Following a typical end of week WhatsApp conversation, where Kev and I would discuss the coming day’s birding we found that we both had Monday off work and decided to see what we could add to the year list. Given some of the birds that have been around the past few weeks, pickings within a reasonable drive were slim and came down to the Grey Phalarope at Goldcliff Pools in Gwent, the Ruddy Duck in Greater Manchester or the Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Medmerry RSPB reserve in West Sussex.
We opted for the latter as it would be new for the year for both of us and we were hopeful of the possibility of other Autumn migrants along the south coast.
We arrived shortly after 8am and began the long walk to Stilt Pools where the bird was seen the previous afternoon. We (mercifully) stopped along the way to scan the channels along Ruth’s Marsh which revealed several hundred Wigeon, several Redshank, a solitary Curlew and a Common Sandpiper flew in close, calling noisily as they do. A female Kestrel flew over a line of dead trees which Kev dutifully scanned and picked out a smart, perched female/immature Merlin. We had excellent prolonged scope views, a nice change from the brief flyover glimpses that we usually have.
Towards Earnley Viewpoint, Kev noticed a mixed flock of at least 8 Stonechats along with Linnets and Meadow Pipits, which kept alternating between a bramble bush and a barbed wire fence. Closer inspection revealed a Dartford Warbler amongst the flock but it only showed long enough to confirm the ID before disappearing into the brambles.
We eventually made it over to Stilt Pools, with no sign of the Buff-breasted on the pool to the East where it was the previous evening. The remaining pools held good numbers of Wigeon, 9 Pintails, 4 Cattle Egret, 4 Common Snipe, Greenshank and a few Herring and Black-headed Gulls.
We continued to scan the pool to the East for around an hour to no avail when another birder called out that they had the target bird in their scope. The bird’s head was just visible, body mostly obscured by grass, some 350 plus metres away. The earlier cloud had given way to sunshine so the accompanying heat haze made viewing incredibly tricky. After another hour of intermittent, distant views in testing conditions we were satisfied of the ID – a smaller Ruff-like bird with a short bill, buff-coloured head and chest and pale, mustard-yellow legs.
With 67 species in the bag we made our way back to the car, stopping for further views of another Merlin, which was again perched up in one of the dead trees.
Before making the journey home, we stopped to see the first-winter Red-backed Shrike which was nearby. It didn’t take long to locate as there were only three small bramble bushes along the edge of a narrow road where it had stayed for the past 4 days. Despite a regular stream of cars, the bird was undeterred and showed amazingly well, occasionally dropping down into a drainage ditch to catch beetles and crickets.
I seem to have great luck with Red-backed Shrikes as the last few I’ve seen have been incredibly consipicuous and photogenic. This hasn’t diminished the experience of seeing them up close, on the contrary in fact.
Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable day’s Autumn birding with great company. Thanks, Kev!
Full list of sightings: https://ebird.org/checklist/S119896531
https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/medmerry/
