Thorney and Pagham (4 October 2014)

Saturday 4th.  With winds forecast that were not conducive to birding at Beachy I decided to head west.  I was torn between seawatching at Selsey and looking for Bearded Tits at Thorney where Barry Collins had posted seeing 20 'high flying', something I'd not seen for about 40 years.  Heading towards Chichester the winds seemed too strong to see much in reedbeds but not strong enough for a decent seawatch.  Deciding I'd rather see beardies I continued to Thorney.  At the western end of the Little Deep I saw at least 5 including good but brief views of a male and juvenile in the nearest reed edge.  It was high tide and the usual creek at the western end of the Great Deep held 18 Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank, the same cheek where I'd seen 18 Greenshank and 2 Spotted Redshank on 1 March.  Also seen around the Deeps were a Firecrest, 4 Stonechats and a Wheatear.  My arrival at Sidlesham Ferry coincided with the rain which did not help in trying to read the green colour-rings on three of the 24 Mediterranean Gulls tat were roosting there. Also on the Ferry were a Little Stint (my first since 2012), 5 Avocets and a Greenshank.  The North Wall and Whyte's Creek produced 6 Spotted Redshanks, 42 Golden Plover (my first of the year!), a juvenile/first winter Yellow-legged Gull and at least three Jay (with another three over the A27 on the way home).  Herring Gull NM8T was opposite Shoreham Airfield at low tide along with 76 Ringed Plover and 33 Dunlin.

Greenshank at Throney Deeps, some were all blinged up

mainly Greenshank at Thorney Deeps

Long-tailed Tit at Thorney, regrettably the Bearded Tits did not perform as well as this

colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull on Sidlesham Ferry.  It looked like something 36J but might not have had a first character 

I couldn't make out any characters on this one

Little Stint in the rain through a misted up lens

my first since 2012!

Curlew from the North Wall

juvenile Black-tailed Godwit from the North Wall

juvenile/first-winter Yellow-legged Gull at Pagham

Herring Gull NM8T on the Adur.  Ringed in Essex in 2010 (when a 2CY) its reported appearances since have alternated between Shoreham and Warnham

Friday 3rd.  A Kingfisher flew away down Southwick Canal as I was crossing the lock-gates on my way to work.

Wednesday 1st.  A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney, a single Sandwich Tern inside Shoreham Harbour and a Jay at Shoreham College.

Monday 29th.  A Peregrine on Southwick Power Station chimney and a Common and seven Sandwich Terns inside Shoreham Harbour.