My day started at Shoreham Fort, where on the adjacent wooden jetty four
Purple Sandpipers were actively feeding in the company of 10
Turnstones and a
Rock Pipit with a severe growth of its left foot (which it largely kept tucked away, shuffling along on its right leg). Two
Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew east overhead and a glance out to sea revealed just two
Gannets.
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| Purple Sandpiper on the jetty by Shoreham Fort |
I parked at Botolphs then walked south along the Adur to a little way south of the cement works, then back. This produced a handful of good birds, not least a '
Siberian Chiffchaff' just by the little forest school as I got back to the car. It turned out to be quite a vocal bird after watching it for a few minutes and I ended up with some sound recordings. The other surprise of the outing was a flock of at least 24
Corn Buntings spotted by fluke in on a fence bordering a distant field well east of the river towards Beeding Hill. Further highlights included a
Common Sandpiper, three
Stonechats, a
Chiffchaff, 12
Redwings, a
Red Kite, a
Redshank, two
Buzzards, 35
Meadow Pipits, a
Reed Bunting, a family of five
Mute Swans, three
Grey Herons and two
Kestrels (including nice views of an adult male).
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| 'Siberian Chiffchaff' at Botolphs |
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| Common Sandpiper on the Adur near the cement works |
