Sortie to Shoreham!!!

 I was tempted to head back to Uckfield and try for the Waxwings with the Sun out, however in the end Margie and I decided to head down to Shoreham, basically the only place we could think off where we wouldn't be up to our butts in mud!!😂 We started at Widewater, beautiful sunny weather with a fresh breeze, ok it was blooming freezing but lovely in the sunshine. We eventually figured out the carpark App😱 and headed off!!  A showy Stonechat in the car park made for a good start, a profusion Swans and several Little Grebes added to the fun, no sign of any Red-breasted Mergansers, which I'd been hoping for!!

Friendly Robin in the Carpark

Equally friendly Stonechat, also in the Carpark 

Some of Margie's pics of the Scenery and the Swans below.
 

Mute Swan

Couple of last years youngsters

Widewater

Widewater the other way

Also Widewater

The Sea was quiet

Brighton in the distance

Nice views of Little Grebes, Redshank, a Little Egret and the local Sparrows showed well in the bushes.

Not sure what this Redshank is looking at in Margie's picture!

I can take pics of Swans as well!

Little Egret

Redshank

Little Grebe

Two Little Grebes

Redshank

House Sparrow

We had reached the end of the Lagoon and rather head on to Lancing decided to retrace our steps with a view to moving on somewhere else, quite a lot of Gulls here!

1st Winter Herring Gull

Redshank

Kestrel, didn't come close, but blue sky!!!

Black-headed Gull

So so far so average, I was just bemoaning the lack of Kingfishers, when I spotted one on a shed roof the other side of the water, got a couple of record shots, when it flew off!! Bugger!! Hang on it's heading this way!!Whoop, whoop!! Landed right in front of us and hung around for pics!!! Even more whoops!!😂😁

What a beauty!!A female with the red bottom of the bill!

Among the best views I've had of a Kingy and sunlight, hurrah!!

Eventually the bird flew off, probably to save my camera battery!! We carried on back to the car, more of the same really with the Stonechats performing well!!

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Little Grebe

A final Gull!

Well pumped from the Kingfisher encounter we decided to head to Shoreham Fort, I was hoping for a Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper but it was very quiet, with a friendly Pied Wagtail and some equally cooperative Turnstones the best of it!!

Beach and Blue Sky by Margie

Turnstone by Margie

And again

Pied Wagtail by Me

My attempt at the Turnstones, Don't worry I wasn't laying down they were on the Sea Wall!! I'd still be there had I attempted it 😂

Plenty of Gulls about!!

Great Black-backed Gull

Cormorant

We decided to stop off at the Southwick Canal on the off chance the Great Northern Diver that had been reported was still about!! It was!! we're on fire!! There was also a Red-breasted Merganser!! Result😂!

Red-breasted Merganser, the Sun so helpful with the Kingfisher let me down here, damn flaming ball of gas!!

You wouldn't believe how much I had to lighten these pics!! On to the Diver!!!

Great Northern Diver

Saw it catch a couple of Crabs

To be fair. It's got some moves!!

I know toooooo many pics😏😲, can't help it quality bird, suck it up😂!!! Interesting watching a couple of Cormorants trying to rob the Diver of his catch, it just casually submerged under the water, they gave up fairly quickly!! 

Were also another couple of Stonechats here!!

Loving the blue sky

That was about it!! We headed to Hassocks, in search of more Waxwings but directions were vague and we couldn't find em😢 We did see a Red Kite and a few Redwings!! 

A pretty good day, made fairly great by a Kingfisher and a Diver!!!!