6th October - Dog fest

A bright morning with a westerly breeze had me debating where to go. I didn't feel like the sea would be productive but I definitely wanted to be coastal. Many reports of Yellow-browed Warblers during the last few days had me hopeful of catching up with one, although the area of coast I favour had  none, they had all been in East Sussex or just over the Hampshire border.

I decided to go to West Wittering, which I really like as habitat , but the dogs are the problem. Even though I was fairly early the car park was filling with dog walkers, barking, stick throwing, dog pooh and an atmosphere of 'my dog's bigger than yours...'

Even though the tamarisks in the car park held a least 10 Chiffchaffs, I decided to give the dunes on East head a miss and walk towards Elanore. A steady stream of Meadow pipits were heading west, and the scrub held more Chiffchaffs, the occasional Blackcap (4) and lots of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, but nothing more unusual. 

On Snowhill Marsh the juvenile Spoonbill, was right on the far pool and spent the majority of the morning asleep (and it was looking directly into the sun). A Greenshank was with the Black-tailed Godwits and a single Snipe. A small flock of Golden Plover flew out towards the mudflats with the Brent Geese, Dunlin , Bar-tailed Godwit,  Ringed Plover and Curlew. 

A nice male Wheatear was in the scrub and many more Chiffchaff were seen, totalling at least 50 during the morning. A Stonechat and Yellowhammer were at the edge of the fields near the car park and these fields contained over 100 Pied Wagtail with just 1 Yellow Wagtail and over 50 Meadow Pipits. No sign of anything more interesting and a dog ran out onto the mudlflats and chased the Brent Geese away, with the owner just looking on oblivious - unbelievable,  so I headed home.

Male Wheatear

view over East Head and towards Hayling Island

A few Brents 

Raven at home