Monday, 15th June: The wind was fresh again, but had gone right around to the east this morning, leaving cool and grey before warming and brightening up later....
Selsey Bill: There were plenty of Little Terns going back and forth, but it was otherwise quiet this morning. Full log below. (IP/AH)
(0705-0805hrs) (SES, f4-5)
Gannet - 3E
Common Scoter - 2E
Oystercatcher - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Great Black-backed Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 50os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 16os
Swift - 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
House Martin - 8
Little Terns (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: At least 25 young Avocets in the company of 33 adults were pretty much all that was on the pool this morning, with just a Little Ringed Plover, an Oystercatcher and four Shelducks present beyond them, plus two Black-tailed Godwits and two more Avocets in the channel opposite. (AH)
Avocets (above), Little Ringed Plover & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was reported as present again today. (per Birdguides)
East Side: There were still a few waders along the East side this morning, including a Greenshank, a Turnstone, three Whimbrels, a Curlew, six Oystercatchers, three Knot, 12 Grey Plovers and 24 Black-tailed Godwits, but otherwise there were just a couple of Little Terns fishing along the channel and a Great Crested Grebe on the water. (LP)
North Wall: A Kingfisher flew out from the sluice and a Little Tern was over White’s Creek, whilst a Cuckoo was still calling from the trees behind the stables.
A Knot was with eight Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool, and the usual mix of Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats were along the wall and two Lesser Whitethroats were singing in the bushes.
Also, a Black-tailed Skimmer was on the path and a few Painted Ladies and Marbled Whites were also about. (LP/CT/DHi)
Knot (above), Knot and Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank and Turnstone & Black-tailed Skimmer at the North Wall (LP)
Sunday, 14th June: A generally sunny and dry day and feeling notably warmer than of late, but with the westerly breeze still on the fresh side.........
Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua was offshore, whilst six Sanderlings and a Whimbrel went east, a flock of ten Common Terns did likewise (with a few more offshore) and a Grey Wagtail was a surprise. Full log below (SH/AH/IP)
(0615-0815hrs) (WSW 3-4).
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 2E, 2W
Grey Heron - 1S
Common Scoter - 6E
Sanderling - 6E
Whimbrel - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 45os
Common Tern - 15os (inc 10E together)
Little Tern - 10os
auk sp - 1W
Swift - 3
House Martin - 20
Grey Wagtail - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Little Tern (above), Fulmar, Sanderlings, Swift & House Martins at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were least 20 young Avocets and 35 adults on the pool this morning, along with a Little Ringed Plover, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, two Oystercatchers, two Redshanks, a pair of Shovelers and 14 Shelducks. (AH)
Avocet chick (above), Little Ringed Plover, Shovelers & Shelduck family, Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: Eight Redshanks were along White’s Creek this morning, along with a Curlew and a Whimbrel, whilst on the Breech Pool a pair of Tufted Ducks and a drake Shoveler were with the usual Mallards and Coots on the Breech Pool.
There was lots of activity along the reeds and bushes with Whitethroats, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings, Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches as well as a couple of Linnets, a Cuckoo, a Blackcap, and a Lesser Whitethroat.
At Halsey’s Farm, an Avocet was along the rife along with a Black-tailed Godwit and a Lapwing, also, a Song Thrush, a Chiffchaff, and a Blackcap were in the trees.
There were also lots of butterflies about including several Marbled Whites, a Painted Lady and lots of Meadow Browns. (LP/MRi/AH/CT)
Lesser Whitethroat (above), Whitethroat (LP), Blackcap, Reed Warbler (AH), Whimbrel, Lapwing, Avocet (LP), Black-tailed Godwit (AH) & Marbled White (LP) at the North Wall
Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was among the terns in the harbour this afternoon. (A Playle)
Chichester GPs: The mother and four young Red-crested Pochards, plus the two drakes, were all together on Runcton Lake this morning. (NM)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were 12 Common Terns around the rafts this morning, with two Greenshanks, two Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin and an Oystercatcher on the Stilt Pool and four Lapwings on the reserve, whilst a Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk, three Buzzards and a dozen Swallows went over.
Also, along the banks there were two Stonechats, a Lesser Whitethroat, c20 Whitethroats, 13 Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, seven Reed Buntings and c20 Yellowhammers. (S&SaH)
Saturday, 13th June: The breeze remained fresh and from the west, but it was a warmer and sunnier morning than of late......
Selsey Bill: A pale-phase Arctic Skua was offshore again this morning and a Fullmar and ten Kittiwakes, including a flock of nine, went west. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/IP)
(0545-0815hrs) (W, F4-5)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 3W, 1os
Oystercatcher - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 17W
Black-headed Gull - 340os
Great Black-backed Gull - 12os
Kittiwake - 10W
Sandwich Tern - 220os
Common Tern - 4os
Little Tern - 15os
House Martin - 2
Ferry Pool: There were minimum of 25 young Avocets - from tiny chicks to juveniles - around the pool this morning, along with 34 adults, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, an Oystercatcher, the pair of Common Terns, a Shoveler and 16 Shelducks, plus the eight ducklings. (AH)
Later, a colour-ringed adult Spoonbill dropped in on the pool and there was also a Little Ringed Plover about in addition to that seen earlier. (JC/MP/GR et al)
Church Norton: There were still lots of Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, plus a handful of Little and Common Terns, to be seen, along with an adult Kittiwake, but the only waders present were 27 Black-tailed Godwits and five Oystercatchers.
Also, a look along the west side to Reedy Marsh produced an unseen singing Yellowhammer, a Reed Bunting, a Blackcap, two or three Whitethroats and half a dozen Linnets. (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were two Greenshanks, three Ringed Plovers and seven Oystercatchers on the Stilt Pool this morning, with two Cuckoos, a Raven, a Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel and three Buzzards around the reserve, whilst seven Common Terns were around the rafts and a Little Tern was offshore.
There was also a bit of activity along the banks, including an unseasonal Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, ten Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, c30 Whitethroats, four Reed Buntings and c20 Yellowhammers, plus seven Swallows over. (S&SaH/PB)
Chichester GPs: The mother Red-crested Pochard and her four well-grown young were still on New Lake today, though there was no sign of the two drakes, along with what appeared to be three families of fledged young Gadwall, half a dozen Pochard and Tufted Ducks and a drake Shoveler, whilst the small Black-headed Gull colony held at least half a dozen well-grown chicks. (AH)
Drayton House pits: A fairly mundane WeBS count at these pits today, the highlight being just two female Pochards with broods of young and a female Gadwall likewise. The regular species were present including 64 Canada Geese (with two broods of young), just one pair of Greylags with young and a pair of Mute Swans with seven cygnets, plus a number of Great Crested and Little Grebe pairs. On the non-avian side a nice colony of up to 200 spikes of Southern Marsh Orchid were present and perhaps 20+ Pyramidals also. (OM)
Pochard with young on Drayton House North pit and Southern Marsh orchids on the South pit (OM)
