Friday 17th January 2025: Pagham Harbour

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We enjoyed a lovely day out at Pagham yesterday with Sue. We started with a circuit from the visitor centre, but the water levels were high at Ferry Pool and there was little of note. In the channel a few Redshank and Curlew were the best we could muster. We relocated to Halsey’s Farm and walked across the field to North Wall. There were plenty of Wigeon whistling noisily as we passed, and out in the harbour swathes of waders, creating a tremendous spectacle when they all took to the skies, a murmuration of Golden Plover swirling above flocks of Lapwing, and groups of Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit dropping in to the nearby fields. Lines of Brent geese headed further west, calling softly as they passed over. 

Wigeon

In the area we were thrilled to find a Long-eared Owl roosting, showing surprisingly well near the front of a bush.

Long-eared Owl

In White’s Creek we were treated to great views of a Spotted Redshank which wandered in very close, allowing us to note its key features.

Spotted Redshank

We drove to Church Norton and ate our lunch on the bench overlooking the island. The tide was rising fast, and a long line of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover soon disappeared as the waters pushed them on. Next we walked across the the beach, for a quick scan of the sea, noting a few Red-throated Divers and a single Long-tailed duck.

Feeling cold, we diverted to the Old Piggery tea rooms, where we decided to live up to the name by stuffing ourselves on tea and cake! Then at Ferry Pool, we found a Green Sandpiper bobbing characteristically in the shallow water.

We took a small detour on our way home to  New Monks Park, where Sue was thrilled to see our local Barn Owl hunting over the ditches. It was good to confirm a second bird is still present, seen roosting in a bush, and a great end to a rewarding day.

Barn Owl



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