Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 10th

Wednesday, 12th August: A cloudy start with a fairly light NE breeze - and the prospect of some sunny periods later with just the chance of an odd shower.

Selsey Bill: (0700-1100) (CRJ/C&ME/AH)
Gannet - 281E
Common Scoter - 18W

Dunlin - 5E

Turnstone - 12ob

Arctic Skua - 1W (l/p at 0958)

Sandwich Tern - 13E, 5 os

Commic Tern - 10E, 9W

Sand Martin - 14E, 9N

Swallow - 3N

Gannet (above) & Turnstone at the Bill (AH)

Church Norton: There was a big flock of Gannets - at least 50 - feeding close inshore in Bognor Bay before they all dispersed again. There were a lot of Terns, too - approximately 150 Common, 40 Sandwich and four Little, spread right across the horizon as the tide rose.

On the mud there were 20 or so Grey Plovers, two or three Whimbrel, a couple of flyover Greenshank and 50 or more Curlews, though there was very little passerine activity bar half a dozen Sand Martins over and a couple of Sedge Warblers and Blackcaps around the hide. (AH)

A bit later on as the weather improved there were two Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and a Garden Warbler which gave good close views around the edge of the mound, whilst in the harbour there were 42 Turnstone, 7 Grey Plover,2 Whimbrel, 3 Common Tern, 4 Little Tern, and a Peregrine. (CRJ)

Gannets (above), Little Terns, Common Tern & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Birdham: There was a Silver-washed Fritillary in my garden today! Though fairly common on the Downs it is a very rare butterfly on the peninsula. (PLS)

Park Farm, Selsey: A big flock of hirundines were back, with 50+ each of Swallow and Sand Martin, plus a couple of Swift among them, and a Sparrowhawk made a couple of unsuccessful dives at them. There was also a Grey Partridge in with 7 Red-legged Partridges and two Buzzards were hunting low over a newly cultivated field. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper were also present at various times, and there were two of the latter in Ferry Channel early evening. There were also14 Dunlin, a single Avocet, two Black-tailed Godwits, c30 roosting Lapwing, five young Shelducks and four Teal were present during the day.
Around the Tramway there were half a dozen Whitethroats and Blackcaps, plus a noisy newly-fledged Blackbird, whilst this evening two Buzzards were sat on fence posts by the road just north of the Enborne Industrial Estate. (AH/CRJ/PH)

Dunlin (above), Common Sandpiper & Buzzards around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: By 10am eight species of wader had been recorded on the Breech Pool - 112 Black-tailed Godwits, 43 Lapwing, 4 Spotted Redshank, 3 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Snipe, 1 Ruff and 1 Common Sandpiper, though sadly no sign ot the Wood Sandpiper. In the same vicinity there were also 2 Grey Herons, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Little Grebe and a Whinchat was on the fence at the back. (JDW)

Spotted Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits (above), Dunlin & Grey Heron from North Wall (JDW)

On the Breech Pool this evening we recorded the following - including the re-appearance of the Wood Sandpiper. (PB/AGB)
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Spotted Redshank
C20 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Kingfisher(flew across the Breach Pool)
1 Sedge warbler
1 Reed Warbler
12 Linnet
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Whimbrel

Out on the mud there were various waders including c4 Grey Plover.

Tuesday, 11th August: A thoroughly damp and miserable start gave way to a still and pleasant, if rather gloomy, morning....

North Wall: The Breech Pool was fantastic this morning - with the water level just right and full of waders. Star bird was a Wood Sandpiper - much more obliging that the one of a couple of weeks ago - and it was supported by the juvenile Ruff, two Green Sandpipers, three Spotted Redshanks, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, a Common Snipe, two Dunlin, c120 Black-tailed Godwits and c30 Lapwing. There were also a dozen or so Teal and plenty of Sedge and Reed Warblers in the reed-beds and Swallows overhead. (AH/BI/C&ME/OM et al). The Wood Sandpiper together with the 3 Spotted Redshanks, the Little Ringed Plover and 2 Snipe, plus a Water Rail, were still present early afternoon (CRJ).

Above - four views of the Wood Sandpiper on the Breech Pool this morning (DM)

Wood Sandpiper (above), Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Little Ringed Plover & Snipe on the Breech Pool (AH)

East Side of harbour: There were at least six Greenshank in the harbour, along with a Common Sandpiper, 40+ Grey Plover (many in summer-plumage), similar of Dunlin, a couple of Whimbrel and 100+ Curlew and Redshank. A dozen Common Terns were sat on the mud before the tide rose, and there were up to half a dozen Yellow-legged Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the roost. (AH)
ARK added a couple of Knot to the above list of species in the afternoon, making a total of 18 species of wader seen in the area today. (AH)

Greenshanks (above), Grey Plover & Common Terns in Pagham Harbour (AH)

Ferry Pool: By contrast, the Ferry was as dead as it could be - with just a single Avocet and half a dozen Black-headed Gulls present. (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: An astonishing count of 803 Mediterranean Gulls was logged this morning on the rising tide, though those counting were convinced there were even more, before an inconsiderate dog owner let his dog disturb the flock near the end of the count! Otherwise there was not a lot else to report - highlights being a single Yellow-legged Gull, a Greenshank and a couple of Whimbrel. (BFF/DM et al)

Selsey Bill (1100 - 1300hrs): Cloudy, wind light NE (Obs: C&ME)
Gannet - 23E, 5W
Little Egret - 3W
Turnstone - 33 ob
Common Tern - 14W
Sandwich Tern - 40 os
Sand Martin - 90E

Church Norton: This afternoon there were two Wheatears, 20 Common and 16 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, plus 4 Whimbrel and 3 Greenshanks. (BFF/DM)

It was very quiet again this evening, with just a single Sandwich Tern and two Common Tern along the beach, but we did find two Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers at Park Farm. (S&SaH)

Monday, 10th August: A grey, windy start to the week, with the prospect of heavy rain this afternoon.....though still feeling rather muggy.

Ferry Pool: The only wader on the pool this morning was a single Avocet! It was joined briefly by two adult Shelducks (unusual at this time of year), but the only other birds present were 30 Black-headed Gulls.

There were a number of Blackcaps and a couple of Whitethroats around the Tramway, plus a Whimbrel and a Curlew in the harbour, but generally it was very quiet. (AH)

Avocet (above), Shelducks & Blackcap around Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: In the harbour there were 30 or so Sandwich Terns with half a dozen Common Terns among them, a couple of Whimbrel and Grey Plovers and 100+ Redshank. Three Greenshank flew up through the harbour towards the Ferry and a couple of Ringed Plovers went the other way.

Half a dozen or so Blackcaps were in the hedge behind the hide, along with a couple of Whitethroats, but again, it was generally very quiet. (AH)
Very quiet this evening...just 20+ s/plum Grey Plover, a few Swallows, just one House Martin, 60+ Sandwich Terns and 10+ Common Terns. We also saw the roe deer with 3 fawns again (S&SaH)