Distracted by tits....

Mediterranean Gull - Dean Eades

Yes, on Saturday morning I was most certainly distracted by tits whilst standing around in goal during my football session. I was distracted by loads of tits - mostly of the Long-tailed variety (c25) with a spattering of Blues amongst them and at least one Chiffchaff. All of these birds were in a single Horse Chestnut calling away. I could help but to be drawn to them and it cost me a goal.

This weekend was the weekend that I hate the most in the year - the Notting Hill Carnival Weekend. I live right in the middle of it so I usually vacate the area for the calmer climes of Pagham Harbour, Sussex to stay with my best mate at his mother's caravan in Selsey. So Sunday morning saw me firstly seawatching under grey skies off Selsey Bill. I managed a few Gannets and Sandwich Terns. Next stop was the famous wader hotspot, Sidlesham Ferry. Aside from a ton of Teal, I found a solitary Common Sandpiper. Next, I stopped off at Church Norton and Pagham Harbour itself where I registered and couple Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler in the former site and large numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover with Little Egret, Grey Plover, Curlew, Redshanks and solitary Whimbrel and Mediterranean Gull.

The following morning I repeated the whole process this time scoring a Spotted Flycatcher at Church Norton and a Curlew Sandpiper on the mudflats at Pagham Harbour. All the local birders were bemoaning the lack of decent migrants of any kind. They also lamented the lack of Curlew Sandpipers. Apparently, the Lemming population crashed in their Arctic breeding grounds so the Arctic Foxes turned their attention onto Curlew Sandpiper chicks - hence no returning birds.

By the time I had finished my morning's birding the sun had come out and it was pretty warm. I got home to the litter strewn streets on Notting Hill by 11pm and had to clean up the puddle of urine so kindly left behind by a carnival reveller.

Oh how I love the carnival!