I've been wanting to get over to East Side and Pagham Spit for a couple of weeks as the tern and gull colonies are full again this year so I headed over there and then afterwards I quickly checked Ferry Pool and Mill Lane Marsh. 66 species of over 1150 individuals, Ebird list HERE. The main theme of the day was breeding birds, young birds and recently fledged juveniles with stacks of noisy pairs of breeding Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black-headed and Med Gulls in the Church Norton colonies with young Cattle Egrets, Little Terns, Gadwalls, Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans and Little Grebes around and fully fledged juvenile Black-headed Gulls, a single juvenile Med Gull and common resident passerines. I didn't hear a single Whitethroat singing but a few Chiffchaff and a single Lesser Whitethroat were still giving it some.
There were the early signs of autumn migration too with 2 adult Black-tailed Godwits on Ferry, a Green Sandpiper and 7 Teal on Mill Lane, 3 Sand Martins high over and a Whimbrel on East side.
The moth trap was much quieter than previous nights with the highlight being a very nice Small Purple-barred.
Little Terns feeding in the harbour mouth
Gadwall (above) and Tufted Duck (below) with young
Adult male Turnstone
Juvenile 'large white-headed gull'- probably a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull but it was distant and a bit heat hazy to be sure of any of the details
Male Turnstone
July Highfligher- bang on time
Small Purple-barred (garden tick)
These Southern Marsh Orchids at Mill Lane cottage are the only ones I've seen locally this year
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