Enjoyed watching this Peregrine as it preened.

2 x Purple Sandpiper

Had a great experience watching a juvenile Great Skua settle not 30 metres from me in some scrub grass at Pagham Spit, PHNR this afternoon after it harassed the local gull population. Big thanks to Mike Mullis who first spotted and identified it. It was last seen flying west into the harbour where it settles again on the island that the Peregrine frequents.

While on the east side of Pagham Harbour today I saw a Brent Goose with a white head and a Black-headed Gull which lacked the normal grey colouring.

Following a Tweet from Andy Wilkes of a Great Skua inside Pagham Harbour at Church Norton I kept an eye open for it while on Pagham Spit a bit later on. Scanning the edge of the central saltmarsh as the big tide raced in a big, brown lump out there had to be the Great Skua. I watched it from about 10.15 until it flew away east at 11.28. It stood and sat and raised its wings sometimes until eventually the tide had risen to its belly. An exciting encounter.

It was a busy morning at Pulborough with a female Marsh Harrier, four Buzzards and three Red Kites on the South Brooks. Only one Snipe showed itself. Around the reserve were the sounds of early spring with some winter birds still in evidence. Seven Fieldfare were a welcome sight. There seem to have been few about this year. The North Brooks was packed with a surprising number of duck, including four male Tufted Duck. Amongst the 2000+ Lapwing were three Ruff, two Dunlin but only four Black-tailed Godwit in view. The big finish, missed by some of the group, was a singing Woodlark outside the Visitor Centre.

One of seven or so Fulmars seen from West Beach car park, Newhaven.

From the path behind the house boats at high tide I saw 25+ Redshanks grouping together on a small patch of dry land. With them there was one bird I think to be a Greenshank and (on the far left of the picture) I think that could be a Dunlin. Also present 10 Common Snipe, 1 Curlew, about 10 Teal and the usual gulls of which one youngster was playing with a tennis ball (or at least I hope it wasn't trying to eat it). At Widewater Lagoon: 3 Little Egrets, a Shelduck flying over, 4 Little Grebes, 4 Mute Swans, 8 Teal, 2 Mallard and the resident House Sparrows. At Shoreham Fort: 2 Purple Sandpipers, 6 Turnstones, 2 Cormorants and one Rock Pipit.

A Polish colour-ringed Black-headed Gull was seen on the beach at Shoreham Sailing Club this morning.

Two Ravens today.