Wednesday, 6th June: The brisk north-easterly breeze made it a very chilly start to the day, but it warmed up as the sun broke through later in the morning........
Ferry Pool: The Avocet tally had risen to 22 this morning, including a couple of potentially brooding birds, and there were also 43 Black-tailed Godwits,the two Little Ringed Plovers, the three juvenile Lapwings, several Redshank and the Shelduck family around the pool. (AH/OM) Later on there were four Little Ringed Plovers present. (RW)
Long Pool: There were plenty of Reed and Sedge Warblers singing, but keeping low, along with a Blackcap and a couple of Linnets and Reed Buntings, whilst a Cuckoo was calling along the west side and on the water there were a Little Grebe and two chicks, a new Coot family and four Gadwall.
There were two drake Teal in Ferry channel, along with a Whimbrel, a dozen Redshank and c40 Shelduck. (AH)
Church Norton: A quick early look was very unproductive, with no waders seen and just the usual mix of terns and gulls on the island, all put up by something unseen, whilst there were also a pair of Lapwings and a Skylark on the lettuce fields in Rectory Lane.. (AH)
On the rising tide this afternoon there was a Bar-tailed Godwit and distantly in the heat haze five Ringed Plover and a Dunlin. Also, a Gannet passed low very close to the beach before landing on the sea and drifting towards the Bill. (RWE)
Sidlesham: A Cuckoo flew over our garden on the west of the village early this morning, calling as it went. (AH)
Selsey: Two Common Terns went over our garden on the north of the village this morning, and a Poplar Kitten was in the moth-trap. (SH)
West Itchenor: There were a dozen House Martins around the harbour office this morning, but very little else of note, with just the odd Blackcap or Chiffchaff singing and a dozen Grey Plovers out on the mud on the far side. (AH)
North Wall: On the Breech Pool there were two Tufted Ducks, a few Mallard and the Great Crested Grebes still sitting on eggs, whilst Swallows were using the fence posts as preening stations and nearby, a Jay was hunting in the bushes and causing great distress to a pair of Linnets.
The Mute Swans at Owl Point recently hatched 5 cygnets but I could not locate them this morning though a Cuckoo was at this location and a couple of Common Terns were fishing along Pagham Rife, the first time I have recorded them here. On Honer Reservor there were three Mute Swans and five Tufted Ducks, four males and a female, and Ox-eye Daisies were out in full bloom there. (JDW)
Tuesday, 5th June: A cool and very grey morning, with a fresh north-easterly breeze....
Juvenile Lapwing (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: There were plenty of Reed and Sedge Warblers singing, but keeping low, along with a Blackcap and a couple of Linnets and Reed Buntings, whilst a Cuckoo was calling along the west side and on the water there were a Little Grebe and two chicks, a new Coot family and four Gadwall.
There were two drake Teal in Ferry channel, along with a Whimbrel, a dozen Redshank and c40 Shelduck. (AH)
Whimbrel (above), Teal, Little Grebes & Reed Bunting from Long Pool (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: A growing flock of Red Kites that reached an amazing 11 birds (surely a peninsula record?) was following the plough in the field by Apuldram church early this afternoon. (AB)
Church Norton: A quick early look was very unproductive, with no waders seen and just the usual mix of terns and gulls on the island, all put up by something unseen, whilst there were also a pair of Lapwings and a Skylark on the lettuce fields in Rectory Lane.. (AH)
On the rising tide this afternoon there was a Bar-tailed Godwit and distantly in the heat haze five Ringed Plover and a Dunlin. Also, a Gannet passed low very close to the beach before landing on the sea and drifting towards the Bill. (RWE)
Tern Island (above), Lapwings & Skylark and Lapwing at Church Norton (AH)
Sidlesham: A Cuckoo flew over our garden on the west of the village early this morning, calling as it went. (AH)
Selsey: Two Common Terns went over our garden on the north of the village this morning, and a Poplar Kitten was in the moth-trap. (SH)
Poplar Kitten in a Selsey moth-trap (SH)
West Itchenor: There were a dozen House Martins around the harbour office this morning, but very little else of note, with just the odd Blackcap or Chiffchaff singing and a dozen Grey Plovers out on the mud on the far side. (AH)
House Martin at West Itchenor (AH)
The Mute Swans at Owl Point recently hatched 5 cygnets but I could not locate them this morning though a Cuckoo was at this location and a couple of Common Terns were fishing along Pagham Rife, the first time I have recorded them here. On Honer Reservor there were three Mute Swans and five Tufted Ducks, four males and a female, and Ox-eye Daisies were out in full bloom there. (JDW)
Swallow (above), Jay, Great Crested Grebe & Ox-eye Daisies around North Wall (JDW)
Medmerry (west side): A midday walk from the Earnley car park to the stilt pools found plenty of Swifts low over the fields with Yellowhammer and Whitethroat common in the scrub/hedges. At the stilt pool a summer plumage Knot was in with in with the 47 Black-tailed Godwits. (Also, a possible Cream-Spotted Tiger Moth was over the ditch between Medmerry Park and the car park - thanks to the RSPB volunteers at Sidlesham for sorting out the ID) (RW)
Ferry Pool: There were two Little Ringed Plovers on the pool again, along with six Avocets, 22 Black-tailed Godwits, five Dunlin, ten Redshank, six Lapwing and the Shelduck family. (AH)
