After what can only be described as an atrocious sea-watching season, I only went twice and both times were pants, I decided, in order to see some Terns, to have a trip down to Church Norton, where Sandwich, Common, Little and even the odd Roseate Tern are being reported, So last Saturday I headed down arriving fairly early. I had the place to myself and rocked up to the benches overlooking the harbour. I was really hoping for some Little Terns as I haven't really connected with these properly in a couple of years! I wasn't disappointed, saw a Little Tern fishing in one of the channel straight away and among the Black-headed and Med Gulls, there were loads of Sandwich Terns and a few Common Terns on the Island and muddy surrounds.
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| Common Whitethroat having a sing on the short walk from the Car Park to the benches |
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| Little Tern, distant and the light wasn't helpful! |
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| Tern Island |
With a steady stream of Terns heading out to Sea and returning with fish, I developed a cunning plan to stand on the beach and intercept them! Then return to the benches and get the Little Terns feeding a lot closer as the tide cam in! Amazingly it worked!!!
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| Sandwich Tern with Breakfast |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| A break from the Terns some beach flowers! |
It was fantastic standing there with the Terns speeding through, tricky to get pics as the buggers don't fly in straight lines!! Pretty much every bird coming back had fish and there was a massive flock of of Terns and Gulls feeding a couple of miles offshore! Hopefully they will have a successful year!
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| !st Winter Med Gull |
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| 2nd Winter Med Gull |
I headed back around to the Benches for the second part of the plan, which also worked!! As the tide came in the Little Terns, think there were at least four, started fishing right in front of me!! Amazing to watch their constant diving, which mostly seemed to fail! There were also a couple of Curlew, Oystercatchers, an Avocet and a few Black-tailed Godwits.
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| Curlew |
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| Little Tern |
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| Obviously I missed most of the dives!! |
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| Avocet |
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| Finally caught something! Seems scant reward for the effort put in |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Sadly most of the other Terns stayed distant, I scoured the Islands with me scope but couldn't find anything Roseate! |
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| Greenfinch had taken the place of the Whitethroat on the walk back to the Car Park! |
On the way home I stopped briefly at RSPB Pagham Harbour, not much on the Ferry Pool, a Little Ringed Plover, a few Godwits and lots of Avocet with plenty of Chicks, although the Buzzard soaring above was a bit worrying! Lots of loud, croaking Marsh Frogs in the pond!
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| Avocet Chick, were at least 20 on the Pool |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Avocet |
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| Marsh Frog |
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| Pond Bug! |
Very nice morning, got me Tern fix for the year!!! Little Terns are always a treat to see close in!
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