Sunday, 21s June: The predicted heat-wave duly arrived this morning, with it very warm from early on in more or less unbroken sun and just a light and variable breeze............
Selsey Bill: Half a dozen Common Scoters and a Shelduck were the only things beyond the usual mix this morning. Full log below. (IP/AH/P&LH)
(0655-0840hrs) (N, F1-2)
Shelduck - 1E
Common Scoter - 5E, 1W
Oystercatcher - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 50os
Little Tern - 6os
Swift - 8
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
swallow - 1
House Martin - 20
Sandwich Tern (above), Little Tern, Common Scoters & House Martin at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two adult Little Ringed Plovers and four small chicks on the pool this morning, though no sign of yesterday's fledged juvenile, whilst at least 30 young and 25 adult Avocets were still present.
There were also a pair of Oystercatchers, a Little Egret and four Shelducks present, whilst a Red Kite went over the road, just to the north.. (AH/IP/P&LH)
Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocets & Little Egret at the Ferry AH)
Selsey: Two Common Terns and a Sparrowhawk went over our garden, to the north of the town, this afternoon. (S&SaH)
Church Norton: There were eight Common Terns and ten Little Terns among the mass of Sandwich Terns this morning, with the harbour also holding 14 shelducks, a Ringed Plover, five Curlews, ten Redshanks and 30 Black-tailed Godwits, but a couple of Whitethroats was it for the hedges. (P&LH)
North Wall: A Cuckoo - calling intermittently - was a Halsey's Farm early this morning, along with a Barn Owl and eight Swallows, plus a pair of stock Doves and a couple of Reed Buntings, Reed Warblers and Chiffchaffs.
Also, a Little Tern was fishing in the rife, with a couple of Lapwings, Redshanks and Curlews about, too. (SH/MJa/AH et al)
Barn Owl (above), Cuckoo & Stock Dove at the North Wal (AH)
Later, in White’s Creek there were five Lapwings, and on the Breech Pool at various times the Mute Swans with six young, five Black-tailed Godwits, the first returning Spotted Redshank, a pair of Avocet with one juvenile, a Little Tern and a Common Tern .
Along the wall there were lots of Reed Warblers, a few Sedge Warblers and a Whitethroat, with many butterflies along the main paths, including Meadow Browns, Large Whites, Marbled Whites and Red Admirals (CRJ), and there were also the first Purrple Hairstreaks along the East side (BI).
Spottd Redshank (above), Goldfinch, Marbled White, Red Admiral at the North Wall (CRJ) & Purple Hairstreak (BI) on the east side
Pagham Spit: There was a lot of activity around the Little Terns' island this morning, with birds feeding and bringing in fish all the time, and a steady flow of Sandwich Terns were bringing in fish, too.
There wasn't too much else to report, the a young Oystercatcher was in the harbour with its parent, and there were also two B lack-tailed Godwits, three Curlews and five Great Crested Grebes present, plus a Skylark on the spit. (AH/GHi)
Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern & Great Crested Grebe a Pagham Spit (AH)
Hunston: A Red Kite went over the village this afternoon. (S&SaH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The drop in the wind produced a lot of birds along the banks this morning, including four Dartford Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, nine Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, c30 Whitethroats, three Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, c30 Yellowhammers and three Swallows over.
Also, the Stilt Pool held two Greenshanks, two Ringed Plovers, two Lapwings, four Oystercatchers an two Common Terns, with nine more of the latter, four Mediterranean Gulls and four more Lapwings on the reserve, plus a Marsh Harrier and three Buzzards over. (S&SaH)
Saturday, 20th June: A very grey and misty morning, with the odd spit of drizzle in the moderate south-westerly breeze, though steadily warming up throughout........
