Pagham Harbour, West Sussex (Day Trip)

Tour Code: GBR139

A day searching for waders and an array of other wildlife at one of the south coast's most wildlife-rich reserves.

1 days from
£60
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Join well-known local birders, conservationists and tour leaders for a day on the scenic Sussex coastline in search of a range of wonderful waders, wildfowl, terns, and other wildlife. Pagham Harbour is one of the best birdwatching sites on the south coast where we will visit a range of habitats including willow and gorse scrub, reedbeds, grazing marsh, pools, ditches and scrapes, saltmarsh, estuary and the sea.

We operate this Day Trip throughout the year, so please click on our 'detailed information' below to discover the seasonal highlights.

  • A mosaic of superb habitats
  • Brent Geese wintering in their thousands
  • Many waders include Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank and perhaps, Spotted Redshank
  • Offshore, Slavonian Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers gather
  • Peregrine Falcons reside on the shingle islands within the harbour
  • Led by local birder and conservationist

 

Autumn:

Passage waders include Black-tailed Godwits, Common, Green and Curlew Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Spotted Redshanks and Little Stints on the pools and scrapes, whilst Sandwich Terns linger on in the harbour after breeding. The surrounding bushes and fences can hold Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts, various warblers, Whinchats and wheatears, and our focus will be on intercepting some of these migrants. Offshore may provide the chance of finding passing skuas and perhaps, an early-returning Slavonian Grebe. Migrant butterflies may include Clouded Yellows and Painted Ladies, whilst a variety of dragonflies can still be seen on the reserve. October sees the arrival of winter visitors including Short-eared Owl, Firecrest and Black Redstart.

Winter:

A few thousand Brent Geese provide a lovely spectacle in the harbour, along with hundreds of Teal, Pintail and Wigeon, with their magical whistling calls. Goldeneye may be found diving in the deeper channels, while large numbers of waders can be found on the mudflats and saltmarsh, including Avocet, Curlew, Redshank, Grey Plover and Dunlin. The wildfowl and waders are regularly harried by Peregrines, whilst Marsh Harrier and Merlin may also be seen hunting the saltmarsh for Skylarks and Pipits. Kingfishers frequent the tidal channels and creeks, while Water Rail and occasionally Bearded Tits can be found in the reedbeds. The arable fields bordering the estuary often have mixed flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing feeding.

At Church Norton the shoreline can produce Turnstone, Rock Pipit and, at low tide, a few Sanderling, while offshore, Red-throated Diver, Black-necked and Slavonian Grebe, Eider, Common Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser may be found. The gorse scrub at the Severals may hold a skulking Dartford Warbler, and at dusk we may be lucky to see a Barn Owl hunting over the marshes.

Spring:

This is a magical time as we see the arrival of summer visiting birds and the emergence of spring flowers and butterflies. Return passage of waders sees Avocet, Common, Green and Wood Sandpipers and Little Stint frequenting the Ferry Pool. The cattle-grazed fields near the pool often support feeding Sand Martins and Swallows, which in turn might attract the attention of a passing Hobby. The path-side scrub and trees can harbour migrant song birds e.g. Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat and Redstart. Down at Church Norton, the Tern Island lives up to its name, with Common, Sandwich and Little Terns re-establishing their noisy nest sites. Early butterflies abound, with Brimstone, Small Copper and Green Hairstreak in evidence.

Summer:

A few species of wader stay on to breed, including Redshank on the marshes and a few pairs of Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover on the shingle. The reedbeds hold nesting Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting, with Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat singing their scratchy songs from scattered bushes and scrub. A few non-breeding waders e.g. Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit are often seen on the Ferry Pool, whilst Shelducks nest in adjacent fields. The wetland habitats also support a variety of damselflies and dragonflies, including the Common Darter, Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker.

