28th - 30th June 2017

Friday, 30th June: Another still morning, but really quite warm when the sun came out....with literally just a few spots of rain from some angry-looking clouds....

Selsey Bill: Predictably quiet, given the time of year, but still a selection of species, including a couple of skuas, a Fulmar, a few Common Scoter and Gannets, along with a Little Egret and the regular Common and Sandwich Terns. Full log below.....

0730-1000hrs: (C&ME/OM/AH)
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 40E, 6W
Little Egret - 1ob, off E
Common Scoter - 12E, 2W
Mallard - 6W
Curlew - 2W 
Oystercatcher - 3W
Little Tern - 3os
Common Tern - 15os
Commic Tern - 21os
Sandwich Tern - 24os
Black-headed Gull - 28os
Mediterranean Gull - 4os
Arctic Skua - 1W (d/p)
Great Skua - 1W
House Martin - 6 p (local nesters)
Swift - 3os
 

Sandwich Terns (above), Little Egret & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were two Sand Martins over the northern end of Selsey this evening, and a Jay and a couple of Pied Wagtails around the farm. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: Just nine Black-tailed Godwits, the Shelduck family and five Redshanks on the pool early on, though visiting birders reported three Little Ringed Plovers flying off from the back later on and a Green Sandpiper in the channel opposite. Also, a couple of Reed Warblers were in the reeds at the front. (AH/OM)

Reed Warbler (above), Shelduck & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still plenty of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns, plus a dozen Mediterranean Gulls and plenty of juvenile Black-headed Gulls around the island, the Peregrine family was out on the central vegetation, along with a few Curlews and a Blackcap was singing near the car-park. (AH)

Common Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester Marina: The marsh reedbed received a good deal more attention than usual this morning, from a mini-gathering of locals, but there was no sign of yesterday's Bearded Tits. Several families of Reed Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers, a Blackcap, four Reed Buntings, a Water Rail, a Sparrowhawk and a pair of Buzzards were among the species logged, plus c.10 Swallows, but perhaps the highlight came late morning as the Red Arrows performed over the Downs - albeit distantly - for the festival of Speed at Goodwood! (BI/OM/JD/DS/C&ME/SR).

 The Red Arrows in distant action as viewed from the Marina marsh (OM)

Long Pool: There were two Common Sandpipers at the end of Ferry Channel this evening, along with a family, or perhaps a 'creche,' of about a dozen young Shelducks with two adults and c30 Curlew and Redshank, but there was little to report along the pool itself beside plenty of Gatekeepers. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Shelducks & Gatekeeper along Long Pool (AH)

Thursday, 29th June: Another very still and grey morning, and mainly dry and mild., with a few odd showers....

A Reminder: Our Log-keeper (JA) has once again provided the annual Selsey Bill spring sea-watch summary..... check out the highs and lows by clicking the link on the title bar..... (Eds)

Chichester Marina: At least four, and possibly up to six, Bearded Tits were present in the marsh reedbed early afternoon, including a couple of juvenile birds. Whether this is a first breeding record for the site, or possibly dispersing birds from elsewhere, is uncertain at present, but they may be briefly viewable at times from the Hide (looking towards the back of the reedbed on the right). Also a Kingfisher and a Common Tern present. (PH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were a dozen Redshanks on the pool, including the two well-grown chicks, three Black-tailed Godwits and the Shelduck family.

A Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were singing in the Discovery area, but that was about it. (AH)

Redshank chick (above) & Shelducks on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: This evening there were four Common Sandpipers at the end of Ferry Channel and there were six Knot, two Dunlin and 30 Grey Plovers in a mobile flock that flew in from across the harbour and back again. There were also 40+ Redshank and 20+ Curlew about, with a pair of Common Terns and half a dozen Swifts feeding along the channel.

There were one or two Reed and Sedge Warblers still singing, plus a Reed Bunting and a couple of Linnets and Whitethroats were along the hedges. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Knot and Grey Plovers, Common Tern, Swift & Reed Bunting along Long Pool (AH)

Wednesday, 28th June: Another very grey morning, with last night's rain mostly passed and almost no breeze at all.....

