It was a fantastic day guiding Joss and Paul around Pagham Harbour for their custom Sussex Birding Mini-Trip. We managed to find 78 species and really enjoyed introducing the two of them to this unrivalled birding area in Sussex.
Starting at the North Wall, we enjoyed waders such as a Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Snipe, while a couple of Kingfishers gave us the run-around! White's Creek was full of Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, and migration overhead was busy, with Grey Wagtails, hundreds of Swallows and a trickle of Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings going through.
We watched a Cattle Egret feeding with a herd of cows, one of the Little Egrets perform an interesting 'bill-vibrating' feeding behaviour and a Grey Heron down an eel! A Peregrine caused havoc among the Grey Plovers in the harbour, while Water Rails squeeled from the reeds, out of sight near some diving Little Grebes. We watched a flock of Long-tailed Tits, plus a couple of Reed Warblers and several Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
Church Norton added Turnstone and Whimbrel to our day list out in the harbour, with the churchyard adding two Spotted Flycatchers, a Mistle Thrush and a Goldcrest, plus nice views of Great Spotted Woodpecker.
A look at the Ferry Pool and the adjacent channel finished the session off nicely, with three Spotted Redshanks, the summering Dark-bellied Brent Goose and an Avocet. We managed to get lovely views through the 'scope of a male Kestrel hovering and enjoyed the Greenfinches and Chaffinches bathing by the feeders.
