7th - 9th August 2016

Tuesday, 9th August: After a bright and relatively still start the breeze picked up once again, with a distinctly northerly aspect to it....

Selsey Bill: The Dartford Warbler was back in the Bill House garden this morning early on, and again a bit later, along with a Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, ten Willow Warblers and a Sparrowhawk over. (SH/DF)

North Wall: A Little Stint was on the Breech Pool this morning, but it was decidedly elusive! Initially with two Dunlin at the front of the pool, it almost immediately disappeared, only to be re-located at the very back at the far end of the channel, from where it frequently moved out of view for lengthy periods. Four  roosting and inactive Spotted Redshanks were also present, plus a selection of other waders.... a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Snipe, 54 Black-tailed Godwits and c.100 Lapwings......

Four roosting Spotted Redshanks with a Black-tailed Godwit (centre bird)... this was as lively as they got this morning! (OM)
 

Nearby, out in the harbour including White's creek, there were 3 Greenshank, 75 Redshank, 5 Whimbrel, 40 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper and two roosting Yellow-legged Gulls. A few Swallows and two Sand Martins were also seen, several Reed Warblers and a briefly-singing Cetti's Warbler put in an appearance but otherwise just two Willow Warblers were noted. (OM)

A later visit produced a few additions to the above.... the Little Stint had become a bit more co-operative, the Greenshank count had increased to six, a Kingfisher and 3 Whinchats were seen and a female/juv Marsh Harrier  flew over high. (BFF/DM)

 Whimbrel (above) and Greenshank in White's Creek (OM)

 Spotted Redshanks and Little Stint at the Breech Pool (OM)

Ferry Pool: The usual selection of two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and four Little Ringed Plovers were on the pool this morning, along with 28 Lapwings that dropped in to roost, ten Teal and 22 Shelduck. (AH/BFF/DM)

The bushes around the Discovery area were full of birds this morning, including probably three different Garden Warblers, 20+ Blackcaps, 10+ Willow Warblers, two or three Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats and lots of the commoner resident species. (AH/DF)

Garden Warbler (above), Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover & Lapwings around the Ferry (AH)

 Juvenile Little Ringed Plovers on the Ferry Pool (DM)

Church Norton: By contrast was very quiet for passerines, with just the odd Willow Warbler and Whitethroat showing, plus a couple of Sparrowhawks went over.

There were still half a dozen Little Terns and 3-0+ Common Terns in the harbour, with same again of the latter and similar of Sandwich Terns offshore, and there were at least 800 Mediterranean Gulls along the beach. Also a solitary Yellow-legged Gull was on the cultivated field in Rectory Lane. (AH)

Yellow-legged Gull (above), Mediterranean Gulls, with Sandwich Tern, Common and Little Terns, Willow Warbler & Linnet and Greenfinch at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were 200 Mediterranean Gulls and 100 Black-headed Gulls in the stubble field between the Severals, and in the harbour there were 100+ Common terns 10+ Little Terns and 20+ Sandwich Terns, and there were three Wheatears along the beach. S&SaH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There seems to have been a clear out of hirundines with just a dozen Swallows, six Sand Martins and two House Martins this evening. (S&SaH)
 

Fishbourne Creek: Generally quiet, but there were 2 Greenshank and 400 Mediterranean Gulls (BFF/DM)

Monday, 8th August: Another bright and very breezy morning, with plenty of sun but the strong westerly wind refusing to drop and cloud developing later.....

Selsey Bill: A big surprise this morning, in the form of a juvenile Dartford Warbler that was initially calling from the tamarisk hedge by the bench, before flying into the vegetation at the front of the Oval Field and then moving into the Bill House garden. Otherwise it was quiet, with a Wheatear on the field, and a flock of Dunlin and a few Gannets, Sandwich and Common Terns moving west. Full log below.....
0800-1115hrs:  Sunny, WNW5-6   (Obs: OM/SR/AH)
Gannet - 2E, 23W
Dunlin - 45W
Ringed Plover - 2W
Oystercatcher - 4E
Turnstone - 11 ob
Common Tern - 2E, 8W
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 15W
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
House Martin - c.10 still present
Swallow - 4E, 12W
Wheatear - 1 Oval field/ob
Dartford Warbler - 1 (juv) mainly Bill House garden area
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens
(also two Painted Lady butterflies)

 

Dartford Warbler in Bill House garden (upper three AH, lower two OM)

Painted Lady at the Bill (OM)

(1630-1830hrs) There was no further sign of the Dartford Warbler. (SR/BJ/SH) 

Gannet -12E, 15W
Sandwich Tern - 9W
Common Tern - 6W
House Martin - 2p
Wheatear - 2p (in gardens)

Selsey (West): A look around Northcommon Farm/Warner Lane produced very little indeed; a couple of Willow Warblers, a Whitethroat and small numbers of Swallows and House Martins over the fields was the best I could do. (OM)



 Ferry Pool: Not much change here - just a couple of Little Ringed Plovers and a couple of Common Sandpipers (with another in the channel opposite) along the front, plus a Black-tailed Godwit and 16 Lapwings at the back, and 12 Teal and 22 Shelduck also present. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Common Sandpipers & Shelduck on the Ferry (AH)

  

Church Norton: There were a few Willow Warblers and Whitethroats among a big Long-tailed and Blue Tit flock,and there were half a dozen Swifts were over Priory Wood, with similar over the back of the Severals with a few dozen Sand Martins and Swallows.

