Trip reports

Pagham Harbour and Church Norton

Sunday, 6 September 2009

After a long summer recess the group resumed it's programme of day outings with a visit to Pagham Harbour and Church Norton. Last year we were well rewarded with migrants and expectations were high again as 13 members joined the trip. There were several other groups at the visitors centre, perhaps drawn out by the nice dry conditions. Our first location was the Ferry Pool, observed over the main road from the reserve. No sign of the migrant waders this year. There were a few lapwing, teal, black-headed gulls and shelduck, but not a lot else. So we continued along the sea wall keeping a careful eye on the scrub and small trees inland. It was here that we found a number of small migrants. Careful observation and patience gave good views of chiffchaff, whitethroat, redstart, spotted flycatcher, willow warbler, goldfinch as well as blue and great tit. Three buzzards were seen from the visitors centre, with one perched on the tall aerial. With the numerous visitors around we decided that the Church Norton car park would be full, so we decided to walk there along the sea defences. Along the way we saw redshank, grey heron, little egret and grey plover in full summer plumage. The tide was advancing quickly and by the time we arrived at Church Norton, the waders were all forced to their roosting locations. We were lucky to spy a peregrine falcon on an island in the channel. After a while it took to the sky and proceeded to swoop forward and back across the water causing extreme panic in a few oystercatchers that were desperate to avoid becoming a chance meal. There were curlew, cormorants and great black-backed gulls resting on the island shore lines. Lunch was taken in the church yard where spotted flycatchers were seen again. Swallows plus a few house martins and sand martins were busy in the sky. After lunch we visited the hide and concentrated on the trees separating the field from the graveyard. Here there were more spotted flycatchers along with a pied flycatcher. Numerous redshanks were roosting on the shore by the concrete blocks. Here we were fortunate to have a common sandpiper pointed out to us. A common tern was also fishing close to the entrance to the sea. Another kind birdwatcher also pointed out a sparrowhawk that was resting on a wall slightly inland beyond the pools. As we made our way to the beach a willow warbler gave close up views in a bramble bush. Out at sea there were great crested grebe and a gull that flew alone the shore was identified as a mediterranean gull. We turned for the return trip back to the car, but did not get too far before yet another tip off revealed three fine whinchats in the field beyond the pools. A wheatear was spotted on the concrete blocks. Passing through the church yard a great spotted woodpecker and a nuthatch were also seen. The return trip along the embankment was also rewarding. To start with there were pheasants , stock doves and red-legged partridge on the field boundaries. More whinchats in the long grass and greenshank, dunlin and knot on the mud. A kestrel was seen hovering over the fields.