27th-30th June 2013

30th June

Peninsula

Ferry Pool: Sam Hill reported 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper & 28 Avocets early this morning.

Sidlesham: A Yellowhammer and several freshly fledged Swallows on wires in Ham Lane, and a Lesser Whitethroat calling in our garden nearby.

Freshly fledged Swallows in Ham Lane 30/6/13 (AH)

Medmerry: Biggest surprise was a flighty male Wheatear seen several times around the spoil heaps just west of the caravans. Otherwise very quiet this evening - 3 Avocets, 4 Ringed Plovers and 4 Skylarks being the total, along with a few Gannets, Common & Sandwich Terns offshore.
 

Ringed Plovers sheltering from the wind at Medmerry 30/6/13 (AH)

29th June

We are reaching the birding close season and new birds are in very short supply.

Peninsula

Ferry Pool: Much the same fare as yesterday - still the 2 Green Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plover present, and amongst the 23 Avocets present, what looked very much like the pair of youngsters from Medmerry, still being assiduously guarded by their parents.

Juvenile Avocets & Redshanks on the Ferry 29/6/13 (AH)

Green Sandpiper on the Ferry 29/6/13 (AH)



Pagham Lagoon: The female Scaup still present with a dozen or so Tufted Ducks and a drake Pochard. Also a Common Sandpiper there and 100 Swifts feeding overhead.

North Wall: Very quiet with the water level so high. A single Sand Martin amongst about 20 Swallows and a few singing Reed & Sedge Warblers being the highlights.

Sedge Warbler singing behind the North Wall 29/6/13 (AH)

Selsey Bill: The only seawatching report was from Sam Hill, who recorded the following between 14.30 -15.30 - Gannet 10E 9W, Fulmar 4W, Kittiwake 3W & auk sp 2W. 


28th June

Peninsula


Ferry Pool: 2 Green Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, 20 Avocets and 25 Black-Tailed Godwits present. There were at least 20 well-grown juvenile Shelduck present, which is encouraging because the normal 'creche' of anywhere between 20 and 50 youngsters has been absent this summer.

Young Shelducks on the Ferry 28/6/13 (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: The female Scaup was reported on Birdguides again today.

Church Norton: This evening there were 1 Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel & 1 Bar-Tailed Godwit in the harbour, along with 4 feeding Little Terns, up to 6 Common Terns around Tern Island and 18 Sandwich Terns and 10 Mediterranean Gulls loafing near the concrete spit. (It would appear that these Sandwich Terns at least have given up any attempt at breeding this year.)

Greenshank at Church Norton 28/6/13 (AH)

Loafing Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton 28/6/13 (AH)

27th June

Peninsula

Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover and a drake Pochard were the only birds different to my last look. Otherwise, the Green Sandpiper, 20 Avocets & 25 Black-Tailed Godwits and 30 Lapwing were all still present.
 

Drake Pochard on the Ferry 27/6/13 (AH)

 

Little Ringed Plover on the Ferry 27/6/13 (AH)

 

 

Long Pool: 2 families of fledged Whiethroats, 1 Meadow Pipit, several singing Reed & Sedge Warblers and a couple of Reed Buntings.

Reed Bunting along Long Pool 27/6/13 (AH)







Fishbourne Creek: GH had 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull & 30 Curlews there today.


Selsey Bill: SR did a couple of hours this afternoon, recording the following - Fulmar 2E, Gannet 6E 19, Sandwich Tern 4E 5W, Common tern 2E 4W, Guillemot 2W auk 1W

Then between 17.30 & 18.30 SH & AH recorded Manx Shearwater 1E, Fulmar 5W, Gannet 9E 12W, Sandwich Tern 2W.