Back to Pagham

With the weather set fair and having had an early lunch I decided to go birding, after all the excitement of Tuesday I thought that somewhere quiet would be appropriate, So where did I end up? Yup - back to the North Wall, to try and improve on the Hoodie shots, I also admit to a hint of curiosity as to how many birders would be there. When I arrived in Church Lane there wasn't a single parking space so that was the answer to the question. Arriving at the sluice it was fairly crowded with strange faces, but it was good to meet up with Trevor, Dave, Martin  and Ian. The HM had gone down the creek and round the bend, hotly pursued by some serious twitchers. So Dave, Trevor and myself made our way along the bank in search of something interesting.

On the pool we counted 21 Common Snipe feeding contentedly, I don't think I have seen that many together before and I have a suspicion there were many more lurking in and around the reeds. Lo and behold, with them, a colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit  - Red Black Red - Right/Red Green Orange - Left   - duly recorded and a sighting report on its way.

Received a reply: It was ringed at Harty, Elmley, Swale, N.Kent on 29th September 2012 as an adult. This is the first re-sighting of it since ringing.

We met Jonathan, a very friendly birder, who is my fifth reader of the blog. Also a very pleasant pair who had travelled from Oxford to see the Hoodie, glad that they went home satisifed and may also have had a chance at the Red-breasted Goose at Farlington.

Back to the sluice to see a very distant HM being very wary, a feature, I am told, that will stand the assessment of its credentials in good stead. Good to meet John from Farnborough, nice to put a face to a name seen on Bird Forum. Whilst everyone gazed seaward a very obliging Water Rail was sat preening in the Rife, with the fading light it was good to obtain at least a passable record shot. Then it was home in the gloom. Arriving home there was excitement of a different sort, but that's another story best told by someone else. All is well that ends well!!!!