Yesterday was a good day for watching Little Terns and Ringed Plovers displaying along the beach. Little terns were feeding each other whilst the plovers were displaying frantically!

































On Breach Pool this morning Sedge and Reed warblers were in good voice,a Cuckoo was calling in the distance and 3 Swifts flew in over the harbour....my first this year.

A cancelled holiday!

A holiday in Mallorca for last week was cancelled due to the Icelandic Volcanic ash cloud and a hurriedly arranged alternative for a few days in Cornwall resulted in 5 days of cloudless, sunny weather. Best bird was a Whiskered Tern lingering in the Camel estuary but at some distance for a decent photo. However I have posted a few images of the commoner birds on my Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagman/

Arriving back today a quick walk around Pagham spit produced 2 Wheatear, 2 Little Tern, a Whimbrel and a pair of Ringed Plover looking suspiciously as if they were contemplating breeding!
A Carrion Crow was sitting on a nest in the lone apple tree and a Wood Pigeon was sitting on eggs in a small bush in our small beach garden!

Summer is a coming.

Another superb morning with wall to wall sunshine all day.

The Shelducks are still hanging around looking for suitable nest sites. A Carrion Crow was disturbed from a nest in the apple tree ...he attempted to nest last year in what was formerley a Woodpigeons nest. He is a bit of a pest as he has a fondness for the eggs and young of the ground nesting birds on the spit.
A group of 10 Linnets were feeding along the foreshore of the inner harbour and a Meadow Pipit was foraging amongst the weed seeds.

The seal put in an appearance and created interest from some visitors.

Update

The dredger arrives at night.

The shingle boat arrives every 24 hours regardless of night or day and is dependent wholly on the high tide. It is due to dump the shingle almost 20 times so that is about 10 days work.

...and this morning, up the 'spit' end, more machinery has arrived and will replace some markers which have rusted over the years and are no longer visible.

Tractor passing the spit hide

As far as birds are concerned I heard my first Whitethroat yesterday and Willow Warblers and Blackcaps have been singing in the nearby Dell. The Peregrine Falcon has been back on 'new island' during the past 2 mornings and just 2 Brent Geese remain in the harbour...a number of Wigeon are much in evidence although waders are now a bit thin on the ground (mud! ). However more Little Egrets are present. Shelducks were looking for suitable nesting sites on the spit but usually give up after a few days realising the disturbance from dog walkers and the like will make the prospect imposible...shame!!

Beach protection?

Work started at 7.30a.m. this morning bringing in shingle from the Solent area by ship. Local residents are sceptical about the benefits and believe the high cost involved could have been used more wisely. Nevertheless an unusual sight which will happen another 17 times apparently.

Of more interest was a couple of White Wagtails on the spit today.

An improving picture!

A quiet early morning recce with only a Wheatear on the beach...being noteworthy
However a stroll to the North Wall this afternoon produced a few Willow Warblers, my first House Martin and 10 Swallows. 3 Whimbrel calling and feeding on the mudflats and then a ringtail Hen Harrier seen from the Salthouse but nearer the Chuch Norton side of the harbour.

I didn't hear/see the Reed Warblers reported earlier in the day on www.sos.org.uk/recent-sightings/index.php

A 'quietish' morning.

A pleasant sunrise this morning but still a chill breeze.

A Sandwich Tern flew past the Pagham Spit hide and a Willow Warbler flitted amongst the gorse. A small flock of about 10 Linnets were investigating the bushes and a lone Brent Goose was out on the mudflats.

The highlight was perhaps 9 Black Tailed Godwits in summer plumage looking absolutely resplendent in the early morning sunshine....but little else.

Little going on!

After the excitement of the past week Pagham harbour seems very quiet. 4 RedBreasted Mergansers on the Lagoon, Turnstones on the shingle bank and a couple of Brents viewable from the spit hide and apart from the regular seal not much else to get excited about.

The most recent sitings posted at the Salt House seemed a little unexciting from last Sunday and there was no sign of the Little Ringed Plovers today. Someone had however reported a 'possible' Iceland gull...yet to be confirmed!