12th February - Selsey and RSPB Pagham Harbour, West Sussex

After the glorious weather on Friday, Saturday morning dawned clear and sunny but with a stiffer breeze, the hope was that the sun would remain and that maybe the breeze would ease as we headed towards sunset.  After a very nice breakfast Helen and I set off to do the walk we enjoy, heading from the Crab and Lobster around Sidelsham Harbour to Church Norton and down to Selsey Bill along the east side of the peninsula.

The tide had fallen quite quickly from a high tide at about 8:00 am and the walk to the RSPB visitor centre at the Ferry saw very little on show. The Ferry Pool was also very quiet and even the hoped for regular Kingfisher on the Long Pool wasn't there.  In fact the first bird of interest was a distant Buzzard flying low across the fields and this very vocal Little Grebe at the top end of the Long Pool.

The path from the Ferry to Church Norton was always notably difficult, deep muddy puddles and undulating, to walk it you had to watch your feet making it difficult to see anything else.  But now the path had been worked on, presumably by the RSPB, the deep holes have gone and it is a pleasure to walk, yes there are some patches of mud but nothing like it used to be.  So as a result I was able to pick up the huge flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing that would take to the air every so often for no apparent reason.

With falling tide there was little to be seen close to the path.  Shelduck could be seen distantly and there were Curlew, Redshank and what looked like Dunlin feeding.  Wigeon, Gadwall and Teal were in the channels.  We walked through the church yard of St Winifred's Chapel where a Goldcrest was singing and then back out on to the harbour, calls of Redshank ringing out across the marsh.

We walked down to the beach, where the shingle gave way to a sandy beach as the falling tide seemed to keep on receding.  We were now walking into a very fresh south westerly breeze and despite the low tide the sea was sending in waves that crashed against the many groynes as we reached East Beach.

At the Lifeboat station a harbour seal was seen just offshore, but was gone as I raised the camera.  Just before our break for a well earned drink at lunch time, we came across a group of a dozen Sandwich Terns on the beach. 

Once an early summer migrant, the Sandwich Tern can now be seen along our south coasts in the winter.  There has been a good number in Chichester Harbour and only recently a count of 33 off Selsey Bill which this group are probably a part of.

I walked down the beach using the groyne as cover but they were easily spooked and took to the air.

But they didn't go far and came back to settle once again on the beach.

I can't recall being able to get photographs as close as this of Sandwich Terns in the winter before and the weather and light helped immensely.  They are a very smart looking tern, not yet with the full black shaggy cap, but a very clear yellow tip to the bill.  

Their pure white plumage standing out against the deep blue of the winter sea.

Leaving the Sandwich Terns to settle once again on the beach we headed for a drink.  After that we started our way back, this time with the wind behind which made it a lot easier and pleasant in the afternoon sunshine.

A female Stonechat posed very nicely on a small bush close to the sea wall.

The tide was now reaching its lowest point and this was a long way out.  Just walking along the sea wall the drop down to the water was at least over five metres and it showed the significant difference the tides bring the beaches.

Scanning the sea produced very little other than a Great Crested Grebe and a Red-breasted Merganser heading south.

Surprisingly there were large gatherings of Grey Plover on the beach close to the tide line.  I say surprisingly because low tide is normally a time to feed while the high tide sees the birds roosting.

A little further along an isolated island just off the beach had more Grey Plover on it, and Dunlin and Ringed Plover.

But as with any large gathering of wading birds, it just needs one to become nervous and they all go up only to settle back down until the next time.

The shingle areas exposed by the low tide was being swarmed over by the Turnstones.

It is much easier to walk along the beach when the tide is as low as this, it also looks quite stunning.

And again a different perspective when converted to an infra red black and white.

Just as we were about to leave the beach and walk down towards the church yard an adult Great Black-backed Gull cruised along the beach scouring the exposed shingle below.

An up close encounter with this large gull never fails to impress.

The walk from the church yard back to the Ferry was in pleasant sunshine.  Out on the mud were Grey Plover and Curlew, Redshank burst from the salt marsh as we walked past the calls alerting everyone else.

You could just make out the channel of water and here there were feeding Avocet and upending Shelduck and Pintail. Once again though there were the large flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing taking off as something spooked them.  They would wheel around high above us flashing silver and gold in the sunshine.

At the sluice by the Ferry there wasn't any sign of the Kingfisher, to be fair the water level was so low there was nowhere it could adequately perch to watch the water.  There was a Little Egret and several Teal snoozing away the afternoon in the sunshine.

As we reached the middle of the afternoon the geese were on the move once again, this large skein coming across the saltmarsh, their calls heralding their arrival.

And here the video to enjoy the spectacle

And to finish things off, an infra red image of the Pagham salt marsh.

A pair of Wigeon were on the pond at Sidlesham Mill, I was taken by the reflection of the drake and the patterns on the water.

