Gadwall 1 drake Castle Water
Wigeon c.20 Castle Water
Teal c.5 Castle Water
Garganey 1 drake Castle Water
Pochard c.2 Castle Water
Tufted Duck c.15 Castle Water
Ruddy Duck 2 Castle Water
Ringed Plover c.10
Golden Plover c.400 Flat Beach
Pacific Golden Plover 1 likely 1w moulting into its first summer plumage. Bill appeared similar size to Golden Plover but finer especially at its base. Legs appeared slightly spindly and a fractionally paler and bluer than accompanying Golden Plovers. When facing away it appeared quite long-legged but stood no taller than Golden Plovers. Bird c.15% - 20% smaller than Golden Plovers lacking their bulk. In flight appeared smaller and thinner-winged. Pale yellow suffusion to whole of head and face including forehead, supercilium which flared behind the eye end encircled the dark ear-coverts. Dark spot in front of eye. Upper breast with black spots. More extensive irregular area of black on sides of belly. Flank-line principally white with a few small black spots. Undertail coverts white with the odd small black mark. Nape appeared pale yellow with fine darker streaking. Mantle suffused yellow. Scapulars almost giving a barred effect with neat black and yellow lines being formed – black far more extensive than Golden Plovers. Wing coverts finely patterned. Tertials principally dark making it difficult to accurately assess primary projection and possibly newly growing feathers. Primary projection appeared to consist of three primaries and longer than expected with longest primary falling beyond the tip of the tail. Tail sides appeared white with black bars. In flight underwing grey with darker grey axillaries. First record for Sussex.
Lapwing c.15
Snipe c.4
Black-headed Gull c.50
Mediterranean Gull c.25 mainly adults and 2w with 2 1w. Feeding in fields north of Castle Water
Swallow 1
Cetti’s Warbler 1 singing and taped into view Castle Water. White half-crescent below eye. Grey suffusion to supercilium and face. Whitish throat with greyinh underparts. Rufous-brown upperparts.
Chiffchaff h
