Wheatears again!

A bit of a chequered week on the birding front. Sitting on a park bench at Little Common paid dividends in the form of a high level fly by of the juvenile Black Stork - well worth seeing. Onward to Dungeness where I managed to locate one of the juvenile White-winged Black Terns plus several other Black Terns. Success which was paid for in the much delayed journey home. 

Wednesday was a visit to the North Wall at Pagham where things seemed to be very quiet, and just the opposite at Church Norton where the volunteers were cutting the grass in the cemetery and the RSPB gardeners were in the field next to the hide. A vigil on the beach, just in case the Wryneck was still in residence, gave no reward.

Thursday left me with a dilemma - where to go? In the end I returned to the North Wall at Pagham, not because I expected the birding to have improved, rather than face the diabolical traffic situation to the east. Also, on our previous visit, I had noticed a veritable cornucopia of blackberries and sloes and I couldn't miss the annual "forage".

When I arrived at the North Wall I met Owen Mitchell and Peter Callis, both reporting that there was little to be seen. Over on Halsey's there was a large herd of cattle and I thought there would be a good chance of Yellow Wagtails that would offer a photo opportunity. On the way I managed to capture a good looking male Wheatear on the seaward side rocks. In the pool the successful brood of Tufted Ducks watched me warily as I passed by on the upper path. One of the juniors displaying a wacky hairdo and had obviously found his voice.

At the western sluice I spooked a very bright Kingfisher that paused briefly before heading off west along the stream. Looking out over the fields I located the cattle, all lying down in one corner and chewing the cud. Yellow Wagtails were in evidence  and as I approached they flew off, very skittish indeed. I sat down in the middle of some 60 beasts, their digestive processes getting the better of their curiosity as they left me alone. The wagtails returned - three or four at a time but none came close.

I returned to the harbour via Owl Copse where I encountered a superb male Redstart, loads of Common Whitethroats and several Lesser Whitethroats. The tide was now on the up and birds were relocating. At Breech Pool I had a raptor show, one of the juvenile Peregrines doing two stoops from a tremendous altitude, both of which proved fruitless. A Hobby was leading the Swallows a merry dance above the stables, superb aerobatics through the trees but unfortunately no lunch for him. 

Then a "bird of prey" of an altogether different kind put on a display, Spitfire KJ-I performing aerobatics, but not quite the standard of the Hobby.

 

 Several Wheatears were now on the wall and of course I couldn't ignore them.

The previous day the Swallows had been perching on the rails above the sluice and I thought I might improve my shots, Sod's Law prevailed, they had moved on to some far more comfortable perch elsewhere.