11th - 13th August 2013

Tuesday, 13th August: A frustrating non-birding day at home for me whilst I waited in for a delivery man; still it seems I didn't really miss too much on the Peninsula ...

 

Pagham Hbr: North wall area:- JW reports it was very quiet; White's Creek produced only 9 Swifts SE, 13 Oystercatchers, 16 Black-tailed Godwits and 23 Redshanks, whilst on the Breech Pool were 1 Greenshank, 1 Snipe, 3 Lapwings and 24 Teal. The Turtle Dove was still present in the Honer Farm area and 127 House Sparrows were counted along Church Lane.

On Sidlesham Ferry (0810hrs) 1 Green and 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 LRP's (CRJ).

Additional records for the harbour from the Worthing boys (BFF/DIS/DM) included a large increase in Ringed Plover and Dunlin with 90 for both species and the Spotted Redshank still in White's Creek with a single Brent Goose. On the Breech Pool: single Little Ringed Plover with two Common Sandpipers. Twelve Willow Warblers in the hedgerows with a single Wheatear and six Sedge Warblers. Over the harbour: three Peregrines and two flocks of Common Buzzards totalling nine birds. Church Norton: again few birds noted with around ten Willow Warblers, three Common Whitethroats and three Blackcaps.
 

At (Selsey) Medmerry:  (Obs: CRJ)

Wood Sandpiper - 1

Green Sandpiper - 2

Common Sandpiper -  3

Dunlin - 45

Ringed Plover - 1

Little Ringed Plover - 2

Greenshank - 1

Redshank - 1

 

Sarah Russell also had a quiet day: "Very little about but then I recall on TV Chris Packham saying August was about the only month when birdwatching isn't up to much.  One of the cottages in Chalder Lane had at least two House Martin nests and there was lots of activity there with 15 - 20 birds flying around, 100 or so mixed House Martins and Swallows were hawking just above the fields and 2 Yellowhammers were singing as were many Whitethroats.  

Walking the short footpath between Rookery Lane and the Mill a mixed flock of 14 Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and Willow Warblers were very active, also 9 Whitethroats, and a Treecreeper was finding food on an oak tree, the latter bird common enough elsewhere but the first I've seen on the peninsula.  The tide was rising and all I could find at the Mill was a Curlew, a couple of Little Egrets and an Oystercatcher."

 

 

Willow Warbler at Rookery Lane, Sidlesham (photo: Sarah Russell)

 

 

Sarah also had a sighting of an unidentified owl on the roof of a cottage named Little Owlswyck in Church Lane/Chalder Lane; I must admit it confused me for a second or two - possible 'Little Owl' - see pic!



 

 

Name the species...owl on the roof of a cottage in Chalder Lane (photo: Sarah Russell)

_____________________________________________________

 

Monday, 12th August: Not too much to report today; thanks to those regulars who provided what little information there was...

Quick look at Sidlesham Ferry Pool at 6am:  1 Green Sandpiper,  1 Greenshank, 3 Little Egrets, 4 Redshank, 8 Lapwings, the Shelduck family, 29 Teal, 3 Black-headed Gulls,  19 Canada Geese flying toward Medmerry, a Buzzard in bushes (intent on watching the Sandpiper), and several Whitethroats (SR). AH later added a Common Sandpiper and a single Black-tailed Godwit here ...big deal I hear you cry, but it has been very slow on the Ferry for quite a while now so all sightings gratefully received!

Church Norton: Very quiet in a brief walk round - 1 Whimbrel, 1 Whitethroat and 2 Willow/Chiffs was it. (Also, I meant to mention that I went back to Medmerry yesterday evening - not much different to earlier - though there were at least 6 Wheatears about) (AH).

Desperate for a pic today, so herewith a shot of a (tail-less?) Wheatear at Medmerry yesterday (photo: A. House) 

Late news of an Osprey over Pagham Hbr (per SOS website)

_______________________________________

Sunday, 11th August: Cloudy and cooler this morning with some unexpected showers, gradually becoming warmer and sunny again. Most of the action seemed to be at Medmerry - alias "Selsey West Fields" - but given the massive changes at the site now and the impending breach to the sea wall next month, I think it appropriate that we now drop the West Fields name and hereafter adopt the Medmerry title. In stark contrast however, Sidlesham Ferry Pool seems to be attracting very few waders at the moment despite looking good; just what is the reason I wonder?   Birding news follows ...

(Selsey) Medmerry: Met Andy House and we worked the site together, with the following results:

Wood Sandpiper - 2,

Green Sandpiper - 3,

Common Sandpiper - 5,

Greenshank - 1,

Little Ringed Plover - 5,

Ringed Plover - 1,

Dunlin - 35,

Redshank - 2,

Sparrowhawk - 1,

Wheatear - 2,

Linnet - 25,

Meadow Pipit - 4,

Whitethroat - 7,

Reed Bunting - 5 

Corn Bunting - 4 (one an apparent juv bird) (OM/AH).

Little Ringed Plover and Corn Bunting at Medmerry (photos: Andy House)

Pagham Hbr: North Wall area: The Spotted Redshank was still in White's Creek but no sign of the Curlew Sandpiper; also 1 Greenshank, 36 Redshank, 9 Black-tailed Godwits and the Black Swan there. On Breech Pool 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 LRP's and 22 Teal. The 'regular' Turtle Dove was still in the Honer farm area plus 3 Stock Doves whilst the back fields produced only a few Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats (JW).

Sidlesham Ferry Pool held only 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Teal and the Shelduck family at 0830hrs (OM).

A brief walk from Rookery Lane through the fields of Church Farm, Sidlesham, toward Pagham Harbour this morning produced: 2 Yellowhammers, 3 Sedge Warblers, 10 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Buzzard, 1 calling Cetti's Warbler, 19 Canada Geese, many Skylarks and 1 purring Turtle Dove (SR).


Selsey - Church Norton: The "Walk" (all your readers must be getting used to the reference), produced 51 Species for me this morning; it included 4 Wheatears (1 outside the house near Park Farm and 3 on the spit in the harbour), a Garden Warbler in the oak bushes as the path between the two Severals reaches the beach, and a Green Sandpiper that flew calling over the harbour and landed at the back of the first Several (IP). 

Selsey Bill 0650-0810hrs: Cloud/showers SW3-4  (Obs: SH/IP)
Gannet - 41 os

Fulmar - 3W

Eider - 1E

Turnstone - 4 ob

Whimbrel - 2W

Common Tern - 8 os, 21W
Sandwich Tern - 14 os

1700-1800hrs (SH)
Gannet - 26E, 12W
Common Tern - 12 os

Sandwich Tern - 21 os