20th - 22nd July 2020

Wednesday, 22nd July: A very warm and sunny morning, with just a light south-easterly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: Again it was just the regular mix of summer species. Full log below. (MO-W/AH/SR)
(0645-0815hrs) (SE, F2)
Gannet - 8E, 3W
Common Scoter - 1E
Oystercatcher - 1E
Turnstone - 1E
Mediterraneran Gull - 6E, 3W
Sandwich Tern - c40os
Common Tern - 5os
Little Tern - 4os
Swift - 2 (+c 40 over Grafton Road)
Sand Martin - 1W
House Martin - 8

Common Tern (above), Sandwich Tern & Little Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The juvenile Water Rail was showing well this morning in the road-side reeds and there were also three juvenile Little Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin nearby, though otherwise there were just 15 Black-tailed Godwits and a Little Egret on the pool. (MO-W/AH/SR)

juvenile Water Rail (above), juvenile Little Ringed Plovers & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Two very small Little Grebe chicks were with their parents, there was a family of Coots, two female Gadwall, a Teal and the usual Mallards on the pool this morning.
In the bushes there were a female Blackcap, a Sedge Warbler, a family of Whitethroats and a few Linnets, with a Swallow, a Kestrel, a Buzzard and a few Skylarks overhead. 
 The channel held more Black-tailed Godwits and a small flock of Redshank but I couldn't find anything else. (SR)

Runcton: A Tawny Owl was calling in the garden late last night. (CRJ)

Park Farm, Selsey: This evening there were 10+ Swifts, 10+ Swallows and 30+ House Martins over the farm, with a Willow Warbler in the hedges and three Pied Wagtails on the fields.
Also, this morning, a Garden Tiger moth was in out trap nearby. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: This morning there was a summer plumage Spotted Redshank on the pool by the horse field and a Wheatear was on the bramble bushes nearby. (A&YF)
This evening a Knot was among c200 Dunlin in the harbour and the Ringed Plovers and their chick were near the concrete slabs, along with a Common sandpiper and a Whimbrel.
Tern numbers are much reduced now, though a dozen Little Terns were still buzzing around New Island and a Common Tern and a few Mediterranean Gulls were among the Sandwich Terns. (AH)

Knot and Dunlin (above), Sandwich Tern and Black-headed Gull, Dunlins, Ringed Plover & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The Breech Pool this morning contained a Spotted Redshank and about 30 Black-tailed Godwits, while there were 50 Curlew in the field behind.  
A Greenshank was feeding in Whites Creek together with about 40 Redshank, a dozen or so Dunlin and at least three Whimbrel. (IH)
This evening a Yellow Wagtail flew south over the Breech Pool. (SP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were fairly quiet this morning, with few Skylarks or Yellowhammers seen, though there were a handful of Whitethroats and Reed Warblers, plus a Sedge Warbler about along with a dozen Stock Doves and large numbers of Linnets and Goldfinches.
A Peregrine with a kill was the only bird of note out on the reserve, whilst half a dozen Sandwich Terns were offshore and c50 Swallows, 20 Sand Martin and five House Martins moved through.
The Stilt Pool held a few waders this morning, namely a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers, ten Lapwings, a Black-tailed Godwit and c25 Dunlin, and there were also a mother Gadwall and three well-grown ducklings and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull present. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Gadwall duckling & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)

 

Tuesday, 21st July: Another bright start to the morning, though clouding up as the breeze again backed round from north to south-west during the day......

Selsey Bill: Six Little Terns were offshore this morning and four Common Scoters went east. Full log below. (MO-W/AH/IP/SR)

(0645-0815hrs) (NNE, F2-3)

Gannet - 11E

Common Scoter - 4E

Oystercatcher - 3E, 4W

Sanderling - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 10E, 5W

Sandwich Tern - c40os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 6os

Swift - 15

Swallow - 2E

House Martin - 6

Sandwich Tern (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A dozen Black-tailed Godwits were the only birds on the pool this morning. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The muddy margins of the Breech Pool were unoccupied this morning although there were about 30 Black-tailed Godwits feeding in the water, along with eight Teal and four Lapwings, whilst one or two Reed and Sedge Warblers were busy at the base of the reeds, a couple of Whitethroats were in the hedges and six Sand Martins went over.
At least eight Cattle Egrets were about - with two juveniles in Owl Copse early on and later five adults and a juvenile flying towards the Breech Pool with another adult still in the copse.

There were also at least 300 Mediterranean Gulls and 500 Black-headed Gulls, plus a lone Common Gull, commuting between the mown fields and the harbour and a family of Little Grebes in the creek between the fields at Halsey's Farm. (AH/IH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Little Grebe family, Mediterranean Gull & Common Gull along the North Wall (AH)

East Side: A Common Sandpiper and the oddly short-billed Greenshank were in White's Creek, along with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank and a handful of Lapwings, whilst three Little Terns dropped in to feed..
At least three Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews and c30 Dunlin were out in the harbour, too, along with the adult Yellow-legged Gull. (AH/IH)

Little Tern (above), Yellow-legged Gull, Whimbrel & Greenshank along the East side (AH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - It was fairly quiet in the blustery breeze, though a Corn Bunting was out in the fields, a couple of juvenile Reed Buntings and a few Linnets and Skylarks, along with two male Stonechats were along the banks and about five Yellowhammers were along Ham Road..

