Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 20th

Wednesday, 22nd July: Cloudy and dry with some brighter periods and a fairly fresh SW wind....

East Head: Snowhill Creek to Ella Nore - The Osprey that has been on Thorney Island for the last few days flew round the south of the island, viewable from Snowhill Creek at about 7.30am, and drifted off westwards with a half-hearted gaggle of gulls trailing it.

Very little on the creek, bar a few young Lapwings and a few Linnets, plus 20 or so Swifts over, but there were a few birds in the harbour, including 100+ Common Terns and a few Sandwich Terns, mostly feeding out in the channels, a couple of Black-tailed Godwits, and at least 100 Redshanks and Oystercatchers. There were two Whimbrel and a few Curlews, plus a Common Gull and a few Lapwings off Ella Nore, and good numbers of Swallows were feeding low over the paddocks along the lane. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Sandwich Tern, Common Gull, Swallows & Linnet around Ella Nore (AH)

North Wall: At last some waders on the east side of the harbour, with three Greenshanks, a Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper in White's Creek this morning. (PC)

Ferry Pool: Still pretty quiet, though there was a Green Sandpiper present this morning, along three Avocets, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c60 Redshank, along with three juvenile Shelducks. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: there were at least 200 Swifts this morning over the buildings and adjacent fields, with at least 100 Sand Martins and probably similar to slightly fewer of House Martins and Swallows. (AH)

Swift over Park Farm (AH)

Medmerry: Lots of youngsters this morning on the stilt pools –

10 just-fledged Avocets plus 4 more three-quarter grown chicks, a pair of Shelduck with 8 well grown young, a pair of Oystercatchers with one chick about half-grown, 3 fledged Black-headed Gulls, 2 broods of Tufted Ducks (4 and 7), the Mute Swan pair with their 7 cygnets...And, after many attempts, I finally got a glimpse of a young Redshank (about three-quarters grown) near the sluice/outfall – there may be others there but I could only see one plus an agitated adult. There were also several Little Ringed Plovers (adults and juveniles), 5 or 6 Common Sandpipers and a couple of Dunlin (PH).

Tuesday, 21st July: Cloudy at first, soon clearing to give a fine and sunny day, with a moderate SW breeze.... more like summer again.

Those who visit the Warner Lane/Crablands and Northcommon Farm areas may like to be aware of some development proposals from Bunn Leisure which are likely to have a very detrimental affect to the wildlife there. Under Planning Application 15/01819/FUL to Chichester DC, there are plans for 200 more caravans (yes, additional to Medmerry Toe-end!), offices and car parking......and objections must be in by 23rd July, just two days time. If you care about such things, get writing or e-mailing....

Selsey Bill: (0745-1030) (C&ME)
Gannet - 48E, 14W
Common Scoter - 7W
Whimbrel - 1W
Sandwich Tern - c20os
Common Tern - c10os
Swallow - 8W

Park Farm, Selsey: This evening there were 300+ Sand Martins busy feeding at high and low level, with some seen drifting out to sea. There were also a handful of Swallows, House Martins and Swifts among them, with a Sparrowhawk drifting hopefully around the area. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was showing well again at 11.10am this morning; later also 100+ Dunlin, 30 Black-tailed Godwits and 'milky' the leucistic Curlew (C&ME)
This evening there were at least 300 Dunlin in the harbour, plus up to five Whimbrel, 50+ Curlew and 40+ Black-tailed Godwits, along with a few Turnstones. There were also at least 60 Sandwich Terns, including many young, along with 20+ Common Terns and three Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Juvenile Sandwich Tern (above) & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Very quiet early on - just two Avocets, six Black-tailed Godwits, a Lapwing and three juvenile Shelduck. (AH) Later on there were c.90 Black-tailed Godwits present (C&ME).

North Wall: There were three Common Sandpipers in White's Creek this morning, along with a couple of Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Redshank and c20 Curlews. Nothing at all on the Breach Pool, bar the usual Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus a few Reed Buntings and Goldfinches, and there were plenty of Swallows about. (AH)

Common Sandpipers (above), Reed Warbler, Goldfinch & Curlew from the North Wall (AH)

Pagham Spit: There were still a dozen or so Little Terns around the spit, still bringing in food and seeing off the big gulls, and a similar number of Sandwich Terns coming in through the harbour mouth, mostly carrying fish. There were four Turnstones and several pairs of Ringed Plovers around, and there were a few Linnets and Skylarks present, too. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Terns, Ringed Plover & Linnets along Pagham Spit (AH)

Monday, 20th July: A damp and miserable start, if mild, with a westerly breeze and drizzle in the air....

Ferry Pool: Just a single Common Sandpiper, eight Black-tailed Godwits and four juvenile Shelduck this morning, plus 20 or so Swallows feeding over the cattle at the back. (AH)

Juvenile Shelduck on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Still at least 50 Sandwich Terns, including many juveniles, and a few Common Terns in the harbour, plus a few Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits along with 20+ Curlews. Along the path, and out of the wind, there was a large loose group of young birds, including several Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs in among the Blue Tits and Great Tits. Also both a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap briefly sang. (AH)