20th - 22nd July 2019

Monday, 22nd July: A mild, but mostly grey and blustery, morning with a fresh southerly breeze...

Ferry Pool: The water levels remain very high and the only birds present were a Common Sandpiper, a Shoveler and a few Teal and Mallard.

The Greenshank was still in the channel opposite, along with a Kingfisher, two Whimbrel and c25 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH/IP)
Later on, a Spotted Redshank was in the channel, too, and around the visitor centre, there was a Green Woodpecker feeding on the tramway as well as the Greenshank still in the Ferry Channel. (AW/IL)

Shoveler (above) & Greenshank (AH) & Spotted Redshank (AW) around the Ferry and Green Woodpecker near the Tramway. (IL)

North Wall: One of the Cattle Egrets was near Owl Copse this morning, whilst three Spotted Redshanks and a Greenshank were in White's Creek. (IH)
Later on, there were two Cattle Egrets present and a Marsh Harrier was around Owl Copse. (IL) (Note: see below pic's.....looks rather like a juvenile bird; could this perhaps be one of those that recently fledged on the Peninsula? OM)

 Marsh Harrier (above) & Cattle Egret and Little at the North wall near Owl copse (IL)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were five adult Yellow-legged Gulls on the area being dug out for the farm reservoirs this morning.
Otherwise, the Stilt Pool was largely unchanged, with two Greenshank and three Common Sandpipers the only waders present, whilst the female Pintail was still there, too, along with four Gadwall. Also, four Common Terns dropped in - two adults and two juveniles, whilst a few Sand Martins and Swallows went over westwards, a Whimbrel was heard, but not seen on the reserve and two Gannets were offshore.
The banks held the usual mix of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks, plus a few Whitethroats and Reed Buntings, whilst a Buzzard dropped in on one of the fence-lines. (AH/IP)
There wasn't much different this evening, though there were at least 100 Sand Martins around the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

Yellow-legged Gulls (above), Common Tern, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Pintail, Gadwall, Yellowhammer, Skylark & Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)

Selsey: There were 40+ Swifts, 20+ Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Sparrowhawks over the observer's garden early evening (SH)

Sidlesham: At least 100 Swallows were along Mill Lane this evening. (AH)

Swallows in Sidlesham (AH)

Sunday, 21st July: A fairly cloudy, if mild, morning with a moderate westerly breeze, after a bright and still start.....

Selsey Bill: Highlights included nine little Terns offshore and 21 Swifts over Grafton Road. Full log below. (BI/SH)
(0645-0900hrs)

Gannet - 8E, 9W

Sandwich Tern - 12os

Little Tern - 5W, 9os

Common Tern - 2W 1os

Pied Wagtail - 2ob

Swift - 21p

Sand Martin - 6E

This evening a Wheatear was near Barnes Close. (S.Bell)

Wheatear at Barnes Close, Selsey (S.Bell)

Ferry Pool: There were three Little Ringed Plovers on the pool - an adult and two juveniles, along with a Common Sandpiper and a few Teal, whilst a juvenile Stonechat was on the electric fencing, a couple of Reed Warblers were in the roadside reed-beds and 16 Swifts went over.

The Greenshank was again in the channel opposite, along with a few Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwing and Redshank. (AH/IP)

Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plovers around the Ferry (AH)

Later on, a Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel. (AW)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AW)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were a couple of Pied Wagtails and a few Mediterranean Gulls on the fields this morning, a Blackcap in the lane and a dozen Swifts, a couple of Sand Martins and a few House Martins and Swallows over. (AH/IP/RM)

Swallow (above) & Mediterranean Gull at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

North Wall: Two Cattle Egrets were around Owl Copse again this morning, though the wall was quiet save the odd Reed Warbler, whilst a very full Breech Pool, just held ducks, including a Wigeon and a few Teal.

