Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 13th -15th July 2015

Wednesday, 15th July: A grey and dank start, after overnight rain slowly gave way to bright and warm day.....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still in the harbour this morning. (C&ME) This evening there were 50+ Sandwich Terns in the harbour along with the usual Curlews, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a flock of c60 Dunlin. (AH) At least five Sandwich Terns were seen heading west over Park Farm, Selsey, all carrying fish and cutting out the Bill on their way back to (presumably) Langstone Harbour. also a female Roe Deer was behind the second Several with a remarkable three young fawns. (S&SaH)

Sandwich Tern with fish at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were six Common Sandpipers on the mud this morning, along with two Little Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, two Avocets and ten Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Common Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach area - Fairly quiet bird-wise, but there was an amazing spectacle in one of the small tidal pools near the breach, where over a hundred Starry Smoothhounds had gathered. The water was thick with dorsal fins and tails as the fish, many a metre or more in length, circled round and round. Eventually, as the tide came in, they drifted off though a number were stranded along the waters edge, presumably exhausted from their exertions, but soon swan away with a bit of encouragement.

As far as birds were concerned, a Grey Wagtail and three Sandwich Terns went over, 20+ Linnets were around the viewpoint and a few Grey Plover and Curlew, plus a Great Crested Grebe were in the pools. (AH/PH/GH)

Starry Smoothhounds (above) & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)

Chainbridge Field to Ham Farm: There were still singing Reed Warblers and Whitethroats along the rifes, though looking a bit ragged, and along the banks there were plenty of Skylarks and a few Reed Buntings, Linnets and Stock Doves.

Around the Ham Farm area there were four or five families of Corn Buntings being very conspicuous, along with lots of Skylarks, and a dozen or more Sand Martins went over with the odd Swallow and Swift. A big flock of c40 Grey Plover and similar of Dunlin were flushed from out on the reserve a couple of times. (AH/PH/GH)
Also at Medmerry this afternoon a Marbled White butterfly was along the banks - quite a rare sight at the south of the peninsula. (PLS)

Corn Buntings (above), Skylark, Reed Warbler, Kestrel and Buckshorn Plantain at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 14th July: Generally cloudy and fairly cool, with a fresh W/SW wind, early rain and the chance of showers through the day....

Selsey Bill (0930-1130hrs): Cloudy, mainly dry, wind WSW4 (Obs: C&ME)
Gannet - 26E, 39W
Common Scoter - 22E
Kestrel - 1p
House Martin - 8 present again on muddy puddles
Swift - 2 p over sea

Ferry Pool: Nine species of wader on the pool this morning, including the Spotted Redshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, two juvenile Lapwings, seven Black-tailed Godwits, six Avocets, nine Redshank and four Dunlin, along with half a dozen Teal and five juvenile Shelduck. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Common Sandpiper & juvenile Shelduck on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: An adult Cuckoo was moving along the spit this morning, three Stock Doves were near the hide and there were a few Skylarks and Linnets about, too. Only around a dozen Little Terns could be seen in/over the colony - hopefully because some have now fledged and moved off, though there were plenty of Sandwich Terns bringing in fish for their youngsters in the harbour. A couple of Whimbrel went over into the harbour and there were quite a few Ringed Plover and Curlew about, plus the odd Dunlin and Turnstone. (AH)

Cuckoo (above), Sandwich Tern & Ringed Plover along Pagham Spit (AH)

North Wall: A Yellow-legged Gull and 20+ Lapwings were in the harbour and three juvenile Pied Wagtails were on the wall, whilst the Breach Pool remains devoid of birds, bar a few Reed and Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings, though a Black-tailed Godwit did fly over into the harbour. (AH)

At White's Creek were 31 Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and 3 juvenile Pied Wagtails, whilst Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warblers were very vocal and visible all along the Wall and alongside Pagham Rife. Something of a rarity was on Breech Pool - a wader!... a solitary Black-tailed Godwit preening amongst a flock of Mallards. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing in Owl Copse and Yellowhammers and Whitethroats along Honer Lane.
Much the same at Honer reservoir - 24 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Pied Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper. Gatekeeper and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were abundant amongst the brambles and Buff-tailed Bumblebees were busy on the thistle heads. (JDW)

Lapwing from North Wall (AH)

Gatekeeper (above) and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies on the North Wall (JDW)

Yellowhammer and Red-tailed Bumble bee North Wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The following were seen this evening -

Little Grebe - 2 very young chicks
Buzzard - 3

Avocet - 12 & 7 chicks

Little Ringed Plover - 2

Green Sandpiper - 3
Black-tailed Godwit - 10+
Yellow-legged Gull - 1

Sand Martin - 150+

Swallow - 50+

Reed Warbler - 2

Whitethroat - 10+
Yellowhammer - 10+
Reed Bunting - 2
Corn Bunting - 3

and a Hare (S&SaH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - A quick look this evening produced up to 20 Common Terns, plus a few Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins, 10+ Great Crested Grebes and a singing Chiffchaff. (AH)

Monday, 13th July: Another fairly dismal, if not exactly unusual, day for the time of year, with heavy cloud, squally drizzle and a stiff west-south-westerly.......... more reminiscent of late autumn than summer!

Selsey Bill (0810-1110hrs): Cloudy, murky offshore, WSW4 increasing 5-6. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a steady movement of Gannets west. Most of the Sandwich and Common Terns, although fishing, also seemed to be heading west, whilst there was no sign of any House Martin activity today, despite nests in the area ...rather worrying? Log below... (OM/AH)
Gannet - 7E, 57W
Common Scoter - 2W
Whimbrel - 1W
Curlew - 2W
Little Tern - 4 os
Common Tern - 10W (some fishing)
Sandwich Tern - 15W (some carrying fish)
Mediterranean Gull - 1, juv, settled on beach before moving W

1720 - 1830hrs: (SH)
Gannet - 2E, 7E
Whimbrel - 3W (all showing white rumps!!)
Little Tern - 2 os
Common Tern - 10 os
Sandwich Tern - 23 os

Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

At the Bill this morning: juvenile Med Gull, more Gannets and a yacht rounding the Bill-tip, perhaps a little too closely, discovering the hidden power of the prevailing cross-currents (OM)

Park Farm, Selsey: Three Grey Partridges this evening (SH)

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was still present, plus three Common Sandpipers, four Little Ringed Plovers, 11 Dunlin, four Avocets, eight Redshank, a few Teal and at least three juvenile Shelducks. (AH/OM)

Spotted Redshank & Redshank on the Ferry (AH)

On the Ferry Pool: another view of the Spotted Redshank, a feeding Teal and 11 distant Dunlin (OM)

Church Norton: At least four Whimbrels were in the harbour, but not the Hudsonian, along with 20+ Curlews and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits. There were a few other waders about on the rising tide, including a Common Sandpiper, three Grey Plovers, two Ringed Plovers, four Turnstones, four Dunlin and around 40 Redshank, plus at least 50 Sandwich Terns of all ages and a dozen Common Terns. (AH)

The Hudsonian Whimbrel was again reported early afternoon (though distant) north of the hide (per RBA).