Back from hols!

The resident Blackbird...in moult.

Out onto Pagham Spit this morning after a week away and it was very quiet except for a few Common Sanspipers on the Lagoon and along the harbour edges.
A juvenile Wheatear was a surprise near the Spit hide.
Little Terns were were very active on the Church Norton Spit and one was seen feeding a chick and others were fishing.

Sandwich Tern

Later in the day there were at least 10 Little Terns and a few Sandwich  flying over the harbour and on to presumably the Langstone direction and a rather larger bird....

...caused a little disturbance!

It was encouraging to see the Ringed Plover still in protective mode but I could not locate the offspring!

A week in Germany and the Netherlands produced very little excitement on the birding front..but the real purpose of the visit was to attend the Andre Rieu concerts in the Vrijhof Square, Maastricht.
The Eifel National Park was a venue for Black Grouse but the only one located was somewhat immobile.

Black Woodpecker was on the 'hopeful' list but this one in Maastricht Natural History Museum was hardly tickable!

Maastricht Park did have a real live .....

Cormorant !.....

As expected Black Redstarts and White wagtails were widespread.

It is July and it was very hot (32C at times) so its back to Pagham now and we await the late summer movement to start very soon!