Friday, 21st June: A glorious - and long overdue - sunny June morning to greet the summer solstice, with just a little cloud and a light to moderate westerly breeze....
Spring - remember that? At Selsey Bill at least it felt like it wasn't the greatest this year, with numbers well down for rather too many species - especially passerines - and up for a few others, but with the added bonus of a new bird for the Peninsula in the form of a Surf Scoter. Our hard-working Log-keeper JA has compiled his annual breakdown of the figures and this is now available to all - just click the link on the title bar. (Eds)
Selsey Bill: (0700-0745hrs) (BI/RP)
Ferry Pool: The young Lapwing, plus a parent was on the pool again, along with two Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Redshanks and the Shelduck family, whilst the pair of Stock Doves were on the field again and c40 Mediterranean Gulls were with the Black-headed Gulls on the nearby arable fields..
Later, at least three juvenile Reed Warblers, plus an adult, were in the hedge opposite, along with a Lesser Whitethroat, the Sedge Warbler was still singing enthusiastically from the Small Pool and a Painted Lady was on nearby thistles.. (AH/IP)
Selsey Bill: (0700-0745hrs) (BI/RP)
Nothing was moving through in a quick look but there were a few birds offshore, full log below:
Gannet - 6os
Sandwich Tern - c.20os
Common Tern - 1os
Ferry Pool: The young Lapwing, plus a parent was on the pool again, along with two Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Redshanks and the Shelduck family, whilst the pair of Stock Doves were on the field again and c40 Mediterranean Gulls were with the Black-headed Gulls on the nearby arable fields..
Later, at least three juvenile Reed Warblers, plus an adult, were in the hedge opposite, along with a Lesser Whitethroat, the Sedge Warbler was still singing enthusiastically from the Small Pool and a Painted Lady was on nearby thistles.. (AH/IP)
Lapwing (above), Reed Warbler, Mediterranean Gull & Painted Lady around the Ferry (AH)
Later on, there was an Avocet on the pool and 40 Lapwings drifted over from the harbour, whilst two of the five young Kestrels in the box near the Visitor Centre have now fledged. (RP) Also, there were lots of Mullein Moth caterpillars making short work of their foodplants this morning. (AM)
Kestrel at the Visitor Centre (RP) & Mullein Moth caterpillar by the Ferry Hide (AM)
Sidlesham: Two Hobbies went over our garden this afternoon. (A&YF)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Quail was calling from near Marsh Barn early afternoon (HB/MW) The first record on the Peninsula since 2013, it was originally just south-east of Marsh Barn, around the rough ground by the barley field, but was mobile and heard from a variety of locations around the path along the raised bank there, still calling intermittently and seen at least once in flight, until dusk.
Also in the vicinity were a pair of Grey Partridges with young chicks and the two Barn Owls were out hunting the banks in the evening. (BI/OM/AH/SH/AB/IP et al)
The banks were full of the regular birds, including Whitethroats, Linnets, Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and Skylarks, and there was also two Cuckoos, a juvenile Stonechat and a displaying Meadow Pipit present, along with a few Stock Doves.
Two Barnacle Geese of unknown origin were on the Stilt Pool later in the morning, whilst early on two pairs of Little Ringed Plovers were flying about and displaying there, and there were also two Avocets, a Lapwing and a few Gadwall, plus a couple of Buzzards and a Kestrel, present. There were also a Brown Hare and a couple of Roe Deer about. (AH/IP/PB)
Two Barnacle Geese of unknown origin were on the Stilt Pool later in the morning, whilst early on two pairs of Little Ringed Plovers were flying about and displaying there, and there were also two Avocets, a Lapwing and a few Gadwall, plus a couple of Buzzards and a Kestrel, present. There were also a Brown Hare and a couple of Roe Deer about. (AH/IP/PB)
Little Ringed Plover (above), Stonechat, Yellowhammer, Whitethroats, Reed Bunting, Wren, Buzzard & Roe Deer at Medmerry (AH)
Church Norton: There are now 160 pairs of Sandwich Terns on Tern Island, with some extra 60 pairs having settled in recently, whilst the first chicks are only days from fledging. (IL) And they were still busy bringing in fish at tea-time today! (AH)
Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)
Long Pool: A female Cuckoo cut across the path into the reeds at the west end of the pool, a Reed Bunting, a Goldfinch, a Little Egret, the Gadwall family and a Skylark were also noted. (RP)
Reed Bunting along Long Pool (RP)
Runcton: In the moth-trap this morning there was a Burnished Brass and a Poplar Hawk-moth, (CRJ)
Burnished Brass (above) & Poplar Hawk-moth in Runcton (CRJ)
Thursday, 20th June: A bright and breezy morning, with plenty of warm sun despite a fresh north-westerly.......
