28th - 30th June 2019

Sunday, 30th June: Another dry, fine and sunny day; still warm but with a shift in the wind to a westerly direction easing the temperature down a little....

Pom King 2019: It's been a good while since we had a full Pom party, but yesterday evening the new Pom King Paul Bowley certainly did the honours. We were all delighted to see Yvette and Alan Ford present amongst the guests - their first joint outing since their injuries in the nasty accident earlier this year - and I think I speak for everyone when I say how well they seem to be progressing in their recovery. The fair gathering of Selsey regulars present were then treated to a catering extravaganza of truly delicious food presented by Paul's wife Nancy, which eventually concluded with a splendid Pom-cake - a first I think for Pom parties! 

When it came to the speeches and presentation, there were some amusing moments as we reflected on the spring's events. Poor old Justin Atkinson - who had unfortunately missed a good deal of what passage there was this year and was occasionally a bit down-hearted (!) - was presented with a logo'd T-shirt (kindly donated by Colin & Mich Eames), to help remind him of events! Later, he also received a 'S**t spring' certificate from Paul, whilst Sam Hill was the lucky recipient of a 'Gannet east' certificate to mark his sterling efforts in Gannet-recording this year! The presentation of the Pom trophy to Paul and the runner-up award to John Faithfull went ahead smoothly and a good time was had by all. 

So, it's over for another year and our thanks go again to our splendid hosts for a great evening. Meanwhile, PB and JF will be able to study their respective trophies in the months ahead, until it starts all over again in spring 2020. The competition goes from strength to strength and PB was the 13th different title holder; will there be a new name on the trophy next year I wonder, or will one of the old regulars prevail? Time will tell. (OM)

A selection of photos from the party follows....all by CRJ unless otherwise shown.........

The guests assemble on a splendid evening (and well done to our hostess Nancy, seated centre rear, against fence, dark hair)

  The speeches begin with toasts to our hosts and to our absent friends....

 The speeches get underway....here an apprehensive JA  is about to receive his special award T-shirt

 The runner-up award is presented to JF (left) by last year's runner-up SH

...and so to the Pom King trophy, presented to PB (right) by last year's winner JA

 The Pom King 2019 gives his acceptance speech....whilst son Adam practices his no-hands fly-catching technique!

JA recovering from his special award(s)....and just in case you can't read it, the logo says "I've had a c**p spring" (OM)

How's that! A Pom-cake, bearing the number of birds seen by the winner, probably a first for a Pom-party. (OM)

Selsey Bill: Highlight of a predictably slow morning was a Brent Goose sat on the sea. (SH/BI)
(0600-0840hrs)
Gannet - 22E, 7W
Brent Goose - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 45os
Little Tern - 1os
Common Tern - 2os
auk sp - 3E, 1W
Swift - 18p
House Martin - 2p

Ferry Pool: There were two summer-plumaged Spotted Redshanks on the pool with c35 Redshanks this morning, and also a juvenile Little Ringed Plover with two adults and the Shelduck family. (IP/CN/AH) 

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover (above) & Spotted Redshanks on the Ferry (AH)

This evening a Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper were in Ferry Channel and eight non-breeding Grey Plovers were further out in the harbour. (AW)

Spotted Redshank (above), Common Sandpiper & Grey Plovers around Ferry Channel (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A female Cuckoo went west over the Stilt Pool, with another heard near the poplars, whilst a family group of Stonechats, including three newly fledged young near the first view-point are presumably a second brood.
Around 50 Swifts and 20 Swallows went west, whilst the banks held the usual mix of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Whitethroats, plus the odd Reed Bunting and Reed Warbler and plenty of Skylarks.

The Stilt Pool was fairly quiet, though three Avocets dropped in and a couple of Little Ringed Plovers were about, plus two Common Terns, whilst two juvenile Ringed Plovers were on the beach and two Gannets and four Sandwich Terns were seen offshore. (AH/CN/IP)

Juvenile Stonechats (above), Yellowhammer, Linnet, juvenile Ringed Plover, Avocet & Gannet at Medmerry (AH)

North Wall: A Cuckoo was heard calling this morning and a Kingfisher was in White's Creek again, whilst the pair of Swallows were around the stables again. (IH)

Church Norton: There was a big feeding flock of gulls and terns offshore this morning, seemingly providing rich pickings, given the constant stream of Little, Common and especially Sandwich Terns bringing in fish.
Otherwise it was quiet, though a Sand Martin went over the beach, a few Curlews were about and a dozen Turnstones and two or three Ringed Plovers were around the old harbour mouth. (AH/S&SaH)
Late this afternoon a Yellowhammer was in the hedge at Norton Corner. They remain a scarce bird around the harbour despite being numerous at Medmerry. (SH)

Little Tern (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern and the feeding flock at Church Norton (AH)

Saturday, 29th June: A very warm and sunny day with cloudless blue skies, but made more pleasant by the fresh E/NE wind...

Selsey Bill: (BI)
(0700-0815hrs)
Gannet - 66E
Sandwich Tern - c.20os

North Wall: A Blackcap was singing along the track to Welbourne stables, whilst on the sluices and around the Breech Pool was a returning Kingfisher. Water levels in the Breech Pool remain high and the only waders were 5 Curlew right at the back, though several Black-tailed Godwits flew in but did not stay for long. 

Duck-wise there was a pair of Shelducks with 10 ducklings, 2 Tufted and 30 plus Mallard. The first Lapwings are returning and there were at least 40 out on the saltmarsh, but it was generally very quiet along the Wall. A Buzzard flew very low over Owl Copse causing 15 Little Egrets to take to the air. (JDW/IH)

 Shelduck brood at the North Wall and Little Egret colony at Owl copse (JDW)

Selsey: A Hobby flew over the north of the town this morning. (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Green Sandpiper and a Greenshank were the best this morning, whilst two Sparrowhawks put in an appearance and then a Red Kite flew east towards Sidlesham school. (S&SaH)
The Spoonbill was roosting on the stilt Pool this evening. (SR)

Chi GPs - Drayton pits: Disappointingly little to report today; the summering and elusive female Marsh Harrier eventually put in a typically brief appearance, whilst 16 Pochard and 10 Gadwall were the best of the rest! (OM)

 Female Marsh Harrier at Drayton GPs (OM)

Ferry Pool: A summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank dropped in the concealed pool, but remained well hidden this morning, whilst on the main pool at various times there were two Little Ringed Plovers, a few Redshank, one Black-tailed Godwit and the Shelduck family, plus a Stock Dove on the field.

The Sedge Warbler was on the Small Pool again, whilst one or two Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Whitethroats and a Long-tailed Tit family were around the Tramway circuit, whilst a Whimbrel was among four Curlews in the main channel and a couple more of the latter, c30 Redshank and Lapwing and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were in Ferry Channel. 

Also, there were a Black-tailed Skimmer and two Emperor Dragonflies in the pond at the Discovery Area and lots of Painted Ladies, Meadow Browns, red Admirals and a Comma were on the wing. (AH/IP/SR/BJ)

Whimbrel (above), Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Little Egret, Comma, Painted Lady & Black-tailed Skimmer around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Two or three Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers were still singing, but not much else was showing, whilst a Whimbrel was among the Curlews and Redshank at the top of Ferry Channel and two Spotted Redshanks flew over together towards the Ferry. (AH/IP)

Reed Warbler (above) & Reed Bunting along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: Two Sand Martins were over the Severals this morning. (S&SaH)
There wasn't too much in the harbour beyond a mass of terns and gulls, including many newly-fledged Black-head Gulls, this morning, though a couple of Ringed Plovers and Curlews were present, as were a Swift and a couple of Swallows. (AH)

Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Ivy Lake: A quick look at lunchtime produced a mother Pochard and two well-grown ducklings, with another female nearby, at least 26 presumably non-breeding Great Crested Grebes and at least a dozen Common Terns, whilst a couple of Chiffchaffs and Reed Warblers were still singing. (AH)

Pochard family (above), Common Tern & Black-tailed Skimmer at Ivy Lake (AH)

Friday, 28th June: Another warm and bright morning, but still with a fresh and blustery easterly breeze...

Ferry Pool: A summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits dropped in this morning, whilst the usual mix of a Little Ringed Plover, half a dozen juvenile Lapwings, a dozen Redshank and the Shelduck family were all still present, along with ten Teal, a Stock Dove on the field and the singing Sedge Warbler in the adjacent Small Pool. (AH/IP)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocet & Sedge Warbler at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were still two Lesser Whitethroats, a Reed Bunting and Several Reed and Sedge Warblers singing, though keeping low, whilst Ferry Channel held at least 30 Lapwing and Redshank, plus a handful of Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews. (AH/IP)

Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Reed Bunting around the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: A quick look confirmed that the Breech Pool was a duck-pond again, containing just a dozen Teal and Mallard, though a Common Tern went over and a few Reed Warblers were singing. White's Creek contained not much more than a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, but encouragingly a pair of Swallows were active around the stables. (AH)

Swallow (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at the North Wall (AH)

Pagham Spit: There were still Little, Common and Sandwich Terns coming and going constantly around the harbour mouth and islands, but not much else was about save a couple of Ringed Plovers and a handful of Skylarks and Linnets. 
There was also quite a few of what I think were Childling Pinks along the seaward edge of the lagoon on the spit. (AH)

Little Tern (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Childling Pink at Pagham Spit (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Quail was still calling this morning although it had moved a from the Mayweed to the field adjacent to Marsh Barn. There were also a number of butterflies in this area including Gatekeepers, a Small Skipper, two Large Skippers and a Brown Argus. (BI)

There was no sight or sound of the Quail later on, but the best of the birds on a quiet morning were a pair of Grey Partridges along the banks and a Dunlin, an Avocet, two Little Ringed Plovers and two Oystercatchers on the Stilt Pools. 

Also there were at least five Painted Ladies and a Red-veined Darter present. (S Chastell)

Red-veined Darter (S Chastell), Gatekeeper, Large & Small Skippers (BI) at Medmerry

Runcton: In our garden three Southern Hawker dragonflies have emerged from our small pond over the last three days, and also there were two Privet Hawk-moths in the trap this morning. (CRJ)

Southern Hawker & Privet Hawk-moth in a Runcton garden (CRJ)

Sidlesham: A Hedgehog - the first in very many years - was in our garden yesterday evening and again today. (AH)

Hedgehog in a Sidlesham garden (AH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were at least two Corn Buntings singing along the fence-lines, despite the blustery conditions, and there were also a Meadow Pipit carrying food and several Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks about, whilst the sheltered bits of hedge held 20= Painted Ladies and dozens of Gatekeepers. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Skylark & Gatekeeper at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton: This evening on the rising tide there were 45 Black-tailed Godwits and four Knot of which one was in summer plumage. Also of note were two fledged Sandwich Terns among a mixed group. (AW)

Sandwich and Common Terns (above) & Knot and Black-tailed Godwits at Churh Norton (AW)