25th - 26th January - Pagham Harbour to Selsey Bill, West Sussex

Through the week it has been cold with some heavy frosts, Friday though saw temperatures rising, and when we arrived at the Crab & Lobster it was mild with a light breeze.  The day before their were pictures of frozen water and white frost but there was no way we would encounter those conditions today.

After checking in we set out for a short afternoon walk to the North Wall of the reserve.  Before we left looking out across the car park we could see the tide was still high, and the Brent Geese were moving about.

The walk across the fields from Halsey's Farm was a little difficult with the ground very sticky, there has not been enough rain to make it very wet and muddy, but the surface was wet and sometimes this can be harder to walk on.  It was very quiet all around the fields with only a few Long-tailed Tits accompanying us as we made out way to the wall

As we climbed up onto the sea wall the tide was still very high, and several Wigeon were close in on the water

As we walked along the wall avoiding the muddy pools of water, Teal tumbled off the rocks and into the water swimming out between the stalks of reeds.  The drakes looking superb in the late sunshine.

Wigeon too were dabbling close to the wall

A little further along we came across a couple of birders who were excited by a bird of prey that they could see sitting on a fence post at the back of the Breech Pool.  They were hoping that it was a Merlin, but it turned out to be a Sparrowhawk.

It flew after a small bird that passed, then settled in amongst a bramble bush.

Back on the water the Wigeon were still close in

There was very little else about, and with the high water little mud to attract any waders.  A quick check of the sluice did not produce the Kingfisher either, again, the water was just too high.  It was time to head back with the sky on the horizon showing pink as the sun set.

The forecast for Saturday had not been good earlier in the week, but had improved the closer we got to the weekend.  At dawn there was sunshine, but also cloud and a fresh breeze.  It was still mild though, and the rain was now forecast for later on in the afternoon.

We set off on our normal walk, pausing at the cottage pond at the harbour where a drake Tufted Duck was present, the first time I have seen one here

Who can resist a Tufted Duck?

The tide was out, with high tide being around 16.00.  We walked to the Ferry Pool where there were hundreds of Lapwing in the field,a nd about 200 Wigeon between the field and the pool.  For the first time we went into the new Ferry Hide.  It seems a bit weird sitting in a hide looking out to see birds with huge trucks thundering past.  It has always been like this though, but I never went into the old hide, always preferring to stand outside to view the pool.

On the other side there is some feeders that were being used by both Great and Blue Tits.  Nearby a tree had been blown down with a nest box on it.  This though did not put off a Great Tit that was inspecting the entrance hole

We walked on at first through the mud, then dropping down on to firmer ground.  As we approached Church Norton there were two Grey Heron on the mud.

In a sheltered spot there was Blackthorn flowering, the cold snap not putting them off

After reports through the week of birds on the sea off Church Norton I was expecting to find something, but as I scrambled across the shingle to get a view across the sea there was nothing at all save a Cormorant that flew past.

We walked on, nothing on the Severals pools, and nothing on the sea.  In fact the only birds seen were a few Turnstone searching between the stones on the beach.

Out at sea the Selsey Lifeboat was heading back to the station.  The old Boathouse was closed in April 2017, and replaced by the new modern station.  There are two lifeboats at Selsey, a D class Inshore lifeboat, named "Betty and Thomas Moore" and the boat shown here an all weather Shannon Class Lifeboat, "Denise and Eric"

As we reached the station the lifeboat was being hauled up the beach by a tractor.

After a drink at the aptly named Lifeboat Inn, we made our way back.  The sunny spells of the morning were replaced by thicker cloud, and off shore we could see squally showers, some of which drifted across the land producing some drizzle

A few more birds on the way back, a rather smart adult Herring Gull

And here a pair "dancing" on the grass in an effort to get the worms to rise through the soil

There is usually a good sized flock of Starlings around the East Beach area, but on the way down there had not been any sign of them.  As we came back they were present, and all perching in the bushes.  It seems that they had been bathing somewhere as almost all of them were shaking their feathers

I estimated about 200 to 300 birds present around the East Beach car park.

Back at Church Norton there was still nothing on the sea, and the tide was flowing into the harbour.  At the bottom of the footpath leading to the chapel, a Firecrest was feeding amongst the scrub and bushes.  I had some good views but it was very active, and it wasn't possible to get any photographs, just enjoyed the views of this smart little bird

On the mud close to the path heading around to the hide a Redshank stood in the mud.

Walking to the Ferry Pool Brent Geese flew over coming from the harbour and heading for the fields close to the road.  Out in the harbour there were Pintail, Wigeon, Shelduck, and a group of Avocet, probably around 20 at least.

Just before the end of the path we came across the Brent Geese, probably around about 300.

At the Ferry Pool we used the hide to watch the huge numbers of  Lapwing, which must have been around over a thousand birds, they seemed to be everywhere, in the grass fields, and on the ploughed areas.  With them now were also about 300 Golden Plover.

The suddenly they all took off.  The Lapwing not going far but the Golden Plover took off circling around the area staying high in the sky.

From the hide we walked around to the Long Pool, and I picked out a Spotted Redshank, which then took off across the pool to settle on the far side, moving into the reeds

We made our way back to Sidelsham in some nice sunshine.  The tide was high and every so often Curlew would fly up, from the channels and settling on the marsh, usually only the head and neck to be seen.  On a quiet visit, with very little opportunity for photography this was the best picture of the day.

Once again a rather disappointing visit, the birds here are always a long way off, but today there was a distinct lack of any number of birds.  Still a nice walk, and the weather behaved.