Goring Gap, Patching and West Worthing

A glance at Goring Gap first thing produced two westbound Redshanks flying rather high and purposefully, two Mediterranean Gulls the other way, four Great Black-backed Gulls squabbling over a dogfish, and two Meadow Pipits.

At Patching, two Canada Geese, two Mallards and a Moorhen were on the pond. The sewage works still held the two Siberian Chiffchaffs, both appearing in body moult, along with at least seven nominate Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper, a Grey Wagtail, a Redwing and flyover Lapwing and Meadow Pipit.

Siberian Chiffchaff at Patching

In West Worthing, I caught a male Blackcap in the garden (along with three Robins and a House Sparrow), and a Grey Wagtail was heard again along Rogate Road.

2cy male Blackcap in West Worthing

female House Sparrow in West Worthing

Worthington Lakes

Another quick look revealed a displaying pair of Great Crested Grebes, a singing Treecreeper and a Nuthatch of particular note.

Worthington Lakes

The only birding done was a quick look at the lakes behind the Catfish Study Group Conference site, featuring a couple of Great Crested Grebes and a Treecreeper.

19-20th March 2017

The weekend was spent with Ingrid up in Wigan for the Catfish Study Group Convention 2017 and the only birding we managed to do was a quick lunchtime jaunt around the adjacent Worthington Lakes, which held only four Great Crested Grebes of any note.

Back at base today, I headed out to Beddington Farmlands as the start of food recycling in the next couple of weeks will bring the site's 'Age of the Gulls' to a rather abrupt end. There were disappointingly few gulls to savour and none of any note. Small gulls were noticeable by their near-absence, with only one Common Gull and around 20 Black-headed Gulls seen. Highlights included my first Little Egret at the site since November 2015 (I was at Dungeness for much of last year but not over the winter months), as well as a pair of Wigeon, five Shelducks, a Green Sandpiper, two Snipe, the Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid, the Black Swan, a Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler and a light trickle of Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits seemingly moving overhead.

Black Swan at Beddington

drake Tufted Duck x Pochard with drake Tufted Duck at Beddington

Shelducks at Beddington

Wigeon at Beddington