Selsey Bill: (1640-1740hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 36os
Common Tern - 1os
auk sp - 1W
Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover, a dozen Redshank and a few Lapwings, plus the Shelduck family were on the pool, whilst a pair of Stock Doves were in the field and the Sedge warbler was still singing away on the small Pool. (AH/IP)
Stock Dove (above), Lapwing and Redshank & Shelduck family on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: At 08.15 there were 73 Black-tailed Godwits rising to 76 by midday, whilst ducks here included a drake Wigeon and eight each of Teal and Tufted Duck.
Down the east side of the Harbour were one Brent Goose and eight each of Curlew and Common Redshank. Back at the Pool, at 12.20 a pair of Little Ringed Plover came in calling, stayed a while then vamoosed and, at 12.30 the sought after Spotted Redshank was there, out of nowhere, all gorgeous and ink-black in its summer clothes!
A Cuckoo was cuckooing and there was a leucistic Woodpigeon. Also, at 08.45 what I think was a 2cy Little Gull flew from the north, over the Salthouse, out across the Central Plateau, where it twice touched down, and on towards Church Norton. (ARK per SOS)
Down the east side of the Harbour were one Brent Goose and eight each of Curlew and Common Redshank. Back at the Pool, at 12.20 a pair of Little Ringed Plover came in calling, stayed a while then vamoosed and, at 12.30 the sought after Spotted Redshank was there, out of nowhere, all gorgeous and ink-black in its summer clothes!
A Cuckoo was cuckooing and there was a leucistic Woodpigeon. Also, at 08.45 what I think was a 2cy Little Gull flew from the north, over the Salthouse, out across the Central Plateau, where it twice touched down, and on towards Church Norton. (ARK per SOS)
Long Pool: There were still at least two Cuckoos around this morning, though not calling, whilst along the hedges there were still singing Reed and Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats.
A female Wigeon was on the pool, along with a Little and a Great Crested Grebe, whilst the female Pintail and at least 35 Lapwings were along the channel. (AH/IP)
A female Wigeon was on the pool, along with a Little and a Great Crested Grebe, whilst the female Pintail and at least 35 Lapwings were along the channel. (AH/IP)
Cuckoo (above), Reed Warbler, Redshanks, Pintail & Wigeon around the Long Pool (AH)
Church Norton: There was prolific activity from the terns this morning, with at least a Sandwich Tern a minute coming in the harbour mouth with a fish and arriving at a similar rate over the beach, too, with lesser numbers of Little and Common Terns also bringing in food.
A Peregrine went over west and at least a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were about, whilst seven Turnstones were on the beach and at least 17 Curlews were in the harbour. Small birds were few, though, with a few Linnets and Skylarks along the beach and the odd Blackcap and Whitethroat in the bushes. (AH/IP)
A Peregrine went over west and at least a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were about, whilst seven Turnstones were on the beach and at least 17 Curlews were in the harbour. Small birds were few, though, with a few Linnets and Skylarks along the beach and the odd Blackcap and Whitethroat in the bushes. (AH/IP)
Little Terns (above), Sandwich Terns, Common Tern, Peregrine, Turnstone, Curlew & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)
Selsey: A Peppered Moth was in the trap this morning. (SH)
Peppered Moth in a Selsey garden (SH)
Chi GPs - Drayton House pits: I made a fairly brief visit this morning to check on any breeding ducks - but in the event there were still none apart from two very recent Mallard broods. A dozen adult Pochard - and similar of Gadwall - were loafing about but there was little other activity, although 10 Mediterranean Gulls were circling above and calling. Five species of raptor saved my morning however; the elusive summering female Marsh Harrier was as active and distant as ever, a Hobby was hunting high-up, three or four Buzzards were drifting around, a pair of Kestrels was hovering and a Sparrowhawk shot through with prey. (OM)
Record shots of the rather elusive and ever-distant Marsh Harrier at Drayton House pits. (OM)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - This evening there were c20 Swifts, c10 Swallows and c150 House Martins over the settling tanks, but little else in the windy conditions. (AH)
Swift (above) & House Martin at Medmerry (AH)
Wednesday, 19th June: After a night of thunderstorms and heavy rain, the morning in contrast was fairly benign; generally dry and muggy, with a grey cloudy sky and a gentle NW breeze....
