Saturday 30 September 2017

YBW

Re-found the Yellow-browed Warbler at Chidham on Friday, it showed on & off in the trees by the footpath near the green metal gates at St.Mary's Church.

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Pectoral Sandpiper

After checking the Hanger & Jupp's View at RSPB Pulborough Brooks I finally found the Pectoral Sandpiper at Netley's Hide on the far left of the water. It didn't stay on view for long & I had to go to work but fairly decent scope views for a couple of minutes; now a close one at Pagham please!

Friday 15 September 2017

USA Sandpipers

Least Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper (having a kip!) & Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Dorset on Thursday, a good day.












Monday 11 September 2017

The demise of Pagham?

This is a really interesting post from Brett Spencer's blog about the demise of Radipole RSPB:

http://bretteeblahblahblah.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/the-demise-of-radipole-lake.html

This struck a chord with me because I just can't fathom what is going on around the Pagham Harbour Medmerry area at the moment:

Sidlesham Ferry Pool is a shadow of its former self, think of the great birds of the past eg: Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, White-rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sand, Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-winged Pratincole, not to mention Phalaropes, Pec Sands...little chance of much now as it still has not been repaired. New hide? Why? Fix the bloody pool!

The Breech Pool is a duck pond most of the year as the run offs from the fields have become clogged with pennywort and the like and and are holding the water back when it should be running through fast and out of the sluices. The sluice gates are wide open but the water level won't drop because of this and the mismanagement of the harbour mouth. Solution? Well the spit may be cut so perhaps the harbour outflow can be improved but there surely must be talks with the landowners to rectify the situation? Spend some money if necessary RSPB!

The Stilt Pool is quite remarkable as a venue that has gone backwards incredibly rapidly, remember the breeding BW Stilts from where it gets its nomenclature? Now? Literally 100s of Canada Geese present and would you believe it, grazing cattle. The other day there was just a Common Sand here lurking at the  very back and even the Gulls had been pushed right to side of the pool by the geese and cattle! And all the nitrogen being deposited into the water will cause an algal bloom and de-oxygenate the water so zero will live there. Guess what? No food no birds....Get a digger and make a few more scrapes behind the shingle bank-this will take the pressure of the pool and could make a really great site-will it happen? Doubtful. Opening the centre of the reserve up would also be a bonus as would fencing off the outlying pools to keep dogs out-signs do not work, dogs constantly in the water at breeding season...

The now sadly deceased "Puddle" at Lidsey showed what could happen if the habitat is right: Pec Sand, Wood Sand and all manner of waders...we live in hope but not expectation....

Monday 4 September 2017

Baird's Sandpiper

An uneventful weekend in East Sussex was considerably brightened by the appearance of a Baird's Sandpiper at the Cuckmere, showed very well, pics/video to follow. Earlier zero at Beachy Head and on Saturday just 24 Golden Plover of note at Rye ( no birders except me at Rye early morning, what's that about?? Isn't it birded anymore???!))



Video here: Baird's