We are grateful to our Log-keeper (JA) for once again providing the annual Selsey Bill spring sea-watch summary. As ever, there were some highs and lows; this year's report can now be found by clicking the link on the title bar..... (Eds)

Ferry Pool/Tramway area: A Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper were at the back, along with a dozen Redshank this morning, and there were also three Black-tailed Godwits and the well-grown family of four young Shelducks present

Around the Tramway circuit there were three singing Blackcaps, two singing Chiffchaffs and at least four families of Whitethroats, and in Red Barn Ditch there were two families of Reed Warblers. Two Common Terns were feeding in the channel off the Tramway, and there were half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank, plus a couple of Curlews in Ferry Channel. (AH)

Green and Common Sandpipers (above), juvenile Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackcap, Reed Warbler & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - Along the banks there were at least five Whitethroat families, plus a Reed Bunting and half a dozen Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks. Also, a couple of Reed Warblers were in the ditches and three Stock Doves were on the Barn. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Whitethroat & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)

Selsey, East Beach: The juvenile drake Eider was resting on the groynes along with his partner this morning, (so earning themselves a place in the breeding bird survey!), whilst two Curlews flew west and six Sandwich Terns were offshore. It was quiet at the pond as the pair of Mute Swans have lost their three cygnets, and all I could find was a Grey Heron, a Moorhen with two juveniles, a handful of Mallards  - and the usual Muscovy Duck!  (SR)


Pagham Spit/Lagoon: A Grey Heron flew into the harbour from the Lagoon with a well-grown juvenile Coot, which it drowned and spent a considerable time trying to eat it - so long that I had to leave before it had succeeded!
Also, nine Black-tailed Godwits flew east offshore, a juvenile Peregrine was stretching its wings on the island and there were at least four families of Great Crested Grebes on the Lagoon. (AB)

25th - 27th June 2017

Tuesday, 27th June: A very grey and blustery start, with the wind from the south-east, and the promise of heavy rain later.....

Ferry Pool: There were just three Black-tailed Godwits, eight Redshank and the Shelduck family on the pool this morning, with another dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks, including a juvenile, in the channel opposite.
Along the path to the hide there were plenty of juvenile Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, plus a few Chiffchaffs and a singing Blackcap. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Redshanks & Chiffchaff around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There was still a bit of Reed and Sedge Warbler song along the pool, plus a couple of Whitethroats and Linnets, and at the far end of Ferry Channel there were at least 75 Redshank and a couple of Curlews, with c30 Lapwings overhead. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above) & Redshanks around Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton/West side: There was just the usual Little, Common and Sandwich Tern activity this morning at Church Norton, whilst along the west side of the harbour there were a Whimbrel and 20+ Curlews, and a flock of c30 Grey Plover flew in from the west.
There were at least half a doxen Linnets and Whitethroats along the bushes, plus a couple of Skylarks on the saltmarsh and there were Gatekeeper butterflies in abundance all the way along. (AH)

Linnet (above), Skylark, Common Tern, Grey Plovers & Gatekeeper at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 26th June: After a grey start, a fairly pleasant day, with a mix of sunshine and cloud and a moderate easterly breeze..... 

Ferry Pool: There were two Redshank chicks at the front with their parents, and the parent Lapwing, with another ten of the former, a Greenshank and 24 Black-tailed Godwits at the back, and family of Shelducks were still going strong. A Common Tern was in the channel opposite with another couple of Black-tailed Godwits and c20 Redshank.

