Wednesday, 1 August 2018

1st - 3rd August 2018

Friday, 3rd August: An even hotter day, with unbroken sunshine and hardly any breeze.....

Ferry Pool: There were three Avocets on the pool this morning - the usual adult and offspring plus another juvenile, but otherwise there was just one Common Sandpiper present, along with c55 Lapwings, c35 Black-tailed Godwits and six Teal. (AH)


Common Sandpiper (above) & Avocet on the Ferry (AH)


North Wall: A Pied Flycatcher was briefly in the tree by the Salthouse just before midday today, before flying off towards the hedges near the stables. (BI)


Pied Flycatcher at the North Wall (BI)

Earlier, a smart Yellow Wagtail along the wall was the highlight of a quiet morning, with other passerines few beyond a handful of Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers and 100+ Goldfinches, with 20 or so Sand Martins among 50+ Swallows feeding overhead.
A Greenshank in White's Creek was the only wader of note, though there were also a handful of Whimbrel, 50+ Redshank and 30+ Black-tailed Godwits present, with another dozen of the latter and c30 Lapwings on the Breech Pool.
There were huge numbers of gulls feeding on flying insects over the whole harbour, including plenty of Mediterranean Gulls and a lone Common Tern.
Two Jays and two Kestrels was about it for Halsey's Farm, whilst at Honer farm there were a couple of calling Willow/Chiffs and a Painted Lady. (AH/BI/PC) There was no sign of the Wall butterfly in the north fields but a Clouded Yellow flew through, a Painted Lady was over the meadow and a worn Purple Hairstreak was in the oaks. (AH/BI)



Yellow Wagtail (above), Greenshank, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Swallow & Lapwings around the North Wall (AH)






Church NortonEarly this afternoon, on the rising tide, 5 of the 7 Pale-bellied Brent were down near the old pier. There were around 10 Common and 20 Sandwich Terns among a group of Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls, with some juveniles of each.
In the churchyard there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Whitethroat and small group of Swallows. (AW)

Later on, from the beach, there were 100+ Mediterranean Gulls, 20 Swifts and similar of Sand Martins and Swallows feeding overhead. (AH)


 Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Church Norton and Swallows in the churchyard. (AW)


This evening there was a Yellow-legged gull in the fields along Rectory Lane and two Common Gulls  were among the usual gathering in the harbour, which still included a few Common and Sandwich Terns. (AW)
 

Yellow-legged Gull (above) & Common Gull at Church Norton (AW)


Sidlesham: Our resident family of Buzzards were being very noisy and conspicuous today, with two fully fledged youngsters in tow. (AH)


Buzzard over Sidlesham (AH)




Thursday, 2nd August: Another hot day, with lots of sunshine and a light westerly breeze.....

Ferry Pool: Much the same as yesterday on the pool, with two Common Sandpipers and two Little Ringed Plovers and the adult and juvenile Avocets present, along with 25 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Lapwing, six Teal 
There were a couple of Reed Warblers in the road-side reeds and a Blackcaps and a large mixed Long-tailed and Blue Tit flock in the adjacent hedgerows. (AH)


Little Ringed Plover (above), Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Blackcap & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)





Long Pool: It was quiet along the path, with just the odd Reed or Sedge Warbler making its presence known, an adult with a juvenile Little Grebe and a few Teal on the pool and just a few Redshank in Ferry Channel. (AH)


Reed Warbler (above), Little Grebe & Teal around Long Pool (AH)



Church Norton:Tern numbers were down to a dozen Sandwich, two or three Common and a lone Little this morning, though the seven Pale-bellied and the Dark-bellied Brent Geese were still in residence, as were several Whimbrel.
About 20 Sand Martins and similar of Swallows went over, but the bushes remain quiet, with just a couple of Blackcaps and a Lesser Whitethroat behind the hide and another of the latter, plus half a dozen Whitethroats and Linnets along the front. (AH)


Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Linnet & Little and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)










Wednesday, 1st August: A very warm and sunny morning, with just a light south-westerly breeze.....

Ferry Pool: There were two Common Sandpipers and two Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with the adult and juvenile Avocets, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 35 Lapwing, two Teal and thee juvenile Shelduck. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Avocet, Shelduck & Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)




Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was very quiet along the banks this morning, with barely a dozen Yellowhammers and Skylarks, a handful of Linnets and Swallows, a couple of Willow Warblers and a couple of Whitethroat families, plus a few Stock Doves, being the sum.
Two Common Sandpipers, two Greenshank and c40 Black-tailed Godwits were in the poplars area of the reserve, but the Stilt Pool held just a single Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings. There were also a few Teal and Gadwall on the pool, along with 105 Canada Geese, plus the Barnacle x Canada Goose hybrid (whose call was very much more like Barnacle than Canada).
There were plenty of butterflies about, including two or three Painted Ladies and lots of Common Blues. (AH)
This afternoon there were two Wood Sandpipers on the Stilt Pool (BO'D)

Common Sandpiper (above), Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Stock Doves, Barnacle x Canada Goose hybrid, Painted Lady & Common Blue at Medmerry (AH)









North Wall: Apart from a Lapwing there were no waders on Breech Pool at all, whilst along the Wall there were three brightly-plumaged Willow Warblers, 21 Goldfinches, two Reed Buntings, a Linnet and a Whitethroat, and a  Hobby was over Honer Farm. 
Following Whites Creek along the east side there were close to 100 Common Redshank and at least 60 Black-tailed Godwits. It was a good morning for butterflies with Wall Brown and Common Blue showing well. (JDW)



Wall Brown (above) & Common Blue at the North Wall (JDW)



Park Farm, Selsey: This evening there were 27 Pied Wagtails and four Mediterranean Gulls on the fields and 20+ Sand Martins and a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)



Church Norton: A Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel were in the harbour, along with about 20 Sandwich Terns, 20 Dunlin, c50 Redshanks and c30 swallows. (S&SaH/AH)




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