Medmerry

 Decided on a trip out today, but where to go? Squacco Heron at the North Wall was tempting, but I decided to have a crack at the White-rumped Sandpiper that has been knocking about the stilt pool at RSPB Medmerry for a few days, have seen both before but previous views of WR have been poor, plus Medmerry is a cracking place, managed to get up at 4.45 and after an uneventful drive was the first car in the car park at about 5.45 so not bad going.!! Lots of Goldfinches in the flowers and weeds around the car park but decided to ignore in an effort to get to the pool quickly, a plan slightly derailed by some showy Linnets, a Yellowhammer and the fact that with all my gear (scope is essential at the pool) I was a bit on the slow side😢

Fly over, might be a Whimbrel as seems to have an eye stripe!

Juvenile Black-headed Gull

Linnet, quite a few showing well in gorse and bushes

Linnet

Medmerry looking nice in early morning light

Yellowhammer with brekkie

Grey Heron silouette

more scenery

Stonechat with brekkie

Meadow Pipit

I approached the Stilt Pool, Birdguides had the WR Sand as present whoop! I had seen another birder leaving the pool but on a different path so presumably the guy who reported it!

First Pool, bird moving along the back edge, put the scope on it Wood Sandpiper!! Cracker and not reported so if I had a self-found list it would be on it! Hurrah! Second bird seen Green Sandpiper, moved on to the second pool, several Common Sandpipers but no sign of the reported WR Sand or Curlew Sand.

Wood Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper hanging with a Yellow Wagtail, were at least 5 Yellow wags present although could have been more saw several groups throughout the morning, may have been the same group moving about.

Had been reports in the week of 1000s of Sand Martins on the fences, but not so many today, although saw a few and quite a lot of Swallows and a few Swifts seen through the morning.

More birders turned up, the Curlew Sand eventually turned up in the company of a couple of Dunlins one of which I spent best part of an hour trying to string into the White Rumper but without success!!😢😀 Unfortunately the trio spent the whole time I was there right at the back so record shots only although the Curlew Sand looked good in the scope coming out of summer plumage!

So it went on various waders appearing and disappearing, including Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, including at least one juvenile, Snipe, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, all the sandpipers except the star bird, Redshank, Oystercatcher, was good fun but annoying at the same time, someone spotted a Wheatear running around, my first of the Autumn, a few pictures of some of them below.

Little Egret

Redshank

Lapwing

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Grey Heron, couple of these flew around causing carnage for 5 minutes, the Avocets intercepted very noisily!

Avocet

Despite an awesome aerial dogfight that went on for ages I completely failed to get a picture of an Avocet and Heron in the same shot

Eventually a full squadron was dispatched

Record shot Lapwing, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin

Another Record shot Curlew Sand, Dunlin, Dunlin, Green Sand

Heron having a rest

Linnet

Portsmouth in the mist

Ringed Plover

Different Ringed Plover

Linnet

Black-tailed Godwit

Common Sandpiper

Wheatear

Curlew Sand and Dunlin

Godwit and Snipe

Couple of Yellow Wags, never came close 😢

Interesting Goose

Little Ringed Plover

After the best part of 2.5 hours on the scope I gave up, lots of other birders present and the general feeling was it was gone, the hope that it would return on the high tide, but it was getting blooming hot so I gave it up and headed back, the Wood Sandpiper had the decency to come in close to see me off!!

Wood Sandpiper

 The walk back to the car was hot and a bit quieter than the walk in although still a few Linnets, another Yellowhammer and most spectacularly a very noisy group of Dartford Warblers in the gorse, one posed well for a few seconds while the rest piled into the gorse below, there were definitely 4 seen, the one on top of the gorse and 3 shooting across a gap below but maybe 5 altogether as another was calling from further back!!

Stonechat

A final look back at the pools

Yellowhammer

Dartford Warbler, giving me a good scolding!!

Little Egret

Crap pic but think Whimbrel 

Flower verge, full of Bees and insects, should be compulsory on all farms!

So a highly enjoyable morning, don't think I've ever had a poor walk at RSPB Medmerry a cracking place!! Shame about the White-Rumped Sandpiper, bit annoying, had I not stopped to take pics of the Linnets and Yellowhammers I might have got the bugger!! Grrrrr😢 me own fault!!