Turtle Dove alert.

Following a tip off from local birder Peter Callis who had heard one, if not two Turtle Doves near Honer Farm yesterday I set off to Pagham Wall at 7.30am and it wasn't long before I had located the 'purring' of a Turtle Dove in the designated copse.
 I approached and located the bird on a very exposed branch, watched it for about 20 seconds in full view when it flew off to a hawthorn in the adjacent field. These birds are becoming increasingly rare  but 20 years ago they were a common sight and sound around the area. For the past few years I have noted a pair in this same area and its good to know they are still returning  albeit in far smaller numbers.

Apart from this,  the Reed and Sedge warblers were in good voice and I watched a pair of Reed Buntings collecting nesting  material and returning time and again to a tussock of grass at the foot of the reed bed.

A distant Cuckoo called and the peace and quiet of the morning was shared with just two other  'early' birders.....

Incidentally, I nipped up to Pulborough Brooks yesterday to see the much photographed Nightingales that featured so strongly on the S.O.S. web site whilst I was away. Click on 'My Photostream on   Flickr'  on the right to see this little beauty!

A superb Spring morning with not a breath of wind ...a distant Cuckoo calling from the Church Norton side of the harbour.

In the harbour still  four Brent Geese and the Swancontinues to sit on what appears to be a shallow nest on New Island.
A Whitethroat was feeding in the gorse alongside the path but the birds most obvious were the Greenfinches with at least 4 pairs calling and singing throughout the Spit...it certainly seems they have made a comeback following several years with reduced numbers. About 6 pairs of Linnets gave the impression of breeding.
Two pairs of  Skylarks were present and two Ringed Plovers were anxious as I walked along the beach...a good sign and I left well alone.

A few Little Terns were flying up the main channel and a very confiding Whimbrel was feeding close to the hide.

In the evening  15 noisy Whimbrel were flying east over the harbour and  I discovered the Ringed Plovers nest and directed two walkers away from the site. Then quite suddenly a Cuckoo called not so very far away. I had my camera and although it meant I shot into the light I managed to get my first ever record of a Cuckoo on the Spit
 It stayed for about 20 seconds before making off!

Not a great shot but its a record.

It's good to be back.....

Following a holiday in Mallorca a quick look around Pagham Spit this morning reinforced a comment made to me whilst in the S'albufera Reserve enquiring where my local patch was, that I lived at Pagham... "wow, what a lucky chap to live there!"

A quick look around the Spit this morning and I noted four Brent Geese still here, a Whimbrel and  3 species of tern including three Little Terns...a good sign. A Great Crested Grebe in the harbour and a pair of Mute Swans...one  possibly sitting on a nest on New Island...this is the third year they have looked at this site but previously they have not bred. Linnets and Greenfinches were much in evidence in the gorse and a pair of Ringed Plovers looked possible breeders on the beach.

A large seal was languishing in the harbour in front of the bungalows.

As this is a blog mainly about Pagham birdlife I will not include any more about Mallorca and the birds suffice it to say we saw a good number of species we would be delighted to see here more often...here's a taster and I shall be posting a few more on my Flickr site in due course.

Roller

Kentish Plover

Woodchat Shrike

Bee Eater

Black tern

Collared Pratincole

Black necked Grebe

Egyptian Vulture

Zitting Cisticola

Purple Heron

Now its time to get out and about and catch up on some of those species I've missed whilst away!

Pagham Lagoon

A quick  look around the Lagoon on a beautiful Spring morning...with camera!

Dunnocks displaying 

Tufted ducks with 'proper' tufts

 G C Grebes looking their best.

Coots busy building 

Willow Warblers warbling!

My first Reed Warbler this year.

Female Blackcap

Male Sparrow Hawk spoilt for choice!

 Spring has arrived!

This and that.

After a quick walk around Pagham Spit first thing the only observation of any note was the presence of a pair of Red Legged Partridges and a female Wheatear  on the beach.  A few (9)  Brent Geese in the harbour and a smattering of Wigeon and Teal and a mixed flock of  Ringed Plover and Turnstone flying up the main channel. Two pairs of Ringed Plovers may be breeding ,at least by their reactions to me.

...and so, over to the North Wall and the very first bird of any note was a Black Swan accompanying  nine Mutes in flight...

This is a striking bird in flight...totally unmistakable!

 .
Next up was a small flock of Black Tailed Godwits.....

Brilliant in the early morning light

Then along to the gurgling Little Egrets in Owl Copse but they were not showing up at all well and I only managed a shot of a Grey Heron attending to nest repairs.

Whilst waiting and watching the heronry the bushes on the other side of the rife were alive with warblers....Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs.  A resident Cettis was in good voice and a male Reed Bunting was nearby, posing.

After chatting with Peter who was patiently waiting to hear his first Cuckoo I returned to the sluice gates and  and apart from a party of Mute Swans saw little else but enjoyed the peace and the warmth of the sun!

Spring has sprung..at last!

A sunny start to the morning and a wander around the spit with camera. Greenfinches seem particularly numerous at present and the males are very tempting photographic subjects!

Greenfinch in sunshine!

..and another!

Wing stretching or displaying.

I had hoped I would find a Wheatear near the hide where it was on Saturday when I was without my camera but it was nowhere to be seen. Returning along the beach I found a single Ringed Plover who was viewing me suspiciously and I suspect may have a mate on a nest further up the beach. A quick photo and I left him in peace.

Ringed Plover eyeing me suspiciously.

As I was walking back to the path a white flash....the rump of a Wheatear and a second . Both birds allowed me to approach until within range and hey presto! my first Wheatear images this season.

Male Wheatear

Wheatear female

Spring really is on the way

..and then 2 Swallows flew in off the sea!

Mid afternoon I checked the North Wall and a pair of Swallows have returned to the barn in the horses field and a Sedge Warbler was singing in the reed bed. A drake Gadwall on the pools.

Garganey....Breech pool!

A call mid morning from Ivan from the RSPB  telling me of photographable Garganey, had me racing round to the North Wall.  Ivan was there and so were the Garganey but, and a big but, they had moved to the far bank of the pool and were asleep!

A very heavy crop of the Garganey  pair with Teal on the right

A close up of  a male Blackbird up the lane...just look at those eyes!

Early afternoon a walk to the Lagoon revealed a superb Firecrest at the western end in company with several Willow Warblers....a quick dash back for the camera but it was feeding very actively and constantly on the move and I failed miserably to capture a single frame before it vanished! I resorted to Willow Warblers and Dunnocks!

Treading water!

Typical light legs and yellow feet.

There's nothing dull about the humble Dunnock!

Great Crested Grebe

...off to the hairdresser

...several Swallows over the Lagoon this afternoon.