Sunday, 16th August: A muggy and overcast morning in a light north-easterly breeze...
Selsey Bill: A Fulmar and an Arctic Skua went west this morning, a Yellow Wagtail went east and c40 Sandwich Terns were around the rocks by the Mile Basket. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH)
(0645-0800hrs) (NE, F2-3)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 4E, 3W
Oystercatcher - 1E
Arctic Skua - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 10W, 150os
Great Black-backed Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 7W, 40os
Common Tern - 1E
Green Woodpecker - 1
Swallow - 12E
House Martin - 9
Yellow Wagtail - 1E
Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: An adult and a juvenile adult were briefly on the pool before relocating to the channel opposite, where there were also 14 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Redshanks and a Lapwing. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Avocet at the Ferry (AH)
Selsey: A Swift went over our garden, to the north of the village, late this morning. (S&SaH)
Church Norton: Most of the action this morning was in the churchyard, where there were a Pied Flycatcher, a couple of Spotted Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, a couple of Blackcaps and half a dozen Willow Warblers, with another ten or more of the latter and several Chiffchaffs in a big mixed tit flock around the hide.
Elsewhere, three Wheatears were on the concrete blocks and another was along the front, together with two or three Whitethroats, and, also, c40 Sand Martins went over, heading east, three Sparrowhawks were about and an unseen Raven was heard again..
The harbour was predictably quiet, with just three or four Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews and Redshanks and c40 Oystercatcher seen.
Also, of note, a Weasel was being very active in the churchyard. (AH/KB et al)
Pied Flycatcher (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Wheatear & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Garden Warbler (PA) (above) & Lesser Whitethroat (AH) at Church Norton
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A good number of species were recorded this morning in the less windy conditions, including a Whinchat, 15 Yellow Wagtails, a Pied Wagtail, three Meadow Pipits, a Stonechat, eight Whitethroats, two Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a Cetti's Warbler and 13 Yellowhammers along the banks, plus c50 Swallows and c100 Sand Martins over.
Also, a Kingfisher and c30 Common Terns were around the reserve, two Greenshanks, three Common Sandpipers, four Redshanks and Oystercatchers and six Lapwings were on the Stilt Pool and a Hobby, a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel went over. (SH)
Also seen were two Yellow Wagtails, two Meadow Pipits, two Stonechats, a Whitethroat, a willow Warbler, a Sand Martin and two Swallows. (PA)
Golden Plover (above) & Grey Plover at East Head (PA)
Swift (above), Swallow & Sand Martins in Sidlesham (AH)
Saturday, 15th August: Just slightly cooler this morning, but still lots of warm sun in just a light northerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: Two Wheatears and a Willow Warbler were along the front this morning, and a mix of hirundines were circling about, rather than moving through, but the sea was quiet again, beyond a few Sandwich and Common Terns. Full log below. (IP/AH/JFi/P&LH)
(0655-0825hrs) (N, F2-3)
Gannet - 1W
Common Scoter - 3E
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 350os
Great Black-backed Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 9W
Common Tern - 1E, 7W, 1os
Swallow - 23
Sand Martin - 32
House Martin - 25
Wheatear - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler (above), Wheatear, Sandwich Tern & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The pool was birdless again, though the two Spotted Redshanks, a Whimbrel, four Black-tailed Godwits, half a dozen Lapwings and Redshanks and an adult and two juvenile Avocets were in the channel opposite. (AH)
Spotted Redshanks (above) & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: Two Coal Tits were drinking from a birdbath and a Tree-creeper was in the garden in Mill Lane this morning. LL). (LL)
Coal Tit at Mill Pond Marsh (LL)
North Wall: The first Whinchat of the autumn was in Owl Point field, with seven Wheatears among an arrival of Wheatears, part of an overnight arrival that also included two more along the hedgerows in Honer 1, and another along the path by Owl Copse.
At Halsey’s Farm a Snipe was on the mud with two Lapwings, a Cattle Egret and two Little Egrets, whilst nine Teal were along the rife and seven Curlews were in the fields, whilst a Whimbrel was in the harbour by the outfall and a small group of seven Ringed Plovers and five Dunlin dropped in there, too.
It was quiet along the bushes with just a few Whitethroats, a couple of Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff, also a Kingfisher was around the sluice, and a few Redshanks were along White’s Creek. (LP/MJa/P&LH)
Snipe (above), Wheatears, Teal, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover & Ringed Plover and Dunlin (LP), Whinchat, Whinchat and Wheatear, Wheatears & Cattle Egrets (LH) at the North Wall
East side: Three Spotted Redshanks were in White's Creek this morning, whilst further along the side of the harbour there were three Greenshank, two Knot, four Grey Plovers, 21 Ringed Plovers, three Whimbrel, eight Curlews, ten Black-tailed Godwits, 24 Dunlin, a Lapwing, six Oystercatchers and 85 Redshanks, along with seven Shelducks, 15 Teal, six Little Egrets, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Little Grebe and a Great crested Grebe.
