Saturday, 30th June: The fine weather continues, with an even warmer, sunnier day than of late, despite the fresh north-easterly breeze..........
Ferry Pool: There were four Avocets, three Little Ringed Plovers, c40 Redshank, c20 Lapwing, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, 16 Teal and a lone Wigeon on the pool this morning. (SH/AH/AW)
Little Ringed Plover and Teal (above), Avocets & Redshank on the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: There was still one Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel with c30 Redshank, but they were in the most inaccessible area, midway along, whilst at least a dozen Curlew and Shelduck were at the far end.
There was a surprising amount of Sedge and Reed Warbler song along the pool early this morning, but not much else beyond a few Linnets in the hedges, a Teal on the water and a pair of Red-legged Partridges in the adjacent fields, whilst there were lots of Gatekeepers on the wing. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Curlew, Teal, Sedge Warbler, Linnet, Red-legged Partridge & Gatekeeper from Long Pool (AH)
Church Norton: There was still plenty of activity around Tern Island, but not much else beyond a few Curlew, Redshank and Shelduck in the harbour, whilst, sadly, the Tufted Ducks on the second Several only appeared to have two ducklings left. (AH/S&SaH/AW)
This afternoon there were five Grey Plovers, a Whimbrel, two Redshank, 32 Black-tailed Godwits and around ten Curlews on the mud and four Mediterranean Gulls over the island, with freshly fledged juvenile Black-headed Gulls everywhere. (AH)
Curlew at Church Norton (AH)
This afternoon there were five Grey Plovers, a Whimbrel, two Redshank, 32 Black-tailed Godwits and around ten Curlews on the mud and four Mediterranean Gulls over the island, with freshly fledged juvenile Black-headed Gulls everywhere. (AH)
Grey Plovers (above), Sandwich Tern & juvenile Black-headed Gull at Church Norton (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: A morning walk from Fishbourne to Dell Quay and back this morning was rather quiet with a Whitethroat, Yellowhammer and six swallow seen. In the harbour four House Martins were collecting mud, and 171 Mute Swans accompanied by the Black Swan and four Greenshank were in the channel, whilst 10+ Curlews were on the western shore, too distant to confidently identify whether any Whimbrel were among them.
Ferry Pool: There wasn't too much on the pool this morning, just the usual 20 or so Black-tailed Godwits, half a dozen Redshank and a dozen Lapwing, three Avocets and 14 Teal.
The Tramway circuit produced a couple of singing Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff, plus a Comma butterfly, but not much else. (AH)
Lapwing (above), Teal & Comma around the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: The two summer-plumaged Spotted Redshanks and a Greenshank were in Ferry Channel again, along with c40 Redshank and c20 Lapwing, whilst 20+ Curlews were at the far end and out in the harbour, along with a few Shelduck.
The path along the Long Pool held the usual selection of Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus a couple of Reed Buntings and Linnets, and there were also a couple of Commas, lots of Gatekeepers, plus a Black-tailed Skimmer and a couple of Emperor dragonflies. (AH)
Spotted Redshanks and Greenshank (above), Greenshank, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler & Black-tailed Skimmer along Long Pool (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Sand Martin was among the House Martins and Swallows around the farm this evening. (SH)
Church Norton: There was very little to report, though Tern Island was still teeming with life, with not much more than a handful of Curlews and Redshanks on the mud and just the odd Blackcap in voice in the bushes to be found elsewhere. (AH)
Sandwich Tern (above), terns and gulls & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)
Later in the day there were up to four Purple Hairstreaks on the scrub oak at the end of the beach path. (BI)
Purple Hairstreak at Church Norton (BI)
Early this evening there were six Grey Plovers and five Ringed Plovers on the mud and half a dozen Dunlin and up to a dozen Turnstones on the beach, plus plenty of Little Sandwich and Common Terns in the harbour and offshore. A Knot was also seen amongst the Grey Plovers (AH/D.Campbell)
Grey Plover (above), Dunlin, Little Tern & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: There were two Common Terns on the Breech Pool this morning and a few Reed Warblers were still singing around the edges. Two Chiffchaffs were in the north fields, as was a Blackcap, but it was generally quite quiet here. There were hundreds of Meadow Browns over the pasture and good numbers of Gatekeepers on the brambles and a nice surprise was a small colony of Essex Skippers to the north west of Owl Copse. (BI)
Common Terns at the Breech Pool (BI)
Ferry Pool: There were two summer-plumaged Spotted Redshanks and a Greenshank on the pool early on, before they flew off together into Ferry Channel. Also about were two Little Ringed Plovers, the brooding Avocet, the mother and five of the young Shelducks, 20 Redshank, 20 Black-tailed Godwits, five Lapwings and 16 Teal, with two broods of well-grown Gadwall ducklings in the adjacent rife. (AH)
Spotted Redshanks (above), Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwits & Gadwall family around the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: The two summer-plumaged Spotted Redshanks and a Greenshank were in Ferry Channel, joined by another of the latter, c40 Redshanks and five Curlews.
There were still Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers singing along the pool, and there were also a couple of Reed Buntings and a few Linnets about, plus at least half a dozen Gatekeeper butterflies. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting & Gatekeeper along Long Pool (AH)
Church Norton: An Osprey was over the harbour late this afternoon, getting mobbed by gulls for several minutes, before it flew off back towards Ferry Channel. (T Letchford)
Osprey over Church Norton (T Letchford)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were pretty quiet, with just a scattering of the usual suspects - Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Linnets and Whitethroats - about, plus a few Stock Doves and a couple of Meadow Pipits, whilst the mud by the poplars held c40 Shelduck and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits.
There were two families of Avocets with chicks (two and one), plus at least half a dozen well grown juveniles, and there was also a juvenile among the four Little Ringed Plovers seen, though the only other waders present were five Dunlin, eight Lapwing and 65 Black-tailed Godwits.
The usual selection of wildfowl was present, including a couple of Teal and a few Gadwall and Tufted Ducks, plus 50 or so Canada Geese, whilst two Sand Martins and two Swifts went over. Also there were several Black-tailed Skimmers and Gatekeepers along the path. (AH)
The usual selection of wildfowl was present, including a couple of Teal and a few Gadwall and Tufted Ducks, plus 50 or so Canada Geese, whilst two Sand Martins and two Swifts went over. Also there were several Black-tailed Skimmers and Gatekeepers along the path. (AH)
Avocet and chick (above), juvenile Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits, Yellowhammer, Skylark & Black-tailed Skimmer at Medmerry (AH)
