Sunday, 19th July: A distinctly cooler - if still warm - morning of sunshine and white cloud in the persisting fresh north-easterly breeze...........
Selsey Bill: A gathering of c25 Swifts over the houses was notable, but it remains quiet, otherwise. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0645-0800hrs) (NE, F4)
Sparrowhawk - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 8os
Great Black-backed Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 20os
Common Tern - 1os
Swift - 25
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
House Martin - 10
Sandwich Tern (above) & Swifts at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were seven Little Ringed Plovers present this morning - three adults and four juveniles, along with the Shelduck family, the Oystercatcher family and five adult and five young Avocets, with a couple of Cattle Egrets among the cows in the fields. (AH)
Little Ringed Plover (above), Oystercatchers & Avocet and Shelducks at the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: A juvenile Water Rail was in the reeds at the far end this morning, but it was quiet along the path, with just the odd Reed Warbler and Whitethroat seen, together with a dozen Linnets, whilst two Skylarks and a handful of Swallows and Sand Martins went over and a pair of Shelducks with six young ducklings, a couple of Lapwings and half a dozen Redshanks were at the far end of Ferry Channel. (AH)
Water Rail at the Long Pool (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were still present this morning, along with a Black-tailed Godwit and four Teal, whilst a couple of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Whitethroats were present, too. (AH)
Sedge Warbler at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Pagham Spit: It looks like the Little Terns have finished with their island for the year, with just a dozen or so, mainly juveniles, on the adjacent banks and another 30 spread out on the mud further down the harbour, where there were also 300+ Mediterranean Gulls, with a few Sandwich Terns coming and going, too.
At least 25 Turnstones were near the harbour mouth, along with eight Ringed Plovers and four Curlews, with a Whimbrel, a dozen Grey Plovers and a few Black-tailed Godwits further down the harbour, but a couple of Skylarks and a dozen Linnets were the only birds along the spit.
Also, four Common Seals were hauled out in the harbour, and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was in the old car-park. (AH)
Little Terns (above), sandwich Terns, Turnstone, Ringed Plover & Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Pagham Spit (AH)
North Wall: A Spotted Redshank, two Whimbrels, c50 Redshanks, eight Lapwings, nine Black-tailed Godwits, a Curlew, two Common Terns, a Little Tern and two Grey Wagtails were along White’s Creek this morning, and four Little Ringed Plovers and a family of Reed Warblers were on the Breech Pool, along with seven more Black-tailed Godwits.
A Sparrowhawk with prey flew over the fields, and 16 Cattle Egrets were in Owl Copse, whilst 12 Swallows and nine Sand Martins passed over.
A Cuckoo was around Halsey’s Farm, two Avocets and a Kingfisher were by the outfall, and two Blackcaps were in the small wooded area. Also at least seven Wasp Spiders were in their usual area by the four gates. (LP/MRi/MJa/DHi/EB/SBr/KU)
This afternoon, a Sparrowhawk was seen taking prey into Owl Copse, with two Kestrels and three Buzzards about, too and 20 Cattle Egrets were in the vicinity, whilst two Avocets were in the harbour there and 19 Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool.
Also, a Blackcap was present and c30 Swifts, c30 Swallows and c50 Sand Martins went over. (SH)
Little Ringed Plovers (LP top, EB lower), Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, (LP), Lapwing, Reed Warblers, Swallow (EB),& Wasp Spier (LP top, EB lower) at the North Wall
East Head: A Serin was reported flying over Snowhill Creek early this morning. (per Birdguides)
West Wittering: About 20 Whitethroats were in the hedges at Rookwood this evening. (GM)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An Osprey was about early this morning, though it didn't linger, whilst on the Stilt Pool there were four Greenshanks, four Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, seven Lapwings and four Oystercatchers, with c20 Common Terns around the rafts, two Curlews, three Redshanks and six Lapwings on the reserve and two Buzzards, two Kestrels and c30 Sand Martins and Swallows over.
A Yellow Wagtail was the best along the fairly quiet banks, which also held c20 Whitethroats, two Dartford Warblers, four Reed Warblers, a Reed Bunting, c20 Yellowhammers and five Green Woodpeckers. (SH/PB)
Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - There was nothing exciting on the WeBS count this morning at these pits, but it was a day of post-breeding gatherings of geese, with joint totals of 255 Greylags, 55 Canadas and 36 Egyptian Geese - the latter the highest number I can ever recall here.
There were also 32 Pochard and ten Gadwall, and a total of 28 Great Crested Grebes, suprisingly most being adults and at least three pairs with nests. There wasn't a whole lot else, but several family groups of Reed Warblers were in the reeds and a couple of Blackcaps were still giving bursts of song. (OM)
Some of the Greylag Geese on the Drayton House South pit (OM)
Saturday, 18th July: The breeze was back round to the north-east this morning, and moderate to fresh, but it remains very warm and mostly sunny........