Back at the Crab and Lobster Helen went back to the room and I changed footwear and headed out to Halsey's Farm.  I wanted to see if I could catch up with the Barn Owl once again, but as I had a little time I also wanted to see if I could find the Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis in the fields around Marsh Farm.

I walked around the footpaths that went between the three farms in the areas, Halsey, Marsh and Honer.  I could not find any sign of the both the egret or Ibis, there was also no sign of any cattle.  What I did get though was a low fly past of  male Sparrowhawk, it surprised me coming out of nowhere.

With time moving on I headed back to the field at the back of Halsey's Farm and positioned myself to be able to see all of the field and to be able to take advantage of the sunlight.  The owls were apparently using a nest box in a barn to my left as I look out in the photograph.  There was work going on at the farm with banging and fences being repaired, but this had been the case the evening before so I was confident it would not have any impact.  The breeze had reduced and all was set fair.

A water Rail called from a ditch and I managed the briefest of views as it scurried across the ditch into cover.  Above Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Blue Tits called and could be seen feeding in the top branches of the surrounding trees.  A large flock of gulls passed over head and were joined by a flock of Curlew, calling as they went.  Then from behind the trees came the reason, a Marsh Harrier heading towards me, the wings held in the slight "V" and rocking back and forth as it watched the ground beneath.

They seem to be able to sense you are close and it only came so far before banking and gaining height, the golden light of the setting sun catching it as it glided away without a wing beat.

But the banking allowed it to gain height and it came back around again heading towards me.

I kept shooting as it came closer before finally disappearing behind the trees

It then drifted across the field and back towards the sea wall footpath.  As it drifted over the harbour Wigeon and Teal could be seen coming up from the mud in panic.

I settled back into the task at had, time was moving on, getting close to the time we had watched the two Barn Owls the day before.around 16:25, the sunlight had now gone and the sky was taking on the blues, grey and pinks of a sunset.  Then from out of nowhere a Barn Owl appeared, it appeared through the trees and floated around, its creamy white plumage contrasting against the dark background of the trees.

You don't watch Barn Owls, you encounter them, you stand and watch them and marvel in their beauty, a cream pale bird in a gloomy environment, that has you hooked to watch.

Eventually it went behind the trees and for a brief moment disappeared, I stood and waited and hoped for it to return and come closer which is what it did, appearing from the trees once more.

What is it that captures us and holds us in awe of this beautiful bird, is the inquisitive expression of the eyes and bill, the ghostly appearance in the gloom, or the way it quarters its habitat, gliding and swooping as it checks out every possible sound or opportunity?

The pictures shown below were taken as the Barn Owl flew towards me.

Then it flew through the trees that I was standing next too.  From above and behind me I heard the alarm calls of Blue Tits and Robins.  The owl flew on and appeared to settle inthe trees.

I walked around the copse in the hope of finding the owl, but it had disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.  Coming back around I caught glimpse of two owls interacting back over the reeds by the stream, rushing over, the were gone, and I never saw them again.

While I harboured thoughts the owls may return, my other thoughts turned to the other two specialities currently at the North Wall, I hadn't manage to find them on my work around the fields, but maybe I could see them come into roost.  They have been using Owl Copse along with the regular Little Egrets.

At 16:37 a tight flock of egrets appeared over the tree tops heading towards the copse.  There were 18 Cattle Egrets and they dropped low and eventually into the copse and out of sight.

Oner down one to go, the sun was sinking fast, but had broken through the clouds once more, I had positioned myself by the bridge over the stream and looking back a good sunset was building.

Much to my surprise a Grey Wagtail flew towards me calling, it dropped onto the mud alongside the stream, probably not able to see me through the gloom.

It then flew to the other side to walk around the mud that had been broken up by cattle.  After picking out a few invisible morsels it flew away, calling as it went.

 

The light was fading fast and it was becoming cold, I could feel the cold creeping into my legs and arms, however I was determined to stand this one out, I was certain the Ibis would appear.  A large dark bird appeared above the copse, it had a long neck a for a few seconds I wondered if it was an Ibis, but then realised it was a Cormorant.

The at 17:07 a tight group of black birds appeared through the trees and then above them heading towards the copse, this time there were six and they all had the curved bills, a long elongated body with trailing legs, the Ibis.

The Glossy Ibis is a gregarious bird, feeding together in flocks, but I found it interesting that these six were sticking together, all coming in to roost together and not arriving separately, clearly there was a message between them that it was time for bed!

The Ibis dropped into the copse and my day was up.  Normally the walks around herer were not conducive to photography, the birds being distant, but this weekend had been exceptional with some great birds and photographic opportunities.  Views of Barn Owl are always magical though and I headed back to the Crab and Lobster with a smile, heading into a lovely sunset and a wonderful dinner to come.