A bright,sunny,windless morning for a change!!

A wander along to the Breech Pool in the sunshine brought its rewards but the highlight was a high flying Spoonbill going west...unfortunately I spotted it too late to get even a record snap. The Golden Plovers looked resplendent in the sunshine and as they twisted and turned before alighting. They really are 'special'.

Really showing their golden uppers.

About to alight.

Another bird I can't resist photographing is the Stonechat and one has taken up residence in front of  the caravans for most of the winter...

This is a particularly confiding bird!

What a stunner!

Great to hear more and more song as the days lengthen...

this Dunnock was particularly vocal this morning...

He's really belting it out here!

A Goldcrest was flitting about in a hawthorn near Slipe Field..

Eyeing me, upside down!

...and finally a Rock Pipit

Mediterranean Gulls.

Just a couple of Med Gull shots today...

R10A ?

A garden visitor...

As Storm Imogen lashed the beach, few birds were about but a Sparrow Hawk suddenly appeared in the garden and started scrabbling about under a bush...

I've no idea what he was searching for but it brightened up my day as it was virtually impossible to stand up let alone to hold the bins steady at the Spit hide!

He didn't hang around and soon made off with nothing to show for his activity under the bushes.

A cold morning....

...with a very 'fresh' breeze.

My 'weather' monitor showed 'feels like' 24F!....and it did!

From the Spit hide just three shots....

Grey Plover at the tides edge.

Curlew eyeing me.

A pair of splendid Shelducks feeding in the shallows.

That's it for today folks!

Nothing special but....

a pleasant sunny afternoon and I think a photo worth keeping of Brent Geese over Chichester Cathedral.

This one or maybe...

this one!

Apart from high tide wader movements, mostly distant Lapwings and Grey Plover little else to report of note.

Grey Plovers heading out the harbour.

Showing their diagnostic black 'armpits'.

Plenty of the 'usual' ducks...mostly Teal and Wigeon and at least two pairs of Goldeneye.

Here a pair of Wigeon dabbling in the shallows.

What a contrast in the weather....cold and frosty and windless. Firstly a look around the Spit..

A Robin ...always welcome!

...and then to the hide where I was given a fantastic display by a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers...

Firstly the male arrived...

...and saw a distant male approaching

...then got into a bit of a tangle

...when a female arrived

..both males escorted the female

...when another female arrived on the scene!

This caused havoc! 

...and confusion  and ultimately all four birds pushed off.

In the afternoon I decided to go in search of a Firecrest...as bird of which  I have never got even a reasonable photo.

 I had received a tip of that within the WWT at Arundel there was a 'hot spot' ! Having tracked down the location I waited and eventually I could make out a tiny  bird in the midst of a large bramble patch. Yes it had a magnificent head dress and a prominent white stripe above the eye....BUT....would it show itself in the open? In and out of the thickest part of the bush,high up,low down and constantly on the move. What an impossible little critter to photograph...here are the best efforts....

It came out for half a second

...rapid fire at ten frames per second....

Make the most of it....

One quick flurry of activity and it was gone!!

Whilst in the Wildfowl Trust I had to have a look around to see what was about.
At the feeding station the usual candidates....,

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Mallards....the not so 'usual' candidates on a bird table!

Reed Bunting on a feeder (I don't generally like photos of birds on feeders but this is an exception)

Long Tailed Tit

Chaffinch (the duller female!)

I like even less, photographs of captive birds but here are few more exceptions!....

Red Crested Pochard 

Red Breasted Goose...close up.

Shelduck..(bathing)..might be genuine wild!

Genuine wild Gadwall. ( I think!)

Barrows Goldeneye...definitely NOT wild! (but what a bird!! )

Last but not least a genuine Water Rail through the misty glass of the main hall!!

 I will have to return to get that definitive photo of a Firecrest...that's bird photography!