One of the liveliest places at the height of summer is Tern Island, where the nesting terns and Black-headed Gulls will be busy feeding their young and sheltering them from the heat. Their raucous cries carry far, and there is a constant to and fro of terns going out to sea to catch small fish for their offspring. If we are lucky we may spot a basking Common Lizard or Slow Worm on the edge of the footpath.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Day Trip Location

Day Trip Location

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Wed 19th Feb – Wed 19th Feb 3 £60
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£60
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Jonathan Mycock
TL Jonathan Mycock

Tour Leader: Jonathan Mycock

Jonathan is a professional conservationist with over 30 years' experience in nature conservation and environmental management. Much of this has been working in protected areas, including the Shropshire Hills & Sussex Downs AONBs and the Peak District, New Forest and South Downs National Parks. He gained a BSc Hons in Applied Biology from Liverpool John Moore's University, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Countryside Management from Manchester Metropolitan University, during the 1980s. His last position was Environmental Project Manager with the Environment Agency in Worthing, from which he retired in October 2023. 

Jonathan has been a keen naturalist from a very young age. He honed his birding skills on the moors, dales and reservoirs of the Peak District during his teenage years, together with regular stays at Spurn Bird Observatory. During this period Jonathan gained a detailed knowledge of the songs and calls of British birds which has stood him in good stead when undertaking bird surveys and leading guided walks.  

Jonathan has travelled extensively in Europe, Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East, The Gambia, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, California, Costa Rica and Ecuador in search of birds and other wildlife. Since retiring he spent 3 weeks birding in Madagascar and a week in Taiwan, together with 2 weeks in the Canaries (El Hierro and Lanzarote). 

Jonathan has led tours for Naturetrek in the Dordogne, France; the Sorrento Peninsula, Italy; Sicily; the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta in Romania; and Finland and Arctic Norway. He has also led various UK tours, including in Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and the Forest of Dean, as well as local day trips to Pagham Harbour and the Sussex Downs and Heaths. In his ‘spare time’, Jonathan is a voluntary warden at RSPB Pulborough Brooks and undertakes local surveys for the BTO and Sussex Ornithological Society. 

Sat 22nd Feb – Sat 22nd Feb 3 £60
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£60
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Jonathan Mycock
TL Jonathan Mycock

Tour Leader: Jonathan Mycock

Jonathan is a professional conservationist with over 30 years' experience in nature conservation and environmental management. Much of this has been working in protected areas, including the Shropshire Hills & Sussex Downs AONBs and the Peak District, New Forest and South Downs National Parks. He gained a BSc Hons in Applied Biology from Liverpool John Moore's University, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Countryside Management from Manchester Metropolitan University, during the 1980s. His last position was Environmental Project Manager with the Environment Agency in Worthing, from which he retired in October 2023. 

Jonathan has been a keen naturalist from a very young age. He honed his birding skills on the moors, dales and reservoirs of the Peak District during his teenage years, together with regular stays at Spurn Bird Observatory. During this period Jonathan gained a detailed knowledge of the songs and calls of British birds which has stood him in good stead when undertaking bird surveys and leading guided walks.  

Jonathan has travelled extensively in Europe, Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East, The Gambia, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, California, Costa Rica and Ecuador in search of birds and other wildlife. Since retiring he spent 3 weeks birding in Madagascar and a week in Taiwan, together with 2 weeks in the Canaries (El Hierro and Lanzarote). 

Jonathan has led tours for Naturetrek in the Dordogne, France; the Sorrento Peninsula, Italy; Sicily; the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta in Romania; and Finland and Arctic Norway. He has also led various UK tours, including in Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and the Forest of Dean, as well as local day trips to Pagham Harbour and the Sussex Downs and Heaths. In his ‘spare time’, Jonathan is a voluntary warden at RSPB Pulborough Brooks and undertakes local surveys for the BTO and Sussex Ornithological Society. 

Sat 12th Apr – Sat 12th Apr 5 £60
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£60
Sat 26th Apr – Sat 26th Apr SPACES £60
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£60
Wed 14th May – Wed 14th May SPACES £60
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£60

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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