There were still 600+ Mediterranean Gulls on the beach, and c50 Common Terns and c20 Sandwich Terns offshore, but the harbour didn't hold much more than a passing Peregrine, and a few Whimbrel and Curlew, though there were still Common Terns bringing food back to the island. (AH)

Willow Warbler (above), Long-tailed Tit & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were barely half a dozen Little Terns about, though there were c80 Common terns in the harbour and c40 offshore, and c30 and c20 Sandwich Terns similarly, along with 300+ Mediterranean Gulls on the beach. (AH)

Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

 
Sunday, 7th August: A mainly cloudy morning after some light overnight showers, with a brisk W/SW wind 4-5 making it feel fresher than of late.... though due to brighten up with sunny periods by afternoon.

Selsey Bill: Highlights today included a Balearic Shearwater west along the 'mile basket line' and a Garganey moving through, plus a moderate outward movement of Swifts and Sand Martins.....

(0630-0830hrs):   (Obs: SH/JA/AH/SR/RJS) 

Fulmar  - 1E, 6W  

Gannet - 3E, 46W

Balearic Shearwater - 1W (along 'mile basket line')

Common Scoter - 2E, 2W
Common Tern - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 13W
Kittiwake - 1W  

Mediterranean Gull - 7E, 2W

Sand Martin - 5W    
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens

(1330-1430hrs): (SH)

Gannet - 2E

Garganey - 1W (eclipse male)

Common Tern - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Swift - 36S

Sand Martin - 41S
Swallow - 1S

Park Farm, Selsey: Quite a few hirundines present, with 150+ Sand Martins, 100+ House Martins, 50+ Swallows and  6 Swifts, plus a Buzzard. (SH)

Church Norton: There were 200 Mediterranean Gulls offshore and a further 75 in the stubble field, interspersed with 100+ Black-headed Gulls. A good number of terns were offshore, consisting of about 100+ Common and 30 Sandwich Terns, whilst there were two Little Terns amongst them and a further six of the latter - including two juveniles - roosting near Tern island (S&SaH).

Also a Fulmar came towards the second Several and nearly reached land, before heading off south, and over 600 Mediterranean Gulls were on the shingle along the beach, largely in two flocks, opposite each of the Severals, the flock opposite the first Several then flew to the stubble field beside the second Several.
There were still large numbers of terns roosting on the shingle, though very few in the Harbour (which was largely dead), and quite a few young birds among them - circa 250 Common Tern, 150 Sandwich Tern and 20 Little Tern. Also offshore about five Gannets were feeding fairly close inshore.
The Second Several was full of birds; a female Tufted Duck and a pair of Teal being noteworthy, also a lot of family groups of Little Grebe and Moorhen in addition to the plentiful numbers of Coot. I could see two cygnets on the Several with one parent, the other adult was sat on the nest and I could not be certain if any cygnets were also there.
A feeding flock of circa 300 hirundines were between the two lines of Poplars (where they were protected from the wind) walking out from Park Farm, of these about 200 were Sand Martins and the remainder equally split between House Martin and Swallow, there were maybe ten Swifts also in the area.
A weasel scurried from the first Several into the bushes beside the shoreline as I returned from the Harbour. (IP)

This morning I didn't see much beyond what was recorded above, though there also a few Dunlin, Turnstones and Ringed Plovers on the beach. This evening there were a dozen Little Terns, c40 Sandwich Terns and c50 Common Terns in the harbour, along with 150 Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Dunlin (above), Turnstone, Mediterranean Gulls & Common Terns at Church Norton (AH)

  

Dave Smith, Dorian Mason & Dick Senior (plus friend!) pacing themselves this morning at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: In Whites creek early on were two Greenshanks, 20 Redshanks and two Little Egrets, and a Yellow-legged Gull was on the saltmarsh. On the Breech pool were a Common Sandpiper, three Spotted Redshanks, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, and a Greylag Goose keeping company with 110 Canada Geese  and eleven Redshanks.  Halsey's Farm area was quiet with only a few Greenfinches & Goldfinches about. (BI) 

Greenshank, White's Creek (BI)

Medmerry (east side): A juvenile Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine were present this morning. (PH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane - This evening there a Greenshank and three Green Sandpipers around the second sluice, with at least another three around the area  along with two Common Sandpipers. Also there were 50+ Sand Martins and 10+ Swallows about. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers (with two more in the channel opposite), six Teal, 23 Shelduck and 18 Canada Geese around the pool today. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Little Ringed Plover on the Ferry (AH)