Field Trip to Pagham Harbour on Saturday 1 June 2013

Led by Gary Cliffe.

Orpington Field Club members at Pagham Harbour, 1 June 2013. Photo by Gary Cliffe.

21 members assembled at 8.00am at the meeting point by Orpington War Memorial for the journey to Pagham Harbour, which took a couple of hours.

The reserve has a visitors centre and toilets where Bee orchids not yet in flower were recorded. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest comprising large tidal mudflats, intertidal salt marsh, lagoons and reed beds. These habitats attract thousands of birds throughout the year, including Little Egrets, Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew and Brent Geese, together with the normal spring migrants like Whitethroats, Sedge, Reed and Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa, at Pagham Harbour, 1 June 2013. Photo by Gary Cliffe.

High tide was expected at 5.00pm so the sea was rolling in during the day. The group walked from the visitors centre towards Church Norton where we were due to meet later in the afternoon. On the way we passed one of the reserve's small ponds. Here were a couple of Broad-bodied Chaser and Four Spotted Chaser Dragonflies hunting for small insects. There were also Azure and Common Blue damselflies settling on the vegetation.

Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata, at Pagham Harbour, 1 June 2013. Photo by Gary Cliffe.

Soon we saw some interesting botany. There was a clump of Small Flowered Buttercups growing beside the path. The party moved on and went in the Ferry Pool hide which looks across the main road to a large lake in the centre of a number of fields. Here were saw several Coots, Shellduck and a loan Garganey.

Soon a Common Lizard was spotted basking in the sunshine by a water inlet but made a quick escape when the main group arrived. Further on the path divided where we took the southern route that hugs the mudflat before it reaches the sea. Along this path we recorded a number of plants including Sea or Bladder Campion. There was some discussion about these plants as both appeared to be growing there but were so similar.

Orpington Field Club members at Pagham Harbour, 1 June 2013. Photo by Gary Cliffe.

At this point a loud Cettis Warbler burst the air several times with its loud call. The group moved on and had lunch beside the path before venturing on to Church Norton. We aimed originally to reach the shingle reaches by the sea but this was further than estimated.

The party eventually arrived at Church Norton and walked out to the mudflat near the beach. Here we saw Redshank, several Shellducks, Oyster Catchers and a Ringed Plover.

Soon the group met and we made our way to Pulborough Brooks for a tea stop where we had a good view of the marshes and a look at the RSPB shop. We arrived in Orpington around 6.30pm after an interesting visit.

Thanks to Rosemary Ferguson, Margaret Willis and Marion Pettet for species lists:

Some Birds Seen or heard:

Chiffchaff, Common Buzzard, Garganey, Sedge Warbler, Swift, Oyster Catcher, Little Egret, Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, Skylark, Curlew, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit.

Plants

Sea Campion, Silene uniflora, at Pagham Harbour, 1 June 2013. Photo by Gary Cliffe.

Bee Orchids, Ophrys apifera; Small-flowered Buttercup, Ranunculus parviflorus; Bulbous Buttercup, Ranunculus bulbosus; Lesser Spearwort, Ranunculus flammula; Welted Thistle, Carduus acanthoides; Sea-purslane, Halimone portulacoides (extensive areas); Sea Beet, Beta vulgaris; Sea plantain, Plantago maritima; Sea milkwort, Glaux maritima; Greater Sea-spurrey and Lesser Sea-spurrey, Spergularia media and S. marina — found growing together; Large areas of Mellilot and Hemlock Water-dropwort not yet in flower; Duke of Argyll's Teaplant, Lycium hamifolium; Thanet (Hoary) Cress, Cardaria (Lepidum) draba — two fairly recent introductions; Thrift; Alexanders; Gorse; Broom — in full flower; Sea Campion and/or Bladder Campion; Silene uniflora was there but some specimens seemed more like Silene vulgaris.

Insects

Dragonflies — Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa; Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata.
Damselflies — Common Blue Damselfly, Enallagma cyathigerum; Azure Damselfly, Coenagrion puella.
Butterflies — Small White, Brimstone, Orange Tip, Common Blue, Small Copper, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood.
Hoverfly — Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus.
Crane Fly — Tipula oleracea
Scorpion Fly — Panorpa communis
Froghopper — Cercopis vulnerata