Trip reports
MINIBUS TRIP TO PAGHAM JUNE 8th 2007
Friday, 8 June 2007
We started the morning walk at 9.30 am, quickly picking up Whitethroat in song just beyond the car park. The Ferry Pool held the 2 summering but non-breeding Avocet, Shelduck with ducklings, Tufted Ducks, one pair with a well grown brood, plus a few male Teal, Mallard, and singleton Lapwing and Redshank. At least 2 male Kestrels were hunting the area. Everyone got distant, but good, views of Reed Warblers in the adjacent reedbed. Moving onto the public footpath, we watched a pair of Whitethroat feeding a fully fledged youngster, whilst Skylarks displayed overhead. Little Grebe, Coot and Moorhens all had young, as did Reed Warblers, which gave closer if brief views. A singing Sedge Warbler, which made several display flights, and a very obliging Reed Bunting, also in song, complemented displaying Meadow Pipits and the ubiquitous Linnets. As usual, we were very close to an invisible Cetti's Warbler, although a brief flight view was enjoyed by one member. The virtually empty mudflats held a few Redshank and Curlew. (High tide was due at 5.45pm.)
After lunch back at the visitor centre, we drove the short distance to Church Norton, noting Red-legged Partridge en route. A pair of Song Thrushes gathering food, and a singing Chiffchaff were enjoyed as we walked down to the foreshore. The warmth of the day created quite a heat haze, but 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Grey Plover, a fishing Little Tern, (1 of 2 pairs nesting on the beach, the first breeding attempt for 11 years), and several Common Terns were scoped. An hour was spent on the beach watching 2 Sandwich Terns plunge diving at close range, plus 20 Dunlin in breeding plumage. These were first noted on a shingle spit with Turnstone and several more Grey Plover. As the tide rose, only the Dunlin remained, edging closer to us, eventually roosting on the foreshore within camera range.
Species:- Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Swift, Swallow, Wood Pigeon, GC Grebe (1 at Chichester GP), Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Crow, Rook, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Teal, Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, BH Gull, Herring Gull, GBB Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Pheasant, Red Legged Partridge, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Whitethroat, Linnet, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Wren, Dunnock, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Cuckoo (h), Blackcap, GS Woodpecker, Robin.
Reported by Steve Oakes