Pale Geese & White Swans

ARK had reported five Pale-bellied Brent Geese near Pagham Lagoon on Wednesday and they were still there on Thursday along with other assorted wildfowl and passerines:


Pale-bellied Brent Geese:

Wigeon:

Goldeneye:

Pintail:

Chiffchaff bathtime:

Stonechat:

On Friday the four Bewick's Swans were also still present, this time from the footpath near Burpham Church:


Bewick's Swans:

Dartford Warbler

Success with the Dartford Warbler, or possibly Warblers as there may have been two, at Reedy Marsh on the West Side of Pagham Harbour today. Here's a map of the area if you're not sure of any of the locations:


Pagham Harbour:

Dartford Warbler:

At Medmerry East, a Kestrel:

and Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal & Pintail:

Birds vs. Cake

Suffolk was largely disappointing last weekend with not much on display really bar good numbers of Gulls at Walberswick and a few bits & pieces at Minsmere.(Not helped particularly by having to chaperone a birder who would prefer eat cake/toast/soup/you name it in the visitor centre/cafe/pub..ho hum...! ;-))


Barnacle Geese:

Stonechat:

Common Scoter:

Linnets

Linnets at Medmerry breach last Saturday:


Linnets:

Slav(onian) to Love

The Pagham Lagoon Slavonian Grebe bird was my nemesis last year and I never did end up seeing it properly so I was grateful for today's prolonged if distant views. Now all I need to do is stop dipping the Dartford Warblers at Climping & the Severals...


Slavonian Grebe:

There's Snow Bunting like no Bunting I know...

A text this morning from Sarah Russell saying that she had found (or re-found) a Snow Bunting on the beach at Selsey Bill by the Oval Field had me jumping in the van early! On arriving I found many of the Bill regulars taking photos and admiring the confiding little bird; not as confiding as the Goring bird it has to be said but that was exceptional, still views down to six-ten feet though and you can't complain at that.


Snow Bunting:

Presuming this is the same bird as the other day, and it looks like it is to me, then GAH has aged it as a 1st Winter Female, see his blog: georgeheathpatchbirding.blogspot.co.uk

Later on a trip to Barnham Brooks for the Short-eared Owls, two or three on show. Fog, poor light, flying birds are unfortunately the crap photographer & his bridge camera's nemesis!!


Short-eared Owl: