30/05/2015 3 in a day!

Saturday 30th May 2015
West Sussex Birding




Pagham Harbour - Sidlesham Ferry Pool  (am)

After receiving news of a Red-necked Phalarope and a Black-winged Stilt at Sidlesham Ferry Pool, Pagham Harbour, near Chichester, I made the 60+ mile round trip to the western edge of the county.    Expectations were very high.  Things turned out really well with both birds present and the expected parking issues  not surfacing.

• The Red-necked Phalarope was showing well in the foreground with it's busy, business-like style.  It's the first time I have seen this bird in summer plumage - fabulous!



Red-necked Phalarope
Library picture

• The more elegant Black-winged Stilt showed well in the background. 

Black-winged Stilt
Library picture

• Other birds seen included Black-tailed Godwits, Shelducks, a couple of Ringed Plovers, Swifts, Black-headed Gulls, Avocets and Swallows

Knepp Estate, West Sussex  (Evening)

I can't believe I gave up the chance to watch the FA cup final to go and look for Turtle Doves on the Knepp Estate.  However that's exactly what I did and boy was I rewarded!

• Some 20 minutes into the walk, I heard then saw my first Turtle Dove of 2015, in the dead tree some 50 metres away to my right.  Unfortunately I got so excited and acted so clumsily that I spooked the bird before I could get the telescope out. 

• It took another 90 minutes before I got my second chance and this time I made no mistakes.  For over 10 minutes I enjoyed lovely scope views of this handsome bird as it perched on a branch some 50 metres away, totally oblivious to my presence.  



Turtle Dove
Library picture

What a day! 

After a break of over 2 weeks I am back with a bang!





Additions to BUBO 2015 UK Bird List:
Red-necked Phalarope  (219)
Black-winged Stilt   (220)
Turtle Dove   (221)

Red-necked Phalarope

• The red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) is a small wader.

• This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia.

• It is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans.

Black-winged Stilt

 

• The black-winged stilt, common stilt, or pied stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae).The scientific name Himantopus comes from the Greek meaning "strap foot" or "thong foot

•  In Europe, the Black-winged Stilt is a regular spring overshoot vagrant north of its normal range, occasionally remaining to breed in northern European countries,

• These birds pick up their food from sand or water. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans.  The nest site is a bare spot on the ground near water. These birds often nest in small groups, sometimes with avocets.