Easter Seawatch

 I decided to head for Seaford this morning thinking this was going to be the best weather for a Seawatch this weekend. First proper one of the Spring. Arrived just before 7AM and left  after 11AM  so 4+ hours. Weather was grey, a bit of a wind, sort of easterly/ north easterly. Was joined by a few others as the morning progressed which is always handy more eyes generally means more seen!! 

To start I had a quick look for a Black Redstart on the rocks, but no sign, plenty of Kittiwakes about though which is encouraging after the rock falls!

Kittiwake, bit gloomy

I headed up on to the slipway, noticed a Chiffchaff having a rest, presumably fresh in from the Sea. I set up on the other side so as not to disturb it, after about 10 mins with the arrival of another Birder it headed off inland!!

Chiffchaff

Scope up, a Red-throated Diver came through, but it soon became obvious that today was gonna be a Scoter kind of day as several flocks went through, all told in the 4 hours there was between 700 and 800 Common Scoter, through. I'm not very good at the counting side of things, spend to long mucking about with Cameras, but the other birder had counted 560 by the time he left and there were at least 200 through after!!

Common Scoter

Ferry reversing out

Oystercatcher

Great Crested Grebe, there were up to six on the Sea throughout the day, even saw a couple doing a bit of a dance

Common Scoter, flocks ranged in size from 60 to 2 !!

They never come that close but these were ok, with good scope views

The other major feature of the watch were Terns, several went through over the basket, mainly Sandwich, but had one group of "Commic" Terns through, think my pic shows at least one was a Common Tern with the black tip to the red bill, typically most of the pics are sadly blurred, others thought there was at least a couple of Arctic Tern, hopefully their pics will confirm or otherwise!!

Common Tern, black tip to long bill and only inner primaries translucent!

Sandwich Tern

 Nice to see Terns returning!! Saw my first Swallow of the year today in off the Sea, nice to see a March one!! A Peregrine came in, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers went through, a Pintail was in with a flock of Scoter. Couple of Shelduck went east, a Greylag went west, a few Gannets knocking about, a few Red-throated Divers went through, though none close enough for a decent pic. I got a couple of Med Gulls heading into Newhaven that no one else got onto, there were a couple of Guillemots on the Sea one of which I tried to string into a Slav Grebe 😏in my defence it was stretching its neck 😂Several flocks of Brent Geese went East totalling approximately 60 birds. We also had two waders go high east those of us who got on em, felt they were a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Whimbrel!

Red-throated Diver

Rock Pipit, only one today and it stayed at the end of the slipway

Lifeboat getting a Brent Goose flyby

Brent Geese

Great Black-backed Gull

More Brents

Guillemot 

Scoter with Pintail in the middle, think we checked every flock of Scoters for Velvets with no success😢

Red-throated Diver

So a highly enjoyable morning, despite having a fancy-dan new chair, I stood up the whole time, much to the detriment of my Calves and Thighs 😢😏😂 wasn't that cold, only four layers and no balaclava!!! Good company as well always handy when more knowledgeable birders are in the group!!! 

Full log as best as I can remember below

Common Scoter 800 (East) (Approx)

Sandwich Terns 50 (East) (Approx probably had ten lots go past ranging from 2 to groups of 8 so 

                                          could  be more, could be less as well, told you I'm not very good at counting😂)

Commic Terns  7 (East)

Common Tern 1  (East)

Brent Geese 60 (East)

Gannets       12+ blogging about

Great Crested Grebes 6 (on sea)

Guillemots 3 (2on sea , 1 East)

Auk Sp (2 East)

Swallow 1 (in off)

Bar-tailed Godwit 1 (East)

Whimbrel 1 (East)

Oystercatcher 2 

Red-breasted Merganser 2 (East)

Pintail 1 (East) 

Fulmars and Kittiwakes Several 

Seal 1 

Chiffchaff 1

Rock Pipit 1

Black-headed Gulls 8 (East)

Greylag Goose 1 (West) 

Peregrine 1 (In Off)

A good start to the season, would like a few Skuas next time please!!!!!

Local Again!

 With the car out of commission, it was another local walk this morning. Margie and I heading to the foothills of Wolstonbury, but deciding not to go up it!! 😂 If anything we saw less than I saw yesterday, although the later start meant a bit of raptor action with good views of a couple of Kestrels hunting, a Female Sparrowhawk chasing a Male, he was fairly shifting so she might of been trying to eat him rather then s#@g him!!😱😱😲. We had good views of a pair of Ravens flying around the hilltop, though distant as we were at the bottom!! Also had very good views of a Stock Dove and finally got to see a Chiffchaff rather than just hear them!! Hurrah!!😂 Few pics below, the light was terrible today and the birds not very cooperative, well that's my excuse for the lack of quality and I'm sticking to it!!

Snakeshead in the Garden, got a couple this year though none of the ones I planted around the pond have appeared, Margie said they wouldn't til next year!! Only three "told you so" at time of writing!! To be fair she's often right, though don't ask her directions😂😂

Mistle Thrush singing in a tree halfway down Brighton Road

Greylag

Canada Goose

Mallard, laying low

Egyptian Geese

Dead tree needs a Vulture in it or at the very least a Red Kite, sadly lacking today

Goldfinch on wire

Robin on a wire

Roe Deer in a field

Ravens high in the sky

Kestrel, I've had to lighten these quite alot

Sparrowhawk

HPP Church

Stock Dove

Common Buzzard

Annoying the locals

Chiffchaff

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Saw quite a few Hoverflies today and this Peacock Butterfly!

Another long trek for not much reward, I've done 24000 steps in the last two days which is good for me average!! But wouldn't have minded a few more sightings per mile!! Hopefully have the car back next week!!!!!