Friday, 19th July: A fairly miserable day for the time of year, mostly heavily overcast, with rain both early and later on and a freshening south-westerly breeze....
Selsey Bill: There wasn't much to report, though six Little Terns went west together, and a couple more were among the Sandwich Terns offshore. (BI/AH)
(0700-0900hrs)
Gannet - 3E 10W 6os
Common Scoter - 1E
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 1W
Sandwich Tern - c.35os
Little Tern - 6w 2os
Common Tern - 3W 2os
Mediterranean Gul - 2E
House Martin - 1p
(1630-1730hrs) (SH/AH)
Gannet - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 37os
Little Tern - 4W
Park Farm, Selsey: There were eight Pied Wagtails and eight Mediterranean Gulls around the fields this evening, along with a Buzzard and a Green Woodpecker. (SH)
Ferry Pool: The pool is now very full of water and just one Black-tailed Godwit, one Lapwing, six teal and two Shelduck were present this morning, along with a Whitethroat in the hedges.
The channel opposite was more lively, though, including the Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank among c40 Redshank and c20 Black-tailed Godwits, along with a Whimbrel, a handful of Lapwings and ten Teal. (AH)
Church Norton: A quick look between showers produced at least eight Whimbrel and a dozen Curlews on the mud, along with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and similar of Redshank. There was still a steady stream of Sandwich Terns, plus the odd Common Tern bringing in fish, with plenty of young Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls around the harbour. (AH)
A quick look this evening produced a couple of feeding Little Terns and a couple of Common Terns among the Sandwich Terns on the mud. (AH)
North Wall: A Great White Egret appeared from somewhere in the vicinity of Owl Copse at around 10am and flew up over Halsey's Farm, circled a couple of times and drifted off westwards.
Also, three very bright summer-plumaged Cattle Egrets were with a Little Egret on the fields at Halsey's Farm before they flew back towards Owl Copse, but couldn't be re-found. Otherwise there were at least another dozen Little Egrets around, with two or three Whimbrel in the harbour, c25 Curlews in the fields and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool, though the only other birds of note were a dozen or so Swifts that went over high, heading south. (AH)
Thursday, 18th July: A grey and blustery day, though mild, after overnight rain and a drizzly start, with a moderate westerly breeze....(0700-0900hrs)
Gannet - 3E 10W 6os
Common Scoter - 1E
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 1W
Sandwich Tern - c.35os
Little Tern - 6w 2os
Common Tern - 3W 2os
Mediterranean Gul - 2E
House Martin - 1p
Gannets (above), Sandwich Tern & Curlew at the Bill (AH)
(1630-1730hrs) (SH/AH)
Gannet - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 37os
Little Tern - 4W
Park Farm, Selsey: There were eight Pied Wagtails and eight Mediterranean Gulls around the fields this evening, along with a Buzzard and a Green Woodpecker. (SH)
Ferry Pool: The pool is now very full of water and just one Black-tailed Godwit, one Lapwing, six teal and two Shelduck were present this morning, along with a Whitethroat in the hedges.
The channel opposite was more lively, though, including the Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank among c40 Redshank and c20 Black-tailed Godwits, along with a Whimbrel, a handful of Lapwings and ten Teal. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank, Redshank & Teal around the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A quick look between showers produced at least eight Whimbrel and a dozen Curlews on the mud, along with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and similar of Redshank. There was still a steady stream of Sandwich Terns, plus the odd Common Tern bringing in fish, with plenty of young Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls around the harbour. (AH)
Sandwich Tern (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
A quick look this evening produced a couple of feeding Little Terns and a couple of Common Terns among the Sandwich Terns on the mud. (AH)
Little Tern (above) & Sandwich and Common Tern at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Great White Egret appeared from somewhere in the vicinity of Owl Copse at around 10am and flew up over Halsey's Farm, circled a couple of times and drifted off westwards.
Also, three very bright summer-plumaged Cattle Egrets were with a Little Egret on the fields at Halsey's Farm before they flew back towards Owl Copse, but couldn't be re-found. Otherwise there were at least another dozen Little Egrets around, with two or three Whimbrel in the harbour, c25 Curlews in the fields and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool, though the only other birds of note were a dozen or so Swifts that went over high, heading south. (AH)
Distant (!) Great White Egret (above), Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets & Whimbrel around the North Wall (AH)
Selsey Bill: (0710-0825hrs) (AH/IP)
Gannet - 5E, 5W, 12os
Curlew - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 14W, 6os
Little Tern - 6W
Common Tern 2W
Little Tern (above), Gannet & Curlew at the Bill (AH)
(1645-1745hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 6E, 2W
Common Scoter - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 46os
Little Tern - 4W
Common Tern - 1os
House Martin - 1p
Ferry Pool: There were just a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, two Lapwings and two Teal on the pool, whilst in the channel opposite the Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper were still present, along with a Wigeon, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen or so Lapwing and Redshank. (AH/IP/PC)
Gannet - 6E, 2W
Common Scoter - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 46os
Little Tern - 4W
Common Tern - 1os
House Martin - 1p
Ferry Pool: There were just a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, two Lapwings and two Teal on the pool, whilst in the channel opposite the Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper were still present, along with a Wigeon, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen or so Lapwing and Redshank. (AH/IP/PC)
Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwits, Wigeon & Black-headed Gull around Ferry Channel (AH)
This evening there were three Spotted Redshanks in Ferry Channel - all in very mottled mid-moult plumage, whilst the obliging Greenshank was still present, along with the Wigeon, a dozen Lapwings and c30 Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)
Spotted Redshanks (above) & Greenshank in Ferry Channel (AH)
Church Norton: There were still half a dozen or so Little and Common Terns and Mediterranean Gulls among the many Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls in the harbour. Waders included two Whimbrel, two Turnstones, half a dozen Dunlin, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Redshank and a handful of Ringed Plovers and Curlews, but a Stock Dove near the horse field was one of very few land-birds seen. (AH/IP)
Sandwich Tern (above), Whimbrel & Stock Dove at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: Late this afternoon at high tide there was one Cattle Egret among the egret and heron roost along the Wall. (AW)
Chichester GP’s: Regular observers may have noted several reports of late of a summering female Marsh Harrier, recorded from Drayton House GPs (North and South pits). Follow-up visits I’ve made to other areas in the general locality means that some exciting news can now be revealed: I can unequivocally say that a pair of Marsh Harriers has successfully bred and raised TWO young to fledging. I saw all four birds together today, with both juveniles appearing together on one branch, calling at the adults and mainly attended by the male, which I think is a second-summer bird.
