Beside the seaside

Earlier this week, before I fell heinously ill, I enjoyed a particularly pleasant half-days birding on the south coast. Abel B is relatively new to the area and birding ‘proper’, as it were, and the plan was to both show him some sites within an hour of home while simultaneously chalking up a few ticks for his life list. Despite wet and showery weather (it was awful for photography) we did well on both fronts, managing 76 species in a few hours in the field, six of which were lifers for Abel.

Cattle Egret, Sidlesham.

During the whole process I was taken back to that kind of middling period one has during listing/twitching, after you’ve seen most of the scarce stuff close to home, but before you’re ready to harvest the fruits of the bird news services; species that require local knowledge, or even the perusal of a book (those old things!). I was also reminded of how bird-filled and evocative the local stretch of south coast, particularly Chichester Harbour, is during winter, and that I should visit it more.

First stop, not long after sunrise, was Bedhampton. Here, next to a railway line, beside an ‘adult entertainment’ establishment and behind some plastic fencing was the town mill pond, on which a juvenile Ferruginous Duck had spent a few days. A somewhat incongruous location for what’s now a national rarity to turn up, but we persisted and eventually the bird swam into view. 

Ferruginous Duck, Bedhampton.

Unfortunately, it remained largely obscured and there wasn’t anywhere you could get a clear look at the bird, which was diving manically. I’ve only seen one Fudge Duck in the UK before but several abroad, and I must admit I wasn’t too impressed with its huge (Pochard-like!) bill with a black tip and sloping forehead. Given hybrids are more regular in Britain than pure Fudge’s, I uttered my uncertainty to a few who know far better than I, but it turned out I was pretty much alone with my view …

A Marsh Tit called nearby but otherwise that was it for a nondescript site, which offered hope that Mill Pond or Bramley Park Lake could one day reel in the big one (there is in fact a Victorian record of Ferruginous Duck at the latter site). From there it was down to Southsea Castle, for Purple Sandpipers. Alas, the tide was in and we dipped, but this was more than made up for with a superb flyby Little Gull, which quietly made its way east through a throng of hundreds of large gulls feeding in the surf.

Little Gull, Southsea.

The bird was a second-winter, the first time I’d seen this plumage, and was a most welcome surprise. It later turned out both an adult and first-winter had been reported from this site in recent weeks – is this sheltered stretch of coast a poorly-known wintering area for this species? A look through records from years gone by suggest this could well be the case. A Great Northern Diver flew east here too.

Next stop was Hayling Island, where a perfect cast of wintering waders and wildfowl greeted us, including my first Pintail in far too long. Our target here fell quickly as a distant Black-necked Grebe sat up for a bit off the oyster beds. We saw another later, closer in, as well as several each of Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye.

Green Sandpiper, Ferry Pool (Sidlesham).

One of my favourite places to go birding is Pagham Harbour and the surrounding area. It always omits a whiff of nostalgia when I visit, as I fondly recall trips here as a kid. The purring of Brent Geese is a welcome sound, and the scores of waders performed for us at Church Norton and Ferry Pool, where Abel managed a couple more lifers. Highlights included a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, hundreds of Avocet, Grey Plover and Knot and a Green Sandpiper.

Cattle Egrets, Sidlesham.

Prior to this wader-fest we’d visited Church Farm, to the east of Sidlesham. Healthy-sized flocks of Chaffinch, Lapwing, Starling and corvids were great to see, but the showstoppers were a long-staying flock of Cattle Egrets. These charismatic birds were feeding around the cow pens and, while a little jumpy, they largely showed well around the busy farm. It was the biggest flock (10+) I’ve seen in Britain. I’m particularly fond of this species, thanks to two over the patch last year, a moment that puts a smile on my face whenever I recall it.

Cattle Egrets, Sidlesham.

With the southerly wind picking up we did a quick seawatch off Selsey Bill, but only managed a few distant Gannets. In all, it was a truly relaxing and enjoyable session in the field, and the type I must do more of.