Sunday, 12th July: It remains very warm and sunny, though the north-easterly breeze continued to freshen, leaving it a very blustery morning..... ......
Selsey Bill: This morning's list was more or less the same as yesterday, though there were a few more swifts about. Full log below. (AH/IP/SH)
(0645-0930hrs) (NE, F6)
Gannet - 9E, 5W, 1os
Common Scoter - 8E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2W, 3os
Sandwich Tern - 100os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 3os
Swift - 35
Swallow - 5E
Sand Martin - 8E
House Martin - 20
Sandwich Tern (above), Common Tern, Gannet & House Martin at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were still at least ten Little Ringed Plovers about, mostly at the back, with the Shelduck family still present and the Oystercatcher family flying back in, but Avocets were down to seven adults and four youngsters. And there were also seven Black-tailed Godwits and a Lapwing present. (AH/PB/AGB/JBo)
Little Ringed Plover (above), Avocet chick, Shelduck family (AH), Little Ringed Plover, Avocet & Lapwing (JBo) at the Ferry
Church Norton: The clear highlight this morning was a Great White Egret out in the harbour, but otherwise there were just three Whimbrel about, along with the usual mass of gulls and terns. (PB/AGB/JBo)
North Wall: A Yellow Wagtail was seen along the wall this morning, along with a female Sparrowhawk carrying prey and a Great spotted Woodpecker, whilst five Swifts and a dozen Sand Martins went over and a Bar-tailed Godwit and three Whimbrel were in the harbour. (PB/AGB/JBo)
East side: There wasn't much to report this morning on the high tide, though c50 Grey Plovers, c20 Dunlin, half a dozen Turnstones and Bar-tailed Godwits and c50 Mediterranean Gulls were roosting out in the middle, with a Whimbrel flying over to join them, whilst a handful of Swallows went over, heading east and a few Little Terns were up towards the harbour mouth. (AH)
Whimbrel (above) & Grey Plovers along the East side (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, five Lapwings and four adult and a young Oystercatcher on the Stilt Pool this morning, with a Snipe, another Greenshank and five more Lapwings, two Redshanks, two Curlews, a Cattle Egret and five Mediterranean Gulls, including a juvenile, out on the reserve and there were still c20 Common Terns around the rafts..,
The banks were quiet in the wind, but still produced a Dartford Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Chiffchaff, six Whitethroats and eight Yellowhammers, with 11 Swifts, c40 Swallows, c50 Sand Martins, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and four Kestrels over, and there was also a Stoat seen along the path near the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)
Chichester GPs: A quick look round the Ivy Lake complex late this morning found very few birds, with two juvenile Pochards, a pair of Egyptian Geese with a single well-grown gosling, eight Gadwall and c20 Sand Martins being the best. (AH)
Pochards (above) & Egyptian Geese at Chichester GPs (AH)
Saturday, 11th July: Another morning of unbroken, very warm sun, though the north-easterly breeze had freshened somewhat........
Selsey Bill: There was still a relentless procession of Sandwich Terns heading out to feed and returning carrying fish, but not much else beyond the regular species. Full log below. (AH/IP/SH)
(0700-0945hrs) (NE, F4-5)
Gannet - 2E
Common Scoter - 1E, 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 150os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 4os
Swift - 19
Swallow - 4E
Sand Martin - 1E
House Martin - 20
Pied Wagtail - 1
Common Scoter (above), Sandwich Tern & Cormorants at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were a minimum of five adult and seven young/juvenile Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with the Shelduck family, a juvenile Oystercatcher, a Lapwing and seven adult and seven young Avocets.
Also, two smart Yellow Wagtails dropped in before being chased off by one of the four Pied Wagtails present and five Cattle Egrets were in the fields. (AH)
Yellow Wagtails (above), Little Ringed Plovers, Avocet, Lapwing & Cattle Egret at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: On the flooded field this morning there were five Teal, four Gadwall, a Little Grebe with a chick and many young Coots and Moorhens, whilst a couple of Whitethroats and Reed Warblers were about, too, along with half a dozen Swallows going over. (AH)
Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Church Norton: There were just a lot of Sandwich Terns, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour at high tide, along with a dozen or so Little Terns, but a couple of Curlews were the only waders seen.
