4th - 6th August 2013

Tuesday, 6th August: Sunny and pleasantly warm this morning with a light breeze SSW3. An early(ish) start saw me at Sidlesham Ferry Pool by 0745, where the selection of waders on offer was much better than the last few days. Next stop for me was the Bill, which was quiet except for Gannets, and then a call from C&ME advised of a Curlew Sandpiper in White's Creek (from North wall sluice). I took a chance and left it, although others managed to see it before the high tide (OM).

 

Pagham Hbr: North wall/White's Creek: A single Curlew Sandpiper and a Kingfisher (C&ME)

Also 16 Black-tailed Godwits on Breech pool, 2 Whimbrel and 20 Dunlin on East side (AH).

Sidlesham Ferry Pool: 2 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpipers, 4 juv LRP's,

1 Black-tailed Godwit, 26 Lapwing, 12 Teal, pair of Shelduck with 5 young. At Church Norton the tide was high when I visited and roosting waders were partly obscured, so all I logged were 10 Grey Plover, 3 Dunlin, 5 Whimbrel, 6 Med Gulls, 5 Sandwich Terns, 15 Swallows and several Willow Warblers (OM).

Juv LRP on Ferry Pool, and Grey Plovers in Pagham Hbr (photos: Andy House)

Selsey Bill (0815-0945hrs): Sunny, wind SSW3  (Obs: OM)
Gannet - 225E, 24W
Whimbrel - 2W
Common Tern - 15W, 20os fishing
Sandwich Tern - 7W
Willow Warbler - 2 gardens (1 singing)

Evening walk Selsey to Church Norton: (SH&SaH):
2 Peregrines, 1 Buzzard, a flock of 30+ Canada Geese (unusual sight on the walk),
150 Sand Martins including a flock of 100 flying out to sea at Norton beach, 50 Swifts,
and our first few Willow Warblers moving through.

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Monday, 5th August: A quieter day all round, with fewer birds or observers around. First news of the day was from SR, followed by JW:

"A gloomy morning but at least its not raining ...... yet.  Very little on Ferry Pool; the very attentive Shelducks and their brood of five, 2 Pied Wags, 9 Lapwing, 9 Black-headed Gulls, 22 Teal and 2 Moorhens.  At Church Norton a rather splendid Golden Plover was the main attraction followed by the two Peregrines, 6 Curlew, 3 Turnstones, 1 Sandwich Tern, 15 Ringed Plover, 10 Dunlin, 5 Swallows, 6 Redshank, and a Great Crested Grebe.  Behind the hide a female Blackcap, a Linnet, 3 Whitethroats and a Green Woodpecker." (SR).

"Dead! Not a wader on Breech Pool.. Sedge Warbler feeding young, 24 Little Egrets in harbour! (JW).

Also, a belated report from GH.. "Two Common Sandpipers and an influx of 33 Med Gulls of varying ages (but no juveniles) were the highlights this week at Fishbourne Creek."

 

Selsey Bill (1715-1900hrs):  Cloud, SW6  (Obs: SH/AH)
Gannet - 100+ os, some feeding close in

Fulmar - 2W

Turnstone - 20 ob

Common Scoter - 9E

Little Gull - 1W

Common Tern - 48W

Sandwich Tern -39W, 32 feeding os

Swift - 5p  (also 100+ over Sidlesham)

 

Gannets off Selsey Bill (photo: Andy House)

 

 

 

Sunday, 4th August: A fine sunny Sunday resulting in a good deal more observer activity today and more birds too. Best report so far (early afternoon) is from Colin & Mich Eames, Chris & Juliet Moore et al who were on the west side of Pagham harbour (Long pool) when a PURPLE HERON flew over from the harbour and headed to the west of Sidlesham sewage works (not relocated by 3pm). Apparently all four observers and probably a few more got to see it. A very nice find and well done. A record shot from Colin herewith:

Other news:-

Selsey Bill (0600-0930hrs):  Dry, sunny, wind S/SW3  (Obs: SH/AH et al)
Gannet - 29E, 128W
Fulmar - 1W
Manx Shearwater - 2W
Common Scoter - 34E, 26W
Teal - 1E
Sanderling - 10W
Dunlin - 2E, 1W
Turnstone - 15W
Ringed Plover - 1E
Whimbrel - 4W
Kestrel - 1 p
Great Skua - 1E
Kittiwake - 11W
Common Tern - 2E, 78W
Little Tern - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 6WSwift - 2W
Sand Martin - 25W
House Martin - 9W
Swallow - 2W

Other Selsey news: SH reports a Hobby over his garden this morning. IP reports" Of minor interest, I have just had a flock of c.200 Swifts fly high over my house (Park Lane, just north of Selsey) screaming. They were all heading south-east and clearly on migration. Sam and Sandra Hill also had a Lesser Whitethroat near Park Farm mid-morning. The only birds of note on my walk this morning were a close Fulmar offshore and what appears to be a resident (been here now for about a week) flock of Martins (mainly Sand Martin) over the fields north of my house. Other than that it is distinctly quiet." 

 

Kestrel, Selsey Bill (photo: Andy House)

 

 Marsh Harrier and corvids, Medmerry (photo: AH)
Peninsula: Selsey West Fields/Medmerry: Best bird was a female Marsh Harrier, first east with an entourage of corvids at 0930hrs, then back west on its own about 15 minutes later. Also 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 30 Dunlin, an adult and a young Redshank, a family of Shelducks, 10+ Skylarks, 100+ Linnets, 150 Sand Martins over southwards in small flocks and 20+ Gannets far offshore. (AH)

The usual suspects on Honer Reservoir early afternoon, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Grebe and the female Tufted and her brood of 7. The main interest though was in the Butterflies, my first Clouded Yellow of the year in the lane, and a further 11 species on the weedy field just to the east of the reservoir, the same field that attracts all the finches in winter, as follows, 20+ Peacock ,6 Painted Lady, 3 Small Tortoiseshell ,5  Common Blue, 3 Gatekeeper , 3 Meadow Brown, lots of Green-veined, Small and a few Large White, 3 Small Skipper and 1 Red Admiral (CRJ).

A return visit to the creek at Westfields/Medmerry this evening produced a Wood Sandpiper, 5 juvenile Little Ringed Plover and 3 Common Sandpiper (presumably yesterday's birds on the Ferry), 25 Dunlin and at least 4 very young Redshanks. Also 80+ Sand Martin over (AH).

 

  Wood Sandpiper, West Fields/Medmerry (photo: AH)