Worthing, Selsey and Pagham (09 February 2013)

Saturday 9 Februuary.  An enjoyable day in West Sussex with John King.  We started at Salvington Road where the Waxwing flock were showing well, albeit in poor light.  We watched them for an hour but the light hardly improved during that time although it was lovely to see and hear them.  We went on to Selsey where the calm dull weather and high tide made ideal viewing conditions on a flat sea.  In an hour we saw 3 Great Northern  Divers, 25+ Red-breasted Mergansers and 6+ Razorbills on the sea while 42 Red-throated Divers flew west and two Mediterranean Gulls were loafing along the beach.  Conditions off Church Norton were similar and we joined Andrew House to watch another close Great Northern Diver and at least 9 Slavonian Grebes.  Andrew gave us some helpful info on a couple of things that were around. Three Bearded Tits gave excellent telescope views in the reeds at the SE end of the Long Pool and 3 Avocets were seen in the harbour. On the way back  we drew a blank with Whooper Swans off Homer Lane but otherwise it was a very successful day.

26 of the 27 Waxwings in Salvington road

I think that there is something rather special about waxwings

their fluffy crests are great

as are their wax-wings

Great Northern Diver close inshore at Selsey Bill

second-winter Mediterranean Gull at Selsey

male Bearded Tit on the Long Pool at Pagham Harbour

all three birds seen had been ringed

Scaup, location withheld 

viewable without crossing any fences or walking through any fields