26th/27th - Bank Holiday

Straight back to work after the break and a full-on week  so grateful for the long weekend and the way events fell meant that I could get out for 2 early mornings on Sunday and Monday for a few hours.

Sunday 25th

Headed down to Pagham and first went to the Siddlesham end parking in the reserve car park and walking around the harbour edge and back to the Ferry Pool, I was the only one there but a calm bright morning was very pleasant. A Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler, and Blackcap were in the first set of bushes , Green Woodpeckers called away and a couple of Whitethroat skulked around. I heard 2 Yellow Wagtails calling as they flew overhead but couldn't locate them and then a the familiar chupping of Crossbills - unusual down on the coast so must have been migrating birds and sure enough saw 4 birds heading north. A group of Sand Martins flew through and a couple of Swallows. The tide was fairly high in the harbour and a single Whimbrel was flushed along with Curlew and Redshank. The Ferry had a fair few birds and started with a Peregrine flying over which I thought might have flushed any waders but with 4 Common Sandpipers 1 Green Sandpiper, 33 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and lots of Teal. and at the back of the ferry were 3 Wheatears and 3 Whinchat there was a good selection of birds. A Raven flew over cronking and then a Med Gull before I returned to the car.

I then drove to Church Norton hoping my early haul would  be increased but it was very quiet,still bright but the wind had picked up. Some nice autumn plumage Willow Warblers and more drab Chiffchaffs were in good supply and another Whimbrel but failed to turn up much else.

Monday 26th

The wind was predicted as a strong Southerly with a rain front moving in by about 10am, so the prospects looked good for seabird passage. I headed early to Selsey and in 3 hours there was a steady passage of Terns, with lots of Sandwich and Commic several groups of a dozen or more Little Terns. Up to 18 Arctic Skuas passed through in various plumage phases and 4 Bonxies and lastly a single Manx Shearwater. This was relatively productive for Selsey but nothing like the seabird festival that watchers had in Kent that morning.

Tuesday 21st August - UK return

.... Been to Ecuador for nearly 3 weeks - Give me a chance and I'll write a few words and put some pictures on ... fabulous trip.

Not much more happening here. Just before I went I saw 2 juvenile Firecrests, which proved sucessful breeding and the Green Woodpeckers are becoming more visible around the house.

ooops - this is neither a Green Woodpecker or a bird I saw in Ecuador - seems I have a problem with the blog

Green Woodpecker !