Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve

On Monday 16 December 12 volunteers plus staff were joined by the Sussex Branch of Butterfly Conservation in an attempt to find evidence of one of our most elusive butterflies. In the UK we have 5 species of Hairstreak butterfly, all of which lead secretive lives. Four of these cagey creatures can be found on our Pagham Harbour reserve and despite being the largest, the hardest of these to find is the Brown Hairstreak…

It may be winter but there are plenty of birds that flock to our reserves of Pagham Harbour and Medmerry in search of food and safe place to spend to the harsher months. Winter ducks and wildfowl spread themselves across both reserves including Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Green Sandpiper, Snipe and Brent Geese.

Wigeon - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Snipe - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Brent Geese - Ivan Lang

In the harbour…

RSPB Pagham Harbour Mini Quilt Competition

Calling all textile artists, embroiderers, needleworkers and anyone interested in sewing! Are you a keen stitcher? Want to try your hand at creating a mini quilt? RSPB Pagham Harbour invite you to take part in their Mini Quilt Competition.

When you enter we will send you an RSPB pin-badge as inspiration for your mini quilt creation, which should also feature as part your finished…

It’s September and autumn migration is well underway on our reserves of Pagham Harbour and Medmerry. Already Common, Wood and Green Sandpipers have been seen passing through along with Wheatears, Common Redstarts, Whinchat, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Yellow Wagtails, plus of course, numerous warblers.

Spotted flycatcher Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Along with the sandpipers, other waders being seen include Greenshank…

Ferry Pool is currently hosting a Semipalmated Sandpiper and a Little Stint. 

 Semipalmated Sandpiper – Photo from https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/shorebird">Shorebird Stock photos by Vecteezy

Little Stint – Image by Mike Langman (rspb-images.com)

Meanwhile, a Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit have been showing at Church Norton.

Yellow Wagtail – Photo by Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)…

Kingfisher have been seen at both the North Wall and Medmerry.

Kingfisher – Photo by Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

The Ferry Hide feeding station has been busy with battling Blue Tit, chattering Chaffinch, Great Tit, House Sparrow and Long Tailed Tit.

Blue Tit battle – Photo by Chris Hatton of C H P Photography

Chaffinch – Photo by Chris Hatton of C H P Photography

Great Tit – Photo by Chris Hatton…

Overhead, on the way to Ferry Hide, the certain arrival of summer can be heard in the calls of soaring swifts.

Ferry Pool has recently been visited by Little Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Avocet, Grey Wagtail, Black-tailed Godwit, Pied Wagtail with chicks, Shelduck and their ducklings and a Red-necked Phalarope. 

Red-necked Phalarope - Photo by Chris Gomersall

The North Wall been host to Grey Herons, Marsh Harriers with…

The Kestrel chicks have hatched out and are quickly growing! Sadly though, in the cycle of life, there are now only four of five chicks.

Meanwhile, all of the Blue Tit chicks have fledged, and the Tawny owlet has entered into its branching phase. 

So you’ll remember that our tawny owl laid three eggs. One egg we know did not hatch and we have just one, rather rotund tawny owl chick. We can only presume that this chick was somewhat hungry and ate its sibling. The remaining chick is looking very healthy and very cute!

community.rspb.org.uk/.../20240509_5F00_142032.mp4

Meanwhile, the kestrels are sitting on 5 eggs, which should be hatching any day soon.

As…

For those of you that follow our nest box cameras, you will be pleased to know that they are back up and running.

Each winter we take down the owl and kestrel boxes to give them a check over. The first to go back up was the owl box. Our tawny owl kept us waiting several weeks before turning up, but we can confirm she laid 3 eggs.

She is being very coy as usual but we are pretty sure the eggs have started to hatch as…

Please note if visiting this weekend, we are still experiencing high levels of floodwater following last weeks tidal surge. The footpath between Ferry Channel and Church Norton (what we call the West Side) is still impassable.

High spring tides, aligned with a full moon were exacerbated by storm surges and as a result our Discovery Area, car parks, Visitor Centre and office were flooded. Our Visitor Centre is open again…

It's starting to finally feel like Spring! Here, at Pagham Harbour, the wardens and work party have been hard at work fencing and clearing vegetation on Church Norton spit and the islands. This work is being done in preparation for closure during the breeding season. Not a moment too soon, either, as Little Ring Plovers are already making an appearance. Please be mindful of our breeding birds and try not to disturb them…

If you regularly walk through Yeoman’s Field, you will have noticed our wardens and work party volunteers have been cutting back areas of blackthorn and bramble. So, what are we up to?...

