Waders in Pagham Harbour.

Last week I made a visit to the coast and wandered around a small part of Pagham Harbour between The Spit and the North Wall for a couple of hours. With high tide some hours away the only species that really came close enough for a photo was one of many singing Greenfinches.Most of the waders were distant views through the bins but it didn't stop me trying .... so here are a few cropped images.

Oystercatcher

Spotted Redshank

At least the stationery and over flying Gulls made things a little easier.

I even attempted to slowly creep closer to a group of preening Black-tailed Godwits, all resplendant in their breeding plumage but just as I settled down they decided  it was time to move on before I had time to change the camera settings!

Oh well ... better luck next time.   FAB.

Coastal Reconnaissance.

As the weather forecast suggests that the weekend could be unsettled with more rain expected I headed to Pagham Harbour for a reconnoitre in advance of a planned walk this coming Saturday. Throughout my wanderings I logged a total of 54 species including 3 new sightings for this year. Starting at the Ferry Pool there were at least a dozen Common Snipe clearly visible on the grassy margins plus one sleeping Avocet and plenty of Shelduck.  A short walk at the head of the harbour produced  a Kestrel and the first of a number of Cetti's Warblers calling loudly from its hideaway in thick undergrowth.

A Little Egret carefully watching for any movement in the muddy water below.

I then drove to Church Norton and scoped the usual waders collecting on the exposed ridges in the harbour on the fast rising tide; Dunlin, Knot, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Curlew and Redshanks. I then managed a few shots of a pair of Common Ringed Plover who were investigating a possible nesting site on the shingle close to my location.

Common Ringed Plover

Black-headed Gulls taking a rest.

Heading east towards The Severals a Stonechat appeared very briefly and 3 Mute Swans flew past with the upper pair trying hard not to bump into each other!

Another new tick for 2010 was a single Spotted Redshank busily feeding on one of the small pools. With the sky looking a bit dark I headed into a small patch of woodland after watching two Common Buzzards soaring overhead and found a likely spot to consume my packed lunch. I had just got settled when I spotted the flitting movement high in the leafless canopy that suggested Goldcrest but when I honed in with the bins I was amazed to locate, not one, but two Firecrests frantically feeding. My efforts to capture them with the camera were thwarted by their failure to keep still for more than a second but nevertheless I enjoyed their 'out of reach' company for over 10 minutes before they moved off to a denser thickett.  

On my return walk back towards Church Norton this Linnet posed and sang from an open perch. Back at the churchyard I located a Chiffchaff (possibly newly arrived) and would you believe it another Firecrest! So all in all a good omen for the weekend providing it doesn't rain continually and the chance that some other migrants may arrive in the next few days.   FAB.

Pagham - 'Friends United'.

On Sunday Anita and I travelled to Pagham to meet up with Tony & Jean, Trevor plus Keith & Sue (they emigrated south-west to Somerset some years ago but make an annual visit back to Surrey to see relatives at this time of year). When the others arrived I was already scoping Gulls & Waders on the shingle spit at the harbour entrance enjoying good, if long distance views, of Mediterranean (min x 14), Black-headed & Herring Gulls plus a large high tide roost of Knot, Turnstone, Redshank plus a few Oystercatchers and a Little Grebe in the channel.

Mediterranean Gull

After a quick catch up and introduction to Hugh (Keith's nephew-in-law) we commenced our walk around The Lagoon towards the North Wall after seeing Greenfinch, Dunnock & Kestrel. The lagoon produced Common & Great Black-backed Gulls, Goldeneye (2 females), Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Tufted Duck and numerous Coot (not Tony's favourite!) using their extraordinary feet to walk, sometimes not too elegantly, across the frozen water. Tony & I had a brief view of a Sparrowhawk dashing over the reeds and then disappeared into the Caravan Park [not seen by the others who were probably chatting!]

Coot on thin ice!

Brent Geese were moving around and 30+ were in the field beyond the Caravan Park plus a large flock of Linnets (40+), highly mobile and only perching briefly. We scanned for any interlopers in the flock but only found another group of Reed Buntings (12+) in the same area [I've not seen that many together before] plus a few Chaffinches (mainly females). Grey Plover scoped through a gap in the hedgerow.

Grey Plover

Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tits (2), Dunnock, Magpie, Woodpigeons and a watchful Robin seen just before we walked onto the North Wall.

From the embankment we had excellent views of Brent Geese feeding in the fields with Curlew, Lapwing, Starlings, Carrion Crows & Golden Plovers plus two Pheasants and a single Meadow Pipit. Hugh located Common Buzzards (3) soaring at long distance and in the harbour as the tide turned there were Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Knot & Shelduck together with the usual ducks including Northern Pintails. Just after everyone decided it was time to return to the cars for lunch I found a Spotted Redshank feeding in a channel exposed by the falling tide. Unfortunately with the sun in my face it was impossible to get anything but a record photo. [Was this the same individual that we saw on 1st Jan?]

Spotted Redshank

Trevor 'concentrating' on keeping an accurate record!

Have the others seen the Spotted Red?

As we started to leave the North Wall something upset all the birds & we had excellent views of the oo's of Brent Geese & various waders flying around and then settling back on the exposed mudflats.

Brent Geese - synchronised flying

The return journey was fairly uneventful apart from me slipping in the deepening mud as the tide receded and ending up on my knees in order to keep bins, scope & camera from being damaged - just my pride & wet, muddy trousers!

After eating our packed lunch we walked out to view the spit so that the others could catch up with the Med Gulls and also added Common Ringed Plover & Grey Heron to my list which totalled 51 for the day. With a dramatic change in the weather - rain coming in from the west we all made our own ways back home to Surrey.