Bathing Linnets

Very windy on Pagham Spit today...managed to find a sheltered spot and found some  local Linnets enjoying a bathe in a puddle.

Almost turned himself inside out!

Feels great!

Almost there!

All done!

A most unusual visitor!

Just before noon today I glanced out the window and to my amazement a Common Sandpiper was perched on my picnic seat just 4 metres away.

This is how I first saw the sandpiper.

It was  sitting quite still and after about 10 minutes dropped onto the ground and started foraging through the grass for grubs. It disappeared although I didn't see it fly off. At 1.00pm it reappeared back on the picnic seat and again dropped down and this time fed from the patio exploring the grass for food, in full view.  Despite taking photos through the dirty double glazing results were quite acceptable.

...in typical pose.

Again it disappeared but yet again it reappeared at 3.00p.m on the bird bath but after a few more minutes once it had hopped onto the ground again I lost sight of it.

What a surprise....what a garden 'tick' !

On Pagham Lagoon a number of terns were fishing and the Iceland Gull is still present and eight Great Crested Grebes were up the eastern end.

Common Tern

Little Tern

The long staying Iceland Gull

A passing Kestrel

A very windy day and presumably the Common Sandpiper had just flown across the Channel and  sought the peace and refuge of our garden...as I always say about birding   'expect the unexpected'!

My first Common Sandpiper on the Lagoon this year.
Cuckoo calling from the Sidlesham side of the harbour.
Several Whimbrel in the salt marsh fringes.
A pair of Oystercatchers being constantly harassed by Carrion Crows and a brooding Ringed Plover too, being watched by a Crow on a post!

An early morning visit around the Spit only produced a Lesser Whitethroat, a Wheatear and a few Willow/Chiffs and the usual Linnets.

One of the "usual" Linnets.

 During the morning local birder, Andrew House wandered past and mentioned a Whinchat by the hide and 20 or so Little Terns; on the Lagoon  the  Iceland Gull was still present and looking a lot whiter than previously! So, time for me to revisit!
The Whinchat was present but very skittish and disappeared even before the camera was focused. There was however an obliging Whitethroat in a bush next to the hide.

Little Terns were distant but there were at least 20 nearer the Church Norton side.

An Oystercatcher appeared to be 'sitting'

Later in the day a visit to the western end of the Lagoon to check out the gull....

 Iceland Gull...taking off.

Iceland Gull at rest.

Wheatears, Whitethroats and Whinchats!

A still slightly misty morning on Pagham Spit was rewarding.
Highlight was two stonking male Whinchats and a female.

 Irresistible birds to photograph!

Several Wheatear were on the Spit and near the hide...

Two Whitethroats were feeding in the gorse by the Lagoon and whilst photographing the Whinchats  I heard the song of a Reed Warbler from deep inside the thick cover of ivy and a more distant Lesser Whitethroat by the Little Lagoon. Several Willow/Chiffs were present.
Med Gulls  and a pair of Little Tern flew over the Spit....an interesting Spring morning.

An S.E.O. on the spit.

As  I went for my regular wander on the spit this morning at 9.15  I was surprised to flush a Short Eared Owl from virtually under my feet. It circled and then eventually landed on the south side of the Little Lagoon...no camera, of course!

A few Swallows came in off the sea.

At about mid-day my neighbour came and told me a bird was nesting in her car....what should she do! I went to investigate and a Blackbird had started to make a nest on the top of the rear wheel of her car ....under the wheel arch! It had obviously started in the early morning ans was about a third of the way through the construction. We had no alternative but to remove the nest as the vehicle was needed!

The partly built Blackbirds nest on the rear wheel...under the wheel arch!

Several parties of Whimbrel flying in off the sea during the day, besides Curlew.

Lots of Bank Holiday visitors on the beach ....with dogs!

Cuckoo calling!

The first baby Mallards I have seen on the Lagoon this year.

The last three of our own 'kitcen sink' Mallard eggs disappeared yesterday morning between 5.00.a.m and 7.00a.m....my suspicions for the robbery lie with Carrion Crows but I still am curious that the raid on 8 eggs in 20 minutes took place so quickly.

I heard my first Cuckoo this morning....distantly but somewhere from the Siddlesham side of the harbour.