Well it’s been a very busy start to August with lots of people completing big butterfly counts on the reserve. Big butterfly count identification charts were flying out the Visitor Centre and well done to everyone that took part and downloaded their sightings.

Peacock butterfly - one of many counted over the last couple of weeks.

As well as counting butterflies, Jan and the children have been getting ‘…

The Hudsonian Whimbrel continued being reported up to the last week of July although has become increasingly elusive over the period, mixing with the Eurasian Whimbrel.

July is predictable a quiet month for migrant birds as many are focus their efforts in rearing they offspring. As the month progress the fledglings start become more apparent around the site as they learn the important lessons of survival. Out in the…

I was lucky enough to join Bill Martin on our 'A walk in the past (part 1)’, this week. This was the first in a series of historic walks in and around our reserves of Pagham Harbour and Medmerry and wow, what a lot of history Bill has locked away in his head.

We took a stroll around Sidlesham as Bill took us back to the 1930’s and Sidlesham’s part in the Land Settlement Association (LSA) – a scheme during…

Last Saturday saw the start of our summer season events with 'A walk on the wild side' with local resident Ray Chiverton, and here is a little snippet of how we got on...

On an overcast but warm morning  a small, but enthusiastic group gathered at the Visitor Centre wanting to learn more about wildlife and an introduction to a reserve and area they had not visited before. We set off to explore and soon came across…

Over the last few days there has been a spectacular congregation of Sharks at Medmerry, to be exact Starry Smooth-Hounds. On the rising tide earlier in the week up to 150 individuals have swarmed in to the newly formed intertidal areas. The reason for this is unsure but it is though to be that the warm weather has seen an increase in small fish that the smooth-Hounds have then followed up in to the harbor. but there is…

Whilst away on my holidays, I still managed my to keep an eye on the goings on at Pagham Harbour and Medmerry thanks to the world-wide-web and smartphones. So you can imagine my frustration when the day after I had flown out of Gatwick, I read that a fabulous summer plumaged spotted redshank had turned up on the Ferry Pool. Each day I would ‘check-in’ with the internet and each day it teased me with people’s reports of…

The Hudsonian Whimbrel continues its extended stay in the harbour to the delight of many of our regular visitors. As mid summer approached much of the bird activity is reduced or so it seems but the important job are rearing young is underway with many juvenile birds flitting around to confuse the unwary birder.

Juv Black Headed Gull (Above) and Juv Chiffchaff (below)

 Juv Goldfinch

Out at sea the main interest…

The continued presence of the Hudsonian Whimbrel has maintain a steady flow of birders through the reserve and those who turn up on the 21^st and 22^nd would have also been greeted by the present of a Terek Sandpiper. So things become completely mad with two major rarities present at the same time. The Terek Sandpiper has not been seen on the reserve since 1969 so was a welcome opportunity for many of our younger birders…

If you have been following the Wardens blog (http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/paghamharbour/b/weblog/default.aspx), you will be aware of all the avian excitement we’ve been having recently, but we also had a suprise of another sort...

A gentleman came to read our water meter and got a bit of a shock when he found a colony of honeybees had set up home inside! With the meter-man refusing to take his…

It is also see that June is one of the quieter months on the Reserve with many of the resident species already fully underway sitting on nests and raising their young. As you go around both Pagham and Medmerry you may be lucky enough to see Great Crested and Little Grebe feeding their young or a Ringed Plover breeding on the shingle.

Great Crested Grebe (above) and Little Grebe (below)

However, all pre-conceptions…

Photo's of the BWS this weekend

The wind continues to blow from the north to give the reserve an unseasonal chill to the air, which has probable lead to a quieter than expected migration period. However things changed slightly on the last weekend of the month with not one but two interesting birds appearing on Ferry Pool. Firstly our love affair with Black Winged Stilts was revived with the arrival of a 2^nd cy bird which may have been one of the young…

The weather continues to show it’s unpredictable side with the winds tending to come from the north and the fair share of chilly evenings, the migration period has been a little on the stop/go event this year, with many summer visitors arriving a little later than expected. Although the period hasn’t produced that “mega” yet there has been plenty of interest around both Pagham and Medmerry. The …

Recent Sighting 13^th March to 24^th April 2015

Unfortunately the blog has been under going maintenance for the last few weeks but here is a quick up day and Spring is here!!!

