10th - 12th June

Wednesday, 12th June: Cloudy and mainly dry this morning but rain later, with a fairly strong SW wind, so it seemed that the Bill would be the best option. I was accompanied today by New Zealand birder Phil Hammond who is over here on family business. Phil has actually been here before but has not seen a good number of our more common migrants so was hoping for a few ticks. As it turned out the prevailing conditions today didn't conspire to produce too many for him - sorry Phil - however it wasn't a total blank and he has now become an honorary Selsey regular! A visit to Church Norton was not inspiring, producing only 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Dunlin, 5 Sanderling, a summering Brent Goose, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Cetti's Warbler. The Ferry Pool was much as yesterday but now with 10 Avocets. Chi GPS (Ivy/West lakes) were disappointing with no sign of the Little Gull(s) on West lake, but 200+ Swifts and c.25 House Martins.

Phil Hammond, New Zealand and Selsey birder.

Selsey Bill (0715-1015hrs): Cloudy and dull, dry morning, rain by noon. Wind SW5-6. (Obs: OM/PH/SR)

Fulmar - 2E, 1W
Gannet - 60E, 35W
Common Scoter - 25E
Sanderling - 8W
Grey Plover - 1W
Turnstone - 15W
Arctic Skua - 2 os (l/p & d/p) drifted off E
Kittiwake - 2W
Common Tern - c. 30 os
Sandwich Tern - c.50 os

Evening watch: (1715-1830hrs):   Rain, wind S/SW4  (Obs: SH)
Manx Shearwater - 5W
Gannet - 2E, 5W
Common Tern - 6 os
Sandwich Tern - 15 os
 PENINSULA:
Pagham Hbr: Ten Avocets and 10 Black-tailed Godwits on Sidlesham Ferry Pool, whilst at Church Norton there were 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Sanderling, a Dunlin, several Ringed Plovers, 12 Turnstone, a single Brent Goose, a Cetti's Warbler and a couple of Chiffchaffs.
Chi GPs: Ivy - West lakes: Two Common Terns,  at least 200 Swifts and c.25 House Martins, but no sign of the Little Gull(s), in difficult  windy conditions with driving rain constantly soaking our optics (OM/PH).
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Tuesday, 11th June: Cloud and rain this morning and into the afternoon, the first for a little while. It seems there wasn't a great deal of birding activity today, which isn't altogether surprising as we approach the mid-June period.  SR reported "Had planned to visit the Bill this morning but rain put me off; once it stopped a little I ventured down there but found a heavy mist and the rain started again so gave up.  Visited Ferry Pool this afternoon." GH then visited the Bill this evening from about 1825hrs once the weather had cleared and the wind was light southerly... he phoned to report that he was rewarded with 3 Arctic Skuas (of which 2 W) and a Manx Shearwater, plus some Gannets and c. 20 Sandwich Terns offshore.

PENINSULA: At Sidlesham Ferry Pool there were 9 Avocets, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshank, 26 Shelduck and 5 Wigeon, plus 2 Pied Wagtails feeding young. (SR)

Evening walk: Selsey East beach to Church Norton produced a male Cuckoo, 7 Little Egrets, 12 Sanderling and an overall total of 52 species (SH).
Selsey Bill.  2000-2030hrs (SH) - a d/p Arctic Skua lingering. (see also above)
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Monday, 10th June: I start with news on the ringed Great Black-backed Gull seen at the Bill two days ago (see previous blog and pic's)......... following a very efficient and prompt response from the Euring/BTO scheme we now know the bird is a 5-year old female, ringed as a chick in France and subsequently sighted three times in the Calvados/Finistere region of that country before appearing at Selsey. Details are as follows: 

Resightings of a Colour ringed Great Black-backed Gull. Larus marinus. 33D

Colour ring / Blue ring, orange code Code 33D

Ringing Center CRBPO, Muséum Paris, FRANCE Steel ring DB100881

Ringer Gilles Le Guillou : Locality Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, Normandie

Nest:  Urban   Coordinates 49 29 N - 00 06 E Age : Chick

Hatching 23/05/2008 Ringing 24/06/2008:  Sex Female

Date Commune / Town Département Pays / Country Coordonnées Observateur / Finder

12/08/2008 Dives-sur-Mer Calvados FRANCE 49 17 N – 00 05 W Tony Le Huu Nghia

03/02/2009 Douarnenez Finistère FRANCE 48 05 N – 04 19 W Benjamin Griard

31/03/2009 Fouesnant Finistère FRANCE 47 53 N – 03 58 W Raymond Pavec

08/06/2013 Selsey Bill West Sussex ENGLAND 50 43 N - 00 47 W Owen Mitchell
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Selsey Bill (0715-0915hrs): Dry, cloud and sunshine. Wind SE2-3. (Obs: GH).

Great Crested Grebe - 3W, 1os

Little Egret - 1 ob

Common Scoter - 20E

Fulmar - 1E, 2W

Gannet - 24E, 9W

Turnstone - 2ob

Oystercatcher - 2W

Sparrowhawk - 1 p

Kittiwake - 8E

Common Tern - c.30 os

Sandwich Tern - c.60 os

Little Tern - 2 os

Jay - 2E over gardens

PENINSULA: Pagham Hbr: Church Norton was very quiet this morning - 3 or 4 singing Blackcaps and a couple of Chiffchaffs the highlight. On the Ferry Pool there were 5 Avocets and 11 Black-tailed Godwits.  

At Porthole Farm (West Fields) this evening there were 2 singing Yellowhammers, at least 5 singing Whitethroats and 4 Stock Doves, and over the sewage farm there were several hundred Swifts, House Martins & Swallows and 4 Mediterranean Gulls went over east (AH).
Evening walk - Mill Lane to Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Cuckoos - 2, Reed Warbler - 4, Cetti's Warbler - 1, Whitethroat - 12+, Blackcap - 2, Garden Warbler - 1, Chiffchaff - 2, Sedge Warbler - 1, Buzzard - 2 (SH).

                                                                  

    Yellowhammer, Porthole Farm (West Fields) (Photo: Andy House)

 

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