A December day.

Woke to a bright, sunny morning and headed straight to Bognor seafront and there, right in front of Butlins, a most obliging Snow Bunting,  totally unphased by numerous passers by and dog walkers.
The light was good but the background of tarmac was not ideal. It was feeding along the pathway but I was able to obtain a few shots of the bird on the shingle but it was not an ideal setting.

Next stop was Pulborough Brooks for the long stay Temmincks Stint. As we made our way down the Zig Zag we met local birders Dave and Martin who reported the Stint was 'scopable' from the Hanger but too distant even for record shots. (Here's one from earlier...in Lesbos many years ago... May 9 2005...note the diagnostic yellow legs!)

There was little else of interest apart from a few raptors viewed  from West Meads and the usual woodland birds...

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Kestrel
...so it was back to Pagham to try improve on my previous efforts to photograph the Goosander and Long Tailed Duck neither of which materialised! In desperation I photographed a Herring Gull!

However as I turned away from the gull a Kingfisher suddenly appeared on the metal work at the harbour entrance and was much more obliging as it fished from the sea wall in the late afternoon light.

I approached cautiously and noticed she seemed to be yawning but in fact she was just about to eject a pellet which can be seen to the right of the bird as she turned her head away!

Wonderful photographic subjects!

As I strolled back away from the harbour mouth a Red Breasted Merganser was feeding

...but saw me and dived

Splash!

and surfaced a little way away!




By now the sun had gone down and a lone Grey Plover watched as I made for home.



So, a day of mixed fortunes ...but enjoyable, nonetheless.

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