Not a lot this week; I’m not sure if this is really down to a real lack of birds, or birders choosing (like me) to stay in and avoid a soaking. For there was much drizzle, rain and wind all week, although Valentine’s Day was clear and sunny and an ideal time to search one of the county’s many Goshawks which are up in the sky and displaying right now (photo taken near Arundel on 14th by Adam Huttly attached).
A Red-necked Grebe was on the sea at Worthing on 9th and a seawatch from there the following day produced two Black-throated Divers and three Velvet Scoters. A Slavonian Grebe flew west off Selsey Bill on 9th and one was on the sea at Church Norton on 11th. The long-staying bird at Platinum Jubilee CP (Chichester) was still present on 14th.
Last week’s American Wigeon at Scotney GP was seen at the western (East Sussex) end on 11th and 12th. The 2cy drake Greater Scaup was there again on 14th. Nearby the four Tundra Bean Geese and three Pink-footed Geese, just over the border in Kent, were seen flying around our Sussex airspace, albeit briefly, on 11th.
Russian White-fronted Geese continued to be reported from Amberley Wild Brooks and Pulborough Brooks with up to fifty birds counted on 14th. Similar numbers (c40) were still reported from the Cuckmere Valley and the three 2cy birds at Pagham Hbr were noted again on 11th.
The three Whooper Swans were still present at Jury’s Gap on 13th and 14th , and the pair of Glossy Ibis was again at Combe Valley CP (St Leonards) on 14th. The three mobile Common Cranes flew southeast over Pulborough Brooks on 11th.
There was a distinct lack of scarcer seagulls with just a couple of Little Gulls reported, a 2cy flying along the beach at Church Norton on 14th and an adult on the Adur, south of Shoreham Toll Bridge, on 15th.
Water Pipits were present, as usual, at West Rise Marsh (Eastbourne) but there was just one report elsewhere (a single at Icklesham on 9th. )
A good candidate for Siberian Chiffchaff was observed at the water treatment works, Rodmell Brooks, on 9th.
Up to six Hawfinches were at West Dean Woods on 9th and 14th and others were at North Chailey (four on 10th) and Weir Wood Res (one on 11th).
