20th - 22nd August 2016

Monday, 22st August: Slowly improving from a grey and blustery start to sunshine with cloud, but the brisk westerly continues....

Selsey Bill: The Dartford Warbler was still present - somewhat surprisingly after an absence of several days - completing two weeks around the Bill House garden, but otherwise there wasn't much else about, with just a few Common and Sandwich Terns moving offshore.    Log below.....
0740-1040hrs: (Obs: OM)
Gannet - 1E, 5W
Turnstone - 35ob
Sparrowhawk - 1 gardens
Common Tern - 23W, 1ob
Sandwich Tern - 19W
Yellow Wagtail - 1E

Common Tern roosting with Black-headed Gull on the beach at the Bill (OM)

Also 1300-1500hrs: (B&MC)
Sparrowhawk - 1 over gardens
Common Tern - 4W
Swallow - 12S
Dartford Warbler - still in Bill House garden

Medmerry: Stilt Pool area - The Osprey appeared over the middle of the reserve carrying a fish at 11.15am, and there were also a Whinchat and a couple of Wheatears on the banks by the Stilt Pool. (PH)

Ferry Pool: The Ruff continued to show well, but there were no other waders save three Black-tailed Godwits and 20 or so Lapwings, with just half a dozen Shelduck and 20 Teal the only other birds present.

The adjacent hedges were quiet, too, with just a couple of Blackcaps and Willow Warblers of note. (AH/OM)

Ruff (above) & Blackcap around Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were just a couple of Willow Warblers among a big mixed Blue Tit/Long-tailed Tit flock, and the only other passerines were a Swallow and two Sand Martins over, though a Swift went over, too.

In the harbour there were an Arctic Tern, a couple of Sandwich Terns and half a dozen Common Terns, plus a Common Sandpiper, three Grey Plover, three Whimbrel and  three Black-tailed Godwits, along with 20 or so Dunlin, Curlew and Ringed Plovers, and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls flew in. (AH/R&GH)
Late morning it was still quiet; there were six Grey Plover, but otherwise the species count was much the same as above.....though Mediterranean Gulls had risen to a dozen, and despite a confident claim of a Curlew Sandpiper from observers nearby I regret to say my eyes could only pick out a variable Dunlin flock. A search along the beach and Severals produced just one Whitethroat and a couple of Willow Warblers. (OM)

Arctic Tern (above), Common Sandpiper & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were 200+ Mediterranean Gulls along the beach and offshore, along with a Little Tern, a sandwich Tern and ten Common Terns and three Gannets, three Whimbrel went west, a Peregrine was sat on the spit, three Wheatears were on the concrete blocks, 20+ Sand Martins went over and there were two Common Sandpipers in the harbour. (S&SaH)

Peregrine at Church Norton (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were 20+ Sand Martins and Swallows and 10+ House Martins about this evening, plus a Wheatear, a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk, and there was also a Swift, three Sand Martins and a Sparrowhawk over our garden nearby in the north of Selsey. (S&SaH)

 

North Wall: Early afternoon on a rising tide did not produce much of note. Three Spotted Redshanks amongst c.45 Redshank and 50 Black-tailed Godwits was the highlight, whilst a Common Sandpiper passed through, but there were no small waders on show there. 
White's Creek was covered by water, with our old friend the Black Swan having re-appeared amongst the Mutes, and nearby on the Breech Pool the dodgy-looking Barnacle Goose that was present last summer had also resurfaced. A calling Yellow Wagtail flew over but there was little else to report. (OM) Earlier there were three Whinchats in their usual spot along the fenceline to the rear of the pool and the Avocet was still present with the Redshanks. A Greenshank was in the creek near Halsey's Farm but the hedgerows near there were generally quiet. A Clouded Yellow butterfly was by the horse stables. (BI/OM/IP/EL)

Black Swan in White's Creek (OM)

Dubious Barnacle Goose and Canada Goose from North Wall (EL)

Sunday, 21st August: Mainly cloudy and dry with a strong westerly wind and the risk of the odd shower..... but also the chance of some brightness later.....

0915: First news this morning is of an Osprey and a Curlew Sandpiper along the East side (D&MB) 1000: Second news is non-avian.... a dramatic fire at the Selsey Academy (SR).....

