Saturday 23rd july - Normality

I managed to do what seems like a rare event at the moment and spent the morning birding. Just getting out for a few hours was the aim rather than anything specific as numbers or unusual birds at the moment are few and far between as its a couple of weeks away from the 'autumn' migration starting.

The weather predicted a dry day with plenty of sunshine. I headed down to the coast and started at Selsey around 8am, and within 30 minutes was cowering under my scope as the heavens opened. I'd only managed to see a handful of Sandwich and Common Terns, a couple of distant Gannets a few Sand Martins and Swifts and a Grey Wagtail when I swore again at the weathermen and headed back to the car not knowing how long the rain would last for. I drove to Pagham and 15 minutes later the rain abated and the predicted sun and blue skies then remained for the rest of the morning.

The bushes and ditches around the information centre held lots of  Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge and Reed Warblers and the Ferry pool had c50 Black-tailed Godwits, with a number still sporting their colourful Summer plumage, Redshank and a single Common Sandpiper. I walked from here to Church Norton although the tide was low in the harbour but the warming sun was seeming like a new experience.

The harbour held lots of Little Egrets and Curlew (including a Leucistic Curlew) a couple of Whimbrel, a single Grey Plover and single Yellow-legged gull and a juvenile Peregrine was practising hunting. I surprised a Cuckoo in the churchyard at Church Norton which was sitting on the grass as I entered and 6 distant Dunlin were the only waders seen at the Church Norton end of the harbour.

Walking back to the car I added a Greenshank and Green Sandpiper which were spending time amongst a large number of Redshank. Having sampled the local Ice Cream from the information centre (made at Calder Farm on the reserve) I diverted to Fishbourne Creek, again with a low tide but perhaps a better bet for some more waders 6 Greenshank, 4 Whimbrel, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and again a single Grey plover. The highlight here was a group of 38 Med Gulls roosting on the exposed mud. So a pleasant few hours even though birds were a bit thin on the ground.

Another couple of birds for the home list over the weekend being Bullfinch and Coal Tit, with at least 2 young Bullfinches present with the parents. The Tawny Owl has been glimpsed a couple more times with it calling on Saturday night having me leap out of bed and stick my head out of the window.

Black-tailed Godwits - Ferry pool Pagham

 



Little Egret - Pagham

Green Sandpiper - Pagham



Stock Dove in Garden