10th-12th June 2014

Thursday, 12th June: Another glorious summer morning, with light winds and a bit of cloud.....

Medmerry: (West Sands-Breach) A couple of surprises this morning - firstly a male Wheatear by the rubble heaps - is it going north or south at this stage? Also a partial summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper in the pool by the breach, along with 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Dunlin, 8 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover and 72 Grey Plover.
Off the Coastguard station there were at least 120 Common Scoter on the sea and 6 Sandwich Terns went east. (AH)
Both Black-winged Stilts still at nest site, where the male bird took over the nest from the female bird. Also 12+ Avocets (four on nests) and two Little Ringed Plovers at the site. A Common Tern diving in the channels behind. Along the track to the site two Yellowhammers. (M Kemp per SOS)

Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlin (above), Ringed Plover, Wheatear & part of the Common Scoter flock at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton: No sign of the Roseate Tern this morning, though plenty of Common, Sandwich and Little Terns in the harbour. Also a single Greenshank and Bar-tailed Godwit and half a dozen Curlews on the rising tide, plus two Gadwall flying around and a calling Cuckoo nearby. (BFF/DIS)

Ferry Pool: Still 14 Avocets this morning, plus 16 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Redshank and 3 Lapwing. (AH)

East Wittering: A Red Kite soared over Stocks Lane, East Wittering this morning at 8.05am. It then flew west towards West Wittering. (L. Gray per SOS)
Wednesday, 11th June: Another fine summer's morning after a bit of early cloud....

Church Norton: Highlight of an interesting morning was a Roseate Tern on Tern Island with the Common & Sandwich Terns, from 10am till at least midday, allowing a few people to see it. It then flew out over the spit on the falling tide and was not refound (per CRJ).
A pair of Cuckoos were very active around the Severals, with another calling from further afield. At least 4 Reed Buntings were along the reeds, and a pair of Little Grebes with 5 youngsters were on the second Several. A Perergrine dropped into the harbour carrying prey, and on the mud were 6 Curlews, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Teal. (AH)

 

Three rather distant pictures of the Roseate Tern (above) & Cuckoo and Whitethroat, Little Grebe chicks and Wren, all at Church Norton (AH)

 

Ferry Pool: Twelve Avocets this morning, plus twenty Black-tailed Godwits, eight Gadwall and a dozen Swifts feeding overhead. (AH)

Medmerry: Evening Stilt-watch - The Black-winged Stilts are still doing fine, fighting off all-comers, including several aerial spats with the Avocets. There appears to be at least 3 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers, though only one pair of chicks, and what appears to be 5 Avocets sat on nests, plus 3 lots of chicks. Otherwise quiet - a few Common and Sandwich Terns about, plus a couple of Gannets offshore, and an unexpected visit from the Fire Brigade on manoeuvres! (AH/SH)

Black-winged Stilt (above) & the Fire Brigade at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 10th June: A bright and fine summer's day, with the inevitable sea-breeze picking up during the day....

Medmerry: 
Taken from the SOS, an update and information on the Black-winged Stilts from Pete Hughes, RSPB warden for Medmerry -  

If all things go according to plan we are expecting the Black-winged Stilts' eggs to hatch between this coming Friday (13th) and Tuesday (17th). A very big thank you to all the volunteers that given their time so willingly to keep a watch over the nest-site. If, and it is still a big if, everything goes well, we’d like the birds monitored once the eggs hatch to see what happens to the young. If you wish to be involved in this monitoring please get in touch via the Pagham Harbour visitor centre. For those who still wish to see these great birds (and Avocets, Little Ringed Plovers, Little Terns et al), please follow directions below:

To view the black-winged stilts drive to Earnley, nr Bracklesham. Take the road (signed private) south from Earnley church for approximately 250m. Please park sensibly in the lay-by the car park (not yet open) at approx SZ 816967. From here the stilts are about a 30 minute walk. Head down the track opposite the car park, until you get to flood defence bank, then turn right. Stay on the track past the farm buildings to the pools beyond, the stilts being found at the southern end. Please be aware there will heavy construction traffic moving along this track.

Selsey Bill: 1715-1815 (SH)
Gannet - 10E, 5W
Common Scoter -  3E
Arctic Skua - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 23os
Common Tern - 14os
Auk sp - 1W

Ferry Pool: 14 Avocet, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Teal, 5 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Ducks, 15 Shelduck chicks with 2 adults, 2 Redshank, 5 Lapwings (could only see adults), with Swifts and Swallows over the water. Also a lot of activity behind the visitor centre with at least three families of newly-fledged Whitethroats. (SR/AH)

Young Shelduck on the Ferry (above) (AH) & young Whitethroat by visitor Centre (SR)

North Wall: Still very quiet. 31 Mute Swans loafing around the sluice gates. The same pairs of Tufted Ducks and Teal on the Breech Pool plus 2 fishing Common Terns. The Pagham Rife Mute Swans still have 5 cygnets. A late calling Cuckoo in that location. Red and Blue Damselflies all along the Rife. The hedgerows are now a mass of dog roses. (JW)

Red Damselfly (above) & Dog Rose on the North Wall (JW)

 

Ivy Lake: Five Common Terns on here this morning. (AH)

Long Pool: This evening at least 5 singing Reed Buntings along with half a dozen Linnets and plenty of Reed and Sedge Warbler song, plus a big loose flock of up to 20 newly-fledged Long-tailed Tits. In the channel there were 5 Redshank, 4 Lapwing, 8 Little Egtrets and a drake Teal. (AH)

Male Reed Bunting (above) & juvenile Long-tailed Tit along the Long Pool (AH)