4th - 6th July 2015

Monday, 6th July: A bright and breezy start to the week, though surprisingly cool for the time of year....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was again present this morning in its now-usual area near the Hide (per RBA).

Ferry Pool: There were no waders, bar two Avocets and a single Black-tailed Godwit, on the pool this morning, and the only other birds present were the Shelduck family and 15 Teal.

Around the Vistor Centre area there was a juvenile Green Woodpecker and several juvenile Goldfinches, plus a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats around the pond in the discovery area. (AH/PH)

Teal moulting into eclipse on Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Quiet but breezy along the Wall; 7 Sand Martins flew over the Breech Pool which was empty apart from a handful of  Mallard and Tufted Ducks and a preening Cormorant, whilst Reed and Cetti's Warblers busy along the Wall and Pagham Rife. Honer reservoir was empty apart from 12 Black-headed Gulls which included 3 immatures. A Buzzard at Honer and several Whitethroats feeding along Honer Lane. Hundreds of Meadow Brown butterflies across the fields. (JDW)

 Buzzard, young Black-headed Gull and Cormorant at the North wall area today (JDW)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - Around Porthole Farm there were several families of Whitethroats and the regular Yellowhammers and Skylarks, but not much else bar a Sparrowhawk in Ham Lane.

Skylark (above), Yellowhammer with food & juvenile Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

The most unusual sight was a flock of 12 Common Sandpipers in the creek at the northernmost part of the tidal area between Ham and Chainbridge. They were clearly all together and were working their way along the creek till they finally disappeared towards the big pool. There were also a couple of Dunlin there. Two Bar-tailed Godwits flew into the breach area, where there were also two Black-tailed Godwits, and a flock of c30 Grey Plover and three or four Dunlin flew around a couple of times and resettled in the same area.

There were a couple of singing Corn Bunting and Reed Bunting, plus plenty of Skylarks and Linnets around the banks, along with a few Swallows and a couple of pairs of Stock Dove, whilst around the farm there were still singing Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. (AH)

Common Sandpipers (above), Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Swallow & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)

Sunday, 5th July: A cool, grey start, with thundery showers and a bit of rain in the air for the first few hours, before brightening and freshening up later to give a sunny afternoon with a moderate SW breeze......

Selsey Bill (0800-1000hrs): Showery rain and cloud, wind SSW3 - SW4  (Obs: OM). A quiet morning with just a few Gannets moving but a nice gathering of terns fishing offshore on the rising tide...

Gannet - 20E

Common Scoter - 5E

Common Tern - 35os

Sandwich Tern - 25os

Swift - 2p

Thundery clouds gathering over Bill House this morning (OM)

Medmerry: Easton lane to the Stilt Pool - 

Highlights of the birds seen this morning included - 
2 Green Sandpiper
2 Greenshank
2 Little Ringed Plover
14 Black-tailed Godwit
20+ Avocet
10+ Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
6 Yellowhammer
3 Reed Bunting
2 Reed Warbler
2 Buzzards
300+ Swift feeding over fields (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were a Greenshank, the Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, nine Avocets and 10 Little Egrets on the pool. (IP/AH)

Spotted Redshank in the rain early on (above), with a Green Sandpiper & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still present in the harbour (m.obs). Otherwise it was pretty slow going, with just the usual birds on view, including up to 20 Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit and 15 Curlews in the harbour, a few Common and Sandwich Terns in the harbour, too, with more feeding offshore along with a couple of Mediterranean Gulls. The two Stock Doves were on the spit again, and a pair of Oystercatchers appear to have taken up residence at the very start of the fenced off area. There was very little passerine activity this morning, bar a couple of Chiffchaffs around the Mound area. (AH/IP/ et al)

Oystercatcher (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GP's - Drayton Pits: The summering drake Wigeon was still present, with its Mallard and Gadwall congeners, but it looks as if its eclipse moult is underway. There were 30+ Tufted Duck, plus 3 females with broods of 5, 8 and 11 respectively (the latter all very small), whilst the female Pochard was still with her brood. Two pairs of Mute Swans have cygnets and a loafing flock of 32 Canada Geese was very obvious, and two pairs of Great Crested Grebes and several pairs of Little Grebes all have young. A flock of 3 Black-tailed Godwits spent some while circling the pits before apparently moving on due to lack of muddy margins on which to settle, a Hobby appeared, hunting insects over the lakes, and a pair of Stock Doves were chasing around. Butterflies seemed to be very numerous; the common species were well represented and Meadow Browns must have numbered well into several hundreds, but the best for me were at least 4 Marbled Whites.(OM)

Three Black-tailed Godwits, drake Wigeon with Mallard and Gadwall, and Tufted Ducks and Coots, Drayton GPs (OM)

North Wall: Early pm there were two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, single Common Tern and Sandwich Tern and nine Teal present and just prior to high tide there were 220 Curlew in the saltings along with 28 Redshank and 30 Lapwing, while the Little Egret roost peaked at 28. (ARK per SOS)

Saturday, 4th July: A fairly cloudy start with thundery prospects and a moderate SW breeze, becoming sunny and very warm later....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still present this morning along the west side of the harbour, along with a dozen or more Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits. 

There were 20+ Common Terns and 10+ Sandwich Terns in the harbour, and similar numbers feeding offshore, whilst the Little Tern colony at the east end of the spit still seems to be thriving, with between 30 and 40 adults present, feeding offshore, bringing in fish and chasing off big gulls. Two Mediterranean Gulls went west along the beach and there were at least five pairs of Ringed Plover and two or thee of Oystercatcher along the spit.

There was not much land-bird activity in the strong breeze, though there were several Skylarks and Linnets, plus a couple of Stock Doves along the spit, a Chiffchaff was singing near the car-park and a dozen Swifts were overhead. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Common Tern, Ringed Plover & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were two Greenshank and the Green Sandpipers on the pool, plus the summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank, along with a dozen or more Avocets. (SH/IP)

Selsey Bill: (0630 - 0800hrs): Dry, cloud/sun, warm, wind SW3-4 (Obs: SH/IP/AH)
Gannet - 11E, 6W
Common Scoter - 4E
Tufted Duck - 1W
Common Tern - 31os
Sandwich Tern - 32os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Swift - 4p
House Martin - 8p

Mediterranean Gull (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

(1220-1320) SH)
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Common Tern - 15os
Sandwich Tern - 2os

(1620-1730) (SH)
Shearwater sp. (Manx/Balearic type) - 1E distant
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Common Tern - 37os
Sandwich Tern - 18 os