Also, c20 Sand Martins and a dozen Swallows went over, going east, and a Sparrowhawk, a Skylark and a handful of Linnets were along the front. (AH)
Also, this afternoon there were two Common Sandpipers on the concrete blocks. (SH)
Sandwich Terns (above), Little Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Sand Martin & Swallow at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Yellow-legged Gull was in the harbour early on, and at high tide the mixed group of c100 waders were way out in the middle, too distant to accurately identify, also ten Common Seals were hauled out on the far side.
A Spotted Redshank and 12 Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool before heading out into the harbour, but it was quiet along the bushes with just a Reed Bunting and a couple of Whitethroats, whilst in Owl Copse the Cattle Egret chicks were showing well in their nest. (BI/MJa/LP)
Reed Bunting (above) & Cattle Egrets at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was a good selection of waders about this morning, including three very early-returning Golden Plovers, a Greenshank, a Whimbrel, three Curlews, nine Lapwings and 15 Redshanks on the reserve and three more Greenshanks, five more Lapwings, two Common Sandpipers, a Ringed Plover and five adult and two young Oystercatchers on the Stilt Pool.
Also, c20 Common Terns were around the rafts, whilst a Hobby, three Kestrels,, two Buzzards, a Swift, c50 Sand Martins and Swallows and similar of Mediterranean Gulls went over, but the banks were fairly quiet in the breeze, though including three Dartford Warblers, four Reed Warblers, ten Whitethroats, two Reed Buntings, a dozen Yellowhammers and a Pied Wagtail. (S&SaH)
Friday, 10th July: Yet another very warm, sunny morning, with the moderate north-easterly breeze offering just a little respite.....
Selsey Bill: A decent-sized flock of 25 Common Scoters went east this morning, along with a few Swallows and Sand Martins. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0650-0805hrs) (NE, F3-4)
Gannet - 1W
Common Scoter - 25E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 60os
Little Tern - 1os
Swift - 12
Swallow - 8E
Sand Martin - 14E
House Martin - 10
Pied Wagtail - 2E
Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were three adult Little Ringed Plovers and six young birds of varying ages on the pool this morning, along with the Shelduck family, six adult and five young Avocets and two Lapwings. (AH)
Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocet & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)
Pagham Spit: A fantastic count of at least 34 fledged young Little Terns in the harbour was made yesterday evening. (per GR/RSPB)
East Side: There was a bit of a selection of waders along the east side around high tide this morning, including nine Knot, 61 Dunlin, two Turnstones, 36 Grey Plovers, six Bar-tailed Godwits, a handful of Black-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel, 25 Curlews, seven Lapwings and c50 Redshanks.
There were also c20 Little Terns feeding in the harbour, with the pair of Mute Swans and six cygnets still in White's Creek and ten Sand Martins and 20 Swallows went over. (AWi)
Church Norton: A Roseate Tern and half a dozen Little Terns were among the hundreds of Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls of all ages in the harbour, and there were at least 150 Mediterranean Gulls about, though still no juveniles.
There were also two Whimbrel, six Curlews, a Ringed Plover and c25 Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks on the mud. (AH)
Roseate Tern and Sandwich Terns (above), Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean Gull & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were five nearly fledged young Common Terns on the rafts, with similar of just-hatched young and a few more already fledged among the dozen or so adult birds, and half a dozen Sandwich Terns, including three juveniles, dropped in on the Stilt Pool, where there were also a pair of Oystercatchers with a chick, five Lapwings, two Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers, with another of the latter by the poplars, too.
At least 100 Sand Martins and 50 Swallows were over the pool and the banks, all put up at one point by a low-flying and fast Hobby, but the banks just held the usual mix of c20 Whitethroats, Skylarks and Yellowhammers and c50 Linnets, but not too much else. (AH/GR/P Potts et al)
Common Terns (above), Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Terns, Sand Martin, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)
