Goring Gap, Pagham Harbour and The Burgh

A quiet seawatch at the Gap featured a Shelduck, a Great Crested Grebe, six Gannets, 14 Common Gulls and five Red-breasted Mergansers. The usual waders present included 60 Dunlin and 17 Grey Plovers but a bonus Golden Plover was in the roost field. A Grey Heron flew east and four adult Mediterranean Gulls and a Meadow Pipit were also noted.

A visit to Pagham Harbour with Adrian provided a nice change of scenery. We didn't walk much at all - just parked up at Church Norton and scanned from the benches. Two Firecrests and a Chiffchaff were along the path. A Whimbrel was present and one of the Bar-tailed Godwits was in full summer plumage. A flock of 150 Knot was otherwise the wader highlight, along with good numbers of Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, etc. A swirling mass of perhaps 600 Lapwings was at the back. Wildfowl included a Goldeneye, a Red-breasted Merganser and a Teal, plus a few Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Wigeon. Several Mediterranean Gulls were around, along with a couple of Meadow Pipits and seven Skylarks.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Moving on to The Burgh, we almost turned straight back home due to the mizzly conditions but we were glad that we scanned for a few minutes as we were rewarded with a nice flyby Merlin, as well as couple of Red Kites and flocks of 30 Skylarks and 60 Linnets.