SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER still in HAMPSHIRE

FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

In what has been a record-breaking last two days of September, temperatures today in the south climbed to a sweltering 81 degrees C. Once again, the South Coast was bathed in wall-to-wall sunshine......

LOWER PENNINGTON MARSHES (HAMPSHIRE)

I decided to return to Pennington Marshes for the second time this week in order to savour the delights of the small peep gracing the pools with its presence. Fortunately, my visit today coincided with high tide and the juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER was feeding with a multitude of other small waders on the ''Jetty Lagoon''. In fact, it was very often the closest bird feeding, favouring the nutrient-rich mud at the west end of the scrape. For much of the time, it fed to within 40 yards of the sea wall, affording brilliant views in the sunlight and allowing all salient features to be noted - including the partial webbing between the toes. It was a particularly pleasing experience.

Other waders present included the juvenile LITTLE STINT still, 2 Common Greenshanks, 124 Dunlin (including one very obvious long-billed alpina), an adult Pied Avocet and the usual selection of commoner waders such as Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Common Redshank and Eurasian Curlew.

A single EURASIAN SPOONBILL was roosting out on the saltmarsh, with Little Egret (7), Great Crested Grebe (13) and the 41-strong COMMON EIDER raft still offshore.

The scrub produced a WHINCHAT, Common Stonechats and a blackberry-feeding flock of 180 Common Starlings, whilst an excellent scattering of late-flying butterflies included up to 10 WALL BROWNS, several PAINTED LADY and a few CLOUDED YELLOWS. An extremely enjoyable afternoon was had (Lee G R Evans)