My World Of Wildlife

On Sunday I made the regular trip down to Pagham Harbour. A lingering, blanket of fog covered some of the fields despite the blue sky and sun which was finally making an appearance. We arrived and I decided to walk down to Ferry Pool. On the way a Kestrel hovered very closely to where I was standing, swooping and then hovering elegantly with its eye fixed on its prey. Kestrel To my surprise Ferry Pool was frozen and there was not a bird in sight! Walking around the corner to the mudflats I could hear the whistling of wigeon. It turned out that the Wigeon, Teal, Redshank and Black-Tailed Godwit were flocking around the waterway that leads in the harbour. As we were walking back to the car to head to Church Norton a small bird flew very quickly above me in the sky, I managed to get some photos and could see it was a Snipe! Teal At Church Norton I couldn't see anything out to sea but in the harbour it was buzzing with bird life. Suddenly a huge flock of Brent Geese...

Yesterday morning, after a rather quick change of plan we headed to an industrial estate in East Grinstead to hopefully see my first Waxwings, a slight change from Pulborough Brooks which we were heading to! It had been the first time for quite a few years, that I can remember anyway, that a substantial flock had been reported in Sussex so I couldn't miss this opportunity. We arrived and straight away I saw the flock of around 31 which were all perched on a single tree. Their distinctive tufted head silhouetted against the harsh light. Waxwings I grabbed my camera and binoculars and went to meet up with the other birders who were stood watching these beautiful birds. The Waxwings then all flew down onto a small rosehip as they gorged on the ruby red berries. Unfortunately the light wasn't great so I didn't get many good pictures. Waxwings feasting on berries They then flew onto a large oak tree and were flying down out of view, presumably feasting on some m...

Here is a write-up on a great visit to Pagham Harbour last Thursday, hope you enjoy reading! On Thursday my mum and I decided to make the hour journey down to Pagham Harbour. The sightings there had been quite promising over the last week so I was hoping to the end the year on a few more lifers! As we drove down there the sun was blinding, the countryside was covered in a thick frost and a blanket of fog lingered in the fields. We arrived at Church Norton, the far side of Pagham Harbour. Setting my scope up in front of the large expanse of water, a group of over 1000 Brent Geese soared over my head, looking like tiny black dots from a distance. Communicating with each with a range of different honks, they landed, now looking slightly more elegant on the water. Incoming Brent Geese We then made our way to the beach, where we had a quick walk before sitting down so I could scan the sea. Before I had a chance to sit down I saw relatively big bird, gliding along the surface o...