North Wall: There was still no sign of the Swallows at Welbourne stables, and it seems their nests have been predated (apparently by Magpies). No waders were along White's Creek, just a few Black-headed Gulls and 2 Little Egrets. At the Breech Pool waters levels have surprisingly dropped and present were 54 Black-tailed Godwits, a Green Sandpiper, 4 Teal, 2 Tufted Ducks, a Grey Heron and 2 visiting Common Terns.
Highlight this morning was a very large tit flock moving west to east; I counted 58 Long-tailed Tits (the most I have ever seen) and a further 19 of Great and Blue Tits. A Lesser Whitethroat was in bushes just to the east of Owl Copse, whilst there was a lot of Little Egret activity in and out of the Copse. (JDW/IH/IB)
Later, as the tide rose, the Green Sandpiper flew off, before returning briefly and the Black-tailed Godwit count rose to 60. Then firstly an adult Little Ringed Plover dropped in, to be followed soon after by a summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank, whilst a female Gadwall emerged from the reeds with a brood of about 10 small ducklings, briefly squabbling with a female Mallard and her young. A pair of Cuckoos was active around the reeds and bushes, with another more distant male calling and also the singing Lesser Whitethroat. (OM)
Highlight this morning was a very large tit flock moving west to east; I counted 58 Long-tailed Tits (the most I have ever seen) and a further 19 of Great and Blue Tits. A Lesser Whitethroat was in bushes just to the east of Owl Copse, whilst there was a lot of Little Egret activity in and out of the Copse. (JDW/IH/IB)
Later, as the tide rose, the Green Sandpiper flew off, before returning briefly and the Black-tailed Godwit count rose to 60. Then firstly an adult Little Ringed Plover dropped in, to be followed soon after by a summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank, whilst a female Gadwall emerged from the reeds with a brood of about 10 small ducklings, briefly squabbling with a female Mallard and her young. A pair of Cuckoos was active around the reeds and bushes, with another more distant male calling and also the singing Lesser Whitethroat. (OM)
Little Ringed Plover and (below) Spotted Redshank with Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool (OM)
Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were a dozen adult Lapwings on the pool, plus a recently fledged juvenile, along with a Little ringed Plover, 12 Redshank, two drake Teal and the Shelduck family, whilst the Sedge warbler was still in the vegetation near the small pool. (AH)
Juvenile Lapwing (above), Little Ringed Plover & Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: Cuckoos predominated this morning, with two birds seen whilst at least another two were calling from nearby. The hedgerows and margins were also busy with Reed Buntings, Reed and Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats making their presence known.
A Common Sandpiper - presumably the first returning bird - was in the channel, along with a couple of Black-tailed and 30+ Redshanks and 40+ Lapwings were spread between the channel and adjacent fields. (AH)
Cuckoos (above), Common Sandpiper, Redshanks, Whitethroat & Reed Bunting around the Long Pool (AH)
Selsey: A brief count of House Martin nests in the Broadreeds Estate this morning totalled 12 although there could well be more; 8 birds were on the Oval field collecting mud and moss and at least 15 feeding overhead among a flock of c20 Swifts. (Note: local residents also report nesting nearby on the Solent Way estate- Eds.)
Also a seal was hauled up on the shore at East Beach near the Lifeboat station, Marine Conservation and the local council have been informed and it's important if anyone visits to view from a safe distance. (SR)
House Martin collecting mud from the Oval field and Seal near the Lifeboat station (SR)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The
Spoonbill was still on the stilt pool, and I also managed to catch and photograph this
Three-spined stickleback in the pools by the big rocks near the shore.(AM)
The Spoonbill was still present this evening and a pale juvenile Starling - possibly the one seen recently on the North Wall - was in the flock. (S&SaH)
The Spoonbill was still present this evening and a pale juvenile Starling - possibly the one seen recently on the North Wall - was in the flock. (S&SaH)
Three-spined Stickleback at Medmerry (AM)
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