Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 10th

Wednesday, 12th June: A morning that started cool and grey with a blustery north-easterly eventually became quite still and muggy under threatening dark clouds....with some heavy showers by afternoon.

Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets on the pool this morning, along with four Redshank, eight Lapwing and 20 Shelducks, plus the youngsters, whilst the pair of Wigeon, six Gadwall and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Wigeon around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There was no sign of last night's reported Squacco Heron this morning, though there is a very large amount of suitable habitat in the vicinity!
A Barn Owl was out early on, and a pair of Cuckoos were being noisy on the distant hedges, but otherwise it was quiet, with 20 or so Black-tailed Godwits around the Breech Pool and White's Creek, plus a few Lapwing and a Curlew the only waders present.
Also, a Little Tern and a Common Tern visited White's Creek, two Teal were on the Breech Pool and a Wigeon and a Brent Goose, plus a hauled out Common Seal, were in the harbour, but the only passerines noted were a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and the usual Reed and Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats, Reed Buntings and Linnets. (AH/BI/OM/IH/PC et al)

Barn Owl (above), Little Tern, Common Tern, Reed Warbler & Lapwings at the North Wall (AH)

There was no further sign of the Squacco Heron tonight, but there were three different Barn Owls out hunting the fields, up to a dozen Swifts went over and a pair of Cuckoos were being very active around the bushes, with at least two more calling males heard nearby. (AH/BI/S&SaH/OM/IH et al)

Barn Owl from the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pools - The Spoonbill was still present early this morning and there was also a Green Sandpiper about, along with a juvenile Stonechat and a few Yellowhammers. (CG/AW)

Spoonbill (above), Stonechat & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AW)

Pagham Spit: There was a constant stream of Little and Sandwich Terns, plus just one Common Tern feeding up and down the harbour mouth on the dropping tide this morning, whilst at least half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls flew into the harbour.
There was very little on the spit itself beyond a few Skylarks and Linnets, plus a pair of Ringed Plovers. (AH)

Sandwich Tern (above), Skylark & Little Terns at Pagham Spit (AH)

Tuesday, 11th June: A very pleasant summer's morning, with a mix of sun and white cloud and a modest easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Two groups of six 'Commic' Terns went determinedly east and a Fulmar went west, but otherwise it was mainly a continuous flow of Sandwich Terns carrying fish back to the harbour. Full log below....
0705-1020hrs: (IP/OM/AH/DF/DS)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 11E
Little Tern - 1os
Common Tern - 3E
Commic Tern - 12E
Sandwich Tern - c.40 - fishing os/to and fro with food
Swallow - 2 p
House Martin - c.15 local birds collecting mud

Sandwich Tern (above), Common Tern & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Nice new habitat (above) & a leisurely summer sea-watch at the Bill (AH)

North Wall: A Squacco Heron was reported as being present this evening between the North Wall and the Egret roost island at 745pm. The bird then flew north at 8pm before returning and heading towards Sidlesham. (D.Hillier per SOS)

Ferry Pool: There were just four Lapwings, two Redshank and a dozen Shelducks, plus six youngsters, on the pool this morning, whilst around the Tramway there were still several singing Blackcaps and Whitethroats, along with a Chiffchaff and a Lesser Whitethroat. (AH)
Later a flock of 32 Black-tailed Godwits was present, whilst the above mentioned warblers were all still singing. (OM)

Long Pool: The female Pintail and family of Gadwall were still on the pool, along with a pair of Great Crested Grebes, whilst a Little Tern briefly fed in Ferry Channel, where there were also an Avocet, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Redshank and six Gadwall.
A family of newly-fledged Reed Warblers were in the hedges, and there were still a few Reed and Sedge Warblers singing, along with a Reed Bunting and a dozen Linnets. (AH)

Little Tern (above), Avocet, Pintail, Sedge Warbler, Gadwall ducklings, fledgling Reed Warbler & Reed Bunting around the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: There was still a great deal of activity around the gull and tern colony, but otherwise the harbour was very quiet, whilst along the Severals there were Reed and Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats, Reed Buntings and Linnets busy gathering food. (AH/IP)

Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were a minimum of three singing Corn Buntings around the barley field this evening, with several Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, plus plenty of Skylarks and Linnets about, too. Also, Whitethroats and Reed Warblers were busy gathering food, whilst out near the breach a Peregrine was sat out and a Curlew flew in.
Along Ham Road about 20 House Martins and a dozen Swallows were sat on the wires, enjoying the evening sun, whilst half a dozen Swifts were busy overhead. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Yellowhammer, Skylark, Peregrine & House Martins and Swallows at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - One Spoonbill was still present on the Stilt Pools along with at least five Little Ringed Plovers, while a Cuckoo showed well near the row of dead poplars. (AW)

Cuckoo (above), Spoonbill & Little Ringed Plover at Medmerry (AW)

Monday, 10th June: A very grey and gloomy morning, with heavy rain early and late, though with a little respite mid-morning and just a light northerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: (0750-0825hrs) (IP)

Gannet - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 5os

Common Tern - 1os

Also, the Herring Gulls in nearby Seal Square have started hatching chicks. (RP)

Herring Gull chick at the Bill (RP)

Ferry Pool: A Kingfisher, briefly by the pumps this morning, was the first reported in the harbour since the early spring.

The water level remains very high on the Ferry, though a Little Ringed Plover was on the concealed pool and a Redshank and eight Lapwings were on the main pool, along with the Shelduck family, plus another dozen individuals, including three larger juveniles. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above) & Shelducks on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A female Gadwall had eleven young ducklings with her on the pool and a female Pintail was also present, along with a Great Crested Grebe and four Tufted Ducks, whilst in Ferry Channel there were c30 Black-tailed Godwits, six more Gadwall and a few noisy Redshanks.

Despite the rain, a Cuckoo was heard, along with a Lesser Whitethroat and a few Reed and Sedge Warblers. (AH)

Gadwall family (above), Pintail, Sedge Warbler & Black-tailed Godwit around the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: What was presumably the first returning Green Sandpiper of the year flew over, heading north and calling, whilst, unusually, a Fulmar flew in from the east and circled round the harbour several times before departing back over the spit.

Also, a Cuckoo was on the gorse along the beach, and the usual selection of Linnets, Whitethroats and one or two Sedge and Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings were along the Severals, along with at least five Tufted Ducks.

The only waders in he harbour were two Curlews, a Redshank and two Ringed Plovers, but there was a lot of activity around the islands from the Sandwich, Common and Little Terns. (AH/IP)