A cold grey start to the day found hundreds of Brent Geese moving east and joining well over  a1000 in the fields east & west of Bailiffscourt, also c500 Lapwing in the field west.

Red-throated Diver - 1e 4w 7 os

Teal - 4w

Shoveler - 4e

Red-breasted Merganser - 25 offshore

Gannet - 17 feeding offshore

Great-crested Grebe -11

Common Scoter - 13w

Grey Plover - 35w

Turnstone - c60

Oystercatcher - 17

Little Egret - 2

Med Gull - 7

Dartford Warbler - 1 horse paddock

Stonechat - 6

Yellowhammer - 4

Reed Bunting - 8

Meadow Pipit - 7

Grey Wagtail - 1

Linnet - c50

Skylark - 60

Kestrel - 2

Buzzard - 2

Brents & Lapwing west of Bailiffscourt

Brent Geese

Stonechat

Oystercatcher 

Records from (OM) for the 29/12/25

Red-throated Diver - at least 8E and another 8 o/s

Gannet - c.20 distantly offshore plunge diving/ fishing amongst a massive gull flock on the horizon

Great Crested Grebe - 10 o/s

Brent Goose - 58E

R/b Merganser - 24 o/s, some actually displaying

auk sp - 40+ W distant

Oystercatcher - 10

Grey Plover - 14 feeding on beach

Ringed Plover - 40+ ditto

Sanderling - 30 ditto

Turnstone - 40

Had a watch from the local patch (0840-1010hrs) which was initially very quiet. Only five Brent went east with none appearing on the fields. There were six Gannets east, and on the beach were 45 Ringed Plover and five Sanderling. Then I moved to the Poole Place gate for a sea-watch; dead at first then suddenly at 09:22hrs. nine grey geese came by, heading west and at a reasonable range. Good scope views and it was clear they were White-fronted Geese. 

Late morning, I thought I'd try something a bit different, so went to the lower Arun valley, walking the riverbank from Ford crossing to about Tortington, hoping there might be some geese in the fields. It was really cold and a bit difficult with no shelter and the strong NE wind buffeting me, but a good look failed to locate any geese, though there were a few compensations. There were 49 Mute Swans in a kale field on the west side of the Ford-Arundel road, then a couple more flew in to join them , so 51 total. On the east side of the river, a Marsh Harrier was hunting over some reedy areas, whilst in a large arable crop field there was a gathering of at least 350 Lapwings, together with 15 Golden Plovers. At least another 100 Lapwings were in other adjoining fields, so at least a total of 450 present today. Also, a big flock of Linnets around, c.120. (OM)

A quick mooch about the patch in bright sunny conditions with a bitter chill from the east, found c350 Brent Geese north of the old horse paddock, a nice surprise with a Corn Bunting and c130 Linnet and 2 Stonechat at the old railway carriages site, 7 Lapwing, 3 Grey Heron Ferry Rd, 2 Kestrel, and a Great-spotted Woodpecker.