The first few hours of the morning were spent at Goring Gap and produced the regular 2CY Iceland Gull, two Wheatears, three Linnets, five Skylarks, two Meadow Pipits, four Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, two eastbound Jackdaws, 170 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, three Common Scoters, a Fulmar, three Gannets, seven Great Crested Grebes, a Sparrowhawk, a Moorhen, six Oystercatchers, nine Turnstones, 13 Sandwich Terns, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and three Mediterranean Gulls.
Nick B turned up and we headed off on a whistlestop tour of a few West Sussex sites, although the weather was that yucky cold and breezy stuff with a bit of rain that seems to quash any birding results. First was Lavington Common/Plantation but we noted little other than Nuthatch and Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Ambersham Common came good with a male Dartford Warbler accompanying a pair of Stonechats. We checked out adjacent Heyshot Heath but found little other than a Kestrel, although Nick heard a crossbill briefly.
Westdean Woods was a good one to 'put a face to'. Here we found a singing Marsh Tit upon parking up and had three distant Ravens, along with at least four Buzzards. Three Red-legged Partridges were seen, along with a Red Kite, a Meadow Pipit and a Nuthatch. The Burgh was another site that I've long heard about but not got around to visiting, until now... it was great to see a Grey Partridge and hear another, while other birds logged included a Lapwing, three Skylarks, a Meadow Pipit, three Red Kites and a singing Red-legged Partridge.