. I showed her where we had seen the Dartford Warbler earlier in the week and with her sharp eyes she quickly spotted it actively feeding at the base of the Valerian growing in the shingle. We watched it for several minutes and enjoyed good views. A few Greenfinch were feeding on some shrubs and looked stunning, with the low early morning light enhancing their forest green colouring. We continued along the boardwalk to Shoreham Fort area. The tide was wrong for the local Purple Sandpipers, but the regular Rock Pipit was feeding in some puddles along the rough harbour wall and at the sailing club we were delighted to find not just the female Black Redstart reported regularly over the last week, but a gorgeous male bird, with smar...

 Another day, another walk for our local daily exercise. Heading along the river from home, we again picked up a smattering of Grey Plover and Redshanks and a small mixed flock of Dunlin (5) and Ringed Plover (34). There were also plenty of Lapwing unusually resting all along the riverbank, as they are normally gathered close together in a single area. A female Blackcap was our first of the year, foraging in a tree by the old Tollbridge. Further upstream, an exceptionally large number of Redwing were actively feeding on berries along the river bank bushes and in  the shrubs and trees lining the cycle path. There must have been hundreds of these birds, their rufous underwings and creamy striped heads showing well in the sunshine and giving a gentle ‘tseeip’ as they flew. By contrast we only managed 2 Fieldfare, larger than the Redwing with beautiful purple-grey and chestnut markings and a golden brown streaked breast. Both are very attractive winter thrushes.  There were p...

 Each month during winter Tim completes a Webs count (wetland bird survey). He also does a low tide count. The high tide counts are suspended during lockdown as it involves standing at a particular public location peering through the scope for a couple of hours, which is not in line with current guidance. The low tide count covers a slightly different area and involves a walk around the river and nature reserve. As a concession we left the scopes at home and completed the survey via our daily exercise from home. Birds seen were: 18 Oystercatcher 50 Redshank 1 Greenshank 40 Teal 1 Curlew (new ✔️) 1 Kingfisher 30 Turnstone 1 Brent Goose 28 Ringed Plover 4 Grey Plover 4 Little Egret 70 Lapwing Annual tally now at 77.

 After a rainy day confined to the house, we managed to get out again this afternoon as the weather cleared. Although still quite cold, the sun came through and we wandered over to the beach again. As we crossed the Ferry Bridge I noticed a cluster of Ringed Plover by the river’s edge and then a small movement in the salt marsh alerted me to the presence of a couple of Linnets - another new tick for the year. We walked along the boardwalk on the beach with a particular target bird in mind that had been reported by other birders in the last few days. Scanning the silvery vegetation that grows on the beach we spotted a Wren and then a group of Greenfinch - another tick. Finally, I caught the briefest of glimpses of a small, dark bird that perched briefly on top of a small bush before disappearing from view. As I tried to describe to Tim and another birder where it was, it flew low over the shingle, a long tail now obvious. We saw roughly where it landed and moved cautiously along the...

 A dreary and drizzly day, scheduled to be indoors,  but we were lured out by the prospect of a reported Caspian Gull on the mudflats near the old Tollbridge. We had just made a cup of tea and were dismantling the Christmas tree when the call came through, so by the time we arrived there was sadly no sign of the bird - or the experts who may have helped us identify it! However, I was finally able to spot a Little Egret, spearing for fish in a tidal pool, and downstream there were three dumpy Grey Plovers on the water’s edge and a lone Brent Goose, quite an unusual sighting locally, although they are common elsewhere,  notably around the Chichester area. So three compensatory ticks to make up for missing the target bird, bringing my tally to date to 73. On the way home the resident Kingfisher brightened the day with an appearance beneath the railway bridge. Brent Goose Kingfisher

 Keeping it local once again, we set out around 9am in the direction of Shoreham Beach. Pausing at Town Quay to look over the river, we were pleased to find the Greenshank we had missed two days ago, feeding in a pool at low tide.  Arriving at the beach, it was immediately apparent that there were again huge numbers of Gannets feeding and diving offshore, this time at a much closer range, so that they could be seen even without binoculars. Their brilliant white colour contrasting with ink black wingtips looked magnificent as they turned in the light, and plunged rapidly downwards, with a silver splash into the sea. There were literally hundreds spread in groups along the front making quite a spectacle.  Also we could see good numbers of auks tracking close to the water’s surface in small groups. Some settled on the sea, and through the scopes we could see these were Razorbills, with their blunt heads and over-sized bills. Later in the day hundreds were reported as present...

 Having explored the coast yesterday, we headed inland today, in search of habitats new! We drove a short distance to Woods Mill nature reserve, where we parked and set out along the public footpath opposite the reserve towards Henfield levels. This is a great spot for Nightingales in summer, but today the shrub-lined path held an abundance of Blue tits and Great Tits, and on the return journey we also heard calling Bullfinch, but unfortunately did not manage to locate these.  Crossing the muddy fields we encountered a Buzzard drifting slowly across, then a pair of glossy Ravens cronking noisily from the girders of a pylon before flying purposefully out of sight. A streaky Meadow Pipit alighted in the hedgerow and a Stonechat flitted continuously from reed to ground and back again. On reaching the Downslink cycle path we stood at a gate to scan the fields beyond, where the flooding began. On grassy strips between the flooding many Redwing and Fieldfare were feeding on the grou...

 Last year it was great to kick the New Year off with friends Becky and Sue and brother Andy at Pulborough then Waltham Brooks. As we were unable to meet this year, we decided to each stay local and have our own sibling bird race in our own restricted areas. Sue and Keith, who bumped into Mike in the morning visited Poole Park and Baiter Park, then walked across to Upton country park in the afternoon. Andy marooned in Essex visited Hornchurch Country Park and Harrow Lodge Park. Jenny and Tim walked 8 miles from home in Shoreham via Widewater beach to Brooklands park in Lancing and back. Highlights for Sue included a lifetime tick with a White fronted Goose and the always special Avocet.  Andy had local speciality Ring necked Parakeet and did well with winter thrushes, finding both Redwing and Fieldfare. Jen and Tim benefited from scoping the sea and finding a Great Northern Diver, which Tim had failed to find at all in 2020. (Jen had seen one with Sue and Nip on their sisters ...