 Fire at the Selsey Academy this morning (SR)

Fire over Selsey High Street (AH)

Selsey Bill: Another quiet session despite the strong winds; seems that the excitements of good shearwater movements further to the east and west of us didn't materialise in this part of the Channel..... log below....
(0615-0830hrs)  (Obs: SH/JA/SR) 
Gannet - 54E, 25W
Common Scoter - 1W
Teal - 1W
Turnstone - 5W
Common Tern - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 31W

North Wall: On the Breech pool were an Avocet, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, 31 Lapwing and 34 Redshank. Along White's Creek a Curlew Sandpiper was briefly present at 0900 (D&MB) an a Greenshank, a Whimbrel, 40+ Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshanks  and 2 Common Sandpipers. A Grey Heron was battling to swallow a recently caught eel and a roosting Osprey was located nearer to the Lagoon. (D&MB/CG) 
Later in the day a Kingfisher was around the Breech pool, with the Avocet still present, and the Redshank count had risen to over 100, also a single Dunlin present here. A Greenshank was on the saltmarsh as were a flock of Linnets and over the fields were good numbers of Swallows. (BI)
Later a Ruff also appeared on the Breech Pool, plus a small flock of Canada Geese. (DM)

Spotted Redshank in White's Creek (CG)   below - Grey Heron lessons in eating an eel....1. catch it...easy, 2. ah...it winds itself around your bill,   3. its head is finally down, and 4. all over... lovely! (CG)

Avocet, Kingfisher & Greenshank around the North Wall. (BI)

 Canada Goose and Ruff at the Breech Pool (DM)

Medmerry: The highlight was an Osprey (presumed one bird but possibly two) seen several times over the high tide period....

East side: Osprey (fishing for 15 minutes about 11.30), 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Sanderling, ca.40 Ringed Plover, ca.20 Dunlin, 3 or 4 Whinchats, 2 Wheatears.

West side: Osprey (fishing around Grange rife/Easton rife variously between 13.30 and 15.30), 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, ca. 25 Grey Plover, 6 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers. (PH)

On my WeBS today at Medmerry, I had good Osprey views for long periods from 3 sites; also around 80 Ringed Plover split between the Breach and the area over the bank from the Stilt Pools. A Curlew Sandpiper at the latter place plus a number of Wheatears and Whinchats. (GW)

 Wheatear and Osprey at Medmerry (GW)

Church Norton: There were 10+ Common Terns and a Sandwich Tern in the harbour, plus at least 50 Mediterranean Gulls. Two Swifts and two Wheatears were also seen, plus a Peregrine and a Buzzard. (SH)
 Along the spit there were three Wheatears and two Common Sandpipers, with two Wigeon in the harbour and a Swift over, and also there was a Green Sandpiper on the Severals. (IP/EL)
The Osprey was fishing in the harbour for an extended period from about 9.15am before drifting off west, but there was not much else about save a couple of Greenshank and six Swifts went over. (AH/DM/DS/RI)

Osprey (above) & Little Egrets over Church Norton (AH)

Wheatear at Church Norton (EL)

Ferry Pool: The Ruff and two Little Ringed Plovers were still present, along with 20 Lapwing, six Shelduck and 30 Teal. (AH)/IL)

Ruff (above) & Little Ringed Plover on the Ferry (AH)

Saturday, 20th August: A day of unseasonably strong gale force SW winds, but also largely dry with cloud and sunny spells and just a couple of brief heavy showers.....

Selsey Bill: There was quite a gathering of observers from early on this morning and hopes were high of some decent seabird movement, but alas it wasn't to be, for after a few Manx Shearwaters and a single Arctic Skua, disappointingly movement largely fizzled out and observers began drifting away. Log below....

Amongst those present this morning were the new Pom King John Faithfull and those that had come to meet him; restlessness was creeping in by 1100, so there was nothing for it to adjourn to the local hostelry for the presentation and a refreshment! (see below pics). (OM)

0630-1100hrs:  (Obs: JA/SH/SR/JF/ML et al)

Gannet  - 30E, 27W  

Fulmar - 2W

Manx Shearwater - 4W

Common Scoter - 12E

Ringed Plover - 1ob
Turnstone - 7E

Common Tern - 1E, 4W

Sandwich Tern - 13W
Kittiwake - 2E 

Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p) 

(above) Some of those attending the Bill sea-watch this morning, (centre) gathering over a pint at The Seal and (below) yours truly presents the trophy to JF   (OM)

1400-1630:    (SH/SR)

Gannet - 2W

Manx Shearwater - 1W

Little Tern - 3W
Common Tern - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 1W  
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p) 
Mediterranean Gull - 1os    

Church Norton: At a windy Norton this morning there were three Wheatears on the concrete spit, whilst in the harbour were two Common Sandpipers, three Grey Plover, two Knot and 10+ Common Terns (SH). 

Around the churchyard were two Green Woodpeckers, a Willow Warbler and two Whitethroats. (BI)

Also, along the spit there were a Whinchat and five Wheatears this morning. (IP)

Green Woodpecker, Church Norton (BI)