A Not-So - Clever Seawatch

Sunday 23rd May 2021

Splash Point

Seaford, Sussex

I persuaded Martin, the leader of the Ashdown Forest Bird Group, to include seawatching in their programme of birding activities to give them something different from usual.  When the date was announced I thought they had got it wrong as we should have gone 3-4 weeks ago when migration was in full swing.  Martin checked his emails and confirmed the date was one set by me - major faux pas on my part!

7 members turned up, most at 07.00 and a couple just after.  Thankfully the rain held off and we were able to seat ourselves on the shoreline and look for birds on the move.

• Unfortunately there wasn't much movement!  All we saw was a flock of Common Scoters, a few Oystercatchers, a few Fulmars and various gulls, mainly Herring Gulls and the odd Great Black-backed Gull.
• Thankfully everyone appreciated the earlier visit to the adjacent Kittiwake colony to see the birds nesting on the ledges of the chalk cliffs. 

courtesy of Martin Jeffree

By 08.30 it was clear that nothing was happening and we were all getting cold and miserable so I suggested we bite the bullet and call time on the event.  There were no objections!

Not my best days work!  Must try harder!