Also, a Whimbrel was in the tidal area and around five Little Terns and c30 Sandwich Terns were near the Breach. (AH)

Stonechat (above), Yellowhammer & Reed Bunting at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 20th July: A warm and sunny morning, with the moderate breeze backing round from north to south-west during the day......

Selsey Bill: Not too much to report, though eight Sand Martins went east. Full log below. (MO-W/AH/IP)

(0645-0815hrs) (N, F3-4)
Gannet - 5E, 4W
Oystercatcher - 1E, 1W
Dunlin - 3W 
Turnstone - 1W 
Mediterranean Gull - 6E, 8W 
Sandwich Tern - 40os 
Common Tern - 3os 
Swift - 16 
Sand Martin - 8E 
House Martin - 4

Mediterranean Gull (above), Sandwich Tern & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just three Black-tailed Godwits and a Lapwing were on the pool early on, along with a couple of Reed Warblers at the front, whilst a Kingfisher, a Greenshank, a Redshank and 19 Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite, with the latter flock relocating to the pool later. (MO-W/AH)

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

North Wall: Early on, there were just 10 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, three Lapwings and two Teal on the Breech Pool, with 15 Curlews in the field behind and ten Sand Martins over. (IH/OM)
At midday there were 49 Black-tailed Godwits and nine Lapwings, together with three Little Egrets and three Grey Herons, on the Breech Pool, though it was very quiet in the back fields. Also, on Honer Reservoir, there was a female Tufted Duck with eight ducklings. (JDW) 
A Red Kite was also circling Owl Copse early afternoon and four Cattle Egrets (three ads and a juvenile), four Whimbrel and two Willow Warblers were also seen. (P&GaJ)

Grey Heron at the North Wall (JDW)

East side: In White's Creek were another 30 Black-tailed Godwits (one colour-ringed), whilst at least 40 Dunlin were feeding there and also out on the mudflats and channels. The usual gathering of Redshank was present, plus a Spotted Redshank further towards the harbour, with at least three Whimbrel and a Greenshank amongst the Curlews and Oystercatchers. Three or four Little Terns and a couple of Common Terns were also fishing from the channel into White's Creek and a Willow Warbler was in the bushes. (OM/IH/TG)

 Common Tern and colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit in White's Creek (OM)

Church Norton: There were still a dozen Little Terns around New Island, with similar feeding offshore, and there were still large numbers of Sandwich Terns bringing in fish still and feeding both offshore and in the harbour.

There were up to 200 Dunlin out on the mud, along with a few Curlews and Redshank, plus 68 Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull, whilst half a dozen Turnstone on the beach, but the bushes were very quiet beyond the Swallows around the hide. Also a Whimbrel, four Black-tailed Godwits, seven Great Crested Grebes and four Sand Martins were seen. (AH/Ga&PJ)

Little Tern (above) & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were at least 300 Dunlin on the mud, but only a couple of Knot, a Common Sandpiper and a handful of Ringed Plovers were among them, including the pair of the latter with their one chick.
There were plenty of Little and Sandwich Terns, plus a lone Common Tern in the harbour and the Swallows were still busy around the hide. (AH)

Common Tern (above), Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover chick, Swallow & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Chi GPs - Drayton pits - A fairly brief visit today, mainly to check on the situation regarding the Marsh Harrier family, following my previous visit which drew a blank. In short, there was again no sign of any harriers on any of the pits and it all seemed strangely quiet, so I think it is now reasonable to assume that the young have successfully fledged and the family have indeed departed.

There was little else to report; the usual Pochard and Gadwall were present, a couple of pairs of Great Crested Grebes have young and the Reed and Cetti's Warblers are still active with the occasional burst of song and Buzzards and Jays are very vocal around their nesting areas. Two Common Terns were fishing over the lakes and there were plenty of the commoner butterflies around, including two Brimstones, the first I've seen for a while. (OM)

Brimstone at Drayton GPs (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt pool - There were two Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper and nine Sand Martins around the pool late morning, plus a Peregrine, a Buzzard, a Gadwall family and a Clouded Yellow in the area.

Perhaps the most unusual thing however was an adult-looking Great Cormorant with rather neat white underparts and blackish upperparts, roosting with other Cormorants, making it stand out from the crowd (which included other pale fronted immatures). (Ga&PJ)

Unusually  "White-breasted" Cormorant at the Stilt pool (GaJ)

This evening a Greenshank, two Whimbrel, four Black-tailed Godwits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Buzzard were around the poplars, with 21 Swallows and 23 sand Martins over the banks.

The Stilt Pool held a Dunlin, two Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwit. (S&SaH)

Unusual Cormorant at Medmerry (SH)