There were a couple of singing Blackcaps around the Discovery area and car-park, and there was a mobile flock of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and Chiffchaffs in the bushes. Also a lone Brent Goose flew over west. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Redshanks, Brent Goose, Chiffchaff & Long-tailed Tit around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall/Breech Pool: Unfortunately the water level was too high again for waders on the pool, though there was an Egyptian Goose at the back amongst moulting Mallards and half a dozen Teal. A newly-fledged Swallow was on a post, being fed occasionally by its parents, and a couple of Common Terns were coming and going, as were a flock of 20 Lapwings. (OM/R&GH)

White’s Creek/East side: On the mudflats there were 4 Whimbrel and 10+ Curlew, plus a noisy gathering of 25 Oystercatchers. In the channel were 4 Great Crested Grebes and a couple of Common and Little Terns fishing, but nearer the harbour entrance was an unseasonal surprise in the form of a summering Brent Goose. (OM)

Common Tern at the Breech Pool (GH)

Egyptian Goose amongst Mallards on the Breech Pool and Brent Goose on the east side channel (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There must have been 100 Skylarks along the banks this morning, along with the usual scattering of Yellowhammers, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Stock Doves and Whitethroats, plus a couple of Reed Buntings. Also at least half a dozen Reed Warblers were singing intermittently from the ditches, 20+ Swallows and 10+ Swifts were feeding over the fields and two Buzzards and two Mediterranean Gulls went over.

There were still three chick/juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, plus parents on the Stilt Pool, along with what appeared to be a Ringed Plover pair on eggs, at least six families of Avocets, two families of Canada Geese and one of Shelducks, but the only migrant noted was a Green Sandpiper that flew up from the back. Out on the reserve there was a family of well-grown young Shelducks, a couple more well-grown Avocet families, a dozen Lapwings and a single Curlew. (AH)

Avocets (above), Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plovers, Stock Doves, Swallow, Whitethroat, Skylark & Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)

Selsey Golf/Country Club:  There was a good selection of birds along the rife this morning, including a pair of Tufted Duck, a Grey Heron, a Whitethroat, singing Reed and Sedge Warblers, two Moorhen families, one Coot family, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, a family of newly-fledged Whitethroats, four juvenile Long-tailed Tits, nine Goldfinches,  a Song Thrush, three Swifts, a House Martin, two Swallows, a Pied Wagtail and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. (SR)

Juvenile Reed Warbler at Selsey Golf Club (SR)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were two, and possibly three, singing Corn Buntings this evening, in the fields rather than along the banks, and there were also 20+ Skylarks, and a couple of Whitethroats and Linnets, with at least 30 Mediterranean Gulls out on the tidal mud. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Linnet & Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

West Wittering: A pair of Kestrels appear to have successfully fledged three youngsters in the village. (MR)

Juvenile Kestrels in West Wittering (MR)

Sunday, 25th June: Another grey and blustery day, though fairly mild....

Selsey Bill: (0630-0800hrs) (SH/AH)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 14E, 10W

Gadwall - 1W

Common Scoter - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

SAndwich Tern - 19os

Common Tern - 12os

Little Tern - 4os

Swift - 2os

Gannet (above) & Sandwich Tern past the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The parent Lapwings and Redshanks were still at the front, the Shelduck family and 14 Black-tailed Godwits were also present, and a Blackcap was singing in the Discovery Area (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Redshank & juvenile Moorhens on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool, where there was also a singing Chiffchaff and Reed Warbler, and a Common Tern and a Little Tern dropped in to feed in White's Creek. (AF/RJS)

Church Norton: It was very quiet along the front, with just the odd snippet of Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Linnet song, and beyond the continued little, Common and Sandwich Tern activity there was little else about beyond the odd Mediterranean Gull and Curlew. (AH) 

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull & Yellow Horned Poppy at Church Norton (AH)

Chi GP's - Drayton Pits: A short visit this morning, but I was pleased to see the first two broods of Pochard with their respective mothers; hopefully there will be one or two more such broods to follow of this nationally rare breeding bird. There were also 20 Gadwall and 30+ Tufted Duck, two pairs of Mute Swans with cygnets, two pairs of Great Crested Grebes and at least six pairs of Little Grebes with young. A few Reed Warblers, Blackcaps and Reed Buntings were still singing occasionally, the regular pair of Buzzards was very active, and 20+ Swifts were high over the lakes. Also of note were around 15 Marbled Whites and a few Pyramidal orchids. (OM)

 Marbled White and Pyramidal orchids at Drayton GPs (OM)