Pagham Harbour with the East Grinstead RSPB Group

 Trip Report

Saturday 21^st February 2026

Pagham Harbour, Sussex

East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

(11 members present)

Overview

A day of dramatic tides and widespread flooding at Pagham Harbour turned what looked like unpromising conditions into a surprisingly rewarding outing for the East Grinstead RSPB Local Group. With water levels unusually high across both the western and eastern sides of the harbour, birds were pushed into smaller pockets of habitat, often giving excellent—if sometimes distant—views.

Morning: Western Side of the Harbour

The group began at Sidlesham Ferry Pool, where ducks and waders were active despite most of the recent excavation work being submerged. Golden plovers mingling with lapwings provided an early highlight, followed by a marsh harrier resting on the ground.

Golden Plover and Lapwings - courtesy of Phil Aylen

Marsh Harrier - courtesy of Phil Aylen

Along the Ferry Channel, the exposed mud offered the best birding of the morning. A brief kingfisher sighting was quickly overshadowed by superb views of grey plover, redshank, avocet, curlew, and especially a beautifully obliging greenshank that fed close to the group. Brent geese, dunlin, meadow pipits, reed bunting, and little egret rounded off a productive session before lunch.

Grey Plover - courtesy of Andrew Burns

Avocet - courtesy of Andrew Burns

Greenshank - courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

Greenshank - courtesy of Andrew Burns

Afternoon: North Wall and the Flooded East Side

By early afternoon the tide had reached an exceptional height, with the sea lapping at the path and the Breech Pool completely flooded. Despite the dramatic conditions, bird activity remained strong. Song thrush, linnets, tufted ducks, wigeon, teal, rock pipit, black‑tailed godwits, chiffchaff, and Mediterranean gulls were all recorded.

The standout moment came when a distant pale wader was photographed and confirmed as a spotted redshank—soon joined by a second bird. With the usual channels underwater, these were pushed onto the last scraps of vegetation, giving the group memorable telescope views and securing the day’s top highlight.

Rock Pipit - courtesy of Chris Harries

Spotted Redshanks - courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Closing Thoughts

Although the landscape looked almost unrecognisable at times, the group’s persistence paid off. The final tally reached an impressive 66 species, helped by sharp eyes, teamwork, and some excellent long‑range photography. The golden plover flock, the feeding greenshank, and the elusive spotted redshanks stood out as the day’s most memorable encounters.

New species for the 2026 Year List:

113  Linnet

114  Mediterranean Gull

115  Spotted Redshank

Birding Dungeness for American Wigeon

Friday 13th February 2026 and Saturday 14th February 2026

Dungeness and Scotney Gravel Pits

My only previous encounter with an American Wigeon was back in 2016 at RSPB Pulborough Brooks in Sussex, and that bird couldn’t have been more cooperative - close in, settled, and showing beautifully. This latest attempt was a very different experience. With the vast, saturated landscape at Scotney and the bird’s restless behaviour, it was hardly surprising that it proved difficult to pin down. Despite a solid effort from several other birders and me on Friday, the wigeon managed to evade us completely. It wasn’t until the following day that I finally connected with it, bringing a satisfying end to what had become a far more challenging search than my first encounter with the species.

Friday – Scotney GP and Dungeness

Although the American Wigeon remained elusive throughout Friday, the day produced several notable records.

A family group of three Whooper Swans was present on the fields behind the Jurys Gap sand pit. The birds were feeding quietly and remained in view throughout, offering good scope views.

At Scotney Sward, a tightly packed flock of at least 250 Golden Plovers - my first of 2026 - was gathered on the grass. The birds were largely stationary in the blustery conditions, forming a dense, shimmering mass.

Later in the afternoon, a visit to the ARC Hanson hide at Dungeness RSPB added further interest. A drake Goldeneye and a female were observed diving regularly on the open water, remaining visible for an extended period.

Despite the main target evading detection, the supporting cast provided worthwhile compensation and ensured the day was far from wasted.

Saturday – Scotney Sward and Dungeness Fishing Boat Area

Conditions improved significantly on Saturday. Around ten other birders were already on site when I arrived at the Scotney Sward area at lunchtime, and it wasn’t long before the American Wigeon was located among the scores of Eurasian Wigeon. After the previous day’s frustrations, the views were steady and conclusive.

American Wigeon - courtesy of Plodding Birder and Bluesky

Moving on to the Dungeness fishing boat area, seawatching proved productive. Scores of Guillemots were moving west to east, many of them close inshore. A couple of Red‑throated Divers were also present on the water near the shoreline, drifting and diving in calm conditions. In addition, several Gannets passed close to the shore, their purposeful flight lines bringing them well within range.  Perhaps the most interesting event of the day was the sight of thousands - yes thousands - of Cormorants flying west to east close to the shoreline.  Where were they coming from and where were they going to? 

The improved weather conditions certainly brought out the best of the day’s birding and rounded off the visit on a high note.

New species for the 2026 Year List:

106 Whooper Swan

107  Golden Plover

108 Goldeneye

109 American Wigeon

110 Guillemot

111 Red-throated Diver

112 Gannet

Tilgate Park, Crawley

Wednesday 28th January 2026  

Today was a relaxed twitch. A drake Goosander had been reported at Tilgate Park, and when I arrived it was showing well along the western edge of the main lake.

The bird is the second from the left in the phone photo below.

A simple outing, but a rewarding one. Always nice when a target bird is exactly where it’s supposed to be!

New species for the 2026 Year List:

105 Goosander