There was great excitement at the start of the week in the Worthing area after a Stone-curlew was seen landing on the beach at Widewater on 6th. After taking flight and heading inland it was later found in a field by the Bamber Primary School, although it proved very difficult to see amongst the vegetation (photo by Mike Galtry attached). It’s a tempting thought that the calls of a Stone-curlew, sound-recorded at night a few hours later as it flew over Birdham, some 30km west of there, might have come from the very same bird.
Further east along the coast there were Black-throated Divers recorded off Market Terrace, St Leonards on 8th and Birling Gap on 11th . A Velvet Scoter flew past Selsey Bill on 8th. A drake Green-winged Teal was seen and photographed at Pett level on 9th and there were a few reports of Garganey: a pair was at Combe Valley CP and six flew east off Selsey Bill on 7th ; another pair was at Pulborough Brooks on 8th and 9th.
The two Glossy Ibises were again at Combe Valley CP on 7th although just one bird was reported since (on 11th). The bird at Pagham Hbr was seen again on 7th. A Russian White-fronted Goose was at Horse Eye Level (Pevensey) on 7th and a Common Crane flew north over Lewes on 11th.
Little Terns have started trickling in with reports from Church Norton on 6th, and Birling Gap and Rye Hbr on 8th. A 2cy Little Gull was still at East Trout Lake (Chichester GP) on 7th and 8th.
The first Hobby of the spring was noted over Steyning on 9th and there were flyover Ospreys at Bignor and East Preston on 6th , and Arundel WWT on 10th.
There were first arrivals for Cuckoo (at Small Dole on 9th), Whinchat (Steep Down on 8th), Nightingale (Pulborough and Waltham Brooks on 7th) and Pied Flycatcher (a male at Clapham Wood on 6th). The first Reed Warbler was at Shinewater Park (Eastbourne) on 6th and Whitethroats started popping up the following day in East Sussex with sightings at Beachy Head, Shinewater and Bewl Water. A singing male Lesser Whitethroat was at Pagham Hbr on 8th and a Garden Warbler at Henfield Levels on 10th.
Three Ring Ouzels were at Beachy Head on 7th and a Serin was noted there the following day. Tree Pipits appear to be already settling on the Ashdown Forest with two singing birds found there on 12th. At least two Water Pipits were found still lingering in the Combe Valley CP on 11th.
