Thursday 25 July 2019

Goring Gap, Adur Estuary, Botolphs, Coombes and Brooklands Park

A partial walk of Goring Gap this morning produced a juvenile Sedge Warbler, a Grey Wagtail, five Swallows, a Ringed Plover, three Swifts, a Coal Tit, two Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Turnstones, a Sandwich Tern, four Skylarks, a Blackcap and two Whitethroats.

My next stop was the Adur Estuary, where from the toll bridge I at last located a couple of waders: a Common Sandpiper and a Dunlin. Two adult Mediterranean Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, five Swallows, seven House Martins, a Little Egret, 12 Mute Swans, a Pied Wagtail and a Linnet were also logged.

I was curious to check out a couple of spots further upriver. Botolphs had little other than two Treecreepers, a Little Egret, a Buzzard, two Song Thrushes and singles of Mute Swan, Whitethroat, Skylark, Pied Wagtail and Green Woodpecker, but I made a mental note that the surrounding paddocks looked promising.

The Adur itself once again looked very appealing at Coombes, where four Grey Herons, a Little Egret and good numbers of gulls were gathered on the mud. An adult Peregrine was training a youngster up above and 20 House Martins were visible on Lancing College, with some visiting the river with a Swallow. Three Swifts and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were also noted.

adult male Peregrine over Coombes

Brooklands Park had a reasonable number of gulls, with three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls in the ranks, along with a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A Common Sandpiper showed well on the main island, a House Martin flew over and two Goldcrests were along the stream. Three Cormorants and the usual family of Mute Swans were present too.

Common Sandpiper at Brooklands Park

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at Brooklands Park

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at Brooklands Park