Large parts of RSPB Pagham Harbour were closed off to give ground-nesting birds some privacy to build their nests and raise their chicks. Quite a few species roost there, and among them are Common Ringed Plovers, which are abundant in this reserve. These birds are not easy to spot, as they mostly travel on foot and blend in very well with the shingled beach. We managed to spot a pair of parents walking two chicks just outside the cordoned-off area. One of the parents is shown above, and below you can see one of the chicks. They are pretty shy birds, so as we approached, they ran — rather than flew — back towards the safety of the protected zone.