18th-21st July 2013

Sunday, 21st July:

Yet another hot day of many people and few birds......

Medmerry/Selsey Westfields: Predictably quiet - most of the water in the pools where the Avocets were has dried up now, though there were still 4 Dunlin feeding on the remnants. Also a young Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark and 20 Linnets along the path, 4 Oystercatchers in the creek, 4 Curlew and 6 Turnstone west along the beach and a few Common and Sandwich Terns feeding/loafing offshore.

Also, to let people know, Bunn's have started charging £10 a car to drive through the caravan park until the end of August. (Luckily for me, my son works there, so in the next few weeks he'll be getting a few more lifts to work!)
 

Young Meadow Pipit, Selsey Westfields 21/7/13 (AH)

Common Tern, Selsey Westfields 21/7/13 (AH)

 

Ferry Pool: 2 Common Sandpipers, a Common Gull and a dozen Black-Headed Gulls (inc several juvs) was the sum total.

Common Gull on the Ferry 21/7/13 (AH)

Common Sandpiper on the Ferry 21/7/13 (AH)

Church Norton: Bernie Forbes reports (via SOS) that a Yellow Wagtail and a flock of Crossbills were heard overhead as he completed the much-appreciated work on the new steps behind the churchyard.

North Wall: Jim Weston recorded the following during his WeBS count - 24 Black-Tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 12 Redshank, 26 Curlew, 32 Lapwing, 23 Teal, 27 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 3 Coot, 4 Shelduck, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Grey Heron and 1 Little Egret.

Saturday, 20th July:

The summer lull continues......

Ferry Pool: 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Redshank, 1 Lapwing, 4 Dunlin and a dozen Black-Headed Gulls was it this morning.

North Wall: 17 Black-Tailed Godwit, 1 Common Snipe, 2 Dunlin, 4 Redshank, 6 Lapwing, 8 Teal and up to 50 Swallows, plus the mother and three nearly-grown Shelduck. (AH & JW)
 

The three surviving young Shelducks are nearly fully grown now 20/7/13 (AH)

 

Pagham Spit/Harbour: Quiet still, on the high tide, but approximate totals - 90 Oystercatcher, 30 Curlew, 20 Turnstone, 30 Sandwich Tern, 1 Common Tern, 60 Great-Black Backs and, unusually for the time of year, 4 Wigeon.(AH)

 

Curlew in Pagham Harbour 20/7/13 (AH)

 

 

 



Friday, 19th July:

Another hot day, with birds in short supply....

Ferry Pool: 7am, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 26 Lapwings, 6 Redshank, 3 Teal, 2 Swallows, 31 Black-Headed  Gulls. (SR)

Pagham Village: Turtle Dove purring in Jim Weston's Church Lane garden - lucky man!, and a juv Green Woodpecker, too.


Thursday, 18th July:

 Ferry Pool: A scruffy male Ruff, now 5 Greenshank, 4 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 20 Lapwing and a juvenile Redshank were today's wader selection. Also an adult Yellow-Legged Gull was present before flying off into the harbour. (AH & CRJ)
 

Yellow-Legged Gull on the Ferry 18/7/13 (AH)

Male Ruff on the Ferry 18/7/13 (AH)

 

Breach Pool: 14 Black-Tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe, 2 Dunlin, 12 Lapwing and 20 Teal present. Also the mother Shelduck and her 3 remaining youngsters there, and a Whimbrel and 10 Curlew in the harbour.

 

Black-tailed Godwit on the Breach Pool 18/7/13 (AH)

 

Selsey Bill: 0910-0945...Gannet 6E + 6 feeding o/s, Common Scoter 20e (inc flock 19), Sandwich Tern 1W, Common Tern 3E, Turnstone 2 on beach. (CRJ)

 

Turnstone at Selsey Bill 18/7/13 (AH)

 

Church Norton: 1 ad Oystercatcher with 2 young, 1Dunlin. (CRJ)