14th - 16th July 2018

Monday, 16th July: The weather remains settled, with more hot sunshine and blues skies and just a light north-westerly breeze.......

Ferry Pool: There were two Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, along with the pair of Avocets plus chick, two Teal, five Lapwings and eight Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Early this morning there was a single Avocet in the harbour before being chased off by terns, a Common Sandpiper was very active in front of Tern Island and the seven Pale-bellied and one Dark-bellied Brent were out in the middle, whilst a Buzzard went over, mobbed by a single Common Tern. Also, a Chiffchaff was seen and heard briefly in the churchyard. (AW)

Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied Brent Geese (above), Avocet & Common Tern and Buzzard at Church Norton (AH)

There were still at least 80 Sandwich Terns, 30 Little Terns and a dozen Common Terns mostly on the mud near the island, along with half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, eight Black-tailed Godwits, two Whimbrel, five Ringed Plovers and c40 Dunlin, along with the usual Curlews and Redshanks. 
Also, c30 Swallows were feeding over the horse field, a Green-veined White was along the path to the harbour and a mother Mallard was leading her five very young ducklings down Rectory Lane towards the Priory. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Mallard family & Green-veined White at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham-east side: A brief look this morning found two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, a few Mediterranean Gulls and many Black-headed Gulls out on the mudflats. A few more Dunlin than yesterday were about as well as a Whimbrel and the regular Black-tailed Godwits. A Brown Argus butterfly was along the Slipe Field and there were good numbers of Common Blues along the path. (BI)

Selsey: An Early Thorn and a Poplar Hawk-moth were in the trap this morning. (SH)

Early Thorn (above) & Poplar Hawk-moth in a Selsey moth-trap (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Ruddy Shelduck was on the mud near Marsh Barn this evening, along with 30+ Black-tailed Godwits and Mediterranean Gulls, and there were also a Hobby, a Kestrel and a handful of Swallows over the banks, with two Brown Hares in the fields.
There were two Greenshank, two Little Ringed Plovers, five Dunlin and eight Avocets around the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

Sunday, 15th July: Another very warm, very sunny morning, with just a light south-westerly breeze.......

West Wittering: Some belated news from the Nunnington Farm Campsite, where a Turtle Dove was seen on the feeders on or around 6th July, but not since. (per BO'D)

Ferry Pool: There were just a single Common Sandpiper, the pair of Avocets with the chick, two Teal and half a dozen or so Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, with a couple of Reed Warblers in the roadside reed-bed.. (AH/IP)

Avocet chick (above), Black-tailed Godwit & Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Selsey Bill: (1500-1600hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 2E, 1W, 1os

Curlew - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 15os

Park Farm, Selsey: There were a dozen Sand Martins and c50 House Martins and Swallows over the fields at Park Farm, plus a Buzzard and three Pied Wagtails, with 30+ Swifts over towards the Selsey Centre. (S&SaH/AH/IP) 

Sand Martin (above) & Sand Martin and Swallows at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Also, a Pebble Prominent was in the moth-trap and a Slow-worm was in the garden, nearby. (S&SaH)

Slow-worm (above) & Pebble Prominent in a Selsey garden (SH)

Church Norton: A Marsh Harrier was seen hunting over the North Wall side of the harbour (see below), whilst six of the Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a Whimbrel and a Buzzard were also about. (S&SaH)

Also, the Bar-tailed Godwit, several Black-tailed Godwits, seven Dunlin, two Common Sandpipers and half a dozen Turnstones were in the harbour, along with c75 Sandwich Terns, c30 Little Terns, c10 Common Terns and about five Mediterranean Gulls. 

Not many small birds were seen beyond a couple each of Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Linnet and a single Sedge Warbler along the Severals. (AH/IP)

Common Sandpiper (above), Common Tern & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

This evening at low-tide there were two Knot among 80 or so Dunlin in the harbour, along with 30+ Black-tailed Godwits together with an increased number of Redshank. A Common Sandpiper was around the concrete blocks while the seven Pale-bellied and one Dark-bellied Brent Geese were out in the middle. (AW)

Knot, Dunlin and Redshank (above), Common Sandpiper & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AW)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were three Yellowhammers, 20+ Whitethroats, two juvenile Green Woodpeckers and a Buzzard around the fields, along with a good total of eight Brown Hares. (SH/PB)

Green Woodpecker (above) & Brown Hare leveret at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (SH)

North Wall: The Marsh Harrier was over White's Creek at c9am this morning. (BI)

Earlier there were two Yellow-legged Gulls and two Whimbrel in the harbour, with a few swallows and Sand Martins over, and c20 Lapwing were on the Breech Pool, along with a scattering of Reed and Sedge Warblers and up to three calling Cetti's Warblers. Also a Roe Deer was drinking from the pool and there were plenty of juvenile Little Egrets sitting out at Owl Copse. (AH/IP)

Sedge Warbler (above), Reed Warbler, Whimbrel, juvenile Little Egret & Roe Deer from North Wall (AH)

Pagham east side: Plenty of Gulls on the harbour mud mid-morning including Black-headed Gulls and their progeny, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, and what looked very like two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls. Best of the waders were a Greenshank and a Whimbrel and there were also a few Dunlin in and out of the channels.  (BI)

Marsh Harrier over the east side (BI)

Medmerry: The Ruddy Shelduck was on the Stilt Pool early afternoon. (BFF)

Saturday, 14th July: The very warm and sunny weather returned this morning, with just a light westerly breeze to keep things bearable.......

Ferry Pool: There were three Common Sandpipers at the back this morning, and there were also 12 Lapwings, seven Black-tailed Godwits, four Redshank, two Teal and four Avocets, plus the chick. Sadly, what looked like a dead juvenile Shelduck was at the back, with possibly the body of the other one nearby. (AH)

Early this afternoon, on the high tide a Green Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were on the pool. (IP)

Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Farm - There wasn't too much about, though 10+ Sand Martins and 20+ Swallows went over, as did four Swifts, three Buzzards and two Kestrels, with four Reed Warblers in the ditches, 20+ Black-tailed Godwits on the mud near the poplars and an appearance by both Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers. (S&SaH)

Also, this afternoon, there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the reserve. (IP)

Selsey: A Sparrowhawk was over our garden to hte north of the village, being mobbed by 25+ swifts. (SH)

Church Norton: Tern activity dominated the harbour, with at least 35 Little Terns, 60 Sandwich Terns and a few Common Terns around, but not particularly on, the island. 

At least three of the Pale-bellied Brent were out in the harbour and there were also at least three Common Sandpipers about, along with half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, a Bar-tailed Godwit, four Black-tailed Godwits, two Whimbrel, five Ringed Plovers and 30+ Curlews, though the only small birds seen were a few Swallows, Skylarks and Linnets. Also, a total of 14 Little Egrets flew into the harbour from the beach, including a group of eight.  (AH)

Later on, all seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese were on show, along with four Dunlin. (IP)

Common Sandpiper (above), Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Bar-tailed Godwit, Linnet, Skylark & Little Egrets at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: This evening a Marsh Harrier was out in the fields behind the North Wall, and there were also a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover and an Avocet on the Breech Pool, a couple of Greenshanks and Whimbrel, plus 20 or more Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits out in the harbour. There were also a few Swallows and Sand Martins over, with large numbers of distant hirundines towards Church Norton. (PB)