Another warbler.

Yesterday morning I heard a Lesser Whitethroat singing in a bramble adjacent to the previous days Reed Warbler location...again somewhat unusual for the spit. Today as I was walking back along the beach a warbler flew up from virtually under my feet and landed about 4m in front of me. I only had my p.a.s. camera with me and always find that birds out of their normal habitat tend to throw me!

What do you say this is?

Further along the beach I found a Ringed Plover sitting on a 'nest'..the first one I have seen this year on the beach. Closer inspection revealed a single egg on the shingle...hardly a nest!!

A Warbler surprise!

Pagham Spit is probably looking at its best now with the Sea Kale in bloom. This morning was a 'perfect' morning....blue sky,blue sea, windless and peopleless!

Sea Kale...shame you can't smell it!

A view over theLittle Lagoon

 

 

However, very few birds about, but one surprise was a Reed Warbler singing from a gorse bush! It was very busy feeding and had obviousy just arrived from winter quarters and no doubt would soon be on its way to its more conventional habitat in a reed bed.
A pair of Shelducks were on the Little Lagoon on arrival but they soon moved on once I'd been spotted. Ringed Plovers along the beach were conspicuous by their absence and there is no evidence of breeding so far this year.

Whimbrel wanderings

An early morning walk around the Spit soon revealed a number of Whimbrel feeding in the saltmarsh. During the day several parties flew in off the sea uttering their piping call. Whimbrel are usually a little more confiding than Curlew to photograph and enable a closer approach before being disturbed...hence a few images this morning.

Walking back along the beach a pair of Linnets were feeding on the flower heads of the Sea Kale....it appears they were choosing the unopened flower buds...a pleasant background for these two images.

Double left click on the images to see the plumage detail  

The males are especially colourful in their full breeding plumage.

REED WARBLERS GALORE

A few Whimbrel fying into the harbour first thing this morning.Linnets and Greenfinches busy building nests. Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat singing in bushes around the Lagoon.

Had a photographic session along the Breach Pool area and managed a few half decent Reed Warbler images. Here's a few samples.....

White Winged Black Tern Alert !!

A late afternoon call from Ivan Lang from the local Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve telling me there was a mega on Chichester Gravel Pits had me heading there without delay. Having got to Peckhams Copse just as the bird had gone to Ivy Lake, a brisk walk soon located this splendid summer plumaged individual.
Alas, it was not the easiest bird to photograph as a stong Easterly force 6/7 was blowing, it was fast moving, mixing with other terns and the other side of the lake!

A selection of poor pics showing the White Winged Black Tern

A poor result but still identifiable!

...but WOW...what a bird!!