The Good Old Days

Back in the mid-1970s one of my regular haunts was Pagham Harbour (above), courtesy of a train and bus ride. I tried to visit once a month, sometimes twice, and can safely say that it became a special place for me. Over the years the visits became infrequent, and until today had last made the trip in 2010. Another was therefore long overdue. It was quite an emotional day. I arrived at 05.30hrs accompanied by a light that was ethereal. A clear azure sky turned water and wet mud into liquid mercury and silver, the stillness amplifying the cries of the nesting gulls and terns across the harbour. Throughout the visit I was serenaded by an urgent murmur coming from the colony, on two occasions being startled by the birds as they were spooked, a sudden roar, not unlike a jet aircraft, which died as quickly as it began. Mediterranean Gulls, Sandwich, Common and Little Terns patrolled the water between harbour and sea, sharing the skies with the ubiquitous Black-headed. A Peregrine hunted out on the saltings, but had little to pursue. Cattle and Little Egrets flew to and fro from the North Wall, an observation that I would have found hard to believe back in 1975. An Avocet and 13 Black-tailed Godwits were the pick of the waders.

My visit was prompted by an arranged meeting with two blasts from my Pagham and Selsey past - Chris Janman and Mervyn Jones. Back in the 1970s and early 1980s we had birded together on the peninsula, had great times on the Isles of Scilly and shared cars on the way to far flung twitches. Although Chris and Mervyn meet up regularly, my relationship with them has been purely one via the medium of social media over recent months. It was the first time that I had seen them for just shy of 40 years. It was a delightful get together, a steady potter around the Sidlesham end of the harbour, casually birding while reminiscing and putting the world to rights. When Merv bade us farewell, Chris took me to an area of chalk downland that I had not visited before - Levin Down (below)

North of Goodwood, it is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. We zigzagged the slope, finding Dingy Skipper and Small Blue in a depressed number of butterflies on the wing. There was a small amount of Horseshoe Vetch present.

My last stop of the day was to Shoreham-by-sea, to visit an area of beach close to the fort carpark, where a decent amount of the alien Starry Clover (above) was on show. I would have stayed longer to take in the interesting flora, but the place was heaving with holiday makers. I am indebted to Paul James who gave me directions to find this striking plant.

And a big thank you to Merv and Chris, who kindly took the time to meet up, share their knowledge of this corner of Sussex and extend a hand of friendship from down the years. Until next time...