02/09/2015 Autumn Migration Outing 2 Pagham Harbour, East.

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
Pagham Harbour, East
Paul and group (11)

After the recent wet weather it was nice to get out in sunshine and experience dry conditions.  I enjoyed a smashing day out with friends, seeing 60+ species including a Yellow-legged Gull to bring up my 250th UK bird of 2015.

Today we  concentrated on the eastern side of the harbour including White's Creek which was a new stretch for me.   Unusually, we started at 10.00 so we could catch the waders along the North Wall on the large afternoon high tide.

There  were lots of highlights:

• Perhaps the most unexpected sighting was the Short-eared Owl that was flushed out as we made our return to the cars at Little Welbourne - unusual in that we would not normally see this species here at this time of year.  A real bonus!

• Obviously the Yellow-legged Gull was a treat for me and a landmark sighting for my 2015 Year List.  This was one of the first birds we saw as we walked along White's Creek - thanks to Paul who had  obviously targeted this species for me.



Yellow-legged Gull
Library picture

• A group of 6 Mediterranean Gulls provided the best spectacle of the day; I have never ever seen a  flock of these birds for quite some time now - 1's or 2's usually.

• Migrant passerines were well represented with good sightings of Wheatear, Whinchat and Linnet.

• Pagham Harbour is always a great place to see ducks, waders and gulls.  As well as a few Wigeon and Teal we saw a couple of Pintails.  The 2 Spotted Redshanks were perhaps the pick of the waders, closely followed by the Grey Plovers and Turnstones in there stunning summer plumage. 

Summer plumage Grey Plover
Library picture

 

Summer plumage Turnstone
Library picture

 

• As well as scores of Black-tailed Godwits there was also  at least 1 Bar-tailed Godwit. a Ruff, a Sanderling,  20+ Ringed Plovers, 20+ Knot, 20+ Dunlin, several Greenshanks and a couple of Golden Plovers.

 

• Birds of Prey included Buzzard, Peregrine, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk but alas not Osprey on this occasion.

• I managed to miss the Kingfisher on 2 occasions.

• Swallows provided a magnificent backdrop throughout our visit.

• A Whimbrel was seen along with loads of Curlews, Herons and Little Egrets.

A really good birding experience.  Pagham never ever disappoints and today was no exception with good weather, lots of birds to see including a couple of "specials".



Addition to BUBO 2015 UK Bird List:
Yellow-legged Gull   (250)

• The yellow-legged gull has only recently been recognised as a species in its own right, having previously been considered to be a race of herring gull. 

•  Adults have darker grey backs and wings than herring gulls, but are paler than lesser black-backed gulls. They have more black in the wing tips than herring gulls and smaller white 'mirrors'. The legs are bright yellow, there is a red ring around the eye and the bill is yellow with a large red spot. In non-breeding plumage, the head is less streaked and whiter than herring gulls. 

•  Juvenile yellow-legged gulls are very similar to juvenile lesser black-backed gulls, but tend to be whiter-headed and start to gain a grey 'saddle' on their backs quickly as they moult to first winter plumage. Immature birds gain adult-like characteristics as they mature over the course of five years with the legs turning yellow and dark grey feathers replacing the brown and black immature feathers.

Overview

Latin name

Larus michahellis

 

 

Family

Gulls (Laridae)

 

Where to see them

Yellow-legged gulls can be found on reservoirs, on rubbish tips, in fields, on coastal marshes and in large evening gull roosts on reservoirs and lakes. They are most often found among large gatherings of lesser black-backed gulls.

When to see them

A northward spread from the Mediterranean and an increased awareness among British birdwatchers of how to identify yellow-legged gulls means they are now a regular sight in many parts of Southern Britain. They can be found throughout the year in varying numbers, but there is a marked peak in numbers during late summer and autumn when both adults and immature birds disperse after nesting.

 

 

What they eat

Ominivorous - a scavenger.

Population

Europe	UK breeding*	UK wintering*	UK passage*
-	1 pair	1,100 birds	-