A Whimbrel Week

Lots of Whimbrel arriving this week...they usually hang about this time of year for a few days before moving north to their breeding grounds.

Two Cuckoos heard this morning calling from opposite sides of the harbour.

Also two Grey seals in the harbour first thing at low tide....one hauled out on a mudbank, the other peering at me inquisitively at the harbour entrance.

April weather!

What a terrible day yesterday!...that is, until late afternoon when the sun appeared from behind the clouds as they moved away to the East whilst it was still raining.

It was almost worth being trapped in all day to witness this amazing rainbow.

A new arrival!!

Excitement along the North Wall yesterday with the arrival of a Pectoral Sandpiper...a very nice bird and still there this morning creating quite a bit of interest from the local birding fraternity! Just too far away for a good photograph but no doubt someone will digiscope it!

Sandwich Tern


Lots of Swallows arriving off the sea and a few Terns moving along the coast. Reed and Sedge Warblers now VERY noisy with Chiffchaffs and Lesser Whitethroats in good voice!

Just one Brent Goose in the harbour!

Spring has arrived

A wander from the Pagham Spit to the North Wall produced Whitethroats,Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers,Swallows,House Martins and well hidden Reed Warblers. The resident Cettis Warblers and Reed Buntings were very vocal and the nesting Little Egrets were 'gurgling' whilst a Little Grebe was chattering in rife...a wonderful cacophony of sound.

...and yet there is still a Purple Sandpiper with the small Turnstone flock on the Little Lagoon...surely he must return to his Arctic home soon!

A Mega Tick!!!

Having been busy over the Easter weekend I decided to go to Old Winchester Hill to see if the reported White Throated Sparrow was still present. Fortunately it was and what a bird it proved to be! I waited with the assembled twitchers for about 20 minutes when it flew on to the path just 20feet in front of us. It stayed for about 30 seconds and my first attempt at phography was thwarted by a run of uncontrollable adrenalin making focusing impossible. However I remained a couple of hours and in due course when the initial excitement had subsided I managed to get a few acceptable shots.
A life tick and a memorable morning!

The Return of the Purple Sandpipers

After an absence of several weeks during which time I had assumed they had returned to their breeding grounds 2 Purple Sandpipers were feeding quite happily with a flock of Turnstone on the Little Lagoon this morning.

A Willow Warbler was present in the gorse bushes.

During the afternoon several Whimbrel flew over the bungalow, calling.

Bits and Pieces

A pleasant day.

A few Chiffchaffs feeding in the bushes, Shelducks much in evidence searching for suitable nesting sites and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers on Breech Pool. Several Black Tailed Godwits in resplendent summer plumage, a few Snipe and Redshanks but no sign of the Reed Warbler reported this morning along the North wall.

A single Swallow flew in off the sea flying inland.

A Peacock sunbathed!