Wednesday, 27th June: Another splendid summer's day as the high pressure continues; warm and sunny with clear blue skies, though with a moderate E/SE breeze again providing a bit of welcome relief along the coast....
Selsey Bill: (0730-0845hrs) (SH) Three Shoveler were perhaps unexpected at this time of year, though otherwise it was standard fare......and no big white things in sight! (see yesterday's report!)
Gannet - 28E, 1W
Eider - 1os
Shoveler - 3E
Common Scoter - 28E
Turnstone - 7W
Common Tern - 8os
Sandwich Tern - 12os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Swift - 2p
House Martin - 1p
Ferry Pool: Early this morning there was a Greenshank, three Little Ringed Plovers, the pair of Avocets, c20 Redshank, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, five Lapwings, six Teal and the Shelduck family on the pool. (AH)
Long Pool: Along the pool a couple of Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats were still singing, with a handful of Linnets in the hedges, but there were just a few Curlews and Redshanks in Ferry Channel. (AH)
Medmerry: Stilt Pool - This afternoon there was a Common Sandpiper and two Greenshank on the Stilt Pool. (BO'D)
Chi GPs - Drayton Pits: A fairly casual look around the pits in the heat today produced two female Pochards with broods of young, plus seven adult males loafing nearby, whilst a Tufted Duck with a new brood of two young was also present.
Unfortunately, much of the long grass and wild flowers had been recently mowed on one pit, eliminating a nice patch of Pyramidal Orchids, but a good number of others were still surviving. The commoner butterflies were well represented, including about 20 Marbled Whites and a couple of Commas amongst the vegetation, plus a selection of dragonflies, damselflies and several lizards. (OM/MJ)
Tuesday, 26th June: Another glorious morning, with blue skies and a moderate easterly breeze just keeping it slightly cooler on the coast.....
Selsey Bill: 0730-1000hrs: There was a rather bizarre occurrence this morning, when initially DF/DS saw what they described as "a very large unidentified white bird heading east a long way out, which then almost hovered as it flapped down onto the sea!" OM/MJ arrived somewhat later, to be greeted with this account and the view of an obviously large, apparently all-whitish bird drifting fairly steadily east at about mile-basket range. Zoomed-up scopes gave a rather odd impression....OM offered that it was perhaps a swan, but it didn't really seem to fit that jizz in the neck department, and the only other thing anywhere near we could think of was a Pelican! The news was put out to the locals just in case anyone nearby wanted a look, but in the event the bird just seemed to then disappear....we didn't see it fly off so maybe it went further out to sea. Swan - or something more exotic - we will never know; it's probably just as well, but at least it's worth a mention here. It was otherwise very quiet....log below:
Gannet - 15E
Eider - 1 fem os
Common Scoter - 12E
Common Tern - 2os
Sandwich Tern - c.15 fishing os
Herring Gull - c.500 offshore...massive flock following fishing boats.
House Martin - at least 6 birds still collecting mud from the Grafton Rd puddle(s)...thanks to those who keep them topped up.
Swift - 9p
Selsey: To the north of the town (Horsefield Road area) there are at least 5 pairs of rooftop nesting Herring Gulls with young and a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. (OM)
Selsey Bill: (0730-0845hrs) (SH) Three Shoveler were perhaps unexpected at this time of year, though otherwise it was standard fare......and no big white things in sight! (see yesterday's report!)
Gannet - 28E, 1W
Eider - 1os
Shoveler - 3E
Common Scoter - 28E
Turnstone - 7W
Common Tern - 8os
Sandwich Tern - 12os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Swift - 2p
House Martin - 1p
Ferry Pool: Early this morning there was a Greenshank, three Little Ringed Plovers, the pair of Avocets, c20 Redshank, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, five Lapwings, six Teal and the Shelduck family on the pool. (AH)
Greenshank (above), Shelducks & Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: Along the pool a couple of Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats were still singing, with a handful of Linnets in the hedges, but there were just a few Curlews and Redshanks in Ferry Channel. (AH)
Sedge Warbler (above), Linnet & Curlew from Long Pool (AH)
Medmerry: Stilt Pool - This afternoon there was a Common Sandpiper and two Greenshank on the Stilt Pool. (BO'D)
Chi GPs - Drayton Pits: A fairly casual look around the pits in the heat today produced two female Pochards with broods of young, plus seven adult males loafing nearby, whilst a Tufted Duck with a new brood of two young was also present.
Unfortunately, much of the long grass and wild flowers had been recently mowed on one pit, eliminating a nice patch of Pyramidal Orchids, but a good number of others were still surviving. The commoner butterflies were well represented, including about 20 Marbled Whites and a couple of Commas amongst the vegetation, plus a selection of dragonflies, damselflies and several lizards. (OM/MJ)
Tuesday, 26th June: Another glorious morning, with blue skies and a moderate easterly breeze just keeping it slightly cooler on the coast.....
