Thursday 8th August: Pagham, Semi-palmated Sandpiper

 Another day, another bird...!

With reports of a Semi-palmated Sandpiper at Pagham, it seemed rude not to at least try for this scarce visitor to Sussex.

Although others had gone very early, we took the view that it would be better to visit on the rising tide in the hopes that this would push the bird a little nearer. We arrived around 10ish, and on the beach at Church Norton it was clear the tide was still far out and there were few birds to be seen. 

It wasn't too long before news came through that the bird had been spotted further down the harbour, so we hot-footed it through the churchyard to join the relatively small gathered throng. As we arrived, a tight flock of Dunlin was foraging on the mud directly in from of us, but frustratingly these were flushed just as we were setting up the scopes. The birds resettled on a weed-covered mound at some distance and we were able to observe the bird, but it was very distant and pretty unsatisfactory. Although considerably smaller than the Dunlin and Ringed Plover nearby, we were struggling to make out any defining features, although it was noticeably paler than the other birds.

Eventually, we decided to head back to the benches for lunch, and hope the bird would be flushed by the incoming tide. There was little happening here still, just a smattering of Oystercatchers and an occasional Curlew. In the hedgerow behind, I noticed a group of Willow Warblers working their way through the bushes, together with a flock of Long-tailed Tits. Behind the hide I found a juvenile Green Woodpecker clinging motionless to a fence post. 

Before long, it began to rain, so we relocated to the hide, and soon noted a flock of small waders fly in. Bernie had soon picked out the Sandpiper amongst a family of Dunlin and several Ringed Plover. The birds were quite flighty as the tide pushed them around, and kept disappearing and reappearing amongst the vegetation, but we had several decent views and were able to compare its diminutive size with the other waders and note the distinctive patterning. Good enough for a tick in the end!!