Wednesday, 25th July: It remains very warm and sunny, with just a few white clouds about and a light north-westerly breeze....
Ferry Pool: This morning there were a Common Sandpiper, two juvenile Shelducks, 21 Black-tailed Godwits, six Lapwings and the Avocet and its chick on the pool. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwit (above) & juvenile Shelduck on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: The summer-plumage Curlew Sandpiper and three summer-plumaged Knot were in the harbour from the wall this morning. (IH/IB)
Medmerry: Ham/Breach area - A Hobby was chasing (unsuccessfully) the Linnets on the fields between Ham and the breach this afternoon, where there was a build-up of at least 350 birds. Also, a Yellow Wagtail was nearby and there were still at least three Corn Buntings around the barley field. (BO'D)
Medmerry: Ham/Breach area - A Hobby was chasing (unsuccessfully) the Linnets on the fields between Ham and the breach this afternoon, where there was a build-up of at least 350 birds. Also, a Yellow Wagtail was nearby and there were still at least three Corn Buntings around the barley field. (BO'D)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was a summer-plumage Curlew Sandpiper on the Stilt Pool this morning, among 56 Dunlin, and there were also two Common Sandpipers, an adult and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, an adult and three juvenile Avocets, 15 Lapwing and 25 Black-tailed Godwits present, along with a mother and three young Tufted Ducks and a dozen Teal and Gadwall, with a Sandwich Tern fishing offshore.
A Kingfisher flew over the path near Marsh Barn, whilst the Ruddy Shelduck was with a handful of juvenile Shelducks on an outlying pool, where there were also two Green and two Common Sandpipers. There were a few families of Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers along the hedges and ditches, plus a few Meadow Pipits, Sand Martins and Swallows were also present. (AH)
A Kingfisher flew over the path near Marsh Barn, whilst the Ruddy Shelduck was with a handful of juvenile Shelducks on an outlying pool, where there were also two Green and two Common Sandpipers. There were a few families of Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers along the hedges and ditches, plus a few Meadow Pipits, Sand Martins and Swallows were also present. (AH)
Curlew Sandpiper (above), Ruddy Shelduck, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Avocet, Sedge Warbler & Reed Warbler at Medmerry (AH)
Church Norton: This evening there were two summer-plumage Knot in the harbour, along with a dozen Common and c40 Sandwich Terns, but no Little Terns, whilst c30 Swallows and c20 SAand Martins were feeding high overhead. (AH/AW)
Knot (above) & Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
North Selsey & Park Farm: Late this afternoon there were at least 100 House Martins present, plus 20 Swallows, 20 Sand Martins and 20 Swifts, and 31 Pied Wagtails in the salad fields.
Also of interest, a Great Diving beetle was found earlier in a moth trap to the north of the town. (S&SaH)
Great Diving beetle in a Selsey moth trap. (SH)
West Wittering: Two very young (and very late) Herring Gull chicks were on our neighbours' house in the village this morning. (MR)
Herring Gulls at West Wittering (MR)
Tuesday, 24th July: Another warm and muggy day, with a little more cloud and a welcome light W/SW breeze....keeping the temperature just a shade more comfortable along the coast....
Selsey Bill: Nothing was really moving offshore, but the female Eider was on the sea and 15 Swifts went over. There was also a pod of about 8 Bottle-nosed Dolphins - including a juvenile - heading slowly east and breaching frequently. Full log below......
(0740-1030hrs) (OM/BFF)Gannet - 1E
Eider - 1 os (fem)
Sparrowhawk - 1 over gardens
Common Tern - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 5W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W
Swift - 15 gathered over Bill House
House Martin - c.10 p (local breeders)
House Sparrow - 75+ Oval field/drinking from puddles (thanks to whoever keeps the puddles topped up - SR?)
Eider offshore at the Bill (OM)
Ferry Pool: Still very quiet on the pool, with the Avocet plus chick, a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper and five Lapwings being the sum. (AH/OM)
Avocet chick on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: The highlight came just before noon, when there was a mass panic of just about every bird in the harbour....there had to be something about, and finally we were able to locate two Ospreys close together, drifting high over the harbour, heading slowly westwards over the Hide until lost from from view.
