7th - 9th July 2019

Tuesday, 9th July: After a murky start, a pleasantly warm, if a bit grey, sort of a morning, with a few sunny intervals and just a light easterly breeze.......

Ferry Pool: There was not much change on the pool from yesterday, with a Little Ringed Plover, 26 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Redshank, eight Teal and a lone Shelduck being the sum, whilst the Sedge Warbler was still singing from the Small Pool. (AH/IP)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Later on, two Spotted Redshanks and a Common Sandpiper were along the channel, along with c25 Redshanks. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Highlight this morning was a juvenile Cuckoo that briefly dropped onto the fence by the Stilt Pool, with what was presumably its adoptive Meadow Pipit parent, before both flew off together.
Otherwise, the Spoonbill was still dozing on the pool and there were also three Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, two Lapwings and three Redshank present, along with c20 Swallows and a couple of Sand Martins, whilst there were also another Common Sandpiper and two Greenshanks by the Poplars, along with a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a Common Tern. 
The banks were very busy with Whitethroats, Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Goldfinches and Linnets, plus the odd Reed Bunting and Reed Warbler, many in family groups or carrying food, and at least tree different Buzzards were about, too. (AH/IP)

Juvenile Cuckoo and Meadow Pipit (above), Spoonbill, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Whitethroats, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Linnet & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)

Snowhill Creek: Two Redshanks have been going after each other for two days now.  At first I thought it was fighting but now I think it might be a late in the summer mating. They are constantly going back and forth in the creek, and it is intense behaviour and that gets quite ferocious at times. (MR)

Redshanks in Snowhill Creek (MR)

Runcton: In the  moth-trap this morning there were a Brown-tail, a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and a Rosy Footman. (CRJ)

Brown-tail, (above), Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Rosy Footman in a Runcton garden (CRJ)

Sidlesham: A Lesser Black-backed Gull was over the garden with Herring Gulls this morning. (AH)

Lesser Black-backed Gull in Sidlesham (AH)

Church Norton: There were still lots of Sandwich Terns bringing in fish, but some of the juveniles were starting to venture out to sea today. There were also plenty of Little Terns and a few Common Terns about, along with nine Turnstones on the beach and half a dozen Dunlin, a couple of Grey Plovers and ten Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour. (AH/TK/BFF/DM)

Sandwich Tern (TK, above), Little Tern, Common Tern & Turnstones (AH) at Church Norton

Monday, 8th July: Back to summer again, with a warm and mostly sunny morning, though the light easterly did push some white cloud through.......

Ferry Pool: There were a Little Ringed Plover, a Lapwing, 26 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Teal and the Shelduck family on the pool this morning, whilst the Sedge Warbler was back  and singing on the Small Pool and there was also a Marbled White there again.
The female Wigeon was along the channel, along with a few Redshank, Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits. (AH/IP)

Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Lapwing around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A quick look later on produced the female Pintail on the water again, but beside a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Warblers there was no bird-song, though a couple of Skylarks and Linnets were along the path,. (AH)

Pintail (above) & Skylark along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: The Sandwich Terns continue to thrive, with many young sat out or flexing their wings, and food seems very readily available, with a 30 minute count from 8am producing 112 adults carrying in fish of varying sizes.
Little and Common Terns were much less conspicuous, though a few brought fish in and others were sat on the mud.

Among the waders noted were two Whimbrel, seven Turnstones, a couple of Ringed Plovers and a dozen or so curlews and Black-tailed Godwits, though a Whitethroat and a Blackcap were about the only passerines noted. (AH/IP)

Whimbrel and Curlew (above), Common Tern & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: In the moth-trap this morning there was Elephant Hawk-moth and a Black Arches. (CRJ)

Elephant Hawk-moth (above) & Black Arches in a Runcton garden (CRJ)

Chichester Canal: This morning down the canal there was a fine chestnut Tufted Duck with one fledgling in tow. A Lesser Whitethroat was showing well and one of the many Little Grebes was nesting (again). (AW)

Little Grebe and nest, Tufted Duck female with young and Lesser Whitethroat at Chichester canal. (AW) 

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Spoonbill was still in the Stilt Pool this morning at 11.33hrs. (GHi)

Spoonbill at the Stilt pool (GHi)

Late this aftenoon the Spoonbill was still present on the Stilt Pool, along with a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover and seven Black-tailed Godwits.

