Sunday 26th November 2023
Shoreham
Ashdown Bird Group
(6 members present)
It was a case of “and now for something completely
different” as we embarked on our latest birding trip. We were given a guided tour of the birding
sites around the Adur Estuary in Shoreham by Richard Allan, a fellow member of
the Friends of Weir Wood Working Party, a Shoreham resident and an active
member of the Shoreham District Ornithological Society (SDOS).
Our visit today took in 3
sites, all close together. We started at high tide, on the Norfolk Bridge, overlooking
the Adur Estuary RSPB reserve. Our next stop involved a short walk to the
Widewater Lagoon Nature Reserve. After returning to the car park, we then drove
round to Shoreham Fort to look for winter birds in the harbour area.
Due to the worsening
weather conditions after lunch, we were unable to visit any other sites in the
area.
Adur Estuary RSPB Reserve
Reputed to be the third smallest in the country, this reserve is a
little gem. Here saltmarsh and mudflats meet
making it a perfect feeding and roosting site for waders and wildfowl. Incredibly,
it is situated only a few hundred metres from the town centre of Shoreham. Like so many of the local people, most of us
were unaware of its existence - until today!
We were invited to join 4-5 members of the SDOS group on the Norfolk
Bridge, on the very busy A259 road, for their monthly WEBS count. A 9 am start ensured we were in place to
witness the high tide and the consequent bird activity.
· The most spectacular event involved snipe. Initially we could pick out only 3-4 on the
flooded grassy areas but, on the rising tide, many more were flushed and took
to the sky until in the end there were scores of them showing. A very
impressive final figure of 85 was reported.
· Redshank numbers were also high and they too provided spectacular aerial
views when flushed.
· At least 3 grey plovers were seen on the ground early on and then in
flight later. 2 are seen here – their
reflections in the water provided some great artistry.
· A greenshank, 30 teal and at least 3 grey plover were also noteworthy
sightings.
· Another highlight was a kingfisher hovering for several minutes ahead of
us on the reserve.
Only 18 species seen but what a superb experience!
It’s hard to believe we were unaware of such a
local treasure!
All pictures
courtesy of Alison Playle
Widewater Lagoon
Nature Reserve
This reserve, certainly better known than the Adur site, is normally a
good place to see goosanders and/or red breasted mergansers.
- Alas that was not the case for us today and neither species was seen,
even though Richard had seen a goosander here a few days ago.
- As we entered the reserve, a kingfisher flew along the south edge of the
lagoon before disappearing round the bay.
- At least 8 little grebes were present on the lagoon.
- A single stonechat was seen as we left the site.
Better luck next time I hope!
Shoreham Fort
The fort itself often houses a black redstart at
this time of year and the nearby harbour area is a well- known purple sandpiper
hotspot, although numbers have declined in recent years.
· Alas that was not the case for us today and neither species was seen,
even though a purple sandpiper had been reported on the West Pier less than an
hour earlier.
· A red-throated diver flew past on the sea, heading west. A couple of gannets were also seen on the sea
but they were a long way out. As we were
leaving Richard saw a flock of 6 brent geese flying high overhead.
· A grey wagtail and a rock pipit were also welcome sightings.
· It was good to see turnstones as the tide receded. They were occupying the ledges and support
structures.
· There was one really big surprise at the end of our trip. Alison spotted a duck on the east side of the
channel near Kingston beach and once we got our telescope views it was found to
be a juvenile male eider. A first of the
year for most of us and a very welcome visitor.
A
very different birding experience but so enjoyable. The Adur estuary is now very much on our
radar and is very high on our “must come back here” list’
· Thanks to the Shoreham District Ornithological Group for allowing us to
participate in their bird survey today and for sharing their sightings with us.
· Most of all, thanks to our, Richard Allan, for organising this memorable
event.
· Thanks are also due to Richard and his wife Carrie for allowing us to
use his fabulous apartment home to have our lunch. Overlooking the River Adur with good views to
the north and south it is a birders dream!
2023 species count = 202