Two years ago, a brown hairstreak butterfly was seen near our Visitor Centre. Hairstreaks are generally an elusive family of butterflies, prone to hanging around the tops of their preferred species of tree. Brown hairstreaks are…

With the arrival of Autumn’s, Pagham Harbour LNR has been bustling.

Ferry Pool has been busy with Shelduck and Teal. In addition to Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, lapwing and much more!

Greenshank - Photo by Chris Gomersall

Kingfisher, spotted redshank, Swans with three signets and a Marsh Harrier have been in and around Ferry Channel.

Marsh Harrier - Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed…

With the mornings and evenings being that much cooler with the impending arrival of Autumn, it has been a wonderful week, at Pagham, with many fantastic sightings. 

Tree Pipit, Redstarts and a Grasshopper Warbler have been perched in the Halsey’s Farm hedgerows. 

Redstart– Photo by Ben Andrew 

While Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Whinchats and Grey Wagtail have all been spotted in the bushes behind Breach Pool and…

Pagham Harbour is dominated by its marvellous expanse of saltmarsh and mudflats, providing a vital home for nature.

Mud might not sound particularly appetising to us, but our mud is crucial for the thousands of birds that are drawn in by it every year. Pagham Harbour mud is a canteen - it is packed full of cockles, shrimps, lugworms, mussels and more. Tasty morsels to feed a variety of appetites. Curlew, dunlin, black-tailed…

After a 17 year stay as warden of RSPB Pagham Harbour and Medmerry, February 2022 was a time of new beginnings. At the beginning of the month, I moved up to southwest Scotland to become the new warden for the RSPB reserve at the Crook of Baldoon. I have now been here for three months and starting to settle down. The location is amazing with the reserve lying on the western shores of Wigtown Bay, the area is well known…

Credit Aardman/Netflix).  

We’re delighted to be partnering with Netflix and Aardman on Robin Robin, a half-hour, stop-motion, festive story for the whole family, about a young robin trying to fit in. It’s debuting on Netflix on 24 November – get the date in your diary! 

To celebrate, we’re inviting you to join exclusive Robin Robin-themed adventure trails right here at Pagham Harbour this Christmas season.

If you are free on Sunday 25th, 10 am - 1 pm 

                               or

If you are free on Sunday 1^st August, 10 am - 1 pm

We need help with a litter pick!

At Medmerry there are parts of the reserve that are not accessed regularly and there has been a rubbish build up in some areas. This is an opportunity to access some parts of the reserve that the public don’t get access to.

At Church Norton we have specialized vegetated…

What to look for in summer…

The highlight of summer at Pagham Harbour is our tern colony. Taking a leisurely stroll, starting from our Visitor Centre, pass through the Discovery Zone. The pond is full of life with backswimmers and boatman sculling below the surface and newts coming up for a gulp of air. Dragonflies patrol the airways above with a clash of wings and dainty damselflies land lightly on the vegetation…

Spring is upon us and the blackthorn bushes are bursting into a froth of white blossom across our reserves. Goat or ‘pussy’ willow catkins are opening to show their ‘furry paws’ from which they get their nickname.

As they ripen, they turn yellow with pollen and are a magnet for the early bees, hoverflies and other insects. The air around the willow positively thrums with their sound of busy wings…

The signs that winter is losing its grip and spring is almost upon us, can be found across our reserve.

Snowdrops are putting on a lovely display outside the Visitor Centre.

'Lords & ladies' or cuckoo-pint (Arum maculatum) are popping up all over the place.

Meanwhile the tits are checking out our nest boxes - the males leading the females to a protective des-res for her inspection. Like anyone looking for…

It’s that time of year again. Yes, Big Garden Birdwatch is back.

The world’s largest bird survey has been running for over 40 years and provides vital information on the health of our natural world. For example did you know, it was one of the first surveys to identify the decline of song thrushes in gardens. This species was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979, but by 2019, those numbers had declined by 76% …

When the wind is brisk across the Manhood Peninsula it can be a bit forbidding on our reserves of Pagham Harbour and Medmerry in particular. Nevertheless, there are rewards for those that make the effort. Our sheltered inlets, saltmarsh and mudflats are a magnet for wintering wildfowl and waders, which come and go with the ebb and flow of the tides.

Brent geese, teal and wigeon can be found in the harbour and pools across…

We know that for many of you, RSPB Pagham Harbour & Medmerry reserves provide enjoyment and solace in the natural world throughout these challenging times. In line with Government guidance on essential, daily exercise outdoors, during #SecondLockdown, our car park, trails and toilets remain open for you to visit. Please follow all current Government guidance around social distancing, who you can visit with, hygiene and…