Autumn picking up

Trying to get back into the routine of spending Monday in the field now that autumn is picking up. After doing the moths I checked out Ferry (one single Black-headed Gull on this sorry looking state), Mill Pond Marsh and I then went over to east side and checked out North Wall, White's Creek, East side and Pagham Spit. Ebird list HERE, 67 species of over 1000 birds, highlights including two adult and one juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and thirteen wader species including a summer plumage Spotted Redshank in White's Creek and Greenshank, Green and Common Sandpiper at Mill Pond Marsh. Also had my first Shovelers of the autumn at Mill Pond Marsh where there were also some Teal and a family party of eleven Gadwall. 

There were a couple of mixed autumn passerines flocks too with Long-tailed and Blue Tits carrying a few Chiffchaffs and Reed and Sedge Warblers and a few family parties of Whitethroats about while a few Sand Martins and Swallows were migrating through. All in all, what with the blustery south west wind and all the migrants, today felt like the first proper day of autumn. 

The moth traps were busy last night with over 300 individuals of around 120 species. Highlights included a Hook-tip Grass moth (a lifer) and the first Pine Carpet for the year. Now 585 for the garden and 461 for the year. 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Black-tailed Godwits 

The main theme of the harbour is still large flocks of Med and Black-headed Gulls and the racous tern colonies 

Ringed Plover- intersesting that this one has quite a well defined orange orbital ring 

Juvenile Sedge Warbler 

Hook-tip Grass Moth, Platytes alpinella- a lifer. Not too  many records in West Sussex by the looks of it HERE

Pine Carpet