A dull few days

....but today at 1.00pm the sun appeared!

On the Lagoon the Pochards are still present - 2 males and 3 females and surprisingly 22 Little Grebes in a tight little flock in the centre of the Lagoon....a quite unusual sight!

Best of all a splendid Marsh Harrier quartering the salt marsh just west of owl copse visible from the spit hide.

Still plenty of Med Gulls about and good numbers of  Lapwings and Golden Plover put up by the raptor.

Small flocks of Starlings continually flying west.

Hard work for some!

Work continued this morning on clearing the grass and weeds on Tern Island in preparation for the nesting season next Spring.

Volunteers at work

...some on their knees

...others in back breaking positions!

 

 

...unfortunately not much time for birding and with a strong southerly wind blowing a couple of hours was quite enough!

Early morning bathtime.

The Short Eared Owl was present on the Pagham Spit again this morning and a late Swallow flew west .
Skylarks and finches were moving west and a number of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes had obviously arrived overnight.

A visit to the North Wall produced a sequence of bathtime images..............

A Grey Plover arrives

...settles down

...  'its cold'!

"oh well...if I must"

...takes the plunge

and gets on with it.

and then he's joined by a Redshank

...straight in

...no messing

head well under

...and its all over!

An unusual visitor!

A pair of Red Legged Partridges on the beach today was a bit of a surprise...seemed somewhat incongrous!

2 Sandwich Terns in the harbour.

A late Tern on an early morning.

At 7.15 this morning as I was awaiting the sunrise a Sandwich Tern flew out of the harbour mouth calling as it departed.

...and then the sun came up....here are a few images taken in quick succession from various points...a good time to be out and about!!

Pagham Spit hide

The Little Lagoon

Another Short Eared Owl

First thing this morning a Sparrow Hawk was sitting on one of the Nature reserve posts on the beach viewable from our living room window.  Even at that distance the eyes looked menacing!

Left click to see those eyes!

 

 

A quick walk up to the Spit hide and I found it already occupied......by 5 Magpies (on top not inside! )

Later in the mornig when out for a stroll with a visitor (non birder) a Short Eared Owl flew up from  the beach adjacent to the Little Lagoon....a nice find and the second time  in the past 10 days or so.

Pagham Spit seemed a bit quiet this morning but later on a Stonechat put in an appearance and a  Wheatear visited our patio late in the afternoon.

So at 9.00am  it was another stroll around to the North Wall for a couple of hours ....I include some of the photos  below and it seems there is a watery theme running through this series!

The Golden Plovers are still on the same mad bank!

The local Heron in action...

...on a successful mission!

 

 

This Redshank looked particularly splendid in the brilliant sunlight.

Grey Plover looking pensive.

..just an ordinary Coot but in a superb setting.

Black Tailed Godwit keeping an eye out!

Nothing very special but Pagham always has something to offer