Returning Brents

At 7.00 a.m a skein of about 250 Brent Geese flew high over the harbour, made out to sea and headed east....homeward bound. In view of their  height I  guess  these weren't from the harbour but probably from further along the coast e.g. Langstone, and had taken a short cut over land .

Notable absence of gulls on the spit today and apart from Linnets, Greenfinches and a pair of Skylarks on the shore little to report.

Linnet on the shoreline

...and the usual ducks...Teal

...and Goldeneye

When is that Wheatear going to turn up!!

A B.I.F. day!

Not a lot to report this morning but nevertheless the early morning light was great for flight photos illuminating the underwings of these Brent.

I disturbed this Heron as it was feeding just below the harbour wall adjacent to the Spit hide and also a Kingfisher but it was too quick for me!

A superb Oystercatcher...just look at that beady eye!

A few more Brent on the move.

A couple of flyover Grey Herons

Drake and two female Goldeneye flying past Church Farm

Drake Goldeneye

No sign of Iceland Gull today but plenty of 'Meds'.

West Sussex is the place to be for Gulls at present!

As I had to go to Worthing today I decided it was time to try for the much photographed Little Gulls at Brooklands Park. Many photographers had got some superb images of these birds so I thought it would be a doddle. ...wrong!!!

A real challenge ....fast moving, harsh lighting, erratic flight etc etc.

Took nearly 500 photos and the great majority have been binned! However a few have survived but I may have to return to try again!

They don't look too bad viewed small but lack of catch lights and focus problems leave a lot to be desired. However I think the general 'jizz' of the bird comes across.

Back at Pagham in the afternoon  there was a Chiffchaff in the Lagoon bushes (no hint of Siberian! ), a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers, Goldeneye 2f 1m and a pair of displaying Gt Crested Grebes. No sign of the Iceland Gull but I believe it was seen earlier in the day.

Pagham North Wall.

A bright sunny morning enticed me to the North Wall....I wanted to photograph Herons nest building.

The usual Wigeon had collected around the sluice gate and most were asleep but a couple were up and about.

The male Wigeon in his finery.

The duller female

A Pheasant was searching for food in the wet grass....

...and the Herons were busy

Carrying a small twiglet

...but this time  a much bigger twig.

The nest was just out of sight ...well concealed.

On the way back a confiding Little Egret was feeding in the shallows.

Now a common bird but always irresistible to photograph!

The Iceland Gull was seen on the lagoon by one birder but generally proved elusive to the many visitors hoping to see it.

However there were two Sandwich Terns and numerous Mediterranean Gulls.

Gulls

A few of the (mainly) Mediterranean Gulls flying along the spit today. The Iceland Gull was reported as seen during the morning and a  Little Gull was present on the Lagoon early afternoon. A Kingfisher showed up on the Lagoon and the Goldeneye and Red Breasted Mergansers are still present.
Little else of note.

An Iceland Gull pays a visit to Pagham Lagoon.

As I was checking to see if the 'possible' Siberian Chiffchaff  still remained in the bushes adjoining Pagham Lagoon I checked the birds on the Lagoon and there, right in the middle, was an Iceland Gull! I had the camera with me and got a few shots of it as it paddled about before taking flight and circling around several times before heading off in an easterly direction.

A cracking bird!

Circling before heading east

A couple of Goldeneye still remain together with a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers and early in the day a female Pochard(not so common on the Lagoon).

Drake Goldeneye....soon to depart!