A smart summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was in White's Creek, along with a few Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank and a Whimbrel, with one each of the latter two out in the main harbour, too. There were also a couple of Grey Plovers, a few Dunlin, 50+ Redshanks and a dozen Mediterranean Gulls out on the mud. (IH/AH/IP)

The two Cattle Egrets were at Halsey's Farm this evening. (AB)

Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank, Whimbrel & Reed Warbler at the North Wall (AH)

The two Cattle Egrets were at Halsey's Farm this evening. (AB)

Cattle Egrets at Halsey's Farm (AB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - On the Stilt Pool this morning there were four Greenshank, three Common sandpipers and three Common Terns - two adults and a juvenile, whilst there were 19 Black-tailed Godwits near the Poplars.

Along the banks were four Stonechats, three Yellow Wagtails, 10+ Yellowhammers, 10+ Whitethroats, five Reed Buntings, two Reed Warblers and two Green Woodpeckers, whilst two Buzzards, four Swifts, 10+ Sand Martins and 50+ Swallows went over. (SH)

Church Norton: There were only a couple of Little Terns in the harbour, plus up to half a dozen offshore, and similar of Common Terns, though there were still plenty of Sandwich Terns about.
Waders included two Whimbrel and 20+ Black-tailed Godwits, whilst c50 Dunlin and c20 Grey Plovers, plus a few Turnstones, were sat out on the strand-line. Also, a Peregrine was over the spit, but passerines were few, though included a few Skylarks and a family of Whitethroats. (AH/IP/RM)

Sandwich Terns (above), Dunlin and Grey Plovers, Skylark & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were still 20 Little Terns in the harbour, including at least a couple of juveniles, along with a handful of Common Terns, including a juvenile, and dozens of Sandwich Terns.

There were also c80 Dunlin, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Turnstones and c50 Redshanks present. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Little and Sandwich Terns, Sandwich Tern, Black-tailed Godwits & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Saturday, 20th July: After a night of heavy rain, a wet and windy start before the sun pushed through for a bright and blustery day.....

Selsey Bill: Highlights included a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and three Fulmars west and eight Little Terns, including at least one juvenile, feeding offshore. (SH/IP/BI/AH/JA)

(0600-0900hrs)

Fulmar - 3W

Gannet - 17E, 33W

Common Scoter - 2E, 5W

Curlew - 1W

Turnstone - 2W

Yellow-legged Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 50os

Little Tern - 2W, 8os

Common Tern - 4os

Swift - 2p

(1445-1645hrs) (SH/BI)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 5E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 47os

Little Tern - 4W
Common Tern - 3os

Park Farm, Selsey: There were 12 Pied Wagtails on the fields this morning. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper was the only wader on the pool this morning, with ten Teal the only other birds present.

What was presumably the same Common Sandpiper was in the channel opposite earlier on, whilst the confiding Greenshank was still present, along with c25 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Redshank. (AH/IP/AW)

Greenshank (above), Common sSandpiper & Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: The odd Reed and Sedge Warbler popped up in the reeds, whilst a Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting were along the hedges, but it was generally quiet in the poor conditions early on. Half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool, with more in Ferry Channel, where there was also a Spotted Redshank and a few Redshank. (AH)

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

North Wall: There were still three Cattle Egrets around Owl Copse this morning. (BI)
Later, two Spotted Redshank were in White's Creek. (IH)

Church Norton: There were at least 15 Little Terns and up to ten Common Terns among the Sandwich Terns in the harbour this morning, with more of all three species feeding offshore, whilst waders included a Greenshank, a couple of Whimbrel and half a dozen Turnstones and Dunlin, plus a few Curlews and c40 Black-tailed Godwits. 

A Shoveler was on the second Several and a Stonechat was in the horse field, but the only passerines noted were a couple of Skylarks along the spit and a flock of about 20 Swallows that moved through the harbour. Also, a Grey Seal was close offshore.  (AH/S&SaH)

Sandwich Tern (above), Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls, Little Terns, Swallow & Grey Seal at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - On the Stilt Pool this morning there were four Greenshanks, two Common Sandpipers, and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, together with two Common Terns, one of which was also a juvenile. (AW)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Common Tern at Medmerry (AW)