Sunday, August 26, 2012
Pagham
At the visitor centre we found the small car-park full and so turned into the overflow. It was a breezy, sparkling day and the walk along the bank to the sea was as enjoyable as ever.
Turnstones were everywhere on the beach.
A mixed flock of grey plovers and knot landed at the tip of the shingle spit, and I made my way carefully through the turnstones' hunting ground to get closer. The plovers were in all kinds of plumage but even the very black ones were difficult to focus on.
Meanwhile the turnstones had closed around me and I found myself in the middle of a group numbering at least thirty-five. I could hear the click-clack of the stones being turned over and the waders' calls. There was a soft murmuring between them, and now and then an agitated rattle if two birds went for the same stone.
At least four wheatears were on fence posts along the terns' now empty breeding ground and five yellow wagtails were also there. Sandwich terns flew to and fro calling.
As we left the beach to have a look over the mudflats from Church Norton, a swift flew over going south and Greger suddenly remembered that the overflow car park would be locked - only he couldn't remember when. We found the phone number of the visitor centre on the information board nearby and were dismayed to learn that it would be locked at 4 o'clock - and it was now ten to. We couldn't possibly make it back by then! Fortunately the cheerful lady said she would be there for a while longer, and Greger set off at a rate of knots only he can walk at.
I followed in a more leisurely fashion and added two greenshanks, several common and green sandpipers and a flock of dunlin to the day's list. (They lock the inner car park because of fly-tipping. That's another small freedom taken away thanks to the activities of people who should be shot.)
// posted by Christine @ 3:58 PM 
