11th - 13th August 2018

Monday, 13th August: After a rainy night and a grey start, a bright and breezy morning, with a moderate westerly blowing.....

Ferry Pool: A White Stork was seen from the Tramway dropping into the harbour mid-morning. (MJ)
Earlier, there were up to three Common Sandpipers and three Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with the two Avocets, c40 Lapwings, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, ten juvenile Shovelers and four Teal, with a Wheatear along the fences at the back.
Also, a Kingfisher flew along Red Barn Ditch and around the Tramway circuit there were half a dozen Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroats and at least 40 Whitethroats, with 30+ Sand Martins going over west. (AH/AW/R&GaH)

Later this afternoon the White Stork was seen in Ferry field. It is clearly missing a good number of flight feathers on its right wing and the left wing is also slightly tatty....presumably hinting at a captive origin/re-introduction scheme. Examination of photos taken by GaH shows the bird has a fairly discrete greenish/blue ring on the upper left leg (see pics below.....) 

It was still present up to 7pm. (AH/PB/AW)

White Stork around the Tramway and Ferry area this morning....note the obvious missing flight feathers and the less-than-obvious greenish/blue ring on the upper left leg. Enquiries continue but observers can draw their own conclusions and even year tick it if so inclined! (photos: GaH)

White Stork on Ferry Field (AW, above & AH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocet, Whitethroat and Blackcap & Lesser Whitethroats around the Ferry (AH)

Northcommon Farm: A Pied Flycatcher was in the middle hedge at Flycatcher Corner, along with a couple of Willow Warblers. (SH/BI) 
The Pied Flycatcher was still present this evening. (TB)

Church Norton: A rather ragged White Stork flew up through the harbour (see above) and dropped into the vegetated creeks for a short while before circling around for some time as it drifted off north.

Also, a Raven was in the trees around the car-park and churchyard, where there were also a couple of Willow Warblers and a Lesser Whitethroat, with a Sedge Warbler ad a few Whitethroats in the small oaks by the horse field and a few Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows, plus a lone Swift over..

A steady flow of Sandwich Terns into the harbour (with some departing, too), peaked with up to 90 birds on the mud, plus a couple of Mediterranean Gulls. (R&GaH/AH/AW/BI)

Raven (above), Willow Warbler & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Two Greenshank were in the harbour at Church Norton this afternoon, both constantly calling, but there was not much else to report other than the spit is now open again to the public. (AW)

Greenshanks at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Ham/Breach area - The Hooded Crow was seen again in the vicinity of both locations this afternoon. (BFF/M & L Hunt)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were two Ospreys on the reserve late this afternoon, with one seen fishing offshore, catching a fish and taking it back to eat on a telegraph pole.

Also about were a Swift, a Wheatear, a Kingfisher, a Common Sandpiper, two Avocets and two Whitethroats, with four Sand Martins, two swallows ad four Kestrels overhead. (S&SaH)

North Wall: Breech Pool was close to overflowing and had literally returned to being a duck pond once again; just a handful of Mallard were present and no waders bar a briefly-staying Snipe. Along the Wall was a small mixed flock of Greenfinches and Linnets (11 birds), but Reed Warbler families were very obvious in bushes and reed edges, plus a number of Sedge Warblers and a couple of Cetti's Warblers, whilst 10 or more Reed Buntings were also noted. Two Lesser Whitethroats were chasing each other around and several Common Whitethroats were also in the area. Highlight was a female Marsh Harrier which came across from the Church Norton area and continued NNW until out of sight. 

There was some form of disturbance at Owl Copse and at one time there were 28 Little Egrets in the air....it later became apparent that this was due to the White Stork which drifted across from the other side of the harbour (see previous photos above). The Copse is turning red as the hawthorn berries ripen.  (JDW/OM)

 Greenfinch and Little Egrets at the North wall (JDW)

White's Creek & East side: A check of the c.200 Dunlin present failed to produce anything of interest - apart from the obvious variation in size between the birds! Also noted were c.20 Ringed Plovers, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper. A Grey Wagtail was near the sluice and several Sand Martins and 20 Swallows were feeding in the area, but otherwise it was all standard fare. (OM)

Sunday, 12th August: Another fairly mild and grey morning, with a brisk south-westerly breeze and the promise of rain...

Selsey Bill: A flock of 36 Golden Plovers west was slightly unusual and 65 Mediterranean Gulls were logged....Full log below:

0600-0900hrs:  (SH/PB)

Fulmar - 1E, 2W
Gannet - 82E, 65W
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 12W, 1os
Golden Plover - 36W
Common Tern - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 43W, 20os
Mediterranean Gull - 65E
Sand Martin - 21S
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens

(1300-1400hrs) (SH)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 6E, 12W
Eider - 1os
Sanderling - 1W

(1600-1700hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 7E, 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2os
Sandwich Tern - 7W

Ferry Pool: There were a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers on the pool, along with the two Avocets, c30 Lapwings, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and ten juvenile Shelducks, whilst a couple of Reed Warblers were in the roadside reeds and a couple of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers were in the adjacent hedges. (AH/IP)

Green Sandpiper (above), Common Sandpiper & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

 Common Sandpiper at the Ferry Pool (DM)

This afternoon a Greenshank was in Ferry Channel and a Greylag went over with 30 Canada Geese. (AW)

