Hard work rarely pays off

I decided to do a full count of the birds of Pagham Harbour today. I started off at Church Norton and did the graveyard to the severals, then over to Ferry and the discovery area, then off to Halseys to owl copse and then circled round the back fields. Then a stop for milkshake at Berries on Tap and an early lunch at Runcton Farm Shop before doing North Wall to Pagham Spit. 

14,792 steps and 83 species of bird of 3711 individuals logged HERE. Highlights were basically nothing. Despite seven hours searching I didn't see anything that unusual. One Wheatear and one or two presumed juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls was as good as it got. Dunlin and Ringed Plover numbers are up again and I also had my first juvenile Black-tailed Godwit. 

Bird of the day on the Peninsula was a juvenile Turtle Dove that Lucy Love found in her garden drinking from the bird bath. The Taoists have an idea called 'wu wei', which translates broadly as 'effortless action', an idea I am normally a follower of and today provided confirmation that it is a good idea.

The moth trap was less dissappointing with a few new for years including Small Rananculus and a couple of Beet Moths. Also a few migrants including a Bordered Straw, 4 Scarce Bordered Straw, a Pearly Underwing (very few this year so far) and 13 Silver-Y amongst the Small Mottled Willows, Rush Veneers, odd Rusty Dot and a few Dark Sword Grass and Delicates. Delicates are been featuring well recently with nearly double figures yesterday. Now on 509 for the year which is broadly similar to this time last year. 

The most excitement today was saving the lifeboat a trip out. I noticed a couple of people far out on the main pagham spit island where a few weeks ago a family had to be rescued from after getting cut off by the tide. They seemed oblivious to the rising tide so with the help of other beach goers, after I pointed out the risk, they were yelled in and then effectively rescued by other people helping them back after trying to cross the channel which had already become quite a torrent of water rushing into the harbour. A few minutes later and they would haven't made it back. Both girls were totally soaked and one lost their shoes but otherwise all good.   

First-winter Wheatear

My first juvenile Blackwit of the autumn, with an adult Spotted Redshank

Presumed juvenile Yellow-legged Gull , two birds on East Side. More photos HERE. 

An increase in Dunlin numbers on East Side. I got ChatGPT to count them- approx 160. Also about 100 Ringed Plover.

The Peregrine put all the small waders up at one point. ChatGPT reckons 230 birds in this image

Good numbers of Sandwich Terns at Pagham Spit, 3 Common Terns today too but the Little Terns are long gone- they more or less dissappear as soon as the young fledge

Jay- not a guaranteed bird on any one day at Pagham Harbour. 

Juvenile Cattle Egret- all the breeding birds are free flying now including the last of the Avocets on Ferry and the Shelduck family 

Bordered Straw. 4 Scarce Bordered Straw last night too.

Silky Wainscot

Small Ranunculus- NFY

Beet moth- the all time garden moth list is 704 so added something recently. Might be this species.