The seven Pale-bellied and the single Dark-bellied Brent Geese were in the harbour again on the high tide, along with three Whimbrel and 20+ Common and 120+ Sandwich Terns, but the Little Tern numbers seemed well down - to around six birds - so maybe the bulk of them have very recently chosen to leave, for we couldn't locate any others by the time we left. (OM/BFF)
Ospreys over Church Norton and (below) the flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese. (OM)
Little Tern (above), Common Terns, Sandwich Terns & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: The summer-plumage Curlew Sandpiper and a summer-plumage Knot were in White's Creek this morning, among c150 Dunlin, c60 Redshank and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, and there were also an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Common Sandpiper, three Greenshank and at least three Whimbrel present, too.
A Spotted Redshank was on the Breech Pool, with another calling, unseen, at the back, but the only other waders present were a handful of Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits, though there were lots of mainly juvenile Reed warblers, Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats, plus a Cetti's Warbler and a couple of Reed Buntings along the reeds and hedges. (AH)
Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlin (above), Knot, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Yellow-legged Gull, Spotted Redshank, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat around North Wall (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This evening a Hobby went over, along with a Kestrel, two Buzzards, 70+ Sand Martins and 10+ Swallows.
On the Stilt Pool there were a Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, a Whimbrel, 50+ BVlack-tailed Godwits and 50+ Dunlin. (S&SaH)
East Head: Nothing much at the Witterings but the Kestrels are hunting with the offshore winds on the strand-line, as usual for July.
I think there are three and they could be the juveniles that fledged there a month ago. They seem to be catching large flying insects mostly and they seem to fly most in the evenings as the wind is stronger. (MR)
I think there are three and they could be the juveniles that fledged there a month ago. They seem to be catching large flying insects mostly and they seem to fly most in the evenings as the wind is stronger. (MR)
Kestrel at East Head (MR)
Jersey Tiger (above) & Iron Prominent in a Selsey moth-trap (SH)
Monday, 23rd July: A very warm, sunny day, from first thing, with just a light north-westerly breeze as some relief....
Ferry Pool: The Avocet and its chick were still present, along with a Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, half a dozen Lapwing, a dozen Black-tailed Godwit and a Teal. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above), Avocet chick & Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: A Curlew Sandpiper and three Knot were in White's Creek, together with 30 Dunlin, a Greenshank and 3 Whimbrel, although they later dispersed to roost up at high tide. On the Breech Pool the water level was a little higher again, though still reasonably good for waders, and present this morning were a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, a Snipe, 28 Lapwings, 4 Teal and a couple of fishing Common Terns. The reedbeds and adjacent scrub were also active, with family parties of Reed Warbler and some Sedge Warblers flitting to and fro. (TG/OM)
There were eight Greenshank and three Spotted Redshank on the Breech Pool this evening. (IB)
There were eight Greenshank and three Spotted Redshank on the Breech Pool this evening. (IB)
Curlew Sandpiper (centre) with three Knot, a Black-tailed Godwit (left) and a Lapwing (right foreground) (OM)
Church Norton: The seven Pale-bellied and one Dark-bellied Brent Geese and the family of Canada Geese were out in the main channel, whilst there were at least half a dozen Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits and plenty of Curlew and Redshank about, but the only small waders present were c25 Turnstones.
There were still the best part of 100 very noisy Sandwich Terns in residence, along with 30+ Little Terns and a dozen or so Common Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, but asides from 25 Swallows there were very few passerines beyond the odd Whitethroat, Linnet and Skylark. (AH/AW)
Sandwich Terns (above), juvenile Common Tern, Little Tern, mixed terns, Mediterranean Gull & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Selsey, Park Farm: There was a gathering of 43 Pied Wagtails late afternoon, plus 22 Mediterranean Gulls, 40+ House Martins, 20+ Swallows and also 2 Lapwings and 2 Buzzards. (SH)
Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were three different singing Corn Buntings around the big barley field this evening, with another bird seen taking food into it. Also, a Peregrine went over the breach, putting up a dozen Sandwich Terns among 100+ assorted gulls, a handful of Swallows and Sand Martins were over the fields, three or four young Reed Buntings and 20+ Goldfinches were along the fences and a family of Little Grebes with three very young chicks were on the pond. (AH)
Corn Bunting (above), Reed Bunting & Little Grebe at Medmerry (AH)
No comments:
Post a Comment