The advent of the spring migration seems too been put on hold at present as the winds moved into a northerly direction bring a final blast of chilly weather from the Arctic. The expected stream of migrants turned in to a dribble as birds would…

The annual change from winter in to spring can be earlier than the weather lets you know. As a chilling easterly blows in off the continent the first spring migrants start to arrive on our shores. One of the first to turn up is the Northern Wheatear as it heads northwards to its breeding grounds. It is soon joined on the Reserves by the odd Chiffchaff and an early Little Ringed Plover.

Northern Wheatear

However if…

The harbour at High Tide

Ferry Field continued to be good birdwatching over the month with Lapwing, Black-Tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Brent Geese and occasionally one of the Spoonbills has roosted there. Towards the end of the month there were exceptionally large tides that moved many of the birds out of the harbour and on to the shingle ridges to roost. Many waders such as Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover will wile away the…

Although always renowned for good numbers of birds in the winter, Ferry Field has proved exceptionally good birdwatching over the last few weeks. Despite the relatively mild weather that has seen slightly lower numbers of most of our wintering species; the birds are literally flocking to Ferry Field. The first noticeable species as you approach is that distinctive calling of the Lapwing as they continually chatter to…

Frosty Start at Ferry Field

As we see the year out the weather finally felt a little more winter like which seemed to herald the arrival of a few of the winter visitor that are hope for around the reserve. Ferry Pool has been filling up with birds over the last few weeks and there is a goose fest on the field. At first the number of Canada’s dominated the seen but soon 300 to 400 Dark Bellied Brent decided to…

The weather continued to be mild through the period and this has resulted in lower number of wildfowl and waders that expected. However there is plenty still to see around, with ferry field full of birds particularly around high tide. The flock of Lapwing has increased to about 1000, with smaller numbers of Golden Plover, Curlew and Black-Tailed Godwits amongst them. On the Pool there are plenty of Teal, Wigeon and S…

Medmerry access

Long Tailed Skua at Medmerry -- Aug 2014

The access maps and trail leaflets are not finalised due to ongoing negotiations – we hope to have leaflets and maps available in early 2015. To pick up a temporary leaflet showing the trails, please come to the Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre.

Currently the best place to visit the site is via the Earnley car park, Drove lane, adjacent to the Earnley…

Winter has finally arrived and many of our regular winter visitors are now present. The 2000+ Dark Bellied Brent Geese, from Russia, continue to ebb and flow between the harbour and the surrounding fields, amongst them to the patience observed a single Black Brant from the States and a Pale Bellied Brent which could have come from Greenland or Canada. Also there is one grey goose which is proving particular elusive but…

As the autumn comes to an official end tonight the weather remains mild in not slightly damp. However the days that the sun does appear provide one of those not to be missed opportunities and that is to watch the winter sun slowly sink across the horizon casting it hues across the harbour. If you are really lucky a sight that will amaze you as 1500 Brent arrive in to the sunset to spend the evening in the harbour. If…

The main autumn migration is now over with only a few late comers coming through including a couple of Wheatears still present both at Medmerry and Church Norton Spit. However with the continuation of the mild weather a few traditional migrants continue to make Pagham their Autumnal homes and may even consider staying the winter as they have done in recent years, well it does save a long and exhausting flight to Africa…

Weather turned more autumnal through the week but still remained relatively mild. The stormy weather with occasional sunny interval lead to some dramatic views across the Harbour. This week was a week for the birds of Prey. Joining the regular Kestrels and Sparrowhawks was a magnificent Red Kite over Ferry Field. Around the harbour at least two Merlin have been reported terrorising the waders out in the saltmarsh, whilst…