Later, a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper (late migrant or first returner?) were present, the Black-tailed Godwit count had risen to 66 and a Whimbrel was near the end of Ferry channel. (S.Chastell)
Later, a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper (late migrant or first returner?) were present, the Black-tailed Godwit count had risen to 66 and a Whimbrel was near the end of Ferry channel. (S.Chastell)
Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing (above) & Dunlin on the Ferry (AH)
(above) Green Sandpiper and Greenshank with Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry Pool, and (below) Black-tailed Godwit (S. Chastell)
Church Norton: There were 3 Little, 12 Sandwich and 2 Common Terns present this afternoon, plus 15 Dunlin, 17 Ringed Plover, 19 Black-tailed Godwits and a Cuckoo. (S.Chastell)
Sidlesham: Church Farm Lane - There was no sight or sound of the Nightingale in the copse at the far end of the lane early this morning, though Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Song Thrush were all singing well, whilst a Brown Hare and two Shelducks were in the fields. (AH)
Shelduck (above) & Brown Hare at Church Farm Lane, Sidlesham (AH)
Selsey: A Small Elephant Hawk-moth in the trap this morning was a new one for us. (SH)
Small Elephant Hawk-moth in a Selsey moth-trap (SH)
North Wall / East side: Predictably quiet with early summer now upon us. On the Breech Pool were 6 Tufted Duck, a Gadwall, the pair of Great Crested Grebes and a Canada Goose, whilst along the Wall the now-resident Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers and a couple of Cetti's Warblers were making their presence felt with bursts of song and up to 10 Swifts were hawking over the back fields.
Out on the mudflats from the east side there were 3 Curlews and 4+ Ringed Plovers among the resident Oystercatchers, but little else bar a few Shelducks and the lone Brent Goose, plus 2 Great Crested Grebes in the channel. Several Whitethroats and a couple of Chiffchaffs were along the hedgerows, and another Cetti's Warbler was heard near to the caravan park. (OM)
Monday, 4th June: A bit cooler than yesterday, with a fresh north-easterly breeze, but still a pleasant and mostly sunny morning....
Selsey Bill: 0720-0820hrs: Hardly worth the effort this morning, with just 5 Gannets east and up to 10 Sandwich Terns fishing offshore. A check along the gardens produced nothing except for half a dozen Swifts (presumably now local birds), and at least 12 of the now-resident House Martins were collecting mud from around the puddles. Sadly, it seems that someone (residents or council) has needlessly decimated the tamarisk bushes (in front of the bungalows) again! (OM)
With Bill-tip habitat at a premium, why was it thought necessary to hack down these tamarisk bushes - and in the nesting season too! (OM)
Sidlesham: Church Farm Lane - A Nightingale was singing from the copse at the far end of the lane this evening. (S&SaH) Later there was a Grey Partridge in the field near the footpath. (BI)
Grey Partridge at Church Farm Lane (BI)
Ferry Pool: There was a Greenshank at the back this morning, and there were also at least two Little Ringed Plovers, 12 Avocets, c60 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Dunlin, six Redshank, four Lapwing and the Shelduck family present. (AH/OM)
Greenshank and Little Ringed Plovers (above), Little Ringed Plover & Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A quick look early on produced c40 Black-tailed Godwits, c30 Dunlin and a few Ringed Plovers in the harbour, along with few Sandwich and Little Terns, but not too much else. (AH/AW)
Little Tern at Church Norton (AH)
This evening in the harbour there were at least eight Sanderling, around 30 Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, two Redshank and 22 Turnstones. (AW)
Sanderlings, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Sanderlings at Church Norton (AW)
Medmerry: Breach area - There were three singing male Corn Buntings and probably six birds in total, around the last bit of undeveloped waste ground near the viewpoint, along with a Stonechat and several Linnets, whilst on the tidal pools there was a flighty flock of 18 Sanderling and 11 Dunlin, and a couple of Swifts, House Martins and Swallows were overhead. (AH/MJ)
Corn Buntings (above), Sanderlings & Sanderlings and Dunlin at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham Farm - Encouragingly, there were a further three singing male Corn Buntings, and again probably six birds in total, around the banks at Ham this morning, along with another Stonechat, a Yellowhammer, a Reed Bunting and a few Linnets and Skylarks.
A Meadow Pipit was carrying food on the Chainbridge field, and there were a couple of Reed Warblers in the ditches and Whitethroats in the hedges, plus a dozen or so Linnets and a Green Woodpecker. (AH)
Corn Buntings (above), Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Whitethroats & Green Woodpecker at Medmerry (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: A quick look this morning on the falling tide....the only birds of any note being the herd of 110 non-breeding Mute Swans, and the now-traditional small summering flock of Brent Geese (8 birds counted). (OM)
Mute Swans in the channel at Fishbourne creek, and summering Brent Geese (OM)
Selsey: A Buff Ermine and a Small Magpie were in the trap this morning. (SH)
Buff Ermine (above) & Small Magpie in a Selsey moth-trap (SH)
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