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I finally managed to get a full day in the field today after getting back last week. I attempted to do a full count again of the birds in Pagham Harbour. I started off by doing White's Creek and East Side and then checked the lagoon and spit before checking out North Wall and then lunch with Holly. After lunch I did Ferry and did Halseys back to North Wall. So I only missed Church Norton but could see most of the birds there from the Spit.

I made it 13,600 individuals of 84 species HERE with highlights including 2, possibly 3, first-winter Caspian Gulls, 2 pale-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit. 250 Med Gulls at the Spit, 1 Peregrine and 3 Rock Pipit. The sheer number of birds was once again dazzling. There has been a significant increase in Black-tailed Godwits since I did a similar count at the beginning of the month with at least 500 today. Must have been at least 4500 Lapwing and the Brents were concentrating on Rookery Lane in the afternoon where there must have been 2500 there. 

Just I was heading home Andrew relocated a Glossy Ibis that had been reported on Birdguides earlier in the day so I headed over there and managed to see the bird before an altercation with the landowner meaning I didn't get a photo but did get a local patch tick. After a Peninsula life list audit with Ian while in Thailand, the Ibis now puts me on 205 HERE .

I also managed to get out for a couple of hours on Monday and managed to relocate the Ruff on Ferry that had been around while we were away. 

I'm having to use my old Canon 7D mark 2 and 300mm lens as my R7 and 100-500m lens are in for repairs. Finally got my bins back from repairs but now lost my camera. Hopefully will be all dapper for Spring.  

First-winter Caspian Gull, bird one, on Pagham Spit (above and below). A contrasting dark wing and relatively broad tail banded individual. 

First-winter Caspian Gull, bird number one again maybe or bird number two, on East Side  (above and two photos below), appears to have a less contrasting wing than the first photo, with more contrast and more markings on the tail and also looks less cleaner underparts but could be a distant photo effect in the first two images. The typical first-winter Caspian pale underwing, contrasting white head, dark shawl and pale grey upperparts with thin darks centres to the mantle and scapulars are shown in all the images 

Bird two or maybe bird three? This paler and shorter legged bird is clearly different to the birds above (also saw this at the same time as the other East side bird) with a very pale mantle and very clean below. Typical Caspian Gull features include the gleaming white head, dark shawl and four tone scheme with white head, grey mantle, darker coverts and black primaries.

Glossy Ibis (pic by Andrew House)

Pale-bellied Brent and Brents (above and below)

The Blackwit influx (above and below)

The Ruff on Ferry on Monday

Avocet

So far the only moth this year has been this Chestnut out of a couple of moth trapping attempts