Selsey Bill: A flock of 12 Sand Martins east along the beach was the only thing of note this morning. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0650-0805hrs) (NE, F4)
Gannet - 2E, 3W, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 16os
Swift - 10
Sand Martin - 12E
House Martin - 5
Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were just four Little Ringed Plovers, the Shelduck family, the Oystercatcher family and five adult and five young Avocets on the pool this morning, with three or four Cattle Egrets among the cows in the back of the fields. (AH)
Little Ringed Plover (above) & Little Ringed Plover and Avocet at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and three Black-tailed Godwits were on the flooded field this morning, along with four Teal and a Little Grebe and two chicks. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above) & Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwits at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
North Wall: There was a bit a variety early on, with a Spotted Redshank, a Little Ringed Plover, and four Avocets on the Breech Pool, and two Common Sandpipers along Bremere Rife, with another at Owl Point, but all had moved on by 8am.
Otherwise, it was just the regular species with eight Cattle Egrets in Owl Copse, a Kingfisher along Owl Water and a Black-tailed Godwit along the rife, whilst a couple of Swallows were still around the stables and a few Sand Martins flew over, but along White’s Creek it was just the usual Redshanks, Lapwings, and Curlews. (MJa/BI/LP)
Kingfisher (above), Cattle Egret & Black-tailed Godwit at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Stilt Pool was quite busy this morning, with a Green Sandpiper, three Common Sandpipers, three Greenshanks, a Dunlin, five Lapwings, five Avocets and five Oystercatchers, including a well-grown chick, all present, whilst 18 Common Terns were around the rafts, four Sandwich Terns were offshore, a Kingfisher and half a dozen Lapwings and Curlews were on the reserve.
Also, a Hobby was hunting dragonflies over the banks, where there were c20 Whitethroats, three Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, three Reed Buntings and 11 Yellowhammers noted, plus two Kestrels, two House Martins, six Sand Martins and ten Swallows over. (S&SaH/MaJ)
Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham - A Yellowhammer, a Reed Bunting and a couple of Reed Warblers and Whitethroats, plus half a dozen Swallows over, was about it around the Chainbridge area this morning, whilst at Ham at least five Corn Buntings - looking like a family group - were between the viewpoint and the maize crop, with another two on the edge of the tidal area, but there wasn't too much else beyond a Stonechat, another Reed Bunting and a dozen or so Linnets and Skylarks, with two or three Little Terns and half a dozen Sandwich Terns fishing offshore from the breach. (AH)
Corn Buntings (above), Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Warbler & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)
Friday, 17th July: The morning started still and very warm, though the breeze picked up from the south-west through the morning, bringing some white cloud with it.....
Selsey Bill: An unsurprisingly quiet morning, with a large flock of Mediterranean Gulls on the shingle bar the only thing of note. Full log below. (IP/AH)
(0630-0730hrs) (S, F1)
Oystercatcher - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 100os
Great Black-backed Gull - 4os
Sandwich Tern - 20os
Swift - 14
Swallow - 6E
Sand Martin - 2E
House Martin - 15
Mediterranean Gulls (above) & Swift at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The only exception to the usual four species this morning was a Common Sandpiper, with five Little Ringed Plovers, the Shelduck family, the Oystercatcher family and six adult and five young Avocets still present. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plover, Avocet & Oystercatchers at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were present again this morning, though, otherwise it was just lots of Coots and Moorhens. (AH et al)
Green Sandpiper at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Pagham Spit: At the end of the spit this morning there was the remarkable sight of at least 60 Little Terns, half of which were juveniles, fishing in the channel and sitting out on the banks. Also around were a Common Tern and several Sandwich Terns, whilst c300 Mediterranean Gulls were sat out on the mud.
Four Ringed Plovers, 12 Turnstones, 10 Redshanks, six Curlews and a Black-tailed Godwit were the only waders about, and small birds along the spit were limited to a few Linnets, House Sparrows and Skylarks. (LP)
Little Terns at Pagham Spit (LP)
North Wall: There were seven Common Sandpipers in White's Creek early on, though all but one soon dispersed, whilst there were also a Spotted Redshank, c50 Redshanks, a Whimbrel and a dozen or so Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews in the creek and adjacent harbour, and two or three Little Terns were about, too.
Two Little Ringed Plovers were the only waders on the Breech Pool, though a Kingfisher was briefly present there and a few Swallows went over and there were just a few Reed Warblers, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings along the wall. A Bullfinch was also along the east side. (MJa/LP/AH/CT/BI et al)
Spotted Redshank (above), Little Ringed Plover, Little Tern & Whimbrel at the North Wall (AH)
Church Norton: This evening there were just the usual mix of large numbers of Sandwich Terns, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour, including an increase to at least 20 juveniles of the latter, and mostly around the concrete blocks, with relatively little activity remaining on the island. (AH)
Sandwich Terns (above), Mediterranean Gulls & Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gull at Church Norton (AH)
Upper Norton: Late in the evening, a parakeet sp - presumably a Ring-necked Parakeet - flew over the B2145 by the Trident Business Park. (MRe)
Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were five Corn Buntings in the maize field behind the viewpoint this morning. (MWh)
West Itchenor to Ella Nore: The WeBS count this afternoon produced a good count of 50 Whimbrel in the harbour, with a Common Sandpiper also about and a Coal Tit in the trees.
There was also the rather sad - and bizarre! - sight of a headless long-dead Manx Shearwater wedged into a tree. (SM)
Almodington: A Red Kite went over the village this afternoon. (SH)
