Goring, 17th December 2017

Today's highlights were an eastbound Snow Bunting over Goring Beach Huts, a Brambling exiting a garden on the west side of the Gap and a female Blackcap in the scrub in the north-west corner. Birds logged during an hour's seawatch included three Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Shelduck, four Wigeon, nine Teal, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 15 Red-throated Divers, five Gannets, eight Great Crested Grebes, two Kittiwakes and a distant auk offshore.

Two Redshanks were feeding on the beach, along with a handful of Turnstones, Sanderlings and Oystercatchers but the tide did not allow meaningful counts of these species during today's visit. The high tide roost field, however, contained 410 Dunlin, 44 Grey Plovers, 43 Ringed Plovers and an adult Mediterranean Gull. Other sightings included seven Skylarks, six Fieldfares, 14 Redwings, two Mistle Thrushes, two separate Stonechats and 50 Goldfinches.

Redshank and Sanderling