Wednesday 31st March 2021: Pagham Harbour

 Today we travelled to Pagham Harbour for the first time this year, to investigate the possibility of creating a roosting raft on the Adur RSPB reserve for which we are volunteer wardens. A team were building a raft for another site and the idea was to observe and ask questions, but it was also a great opportunity to catch up on a bit of birdwatching at a prime Sussex site.

Coincidentally, we got off to a flying start by being in the right place at the right time. We had wandered round to Ferry Pool, hoping for some Little Ringed Plovers which failed to appear, although we did manage to add some beautiful brick-red summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits to our annual list. However, whilst scanning the water someone nearby noted a bird of interest in the adjacent field. Initially this was believed to be a Yellow Wagtail, but this was soon dismissed and the bird was identified as a large pipit. There then followed a lengthy debate as to whether this was a Richard’s or Tawny Pipit. Having only one autumn sighting of a Richard’s Pipit and no experience of a Tawny Pipit, we had little to contribute to the debate. Eventually, after photos were studied later in the day the conclusion was a Richard’s Pipit, an excellent year tick (although Tawny would have been a lifer!) My first Wheatear of the year was also active around the same field, these colourful, smart birds being one of my favourite harbingers of spring.

A pair of Blackcaps were seen chasing through the scrub and a Willow Warbler poured out its lovely descending song like a long lost friend. However, we were a little early for most other migrant passerines.

Moving on to Church Norton, there were good numbers of noisy Sandwich Terns and many Mediterranean Gulls, far and away the most I have ever seen at this site. The regular wintering Whimbrel was a useful tick too, but it was too cold to linger on our usual viewing bench. We walked along the beach past The Severals, where I had an alarmingly close encounter with a black Adder, which rapidly slid away into the undergrowth. 

After lunch, we relocated to explore the North Wall. The water levels were unusually high and many fields were flooded, so there were good numbers of waders and ducks present. But the highlight in this part of the reserve was a fabulous male Marsh Harrier hunting low over the reedbeds.

With six new species to add to our tally, this was another rewarding day in the field!