Selsey Bill: A Fulmar and a loose group of nine Swifts going west were the only things beyond the regulars this morning. Full log below. (AH/IP et al)
(0645-0815hrs) (SW, F4)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 5W
Oystercatcher - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 5W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 100os
Little Tern - 6os
Swift - 9W
House Martin - 6
Little Tern (above), Sandwich Terns & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was on the pool this morning, along with an adult, whilst there were still at least 30 young Avocets of all sizes present, along with 27 adults, a pair of Oystercatchers and four Shelducks. (AH)
Little Ringed Plover (above) & Avocet at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was seen again early this morning, but not later, when at least eight Common Terns, including the first-summer bird, a dozen Little Terns and many hundreds of Sandwich Terns were about, along with the first fledged juvenile Black-headed Gulls.
Also, about 25 Black-tailed Godwits were on the mud, along with two or three Curlews and Ringed Plovers and half a dozen Oystercatchers and Shelducks, whilst a Peregrine went over.
The only things in the hedges were a Blackcap and a couple of Whitethroats, though, unusually, a male Yellowhammer was along Rectory Lane. (PB/MRB/AH/IP et al)
Common Terns (above), Little Tern, juvenile Black-headed Gull, Ringed Plover and Black-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: There were 76 Swifts, 19 Sand Martins and 47 Swallows over the wall this afternoon, whilst three Avocets were on the Breech Pool, a Kingfisher and a Marsh Harrier were at Halsey's Farm and a Lapwing and nine Little Terns were in the harbour.
Also, 20 Cattle Egrets were about, as were a Kestrel and four Buzzards, but the wall was quiet, with just ten Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers and four Reed Buntings seen. (S&SaH)
Chichester GPs: The pair of Red-crested Pochards, plus all four youngsters and the additional male, were on New Lake again this morning. (MRB/PB)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A dozen Common Terns were around the rafts again this morning, with two Greenshanks on the Stilt Pool and a Curlew, three Ringed Plovers and three Lapwings on the reserve, whilst a Swift, five Swallows, two Buzzards and three Kestrels went over and a Sandwich Tern was offshore.
There was the usual selection along the banks, including two Stonechats, a Blackcap, two Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers, eight Reed Warblers, c20 Whitethroats, five Reed Buntings and c20 Yellowhammers. (S&SaH/PB)
Drinker Moth caterpillar at Medmerry (SaH)
Friday, 19th June: An increasingly warm morning in unbroken sunshine and just a light north-westerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: Another unsurprisingly quiet morning. Full log below. (IP/AH)
(0705-0820hrs) (NW, F2-3)
Curlew - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Great Black-backed gull - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 60os
Little Tern - 7os
Swift - 4
Green Woodpecker - 1
House Martin - 12
Little Tern (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: An attempt to count all the young Avocets reached a minimum total of 33 this morning, together with 25 adults, two Oystercatchers and four Shelducks. (AH/EB)
Avocets (AH) & Avocets and Shelducks (EB) at the Ferry
Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was among the birds roosting on the mud this morning before it flew out to sea. (BFF)
The Roseate Tern was in the harbour again this evening, along with a few Little Terns and a relentless flow of Sandwich Terns bringing in fish. (AB/AH)
Little Terns (above) & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Barn Owl and a Cuckoo were both around Halsey's Farm early on, along with a couple of Lapwings and a Kingfisher, whilst later at least a dozen Cattle Egrets were around Owl Copse, with a few Little Egrets and juvenile Grey Herons about, too, plus half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls over..
The wall was fairly quiet, though the Lesser Whitethroat was active near Owl Copse, a few Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers were still singing intermittently, a couple of Chiffchaffs were at Halsey's Farm and a few Swallows went over, but a few distant waders, including a Whimbrel a couple of Curlews and half a dozen Grey Plovers was it for the harbour. (MJa/GHi/AH et al)
Cattle Egret (above), Mediterranean Gull, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat & Grey Herons at the North Wall (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were lots of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Whitethroats along the banks, together with a Meadow Pipit and a Chiffchaff, whilst a Common Tern, an Oystercatcher, a couple of Ringed Plovers and Lapwings and a family of Canada Geese were on the Stilt Pool.
There were also a number of Marbled Whites about. (EB)
Meadow Pipit (above), Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Lapwings, Canada Goose family & Marbled White at Medmerry (EB)
