14th - 16th August 2013

Friday, 16th August: Cloudy with a fresh SW wind; rain due later. No news yet... updates awaited. (Apologies for late update - assisting with medical emergency at neighbours.) Inclement weather and unforeseen circumstances conspired to prevent me doing any birding today. Reports were all but absent throughout, except for Andy House who reported the following;-

Pagham Hbr: Sidlesham Ferry Pool: 1 Green Sandpiper, 4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank & 20 Teal. Church Norton: 2 Whimbrel and a Greenshank in the harbour but few passerines (AH).A later report that the Curlew Sandpiper was also still present there (per SOS).

 

Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry Pool (photo: AH)

Later, a Greenshank with the Godwits and a Little Ringed Plover on the Breech Pool, plus a smart Grey Plover from the sluice on North Wall, (per SOS).


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Thursday, 15th August: I think we're all getting a bit restless now waiting for some decent migrants to pass through the Peninsula, as the local birding has been very stagnant for the last couple of weeks. There are signs though that things are just beginning to change, and various observers today have logged Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Hobby, Curlew Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Redstart, so it's not too bad I guess. Time will tell.... 

Selsey Bill: (0910-1130hrs):  Dry, cloud then sunshine. Wind brisk W 4-5.  (Obs: OM/PC)
Gannet - 5E, 12W
Common Scoter - 13E
Med Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 10W
Common Tern - 5E, 41W
Little Tern - 2W

(Selsey) Medmerry: I was only able to check out the creek from the beach this morning as there was much earth-moving going on and heavy lorries up and down continuously. it's likely I missed a fair bit on the ponds being excavated, but even so there were some waders on offer (OM):

Wood Sandpiper - 1
Common Sandpiper - 3
Redshank - 1
Ringed Plover - 3
Little Ringed Plover - 4
Dunlin - 65 (in a variety of sizes and plumages).
Wheatear - 4
Sand Martin - 10

Pagham Hbr: On Sidlesham Ferry Pool this morning - 1 Green and 5 Common Sandpipers and 25 Teal (AH). At the North Wall/Breech Pool JW/CRJ report 29 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank and 2 Wheatears. JW then checked out the North Fields which produced a male Redstart, 7 Whitethroats, 12 Willow Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Wheatears and also a Clouded Yellow.

I started this morning at Church Norton where Andy House also had the same idea. We didn't see a great deal but it was good for the soul to have a moan about the slowness of the local birding scene at present. Our tally was: just 2 Whimbrel, a few Curlews, perhaps up to 50 of Ringed Plover and Dunlin,  2 Swifts, 1 House Martin, 15 Sand Martins and 10+ Swallows. We perhaps left too early, for soon after a phone call from C&ME  advised of a Marsh Harrier over the harbour, followed by a juv Curlew Sandpiper at Norton. Two lazy Peregrines were also present around Tern Island (C&ME/RAI).

 

At Chi GP's - Drayton Pits a fishing Osprey was located, followed by a Hobby (per RAI/SOS website). 
This evening, Sam and Sandra Hill did their regular walk from Selsey to Church Norton but not a great deal to report; 100+ Sand Martins, 50+ Swallows, several House Martins, 2 Swifts and a Shoveler on The Severals. 
 

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Wednesday, 14th August: No other way to describe it than a very slow and dull day for birding on the Peninsula (and I suspect elsewhere), well so far at least...

Fishbourne Creek: Very pleasant, but very quiet this morning - highlights being 1 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, 20 Curlew, 100+ Redshank, 1 Kingfisher, 10 Common Gulls, 80 Mediterranean Gulls and 6 Sand Martins, but virtually zero passerine activity (AH).

Greenshank at Fishbourne Creek (photo: Andy House)

 

A late walk around Medmerry in the drizzle was fairly productive - a confiding Golden Plover was a surprise, otherwise most of the usual suspects were present - a Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 20+ Ringed Plovers, 30+ Dunlin, 20 Teal and up to 5 Wheatears.

 

 

      Golden Plover, Medmerry (photo: A. House)