The sea was busy at Goring Gap this morning, a fitting way to finish the year. Some 90 Red-breasted Mergansers and 85 Great Crested Grebes were feeding, while seven Razorbills, two Wigeon and three Teal paused offshore. 23 Red-throated Divers included a few feeding birds. Eight Kittiwakes, 222 auks (mostly Razorbills but all very distant), four Gannets and three Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew past. On the beach were 76 Sanderlings, 20 Turnstones, 35 Grey Plovers, 10 Oystercatchers and upwards of 150 Dunlin. 128 Common Gulls and 21 Mediterranean Gulls were counted, as were 10 Skylarks.
A very quick stop at Buckland Sand Pit, where I peered through the fence by Dungates Lane, featured seven Gadwall, a few Wigeon calling, three Coal Tits (one singing), a singing Goldcrest and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker (these sounds creating quite an optimistic soundscape!).