Selsey Bill: 0730-1000hrs: There was a rather bizarre occurrence this morning, when initially DF/DS saw what they described as "a very large unidentified white bird heading east a long way out, which then almost hovered as it flapped down onto the sea!" OM/MJ arrived somewhat later, to be greeted with this account and the view of an obviously large, apparently all-whitish bird drifting fairly steadily east at about mile-basket range. Zoomed-up scopes gave a rather odd impression....OM offered that it was perhaps a swan, but it didn't really seem to fit that jizz in the neck department, and the only other thing anywhere near we could think of was a Pelican! The news was put out to the locals just in case anyone nearby wanted a look, but in the event the bird just seemed to then disappear....we didn't see it fly off so maybe it went further out to sea. Swan - or something more exotic - we will never know; it's probably just as well, but at least it's worth a mention here. It was otherwise very quiet....log below:
Gannet - 15E
Eider - 1 fem os
Common Scoter - 12E
Common Tern - 2os
Sandwich Tern - c.15 fishing os
Herring Gull - c.500 offshore...massive flock following fishing boats.
House Martin - at least 6 birds still collecting mud from the Grafton Rd puddle(s)...thanks to those who keep them topped up.
Swift - 9p
Mainly Herring Gulls following a fishing boat and the vegetated shingle on the beach in front of Oval Field. (OM)
Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank were at the back early this morning, and there were also a couple of Little Ringed Plovers, the pair of Avocets, five Lapwing, c20 Redshanks and 24 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool, along with the Shelduck family and three Teal, with a family of Gadwall in the adjacent rife. (AH/OM)
Later on a Red Kite went over the Visitor Centre area. (MR)
Church Norton: There wasn't much to report beyond the activity around Tern Island, with the bushes all but silent, though there were a Whimbrel, ten Curlews and six Ringed Plovers in the harbour. (AH)
Colin Holter's account of the finding of the American Royal Tern on the 19th June is here
Medmerry: Breach area/Chainbridge/Ham Farm - The Breach area was very quiet, with just two Shelduck, two Curlews and Ringed Plover on the tidal areas and two Sandwich Terns and a Gannet offshore, whilst the banks held just a few Linnets, a family of Swallows and a Pied Wagtail.
There were three singing males among half a dozen Corn Buntings around Ham, along with a couple of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers and numerous Skylarks and Linnets. Also, one or two Reed Warblers and Whitethroats were along the ditches and ponds and a couple of Swifts and a few Swallows went over. (AH)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Barn Owl was out hunting this evening, but there wasn't much else about. (AH)
Selsey: A Privet Hawk-moth and a Poplar Hawk-moth were in the trap this morning. (SH)
Monday, 25th June: A very warm morning, with unbroken sunshine and a gentle breeze.....Later on a Red Kite went over the Visitor Centre area. (MR)
Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank & Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There wasn't much to report beyond the activity around Tern Island, with the bushes all but silent, though there were a Whimbrel, ten Curlews and six Ringed Plovers in the harbour. (AH)
Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Colin Holter's account of the finding of the American Royal Tern on the 19th June is here
Medmerry: Breach area/Chainbridge/Ham Farm - The Breach area was very quiet, with just two Shelduck, two Curlews and Ringed Plover on the tidal areas and two Sandwich Terns and a Gannet offshore, whilst the banks held just a few Linnets, a family of Swallows and a Pied Wagtail.
There were three singing males among half a dozen Corn Buntings around Ham, along with a couple of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers and numerous Skylarks and Linnets. Also, one or two Reed Warblers and Whitethroats were along the ditches and ponds and a couple of Swifts and a few Swallows went over. (AH)
Corn Bunting (above), Skylarks, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Sandwich Tern & Restharrow at Medmerry (AH)
Selsey: A Privet Hawk-moth and a Poplar Hawk-moth were in the trap this morning. (SH)
Poplar Hawk-moth (above) & with Privet Hawk-moth in a Selsey moth-trap (SH)
Ferry Pool: A Greenshank was on the pool this morning, along with a Green Sandpiper, the pair of Avocets, 35 Redshank, 25 Black-tailed Godwits, two Teal and the Shelduck family. Also, there were three adult Little Ringed Plovers at the back, but a flock of five flew out and high towards the harbour, but I couldn't see if any of them were juveniles. (AH)
Greenshank (above) & Little Ringed Plover at the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: There were still plenty of Reed Warblers, plus a couple of Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats and Linnets along the pool, whilst a Spotted Redshank and c30 Common Redshanks were in Ferry Channel and five Avocets and a dozen Curlews were in the harbour at the end. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Redshanks, Avocets & Reed Warbler from Long Pool (AH)
Church Norton: There were plenty of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns in the harbour, with more, plus a couple of Gannets, offshore, whilst out on the mud there was a Whimbrel and five Curlews. The Swallows were busy around the hide, but the only other small birds noted were a singing Blackcap and a couple of Linnets. (AH)
This evening there was a mother Tufted Duck with four ducklings on the second Several. (S&SaH)
This evening there was a mother Tufted Duck with four ducklings on the second Several. (S&SaH)
1st-summer Common Tern and Sandwich Terns (above), Gannet & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)
Selsey: A very impressive Privet Hawk-moth was in the trap this morning. (SH)
Privet Hawk-moth in a Selsey garden (SH)
North Wall: On White's Creek were 2 Great
Crested Grebes and a family of Canada Geese, presumably those that had bred
along Pagham Rife. The Mute Swan and Gadwall families were doing well on Breech Pool
along with 2 Tufted Ducks, 2 Teal, 12+ Mallard and a Little Grebe. Two Common Terns were fishing and at the back were 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 7
Lapwing, whilst on Honer reservoir there were just 2 Tufted Ducks and 3 Black-headed Gulls, and along Honer Lane Yellowhammers and Whitethroats were feeding young. (JDW)
No comments:
Post a Comment