🔍 Overview A graceful marsh tern seen on migration in spring and autumn. Not a regular breeder in the UK. 🪶 Key Identification Features Breeding: Smoky-black body, grey wings Non-breeding: Pale grey above, white below, dusky breast sides Other: Slender, buoyant flyer 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Passes through Sussex during April–May and August–October. Look for...
🔍 Overview A true summer migrant, the Barn Swallow brings the Sussex countryside to life with its graceful flight and cheerful chirping. It nests in barns and outbuildings, often returning to the same spot each year. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (17–19 cm) Plumage: Glossy blue-black upperparts, cream underparts Distinctive Marks: Long forked tail...
🔍 Overview Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Elegant and slender, the Bar-tailed Godwit is a regular passage and winter visitor to Sussex’s coastal mudflats, especially around Goring Gap, Widewater, Worthing Beaches and Lower Adur Valley. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large wader (37–41 cm)Plumage: Warm brown and buff; breeding males show rich chestnut underpartsDistinctive...
🔍 Overview Striking and elegant, the Avocet is a rare but iconic wader in Sussex, most commonly spotted at coastal wetlands and saltmarshes. With its upturned bill and bold black-and-white plumage, it’s a conservation success story in the UK. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (43–45 cm) Plumage: Clean black and white Distinctive Marks: Black...
🔍 Overview Delicate and graceful, the Arctic Tern is a long-distance migrant famous for its epic pole-to-pole journey. Every year, Arctic Terns migrate from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle—a round-trip journey of about 30,000 kilometers. It is known as the ‘sea swallow’ because of its long tail streamers. In Sussex, it’s mainly seen...
Worthing’s beaches, stretching from Goring to Lancing, offer more than just a classic seaside stroll—they’re also a fantastic spot for sea-watching, especially during migration seasons and stormy weather. With the English Channel unfolding to the south and a relatively unobstructed horizon, the shingle shore becomes a front-row seat to the drama of coastal bird movement....
