A look back at January.

The Snow Bunting has remained on Pagham Spit for the duration of the month. It has remained feeding alongside the metal harbour entrance but if not there has been on the shingle just in front of the base of the the old hide. 

Red Breasted Mergansers have been frequent visitors

...and a Kingfisher has been around most days either near the harbour entrance or along the beach 

Oystercatchers have been present  every day

This resplendent drake Goldeneye has been on the Lagoon with up to 4 females on some days.

A visit to RSPB Pullborough Brooks with my grand daughter was a highlight for her in early January to see great views of the tit species and a Nuthatch in Fattingates 

   

A Blackbird with a hint of leucism was an interesting one.

This Snipe at West Meads was a 'lifer' for her.

Back to Whites Creek later in the month there were enormous flocks of Lapwing and impressive numbers of Golden Plover

Ducks were well represented with Wigeon predominating.

This Rock Pipit posed beautifully in the sunshine on one morning by the sluice gate.

This morning (31st January) another check on the Snow Bunting found this Redshank  only a few metres away from the bunting.

.....which was flitting between the shingle and the metalwork

It will be interesting to see how long this bird will remain before the lengthening days prove too much of a draw for it to return to its breeding ground.

A January Twitch

 I'm not a great twitcher nowadays but having the possibility of a 'lifer' only twenty minutes away was very tempting!

Having arrived at South Moors LNR just south of Havant it was only about 100m to where a group of birders were standing just west of the Hayling bridge. Yes the Sabine's Gull was showing well and in fact was a very obliging bird coming far too close to photograph with my fixed 800mm lens! Here are some photos!

I tried in vain to obtain a good photo of the bird in flight and may return with a more suitable lens in the next day or two but here is the only rather poor shot I obtained. 

...but it does  show the wing pattern...a real clincher to the i.d. even at a distance!

What a bird!