Wednesday, 24th June: An extremely warm morning from early on, with unbroken sunshine and just a light westerly breeze.........
Selsey Bill: An unseasonal Shag east this morning and a Whitethroat active along the gardens were the only things beyond the usual this morning. Full log below. (IP)
(0700-0800hrs) (NW, F3)
Gannet - 1W
Shag - 1E
Mallard - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 12os
Great Black-backed Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 24os
Swift - 18
House Martin - 12
Whitethroat - 1
Ferry Pool: There were two adult and two fledged juvenile Little Ringed Plovers about this morning, though no sign of the chicks, whilst the Oystercatcher pair and three chicks and the mother Shelduck and five duckling were also about, along with c20 adult and c30 young Avocets, two Lapwings, a Black-tailed Godwit, six Redshanks and four more Shelducks. (AH),
Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocet family, Avocet and Redshank & Oystercatcher family and Shelduck family at the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: A look early this morning just produced two or three Whitethroats, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, a couple of Reed Buntings and half a dozen Linnets along the path.
Also, a mother Gadwall and six juveniles were on the pool and half a dozen Redshank were in Ferry Channel. (AH)
Reed Warbler (above), Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting & Gadwall family along the Long Pool (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: A Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail were seen along Mill Lane this evening. (ML)
North Wall: The two Spotted Redshanks were on the Breech Pool again this morning, along with four Avocets, c50 Black-tailed Godwits and 15 Redshanks, with a Little Tern fishing there again and c20 Sand Martins over, and there was also a rare sighting of a Water Vole, too.
It was quiet along the wall, though a Kingfisher and ten cattle Egrets were in the vicinity of Owl Copse and as Buzzard went over. (S&SaH)
This evening there were two Wood Sandpipers on the Breech Pool. (AWi)
Wood Sandpipers at the North Wall (AWi)
Tuesday, 23d June: The surprisingly brisk easterly breeze and hazy skies kept temperatures down early on, but it brightened and warmed up considerably as the morning progressed.........
Selsey Bill: A Fulmar went west and a dozen Gannets went east, but it remains quiet. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0645-0815hrs) (ESE, F6)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 12E
Common Scoter - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 14E, 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 80os
Swift - 12
Swallow - 1E
House Martin - 15
Pied Wagtail - 2E
Sandwich Tern (above) & Swift at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The pair of Little Ringed Plovers with three chicks, the pair of Oystercatcher with two chicks and a mother Shelduck wit five ducklings were all present this morning, along with at least 30 young Avocets and 22 adults, but half a dozen Whitethroats was about it around the Tramway. (CRJ/AH)
Little Ringed Plover (above), Shelduck family & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: The Barn Owl was at Halsey's Farm again early this morning, as was a Cuckoo, and a tagged Little Tern was in the harbour opposite Owl Copse, as were two Curlews (one tagged), whilst a busy Breech Pool held two summer-plumage Spotted Redshanks, a Redshank, five Avocets, two Bar-tailed Godwits, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, a drake Teal, a Little Egret, three Grey Herons and a Cormorant, plus a fishing Common Tern.
The wall was fairly quiet, tough, and White's creek just held a Sandwich Tern, two oystercatchers, two Shelducks and a recently fledged young Black-headed Gull. (DHo)
Barn Owl (above), Spotted Redshanks, Spotted Redshank and Redshank, Avocets, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black-headed Gull & Black-tailed Godwit at the North Wall (DHo)
A Little Tern was fishing in the Breech Pool at lunchtime, but the Spotted Redshanks had moved off again, but it was otherwise similar to earlier, whilst in the harbour there were two Avocets, four Lapwings and a pair of Mute Swans with five cygnets, plus what appeared to0 be a lone Brent Goose out in the haze.
Along the wall were two Lesser Whitethroats and a scattering of singing Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, plus Reed Bunting, with a Cattle Egret, a Red Kite, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard over. (JC/EB)
This evening the Brent Goose could be seen better in the harbour, whilst a Snipe was on the Breech Pool and a Hobby and ten or so Sand Martins and Swallows went over. (AWi)
Spotted Redshanks and Avocet (above), Curlew & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (EB)
Church Norton: There wasn't much to report this morning beyond the endless activity around Tern Island, and it was similar this evening, though several newly fledged Sandwich Terns were sat outside the perimeter fence, along with many young Black-headed Gull, and there were a few Little and Common Terns about, too. (HR/DM/AH)
Little Tern (above) & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
Chichester GPs: The pair of Red-crested Pochards, the four nearly fledged young and the other male were all on New Lake late this morning. (HR/DM)
The mother and young were still present this afternoon, along with a handful of Pochard, at least 20 young Gadwall, several families of Little Grebes and a dozen young Black-headed Gulls.
There were also c50 Sand Martins overhead, along with just a handful of House Martins and Swallows (AH)
Red-crested Pochard family (above), Little Grebe chick & Sand Martins at Chichester GPs (AH)
Monday, 22nd June: Another very warm, sunny morning, though the fresh easterly breeze was keeping the temperature bearable.........
Selsey Bill: A few Swifts were around again and there was a constant flow of Sandwich Terns east, carrying fish, but that was about it. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0645-0815hrs) (ESE, F3-4)
Gannet - 5E, 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 4W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 100os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 4os
Swift - 12
House Martin - 20
Pied Wagtail - 1
Sandwich Tern (above), Common Tern, Little Tern & House Martin at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were still two adult Little Ringed Plovers, the fledged juvenile and at least three tiny chicks on the pool this morning, whilst the pair of Oystercatchers appear to have three: chicks with them, and there were still at least 30 young and 25 adult Avocets and four Shelducks present, too. (AH/PA/BFF)
Little Ringed Plover family (above), Oystercatcher family, Avocet chick & Avocet and Shelduck at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The first returning Green Sandpiper was on the flooded field this morning, and there was also a Red Kite over.(PA/LL)
Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was out on the mud again this morning, and there was also a Greenshank about. (BFF)
North Wall: Early this morning there were two Spotted Redshanks on the Breech Pool, before the flew off west together. (R Hatcher)
Later, five Avocets were on the Breech Pool, with two Little Terns fishing there, too, and mid-morning a Common Tern stopped to feed there and at Owl Water.
A couple of Black-tailed Godwits and a Lapwing were at Halsey's Farm, with c20 of the former and another of the latter also in White's Creek, whilst half a dozen Cattle Egrets were in the harbour and similar in Owl Copse.
The wall was quiet, save the odd snatch of Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warbler song, whilst a family of Swallows were around Halsey's Farm, where a Red Kite and two Buzzards went over, too. (DHi/AH/SP)
Swallows (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Common Tern, Cattle Egret, Whitethroat & Marbled White at the North Wall (AH)