I stress the nesting site is NOT at either of the Drayton House pits – so please do not compromise those pits by undue visits – but you will understand that the exact location of the nesting site is not being revealed at present for security reasons (and it is a private and inaccessible site).
The whole area of all the Chichester gravel pits should perhaps be treated as one interlinked site and forms a valuable habitat on the north-east corner of our patch and as far as I’m aware this constitutes a first breeding record for the Peninsula – and perhaps even West Sussex! (OM)I stress the nesting site is NOT at either of the Drayton House pits – so please do not compromise those pits by undue visits – but you will understand that the exact location of the nesting site is not being revealed at present for security reasons (and it is a private and inaccessible site).
Juvenile Marsh Harriers in the Chi GPs area - poor phone-scoped images I know, but both young birds can be seen in the upper photo, taken at some distance. The first Peninsula breeding record for the species. (Please bear in mind this is a Schedule 1 breeding species). (OM)
Selsey Bill: (1645-1745hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 5E, 2W
Common Scoter - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 39os
Little Tern - 3W
Ferry Pool: There were just 25 Black-tailed Godwits, two Shelduck, two Teal and a Common Sandpiper on the pool, with another of the latter, a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, two Whimbrel and a Wigeon in the channel opposite. (AH)
Gannet - 5E, 2W
Common Scoter - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 39os
Little Tern - 3W
Ferry Pool: There were just 25 Black-tailed Godwits, two Shelduck, two Teal and a Common Sandpiper on the pool, with another of the latter, a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, two Whimbrel and a Wigeon in the channel opposite. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above), Greenshank, Spotted Redshank & Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: It was very quiet along the hedges and reeds, with just the odd Whitethroat and Reed Warbler seen and heard, along with a few Linnets, whilst a handful of young Gadwall were on the water.
Ferry Channel just held a Greenshank, c50 Redshank, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal. (AH)
Ferry Channel just held a Greenshank, c50 Redshank, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal. (AH)
Whitethroat along the Long Pool (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - As has been usual of late, the Stilt Pool held most of the interest, though there was little different to recent days, with the Spoonbill, three Greenshank, four Common Sandpipers, five Lapwings, six Dunlin, the female Pintail and a few Gadwall all present. Also, two Yellow Wagtails dropped in again, albeit briefly, 20+ Swallows and a few Sand Martins were present, along with a Common Tern, whilst half a dozen Sandwich Terns were offshore.
The banks held plenty of Whitethroats, Skylarks, Linnets and Goldfinches, plus a couple of still-singing Reed Warblers and Yellowhammers, but not much else of note.
There is a lot of disturbance presently near the first pool, as the adjacent farming company is digging out the fields to put in two very large farm reservoirs, which will change the appearance of the area, but may just produce some interesting birds. (AH)
The banks held plenty of Whitethroats, Skylarks, Linnets and Goldfinches, plus a couple of still-singing Reed Warblers and Yellowhammers, but not much else of note.
There is a lot of disturbance presently near the first pool, as the adjacent farming company is digging out the fields to put in two very large farm reservoirs, which will change the appearance of the area, but may just produce some interesting birds. (AH)
Yellow Wagtail and Common Sandpiper (above), Greenshank, Dunlin, Common Tern, Pintail, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Yellowhammer & the excavation work at Medmerry (AH)
North Wall: Water levels were again low on the Breech Pool, which held 36 Black-tailed Godwits, 31 Lapwing, 20+ Mallard, two Teal and four juvenile Black-headed Gulls, whilst there was lots of Reed Warbler activity and four Sand Martins passed through.
A Cetti's Warbler was sitting out on a dead branch along the rife, but there were no waterfowl on Honer reservoir, with just a pair of Stock Doves there. Around the reservoir were families of Whitethroats - I counted 37 there - and along Honer Lane, too. (JDW)
Two Cattle Egrets were on the Breech Pool early afternoon. (per IP/RBA)
A Cetti's Warbler was sitting out on a dead branch along the rife, but there were no waterfowl on Honer reservoir, with just a pair of Stock Doves there. Around the reservoir were families of Whitethroats - I counted 37 there - and along Honer Lane, too. (JDW)
Two Cattle Egrets were on the Breech Pool early afternoon. (per IP/RBA)
Runcton: In the moth-trap this morning there were an Elephant Hawkmoth and a Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. (CRJ)
Elephant Hawk-moth (above) & Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing in a Runcton garden (CRJ)
Church Norton: There were still lots of Sandwich Terns, plus a few Little Terns in the harbour this evening, whilst waders included three Common Sandpipers, two Whimbrel, a dozen Curlews, five Ringed Plovers and c40 Dunlin. (AH)
Little Terns (above), Sandwich Terns, Common Sandpiper & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
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