Managed to visit a few sites today and good to get in the field again, was out at first light and having put screen wash in the car, the bonnet would not lock shut properly so decided against going with my inititial plan and stayed local until I managed to fix the bonnet properly. I started with a sea-watch off Worthing that was very quiet, several Gannets and Kittiwakes offshore and 7 Wigeon moved west, Red-breasted Mergansers moved back and forth but the sea was too choppy to see anything on the sea. Home to fix the car then after a few hours delay I felt safe enough to hit other sites
Onto Arundel and covered Swanbourne Lake and the entrance to the WWT where it was nice to find a Chiff Chaff and Mandarin Duck amongst all the usual and expected species.
Siddlesham ferry pool was covered in birds, huge number of Lapwing and the splendid Tundra Bean Goose was in with the Brent and Canada Geese.
At Church Norton on the falling tide, the Ruddy Shelduck were visible distantly towards the North Wall, 2 Peregrines hunted over the harbour, a drake Goldeneye and several Red-breasted Mergansers were in the habour channel and the leucistic Curlew stood out in the winter sunshine.
I decided to head to Barnham Brooks on my way home and managed to eventually see the Whooper Swans in with the Mute Swans, they were tucked down low and out of view in the kale field, with patience they gave themselves up. Well worth the visit here as 2 Short-eared Owls put on a great show as they battled in mid-air and a pair of Stonechats wire fly-catching from the nearby reed bed. A good day out with 77 species seen with ease and would have surely been more without car trouble!
We have also had a male Blackcap in our garden (1st Jan) and a female has been seen today(3rd) in Durrington (Worthing)
