Friday 5 January 2018

Goring/Ferring

This particular patch visit was enlivened by the company of Ian J, down from Surrey to check out my new stomping grounds. We started with a seawatch, which produced a Velvet Scoter, six Pintails, two Mute Swans, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose, two Red-throated Divers, six Great Crested Grebes, 11 Gannets and 14 Red-breasted Mergansers. Small numbers of Turnstones, Sanderlings and Oystercatchers were along the shore, though we didn't manage meaningful counts of these species. Later, in the roost field at high tide were 330 Dunlin and 73 Ringed Plovers, while four adult Mediterranean Gulls were in the area. Other sightings at Goring Gap included the wintering Stonechat pair, a Fieldfare, a Redwing, four Skylarks, a Green Woodpecker and a Grey Heron.

A quick walk up and down Ferring Rife added two Grey Herons, three Moorhens, a Kestrel, a Redwing and a Green Woodpecker.