Greenshank (above) & Greylag and Canada Geese around the Ferry (AW)

Park Farm, Selsey: An adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the fields, along with a couple of Pied Wagtails, and a Whitethroat was along the lane but not much else, whilst a couple of Swifts and a handful of Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows went over. (AH/IP)

Yellow-legged Gull (above) & Roe Deer at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Church Norton: There were a couple of Wheatears on the concrete slabs, a Reed Warbler, a couple of Whitethroats and a couple of Reed Buntings were along the front and a handful of hirundines went over.
A couple of Gannets and a few Sandwich Terns were offshore, with half a dozen of the latter in the harbour, along with the seven Pale-bellied and lone Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a few of the regular waders, a few Black-tailed Godwits and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Also, a flock of 37 Bar-tailed Godwits flew through, heading west over the beach. (AH/IP)

Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Wheatear & Ringed Plover and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon there was a Greenshank in the harbour, with another in Ferry Channel, with a couple of Whimbrel, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Sandwich Terns out on the mud and a mixed group of about a dozen each of Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow feeding over the trees. (AH/AW)

Sand Martin (above) & Whimbrel and Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry - The Breach: The Hooded Crow was on view from the Breach viewpoint at 1400hrs today. (J.Everitt)

The Hooded Crow showed, briefly and distantly, twice this afternoon, seen from the Ham viewpoint and from the breach. It seems to favour the grassy area with cattle just south of the Ham viewpoint, but it seems to vanish instantly when it decides to go. (M&KG)

Hooded Crow at Medmerry (MG)

Saturday, 11th August: A marked improvement on yesterday, with a fairly mild, if grey morning, with a light southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: (0600-0730hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 13E, 4W
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 1os
Ringed Plover - 6E
Sanderling - 1E, 3W
Black-tailed Godwit - 7W
Turnstone - 14W
Sandwich Tern - 14os
Common Tern - 1os
Swallow - 1p
House Martin - 4p
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Willow Warbler - 8p
Chiffchaff - 4p
Whitethroat - 1p
Linnet - 4p

1600-1800hrs:  (SH)
Gannet - 5E, 6W
Sanderling - 1ob (juv)
Turnstone - 2 ob
Common Tern - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 24W, 21os
Mediterranean Gull - 1ob

Ferry Pool: There were a Green Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, the adult and juvenile Avocets, and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings on the pool and three Reed Warblers in the roadside reeds. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above) & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were 20+ Sand Martins over the farm this morning, with a couple of Whitethroats in the hedges and 30+ Pied wagtails on the fields. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There were three Wheatears along the beach, 10+ Willow Warblers and Whitethroats in the bushes along the front and 40+ Sand Martins, 20+ House Martins and 20+ Swallows overhead.
There were five Little Terns, three Common Terns and 50+ Sandwich Terns in the harbour on the high tide, along with 10+ Knot, a Whimbrel and 100+ Dunlin. (S&SaH)

Later on a Marsh Harrier went over the harbour. (D&MB)

Wheatear at Church Norton (SH)

North Wall: A Barn Owl was hunting over the fields this evening. (IH/IB)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - The Hooded Crow was in fields north of the farm early on, before relocating back to the breach area this morning. 
There were at least a dozen Swifts and Sand Martins over the fields, a couple of Grey Plovers 20+ Ringed Plovers and 50+ Dunlin around the breach, a Peregrine on the derelict building and a Garden Warbler, a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and a few more Willow Warblers and Blackcaps around the hedges, with a Yellow Wagtail, a couple of Wheatears and plenty of Pied Wagtails and Reed Buntings in the freshly ploughed fields towards Porthole Farm. (D&MB/AH/IP)

Later on, a White Stork was reported flying over. (L Dray)

Very distant (!!) Hooded Crow (above), Swifts & Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

The Hooded Crow was on shingle distantly from Ham viewpoint at 16.20pm, and a Turtle Dove was by the farm at 16.00pm. (MD)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Whinchat and at least five Wheatears were on the reserve opposite the Stilt Pool, but generally the banks were quiet apart from a few Whitethroats and Yellowhammers, plus a family of Stonechats at the first viewpoint, with just a lone Sand Martin and a handful of Swallows over.
The Stilt Pools held three or four Common Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, two juvenile Avocets and a handful of Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits, with five Sandwich Terns going over and out to sea. There were also large numbers of wildfowl, including a Wigeon, a handful of Teal, 30+ Gadwall, two Greylag Geese and up to 600 very noisy Canada Geese, and a Clouded Yellow and a couple of Brown Arguses among the butterflies seen. (AH)

Wheatears (above), Stonechats, Common Sandpiper, Canada Geese, Clouded Yellow & Brown Argus at Medmerry (AH)

An Osprey was perched in trees and flying around the reserve from 14.15 to 14.45pm at least, whilst on the Stilt Pool there was a Knot, nine Dunlin, 15 Black-tailed Godwits, two Avocets, two Common Sandpipers and a Whinchat, whilst an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Ringed Plovers, a Greenshank and two Whimbrel were on the reserve opposite. (MD)

Chi GPs - Drayton House pits: A WeBS count produced nothing unusual, but of interest were the first 3 returning Shoveler, plus an additional brood each of Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe (both with small young), a Common Sandpiper, and 20+ House Martins with 10 Sand Martins. (OM)