Ashdown Bird Group Outing to RSPB Pagham Harbour and RSPB Medmerry

Sunday 2nd April 2023

RSPB Pagham Harbour (am) then RSPB Medmerry (pm)

Ashdown Forest Bird Group

(8 members present)

Trip Report

This event was a week behind schedule - the rain and wind causing a postponement on 31st March 2023.  No such problems today - it was dry and sunny, if a tad cold early on, and only a light breeze.  Boots were the order of the day, however, as the ground was still quite soft in places.  

We spent the morning session at Pagham Harbour before relocating to RSPB Medmerry after lunch.  In total we managed a respectable species count of 70,  Our target species for the day included spring migrants and a spotted redshank that has been around for some time. 

Pagham Harbour

We parked at the Visitor Centre before heading out towards Church Norton and the sea, returning by car for a well deserved lunch.

• Our start at the Ferry Pool was interrupted by news that the spotted redshank was showing well in the nearby channel.  Everybody was able to get excellent views of the bird as it moved around in the channel just ahead of us.  At times it came quite close but the highlight was watching it enjoy a huge worm meal.

• We returned to the Ferry Pool where the highlights included avocet, black-tailed godwit, gadwall, shoveler and several lovely teal.

• As we walked out to Church Norton we could hear the distinctive sounds of the skylarks and the Mediterranean gulls that were flying above us.  Over the fields to our right we saw linnets, meadow pipits and our first lapwings.  Near the end 2 Brent geese flew by.
• Raptors seen included marsh harrier and buzzard.  

Bob and Judy had driven to Church Norton and they were seated by the spit as we arrived.  

• They had seen a red-breasted merganser earlier but it had since disappeared behind one of the islands.
• The scene here was dominated by the Mediterranean gulls and the Sandwich terns (and, of course, the black-headed gulls).  
• The usual waders were there including redshank, dunlin, oystercatcher, turnstone etc

Out by the sea we added a few more species to our list.

• We eventually got a view of the 2 red-breasted mergansers that Alison and then John found to make up for missing out earlier.
• A lone swallow flew by us, low over the waves - a first of the year for most of us.
• Gannets were clearly enjoying the conditions but they were quite distant.

Back at Church Norton, up by the car park, there were a few more highlights.

• At least 4 chiffchaffs, behaving like flycatchers as they moved to and fro between the bushes the field and the flooded stream.

4 of us remained at the car park, waiting for our lift to arrive to take us back to the Visitor Centre.  This gave us the opportunity to look round the churchyard, hoping to hear and see firecrest.  We didn't have any success.

• We did however come across 2 lovely green woodpeckers and we were able to watch them for a good time before they flew off.

RSPB Medmerry

The afternoon session, in the sunshine at Medmerry provided us with a few additional highlights.

• The Mediterranean gulls and the skylarks continued to provide us with the background sound effects.
• Down at the Stilt Pool there were 2 ringed plovers and, much to our delight, a single little ringed plover - the first of the year for most of us.

• On the way back to the car park a barn owl was seen by several members.

Species list for today

All pictures courtesy of Alison Playle

2023 species count = 135