The first returning Yellow Wagtail was with the cattle on the reserve, whilst along the banks the adult male and four juvenile Stonechats were again about, along with three Reed Buntings, six Yellowhammers, 30+ Whitethroats in various family groups and four singing Reed Warblers.

Also, a Swift, 50+ Sand Martins, 100+ Swallows and two Buzzards were overhead. (S&SaH)

Sand Martins (above) & Spoonbill at Medmerry (SH)

Sunday, 7th July: A damp and drizzly morning, with intermittent periods of heavier rain, though fairly mild and with just a light easterly breeze.....

Medmerry: The Norfolk Hawker seen on Friday has been confirmed as a first for Sussex. (Eds per CRJ/Chi NHS)

Norfolk Hawker at Medmerry on 5th July (Chi NHS)

Selsey Bill:
(0700-0800hrs) (BI) 
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Little Tern -1os
Auk sp - 1W

(1600-1700hrs) (SH)
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 8E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 13os
Little Tern - 3os
Razorbill - 1W
House Martin - 3p

Ferry Pool: The three Spotted Redshanks were on the pool early this morning, along with a Greenshank, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Redshanks and 20+ Black-tailed Godwits. (SH)

Later there were three Little Ringed Plovers, including a juvenile, present, plus the Shelduck family and six Teal, whilst the three Spotted Redshanks and most of the Black-tailed Godwits had re-located to the channel opposite. (AH/IP)

Spotted Redshanks (above, IP), Spotted Redshank and Little Egret, Little Ringed Plovers & Black-tailed Godwit around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton lane to the Stilt Pool - The Spoonbill was on the Stilt Pool again, along with two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, three Little Ringed Plovers, including a juvenile, five Lapwings, c40 Canada Geese of various ages and a few Gadwall, with 20 Swallows and a Sand Martin over. Also, a Fox was around the edge of the pool, inside the perimeter fence.
A Green Sandpiper flew out from one of the pools, and ten (of 20+ seen) Little Egrets were on another, whilst the adult male and at least three juvenile Stonechats were along the banks, along with numerous Whitethroat families, a Reed Warbler family and three more singing males and ten or so Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings. (AH/IP/SH)

Spoonbill (above), Greenshank, Stonechat, Reed Warbler, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat (AH) & Little Egrets (SH) at Medmerry

Selsey, Park Farm: Best bird was a Hobby, but there was also a bit of a selection, with 10 Swallows, four House Martins, a Sand Martin, a Grey Wagtail and two juvenile Pied Wagtails, plus a Sandwich Tern over carrying a huge sand eel (or similar). (S&SaH)

Sidlesham Churchyard:  A Hummingbird  Hawk-moth was feeding on Lavender in a nearby garden this evening. (SA)

Church Norton: This afternoon there was a constant stream of Sandwich Terns in and out with food, and a few Common and Little Terns were also noted. Two juvenile Stonechats were also in the horse field. (S&SaH)
Also, a family of young Swallows were being fed in the churchyard, where there was also a Green Woodpecker. (SR)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - At least two Corn Buntings were in the big barley field, along with a Reed Bunting and a dozen Skylarks, whilst the Chiffchaff was still singing near the houses, a few Yellowhammers and Whitethroats were scattered about and ten Swallows went over. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, Linnets & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)

Chichester Canal: The first Reed Warbler fledglings were out this evening along the canal and were being fed. There was also a molting Chiffchaff busy ferrying food back to its nest, and an elusive male Bullfinch was also seen in the same vicinity as yesterday's female. (AW)

Bullfinch (above), Chiffchaff & Reed Warblers at Chichester Canal (AW)