Pied Flycatcher and Nightingales

Yesterday's birding started with good intentions, first up was a shot at the Black-winged Stilt reported on Ferry Pool at Pagham. Unfortunately a no show, we missed it by minutes. So, carrying on with the plan we made our way to Selsey Bill, after all the southerly winds were bound to be bringing something in.  There had been a mini "fall" in the garden, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler and a Blackcap plus an added bonus of a Wheatear on the next door neighbours roof. Not a lot in birding terms but for my garden definitely remarkable.  How wrong can you be - visibility down to 50 yards and not much hope of it clearing. A visit to Church Norton gave the usual suspects in the cemetery and again any scoping of the harbour was curtailed by the impenetrable mist. We returned to RSPB Pagham on the off chance of gaining some uplifting news. Sure enough Owen Mitchell and Bernie Forbes came up trumps, news of  4 Pied Flycatchers in Paddock Lane, so we left poste haste to see if we could find them. The initial searches revealed nothing but with other birders on the scene we finally had tremendous views of a stunning male Redstart  and two Pied Flycatchers. Unfortunately the pictures don't do it justice, but it was a bird to be seen in the flesh as it were.

News of other birds, gleaned from fellow birders, had us visiting Long Pool for Whinchat and a Gropper, unfortunately we found neither but managed to get on to a Short-eared Owl. The number of Wilchiffs in the hedgerows was immense, they seemed to be everywhere. Nice to meet Dave Shepherd again and really glad to know that the PF was a "lifer".

Today was somewhat different, time for a visit to Pulborough Brooks for a year tick in the form of a Nightingale. The birds here, apart from being vociferous, are more disposed to perching in sight. Unfortunately, today, the birds present were outnumbered by the birders and photographers. Of course, when the birds stop singing they start foraging, normally around the base of the same bushes and it was here I got my better shots. Perhaps a return visit when the hullaballoo has died down. Nice to meet Paul and David again, also Russ whose information is always invaluable.

And finally a Jay in an unusual pose....

... and a Song Thrush belting out his song.