Pagham and Lidsey (02 March 2014)

Another day in West Sussex with John King who I met opposite Brooklands after visiting there (Water Rail and 2 adult Little Gulls), the Adur (red-head Goosander opposite the airport) and Widewater (2 divers E). There were 8 Mediterranean Gulls at Goring Gap including a Belgian/Dutch bird 3C66.  We continued to Pagham Lagoon and the harbour entrance overlooking the Spit.  We saw 3 Goldeneye (one drake), at least 164 Mediterranean Gulls, the first-winter Iceland Gull, two colour-ringed Herring Gulls (an unread North Thames bird and one seemingly from Suffolk) and 3 Sandwich Terns.  We went on to the North Wall where the pair of Whooper Swans spent much of the time asleep.  We returned via Littlehampton but the tide was high and only 2 Mediterranean and the second-winter Glaucous Gulls were seen although we aborted after 10-15 minutes when we heard the Glossy Ibis at Lidsey had been seen again.

Goosander on he Adur by Shoreham Airport

one of the recent Widewater birds?

Little Gull on Brooklands, pretending to be a Wrybill

difficult to resist going back for more

colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull 3C66 at Goring Gap

it is in its tenth year having hatched at Noordelijk Insteekdok, Oost-Vlaandreren, Belgium on 26/05/2005.  It was seen at Le Portel in August 2005, Wissant in September 2005, Le Plaitier d'Oye Plage in May 2006, Le Portel again in July 2007 (all Pas-de-Calais), Noordelijk Insteekdok during April-June 2008 and West Hayling LNR, Hants in March 2010 and February-March 2011

Herring Gull VPT, ringed as a chick on Havergate Island, Orford, Suffolk on 7 July 2013

Mediterranean Gulls on the end of Pagham Spit

most were adults

but not all

they certainly outnumbers Black-headeds

Two of three Sandwich Terns roosting with them

Iceland Gull on Pagham Spit

the paler patch in the centre of its breast was often more noticeable than it appears here.  Perhaps some form of oiling or chemical spillage? 

Whooper Swans at Pagham North Wall

Glossy Ibis at Lidsey

synchronised feeding, almost