Redpoll mission

On Sunday we had the delight of birding with Chris, a real gent of a birder who started the hobby after moving to Bulgaria a few years ago. One species we get in the UK that is tricky there is Redpoll, so that was the primary target of our 10-hour Sussex Birding Day Tour.

However, Chris was also keen to enjoy some coastal species which are also difficult or impossible in Bulgaria, but he had seen before either there or when visiting family back in the UK. So we started things off at Selsey Bill, where the sea was very calm but we still enjoyed some coastal species.

Red-breasted Mergansers commuted along the coast at Selsey Bill in small flocks.

Great Northern Divers were at their most impressive when they took flight. We also had a couple of Red-throated Divers.

A wintering flock of (Lesser) Redpolls in the Halsey's Farm area of Pagham Harbour were ideally placed for our itinerary, so we made the most of these charming birds just a short drive away after our seawatching. The three former species of redpoll (Lesser, Common and Arctic) have now been 'lumped' into one species, Redpoll.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese were another rare treat for Chris.

...Several hundred were feeding in the fields by the North Wall, along with a scattering of Curlew and Black-tailed Godwits.

The Burgh offered a quiet finish to the day this time but summer-plumaged Mediterranean Gulls were a highlight as they moved through the valley.