Also, six Yellow Wagtails went over, five Willow Warblers were in the hedges and a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were around the Slipe field. (PJ/GaJ)
Spotted Redshank along the East side (PJ)
Pagham Spit and Lagoon: Two Wheatears, two Yellow Wagtails, a Reed Bunting and a Skylark were along the spit, with a Common Gull in the harbour, and there was also a pair of Ringed Plovers with four young chicks on the shingle.
The only birds on the lagoon were five Tufted Ducks, a couple of Little and Great Crested Grebvbes and 13 Coots. (PJ/GaJ)
Church Norton: There were five Wheatears on the concrete blocks and another in the horse field this morning, but an unseen calling Raven, couple of Willow Warblers and three Blackcaps was it for the hedges, whilst c250 Swallows and c30 Sand Martins were feeding overhead and generally drifting east.
There wasn't much going on in the harbour on the low tide, with three Whimbrel, 11 Ringed Plovers, ten Curlews, two Redshanks and c50 Oystercatchers the only waders noted, along with 30 Mediterranean Gulls and 15 Little Egrets, with two Buzzards and two Kestrels going over. (AH/P&LH)
Wheatear (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were fairly busy this morning, with a Wheatear, three Yellow Wagtails, two Meadow Pipits, five Stonechats, nine Whitethroats, a Dartford Warbler, three Willow Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Reed Bunting and 11 Yellowhammers seen, along with eight Sand Martins and c75 Swallows over.
Also, a Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, four Redshanks, six Lapwings and 17 Little Egrets were on the Stilt Pool, c30 Common Terns were around the rafts, two Cattle Egrets were on the reserve and a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and six Kestrels went over. (SH)
Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - A predictably slow WeBS count on these pits today, with little beyond the anticipated species. A total of 42 Pochard were logged, together with the first three returning Shovelers, 17 Gadwall and ten Egyptian Geese. A joint total of 21 adult Great Crested Grebes was seen, of which one bird was still on a nest and at least six other pairs had small 'stripey' young.
Half a dozen House Martins were feeding over the water, but disappointingly, not a single wader was located, although there were several spots where the lower water level and dried muddy edges at least held out some promise. (OM)
Egyptian Geese on Drayton House North pit (OM)
Birdham: A Spotted Flycatcher was in the garden this afternoon. (AB)
Sidlesham: A Hobby was hunting the hirundines - c250 Sand Martins, c80 Swallows and c30 House Martins over Cow Lane again today, and there were also two Ravens and two Yellow Wagtails over and a Willow Warbler in the vegetation. (PA)
Hobby (above) & Raven over Sidlesham (PA)
Friday, 14th August: Another very warm morning of unbroken sun in just a light north-westerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: Five Common Terns and seven Sand Martins went west and at least 500 Mediterranean Gulls were around the shingle bar, but that was about it this morning. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0650-0805hrs) (NW, F2-3)
Mediterranean Gull - 500os
Great Black-backed Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Common Tern - 5W
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Sand Martin - 7W
House Martin - 10
Sand Martin (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two Redshanks on the pool this morning, with another half a dozen, a Lapwing, four Black-tailed Godwits and two adult and three juvenile Avocets in the channel opposite. (AH)
Avocet (above), Redshank & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)
This evening the two Spotted Redshanks were well down Ferry Channel, and there were also a Whimbrel, four Black-tailed Godwits, seven Redshanks, four Lapwings and the two adult and three juvenile Avocets also along the channel, a Kingfisher pitched in briefly and a Shoveler, a Cattle Egret, c25 Swallows and a dozen Sand Martins went over. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Kingfisher, Cattle Egret & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: Three Yellow Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper were on Sidlesham Quay at high tide this afternoon. (LL)
North Wall: A Pied Flycatcher was briefly in the trees along the path beside Halsey's Farmhouse early this morning (BI), but there was no further sign, with a Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat and half a dozen Whitethroats about it for the hedges, with a Reed Warblers and three Sedge Warblers were by the sluice..
Also, a Common Sandpiper was in the rife at Halsey's Farm, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was out on the mud, a few Curlews, Lapwings and Redshanks were about, at least 30 Cattle Egrets were spread around the fields and harbour and about 100 Swallows, sand Martins and House Martins went over. (AH/LP/MJa/TRH)
Common Sandpiper (above), Sedge Warbler (LP), Cattle Egrets LP top, AH lower), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat (AH) & Wasp Spider (LP) at the North Wall
Sidlesham: A Hobby was hunting the many hirundines over Cow Lane early this afternoon. (PA)
Hobby over Sidlesham (PA)
