Wednesday 12th June 2024: Savi’s Warbler at Pulborough

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 We had planned a visit to Pagham with Sue, but reports of a Savi’s Warbler at Pulborough the evening before led to a slight adjustment to our itinerary! We searched the area where it had apparently been seen, but were unable to locate it, meeting others on the way who had also drawn a blank. We set off back towards the visitor centre to depart, when the phone pinged and a message indicated it had been relocated down by the river by the group we had just met! So we retraced our steps, and with some patience we eventually managed to hear the bird reeling and secure some brief, distant glimpses as it flitted amongst the tall grasses. Not the greatest of views, but a UK tick! 

Reverting to plan A, we continued on our way towards Pagham, Ferry Pool, where our target bird was Wood Sandpiper. It didn’t take us long to identify this feeding out around a mud spit near the far end of the pool, looking smaller and slimmer than the nearby Redshanks and Avocets, and showing well in the scope. We walked the circuit round to the visitor centre, resting awhile on a bench to observe a few ducks on the creek, but not much else wandered into view, so we headed back to the car, and drove to Church Norton. Again it was very quiet here - We noted two families of Oystercatchers at Tern Island, plus a single Sandwich Tern. 

After lunch at a local cafe, we decided to return to Pulborough, hoping for a better view of the Savi’s Warbler. It was now being reported by the dipping ponds, so we set off, encountering a hunting Hobby on the way, our first of the year. We went  and joined what was now a considerable throng and waited…and waited. Several calling Avocets flew back and forth, providing some entertainment, then other birders were calling fleeting views but we failed to get on to the bird. No sooner had we decided to depart, taking a few steps away, than a loud, close reeling started up! This was very rewarding to hear, much clearer than this morning, but we again were disappointed not to manage a sighting. Feeling tired, having been out all day, we decided to settle for what we’d experienced across both sessions, and headed for home.

Savi’s Warbler -not taken today!



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