Thursday 25 October 2018

Goring Gap

A fairly uneventful day, with a push of 333 Gannets, 65 Common Gulls and seven Common Scoters offshore being the highlights, along with two Reed Buntings, and good numbers of Pied Wagtails in the fields - around 40 - with a Grey Wagtail looking a little out of place picking through the plough with them. 20 Siskins and four redpolls flew over, along with around 100 Goldfinches, 29 Meadow Pipits and 10 Linnets. On the beach were two Grey Plovers, 12 Dunlin, 29 Sanderlings, 10 Ringed Plovers, 63 Turnstones, 12 Oystercatchers seven Little Egrets and a Grey Heron. Just two Mediterranean Gulls were around. Singles of Kestrel and Sparrowhawk were noted, along with three Chiffchaffs, two Stonechats, four Goldcrests and two Jackdaws. I enjoyed spending a few minutes watching two Jays foraging boldly in the open at close range on the disturbed ground in the northwest corner, but it wasn't clear what they were gathering.

Jay