Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 13th

Friday, 15th June: A return to fine summer weather this morning, with plenty of warm sunshine and just a moderate westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Although quiet, flocks of Common Scoter moved east again, with over 100 logged today; just where do they come from and go to at this time of year? Full Log below......

(0610-0900hrs) (PB/C&ME/JA)
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 25E, 9W
Common Scoter - 104E
Common Tern - 12os
Sandwich Tern - 10os
Razorbill - 3E

Later on the two Barnacle Geese were sat on the sea. (C&ME)

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was back on the pool early this morning, along with two Little Ringed Plovers, six Avocets, 55 Black-tailed Godwits, half a dozen Lapwings and Redshank and the Shelduck family. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Little Ringed Plover and Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There was still plenty of Reed and Sedge Warbler activity along the pool, plus a few Reed Buntings and Linnets, whilst the family of Little Grebes were still on the water, but there was not much at the end of Ferry Channel beyond three Avocets and a few Redshank and Shelduck. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above) & Reed Bunting along the Long Pool (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Stonechat family briefly appeared near the first viewpoint, and there were several families of Whitethroats along the banks and Reed Warblers singing from the ditches and ponds, plus the usual selection of Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Linnets and the odd Reed Bunting.

A pair of Little Grebes with four chicks were on one of the ponds, a dozen Swifts were over the tidal areas and a few Stock Doves were about, but the main reserve was quiet save a few Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits on the mud.

There were just a handful of Avocets on the Stilt Pools, and no chicks among them, with the only other waders seen being a Redshank and a few Black-tailed Godwits. Two Common Terns dropped in briefly, but otherwise it was just a motley collection of ducks - including two Teal and c30 Gadwall - and a couple of families of Canada Geese around the islands. (AH)

Whitethroat (above), Linnet, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Common Tern, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet & Gadwall and Tufted Duck at Medmerry (AH)

Chi GP's - Drayton Pits: A (slightly early) WeBS count this morning produced the usual suspects, though a pair of Teal was a surprise, with Pochards proving to be the highlight. Amongst the 9 adults present was a female with a brood of 5 small ducklings.....nationally this is a rare breeding duck, and given the fact they are usually late breeders it seems probable other broods might appear in due course. The other highlights were non-avian, with a nice selection of commoner butterflies including Marbled Whites, and a small colony of Pyramidal Orchids. (OM)

Pochard with young, Marbled White and Pyramidal Orchids (OM)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - This evening there were c30 Swifts and c150 House Martins (but no Swallows) over the settling tanks, where there were also c300 Starlings, a Mediterranean Gull went over and a couple of Yellowhammers and Goldfinches were along the lane. (AH)

Swift (above), House Martin, Mediterranean Gull & Starlings at Porthole Farm (AH)

Thursday, 14th June: A real change in the weather this morning, with near gale-force south-westerly winds, intermittent heavy drizzly squalls and heavy cloud...though brightening up later.

Selsey Bill: There were a few birds of note this morning, including an Arctic Skua that paused to mug a Sandwich Tern before carrying on east, two Bonxies and 50+ Common Scoters east, an Eider offshore and a couple of Fulmars west, along with the regular terns moving to and fro whilst fishing offshore. Full log below.....

0700-1200hrs: (AH/OM/MJ)
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 7E, 40W
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 59E
Turnstone - 6ob
Great Skua - 2E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Little Tern - 3os
Common Tern - 10os
Sandwich Tern - 8os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Swift - 10 p (locals)

Fulmar (above), Gannet, Little Tern,Sandwich Tern & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

(1815-1915hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 22E, 3W
Sandwich Tern - 12os
LittleTern - 2os
Common Tern - 6os

Ferry Pool: There was not much on the pool early this morning beyond five Avocets, a couple of Little Ringed Plovers, a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, a handful of Lapwings and the Shelduck family, whilst in the channel opposite there were a couple each of Gadwall, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit. (AH) Later, numbers increased somewhat on the pool...to 16 Avocets, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, a Green Sandpiper and a Greenshank, plus the Little Ringed Plovers still. (OM/RSPB Tracy&Nikki)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank, & Gadwalls around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was little to report in the dire conditions, though there were a couple of Ringed Plovers and a few terns in the harbour and a couple of Blackcaps singing around the Mound. (AH)

BFF & DM toiling away in the rain on the new steps to the hide (AH)...and below, our two craftsmen proudly pose by the finished job (DM/BFF)...for which we all owe them a big vote of thanks! (Eds)

Wednesday, 13th June: A very pleasant summer's morning, with a light breeze and plenty of sunshine, though not too hot....

Selsey Bill: Some interest this morning, with a Bonxie and 100+ Common Scoter passing through, and a few Gannets moving....

Full log below:......

0815-1030hrs: (C&ME)

Gannet - 46E, 1W

Common Scoter - 105E

Great Skua - 1E

Commic Tern - 32os

Common Tern - 7os

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank and the Green Sandpiper were both still present this morning, along with 18 Avocets, 22 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Redshank, five Lapwings and the Shelduck family. Also, a mother Gadwall and five well-grown ducklings were on the pool. (AH)

Green Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank (above), juvenile Lapwing, Gadwall family & Shelduck family on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were fledged young Sedge Warblers lurking in the bushes this morning, though there were still several birds singing, along with at least ten Reed Warblers and the odd Whitethroat, Linnet and Reed Bunting, whilst the Little Grebes and Coots, both with families, were getting very irate with each other on the pool.

In Ferry Channel there were 12 Teal (mostly drakes), four Gadwall, 20 Redshank and six Black-tailed Godwits (with another eight flying over), plus at least 50 Shelducks, and there were two Roe Deer in the fields opposite. (AH)

Reed Warblers (above), Sedge Warbler, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits & Roe Deer from Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: This evening there were three Curlews in the harbour, one of which appears to be banded green over blue on its right leg, and there were also four Black-tailed Godwits and three Ringed Plovers present, whilst two Black-headed Gull chicks have crossed from the island into the open harbour.

Also, the Stoat was out near the hide and there were a number of juvenile Goldfinches among a small flock in the churchyard. (AW)