16th - 18th June 2016

Saturday, 18th June: A much better day, drier with sunshine and cloud and just a light to moderate north-westerly wind.....

Selsey Bill (0630-0830hrs): (Obs: SH/SR) 
Fulmar - 1W  
Gannet - 71E, 21W
Common Scoter - 2E
Common Tern - 16os
Sandwich Tern - 12os
Swift - 4p
Swallow - 1p
House Martin - 12p


Chichester GPs - Drayton Pits: Two Hobbies hunting over the pits were the clear highlight, though the rest was mildly disappointing. There were no visible broods of ducklings of any species (except one well-grown batch of Mallard) - in contrast to last year's success with Pochard and Tufted - though perhaps it is still a bit early. I hope a later visit in a couple of weeks or so may perhaps reap greater rewards. There were two pairs of Mute Swans with young and a similar number of Canada Geese likewise, but no sign of the Greylag broods previously seen. A pair of Buzzards was very obvious, as were at least 2 Cetti's Warblers, but otherwise it was standard fare with 3 singing Chiffchaffs, half a dozen Reed Warblers, a couple of Reed Buntings and the usual Jays and Green Woodpeckers. On the butterfly front, there were at least 4 Marbled Whites. (OM).

  Hobby, Common Buzzard,  Mute Swans with brood and Marbled White at Drayton GPs (OM)

Ferry Pool: There were ten Black-tailed Godwits, two Lapwings and eight Shelduck present this morning, and a Lesser Whitethroat and a Cetti's Warbler were calling from the hedge by the pull-in. (AH)
There was a (so far!) unconfirmed report of a Cattle Egret with the cows on Ferry Field this morning. (per Birdguides)

Black-tailed Godwits on Ferry (AH)

The Cattle Egret was reported to have flown into the harbour at 3pm and was not present later on, though a green Sandpiper dropped in and flew out again and a Little Ringed Plover was again present. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover on Ferry (AH)

Medmerry (west): Eastons Lane - There were 8 adult and 4 young Avocets on the stilt pool, plus a single Little Ringed Plover, plus 2 Oystercatchers, a Redshank, 8 singing Reed Warblers and 5 Buzzards in the area. Also Coot families and a Lapwing with a chick.  (S&SaH).

young Coot and Lapwing chick at Medmerry (SH)

Church Norton: Early this morning the Cuckoo was calling well at the back of the Severals, and there were a Green Woodpecker and a dozen or more Linnets along the beach, with the usual Reed and Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats - including a newly fledged family - and Reed Buntings along the reedbeds.

There were 22 Curlews in the harbour, plus a few Ringed Plovers, and there was still plenty of Little and Common Tern activity around the island, where the number of Black-headed Gulls has increased markedly. (AH)

This evening 200+ Swifts were overhead, with a few Swallows and House Martins mixed in and one Sand Martin. Also several Little Terns but just one each of Common and Sandwich Tern, though the Cuckoo was very vocal (SH)

 Linnet (above), Grey Heron, Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, juvenile Whitethroat & Curlews at Church Norton (AH)

Long Pool: The first two Gadwall ducklings are now nearly full grown on the pool, and in Ferry Channel there were seven Teal, ten Curlews and 20+ Redshank. (AH)

Juvenile Gadwall on Long Pool (AH

Friday, 17th June: Another dire day, more like November than June, with a cold northerly breeze and persistent heavy drizzle and occasional thundery downpours......

This year's spring summary for Selsey Bill has now been compiled by our log-keeper (JA). It shows very mixed results, with well below-average numbers of many species (e.g. Velvet Scoter and Bar-tailed Godwit) and above-average totals for a few others (e.g. Black Tern). It is now available to view - just click the relevant page link on the title bar.

Medmerry: Pretty quiet in the area, but an obliging Cuckoo was sat out on the fence-line at Easton Lane. (BI)

Cuckoo at Medmerry (BI)

Ferry Pool: Just one Black-tailed Godwit and eight Shelduck present this morning. (AH)

Church Norton: There were 14 Curlews in the harbour, suggesting a few returning birds, but the only other waders were a few Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers. There were still Little and Common Terns around the island and feeding well offshore, and half a dozen Sandwich Terns were going back and forth along the beach.

 A Cuckoo was calling intermittently, a Goldcrest and a Blackcap were singing around the car-park, and a family party of a dozen Long-tailed Tits moved through. Along the Severals there were a Green Woodpecker, half a dozen Linnets and one or two Whitethroats, Reed Buntings, Reed and Sedge Warblers. (AH)

Sandwich Tern (above), Linnet, Curlew, Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tit & Oystercatcher at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 16th June: Generally cloudy with a moderate W/SW breeze, but also the likelihood of showers or longer spells of rain by afternoon.....

Selsey Bill: Very quiet early on, with just two Gannets and a Curlew west and a dozen or so Sandwich and Common Terns offshore, though the House Martins were back collecting mud from the puddles. Full log below. (AH/SR/C&ME/PC et al)
(0715-1100hrs)
Gannets - 16E, 5W

Shelduck - 1W
Common Scoter - 53E
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 9W
Arctic Skua - 2E (1d/p, 1l/p at 10.53)
Kittiwake - 3W
Common Tern - 5os
Sandwich Tern - 11os
Razorbill - 2W
Swift - 2p
House Martin - 10p

Common Tern (above), Gannet & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A dozen Black-tailed Godwits and eight Shelduck were the only birds on the pool this morning. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Up to a dozen Little, Common and Sandwich Terns were spread between the harbour and offshore, though few waders were on view on the high tide, even when a young Peregrine went on a fairly haphazard hunt. The Cuckoo was still calling from the back of the Severals, and a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, a Sedge Warbler and several Reed Warblers were singing, and there were few Linnets and Reed Buntings about, too. (AH)

Cuckoo (above), Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Linnet & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - The wildflower banks are looking their best at the moment. At the Easton end of the track was a Cuckoo and families of Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker were being fed at their respective nest holes, whilst a juvenile Reed Bunting was being fed by its parent along the fence by the Stilt Pool. 
 Also on the Stilt Pool were families of Mute Swan (4 cygnets), Mallard ( 3 ducklings), Canada Goose (4 goslings) and Shelduck with just one duckling. Eight Avocets were on the pool with 3 young and several larger juveniles were across the path in the main reserve. A single Little Ringed Plover was on the pool and there were good numbers of singing Skylark. Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Reed and Sedge Warbler and Linnet along the track. (SR)