Saturday, February 02, 2013
Pagham, West Sussex
We went down to the sea at Pagham. The day remained windy and cold, but there was enough sun and sparkle to lift the spirits.
We drove through a few floods before reaching the visitor centre, and walked through yet another one in the car park. The Sidlesham Ferry pool was stuffed with birds: mostly wigeon, teal, lapwings, shelduck and shovelers, with one curlew and a couple of redshanks.
A redshank explored the edge of the incoming tide.
Otherwise the chief interest lay in turnstones. They were constantly being flushed by walkers but they didn't go far.
Four individuals worked their way along the edge of the waves, passing within 15 feet of where we were sitting.
The foam takes on a weird gloopy appearance in Greger's pic.
We had arrived at the wrong time, really. With the tide already high waders were leaving the beach for the harbour. I can't remember the last time we saw the harbour full of water. Ducks and waders were roosting on every island and structure available; this particular perch was being used by at least one hundred turnstones.
Greger generously offered to walk back along the muddy path on his own and then drive round to fetch me while I birded for a bit longer; so twice he had to negotiate a long flood in the lane to Church Norton. Other birds seen: a pair of peregrine falcons, a couple of bar-tailed godwits, knots, dunlins, oystercatchers, little egrets, grey plovers, curlews, a great black-backed gull and a single distant ringed plover; while on the sea, a tight raft of teal had me flummoxed until they flew closer to the shore.
// posted by Christine @ 3:48 PM 
