1st - 3rd August 2016

Wednesday, 3rd August: Brightening up after a very grey start, but still with a strong and blustery westerly wind, due to pick up even more through the day......

Selsey Bill: (0730-0930hrs) (SR)
Gannet - 9E, 23W
Common Scoter - 8E
Whimbrel - 1W
Turnstone - 4E
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Common Tern - 22E, 25W
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 17W
House Martin - 3p

(1100-1300hrs) (B&MC)
Gannet - 16E, 26W
Grey Plover - 34W
Kittiwake - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Common Tern - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 2E
Swift - 2 flew S
Sand Martin - 6 flew S
Swallow - 8 flew S
(1710-1810hrs) (SH)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 4E, 15W
S.tern - 11W, 6os
Common Tern - 8W, 5os
Little Tern - 2os

Park Farm, Selsey: Early this evening there were 50+ House Martins, 50+ Sand Martins, 20+ Swallows and six Swifts feeding overhead, there were 50+ Mediterranean Gulls in the stubble field behind the Severals, a Buzzard and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were nearby, and there were two juvenile Green Woodpeckers on the northern edge of the village.(S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were up to six very mobile Common Sandpipers present again this morning, with either two of these or two more in Ferry Channel, along with a couple of Little Ringed Plovers, eight Black-tailed Godwits, eight Teal, 22 Shelducks, 32 Canada Geese and four Stock Doves. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Common Sandpiper & Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon there was a Hobby over, and on the pool there was a Greenshank, two Little Ringed Plovers, five Common Sandpipers, nine Black-tailed Godwits, 16 Lapwing, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, five Teal and 23 Shelduck. (B&MC)

Church Norton: There appears to have been a big clear-out of terns, with barely a handful of Little Terns evident and c40 Sandwich Terns and c50 Common Terns between the harbour and the beach, with very few offshore. Mediterranean Gulls, on the other hand, have increased again, with about 200 on the field behind the Severals and c60 on the beach, including at least 30 juveniles, with similar on the fields.
There was just the usual fare - a few Whimbrel, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Turnstones in the harbour, with a few of the latter on the beach, and not much beyond a handful of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers in the bushes, though half a dozen Sand Martins went over. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above), Sandwich and Common Tern, Mediterranean Gulls, Mediterranean, Sandwich and Common Tern, Turnstone & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 2nd August: Overcast and cool, with rain and a strong WSW wind; due to become drier as the day progresses but remaining generally cloudy.....

The following is of interest from CRJ......
I managed to get this from my window seat late morning 28th July, nice to see all the central harbour vegetation and the shingle bars offshore......

Aerial view of Pagham Harbour - taken from the window seat of a Flybe Paris to Southampton flight, 28th July 2016 (CRJ)

Selsey Bill: Absolutely nothing moving! From 7.10 to 7.40am there was just a juvenile Mediterranean Gull that dropped in on the beach and a Turnstone east of note, and beyond that just a handful of Cormorants and Herring Gulls. (AH)

1430-1530hrs: (SH)
Gannet - 8E, 14W 
Common Tern - 22W, 2os 
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 10W, 5os
Common Gull - 1W

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Late this afternoon there were 100+ House Martins, 50+ Sand Martins, 50+ Swallows and 12 Swifts around the farm, along with a Buzzard and a Kestrel. Also the first Willow Warbler of the autumn was in our garden on the north of the village. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were a Green Sandpiper, six Common Sandpipers (with another in the channel opposite), four Little Ringed Plovers and four Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with eight Teal and 16 Shelducks. (AH/BFF/CRJ et al)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still plenty of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns both in the harbour and offshore, with a few Gannets offshore as well, and a Grey Plover, half a dozen Whimbrel, 30+ Turnstones and Ringed Plovers, 100+ Dunlin and 50+ Curlew and Redshank out on the mud.

There was unsurprisingly little on show in the bushes, though a family of Whitethroats were feeding on the path to the beach and a couple of Willow Warblers were in the adjacent trees. (AH/BFF et al)
Later the two Black Terns were located in the harbour (juv and adult), also a Common Sandpiper and a juv Mediterranean Gull. (BFF/DIS/CRJ)

Whimbrel (above), Grey Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Whitethroats & Grey Heron at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall:  Stopped off briefly as I was passing but high tide, rain and wind left very little to see.  On Breech Pool were 2 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, just one Lapwing, a Grey Heron and a Little Egret, plus a Reed Warbler, Buzzard and half a dozen Swallows around the stables.  I was told the Ruff had been seen earlier, but it was keeping well out of sight now! (SR)
  

Monday, 1st August: A grey but fairly still start, but with the breeze increasing and the promise of heavy rain later....which duly arrived by mid-afternoon!

Selsey Bill: A look along the gardens early this morning, as it was very quiet offshore, produced the Green Woodpecker, 18 House Martins (the Marine Gardens couple are now feeding young), nine Swifts, a Pied Wagtail, a Linnet and two Chiffchaffs, and 11 Turnstones were on the beach....this flock increasing to 39 by high tide (SR/OM)

0930-1130hrs:  (OM)

Gannet - 2E, 7W

Common Scoter - 16E

Turnstone - 39 ob

Common Tern - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 8W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

 Turnstones on the beach at the Bill (OM)

Church Norton: The Black Tern was still present, in the harbour among the roosting Little, Common and Sandwich Terns, though generally elusive. The only other bird of note was a Hobby along the beach, though there were half a dozen Whimbrel and plenty of Dunlin, Turnstones and Curlews in the harbour, and a few Willow Warblers, Whitethroats and a brief Lesser Whitethroat in the bushes. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Common Terns & with Little Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: No sign of the Little Stints this morning, with two Common Sandpipers, 23 Black-tailed Godwits and 25 Shelduck being the only birds present, though a visiting birder reported the juvenile-type Marsh Harrier over the back early on. 

A look around the Tramway area produced a few Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, plus a Lesser Whitethroat, and also a Reed Warbler in the creek, but not much else. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler & Whitethroat around Tramway (AH)

Long Pool: There were two well-grown juvenile Little Grebes (one at each end) and a pair of adults with two more in the middle this morning, alongside the two adult and two juvenile Great Crested Grebes and eight Teal. There were a few young Reed and Sedge Warblers about, plus the odd Linnet and Reed Bunting, but the channel was quiet, with just six Common Sandpipers, four Whimbrel and 30 Redshank present. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above), Reed Bunting & juvenile Little Grebe along Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: Early this morning, on the low tide, there was a Spotted Redshank and a Whimbrel together with two Common Sandpipers on White's creek, plus a couple more Whimbrel on the harbour mudflats, where there were also two roosting Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and near-adult). On the Breech Pool it was apparent that wader numbers had fallen considerably, and a scour through the flock produced just one Ruff, one Spotted Redshank, four Dunlin, 20 Black-tailed Godwits and 30 Lapwing. Around the stables were an adult and two juvenile Green Woodpeckers and a few Swallows. (OM/TG)

Later there were three Whinchats along the fence line at the rear of the pool (BI/GH) 

Ruff (right) with a Black-tailed Godwit on the Breech pool (OM)