Gary Howard's birds and wildlife

I wasn't birding today but then again birders are never really "not birding" it's just that sometimes we have to put up with just looking at what presents itself wherever we may be - walking to work, digging in the garden or cycling with the kids -  get that wrong and it can really hurt!

I digress.

Well today was spent at grandma's who lives on the coast at Elmer, near Bognor in Sussex. It was a bit windy and overcast at times but not bad enough to keep the kids off the beach. After a long lunch with family and friends some of us took the kids onto the beach to run off some steam. As they all set about ignoring the adults requests to stay out of the sea and deeper rock-pools I lingered on the shoreline with bins mostly preventing frostbite and drowning but occasionally searching for birds. Just offshore I counted at least 40 Red-breasted Mergansers, often in little groups, sometimes displaying. There were a few Great-crested Grebe's but not much else - a distant auk escaped identification.

On the beach a few Sanderling, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Dunlin did their best to feed and avoid the humans and dogs.

I had brief but good looks at an adult Yellow-legged Gull feeding on the beach for a short while - not sure I've seen one here before.

Eventually the cold and fading light drove us indoors but for a very short while it had been rather good birding.