Exploring Pagham Harbour...and I shall be returning!

Today I decided to explore the areas around Pagham and Pagham Harbour - an area I don't know at all.  There was sun and blue sky and it was so warm... about 12 degrees - unbelievable

I arrived and parked at the Visitor's Centre which is closed on a Monday.  I was undecided which way to go so whilst I was getting my bearings I took a few pics of the local birds :D

Goldfinch in the sun.

A passing Grey Heron

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This is the only hide I know, that is at the edge of the road and looking across it to the water beyond.

and the tide was out...

Huge flocks of birds and in this instance I'm pretty sure they were Brent Geese.

and dozens of Lapwings.

Not being sure how long it would take me to walk to Church Norton, an having been walking for some time now,  I went back and went by road..

There were many very large flocks of all different types of birds - one of Sanderlings which was wonderful to see.  It was, to me, the Sussex equivalent of Norfolk!

Several Redshank about.  

Before I left I had a wander around the church.  It's a very small church undergoing some much needed repairs.  Hence the scaffolding and the closed door with a notice advising that entry to the church wasn't possible whilst the building works were being carried out. 

The Church (St. Wilfreds Chapel)  is being repaired and therefore entry was not possible

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And to explore further I drove up and around the top of the estuary into Pagham itself.  By this time I was hungry and there had been no eating facilities where I'd been.  I found a local mini-market and had a couple of Danish pastries to keep me going.

The car park for the lagoon area was shut due to flooding damage, so I parked up and had a quick walk down to the beach.

You would be forgiven for thinking this was somewhere in the Med in July. But, in fact, it was Pagham Beach on 2 January!

So now I know where to go back to.  The Visitor Centre will be open more after the holiday break so I might just go on one of the guided walks to know where the best birding bits are.  

Either way, I know I'm going to be returning many times now!