17th - 19th July 2017

Wednesday, 19th July: After a night of dramatic electrical storms and heavy thundery rain, the morning began grey and drizzly, if mild, with a brisk southerly breeze....

Ferry Pool: The rain brought a fair selection onto the pool this morning, including a Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers and the Ruff that was previously on the Breech Pool. 
Also there were two Little Ringed Plovers, 36 Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Lapwing, three Avocets and the four juvenile Shelducks on the pool, a Common Sandpiper in the channel opposite and a couple of Blackcaps in the adjacent bushes. (AH/OM/BFF/BAEM)

Wood Sandpiper (above), Wood Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit, & Ruff and Greenshank on the Ferry (AH)

A rare sight in Sussex these days is SOS founder-member Tony Marr (left), whilst the fuller-figured gent (in shorts in the rain!) is our old friend Bernie Forbes - both checking out the waders on the Ferry Pool. (OM)

The Wood Sandpiper and Ruff were still present this evening, along with two Little Ringed Plovers, three Avocets and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, plus a Kingfisher through. (AH/IP/S&SaH)

Wood Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Selsey Bill: (1715-1825hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 12E, 2W
Common Scoter - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 11W
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 12W
Common Tern - 1W

North Wall: The Ruff was present on the Breech Pool first thing (see above!), and the Spotted Redshank was also still there, plus three Greenshank and a few Black-tailed Godwits, with two Common Terns dropping in to feed.  A Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel were in White's Creek and another six Greenshank and two Yellow-legged Gulls were out in the harbour.. (OM/BFF/BAEM/JDW/PB)

Greenshank (rear) and Spotted Redshank surrounded by four Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were several Reed Warblers and Whitethroats singing and flitting along the ditches and banks, plus the usual Yellowhammers, Linnets, Skylarks and one or two Reed Buntings, whilst on the creek by the poplars there were two Greenshank, two Whimbrel and a dozen Dunlin.
For the first time in a long time there were no Avocets on the Stilt Pool, though still one or two were out on the reserve, but there were still half a dozen Little Ringed Plovers, including the two tiny chicks, a Ringed Plover and three Common Sandpipers present. Also, the Tufted Duckling was still among its adopted Mallard family and c100 Sand Martins and c50 Swallows were feeding overhead. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover and chick (above), Common Sandpiper, Greenshanks, Sand Martins, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer & Tufted Duckling with Mallards at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton: This evening there were at least eight Whimbrel in the harbour, along with a Common Sandpiper, nine Turnstones and a few Ringed Plovers and Curlews. A juvenile Peregrine upset all the terns, revealing at least 30 Little Terns, 40 Sandwich Terns and 20 Common Terns, plus a dozen Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Turnstones & Little and Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 18th July: Another very warm and sunny day, after a grey start, despite the strong easterly breeze.....

Ferry Pool: It was quiet again on the pool this morning, with just a single Common Sandpiper, three Avocets, eight Black-tailed Godwits and four Lapwings present, and it was quiet around the Discovery area, too, save a few Blackcaps. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Lapwing & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: With the water-level having dropped again, there was a fair selection on the Breech Pool this morning, including a very scruffy moulting Ruff, a Spotted Redshank, four Greenshank, nine Dunlin, c100 Redshank, 56 Black-tailed Godwits, c70 Lapwing and two or three Teal. Three Roe Deer - the doe with two now well-grown fawns - suddenly emerged from the reeds, temporarily spooking the waders, but soon disappeared leaving peace to be restored.

A Common Tern dropped in to feed and there was plenty of Reed Bunting and Sedge and Reed Warbler activity in the reeds, whilst 20+ Sand Martins and Swallows moved through, and an Egyptian Goose and a Shelduck flew out into the harbour.

There was not too much along White's Creek beyond eight Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper and a few Lapwings, plus a young Green Woodpecker in the hedges, whilst out on the mud in the harbour were the two juvenile Peregrines, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, c15 Dunlin, two or three Whimbrel and c30 Curlews. (AH/OM/JDW/IB et al)

Ruff (above), Ruff and Redshanks, Spotted Redshank, Spotted Redshank and Greenshanks, Reed Bunting,  Green Woodpecker, Egyptian Goose and Shelduck, Peregrines, Whimbrel & Common Tern around North Wall (AH)

Three Roe Deer emerged from the reeds, temporarily spooking the waders (OM)

Later on, along Pagham Rife were a pair of Mute Swans with three cygnets, and the thistles are now producing seed heads and these had attracted small flocks of Goldfinches. Apart from two Little Grebes there were no birds on Honer reservoir, though Whitethroats were feeding young along Honer Lane and there were a lot of Gatekeeper butterflies around this morning. Also, an Egyptian Goose flew into the Breech Pool. (JDW)

Mute Swan family (above) & Gatekeeper around North Wall (JDW)

Monday, 17th July: A cool and grey start, beneath a blustery north-easterly, gradually gave way to a warm and sunny, if breezy day.....

Selsey Bill: (0705-0735hrs) (AH)

Gannet - 68E, 1W

Common Scoter - 15E

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 4W

Gannet (above), Common Scoters & the Rampion Wind-farm off the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was fairly quiet on the pool this morning, with just three Common Sandpipers, three Avocets, eight Black-tailed Godwits, a couple of juvenile Redshanks and Lapwings, three Teal and the four young Shelducks being the sum. (AH)

Common Sandpipers (above) & Redshank on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach area - Out on the mud near the breach there were a Yellow-legged Gull, a Common Gull and 11 Sandwich Terns, along with two Whimbrel, two Curlews and four Grey Plovers. At the back of the main pool two Little Terns and a Common Tern dropped in briefly, but there were no waders to be seen, whilst around the waste ground there were just a Kestrel and handful of Linnets and Goldfinches about, plus a couple of Sand Martins and Swallows over. (AH)

Yellow-legged Gull (above), Common Gull, Sandwich Terns, Grey Plovers & Kestrel at Medmerry (AH)

Warner Lane, Selsey: There were three Peregrines overhead, seen together, today. (SH)

Church Norton: There were at least ten juvenile Little Terns in the harbour (out of a total of 25+), along with plenty of noisy Sandwich Terns and a few Common Terns, but not much else of note beyond a Whimbrel, a few Curlews and 30+ Redshank. The bushes were very quiet in the windy conditions, but a few Swallows went over and a couple of Linnets and Skylarks were on the beach. (AH)

Juvenile Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern & Skylark at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was a huge flock, of 500+ Sand Martins over and around the Stilt Pool this evening, with 50+ Swallows among them. 

There was also a Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers, 12 Avocets and two Wigeon on the Stilt Pool, with 10+ Yellowhammers, two Reed Buntings, three Reed Warblers and two Sedge Warblers along the banks/ditches. Also a Buzzard was about and 50+ Mediterranean Gulls were among hundres of Black-headed Gulls after flying ants up high. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There was another huge flock, again 500+ Sand Martins over the ponds and adjacent fields this evening, before they all swarmed up high together and vanished. Otherwise there were three or four Corn Buntings around the cropped field and similar of Whitethroats in the hedgerows and 20 Mediterranean Gulls, plus a Yellow-legged Gull out on the mud. (AH)

Sand Martins (above) & Corn Bunting at Medmerry (AH)