26th - 28th July 2020

Tuesday, 28th July: Another morning dominated by a fresh and blustery breeze - this time from the west, producing a mix of sunshine and fairly heavy cloud........

Selsey Bill: A fairly uneventful morning, with the usual mix of species, including three Sanderling and a dozen Turnstones on the beach. Full log below. (BL/AH/IP/MO-W/SR)
(0600-0815hrs) (W, F5)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 8E, 15W, c20os
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 12
Sanderling - 4E, 3 present
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - c30os
Common Tern - 1W
Little Tern - 1W

Gannet (above), Sandwich Tern & Sanderlings at the Bill (AH)

(1645-1800hrs) (SH)
Manx Shearwater - 1E (1657hrs)
Gannet - 5E, 2W
Sanderling - 5
Dunlin - 5
Turnstone - 2
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 31W
Common Tern - 2W
Little Tern - 2E
Swift - 1W
House Martin - 1

Sanderling at the Bill (SH)

Ferry Pool: There were just five Shelducks, two Teal and 27 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, with another half a dozen of the latter, the Greenshank and a Whimbrel in the channel opposite.
The Tramway circuit held just the odd Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat, all keeping low in the breeze, plus a handful of Swifts and Swallows over. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Whimbrel & Chiffchaff around the Ferry (AH) and Black-tailed Godwit (RP)

Long Pool: There were two Shovelers and a small flock of Teal on the pool this morning, along with a Greenshank heard in the adjacent channel. (AW) 

 Teal and Shoveler on the Long Pool (AW)

North Wall: Two hours after high water, the harbour was fairly quiet apart from two Common Sandpipers and two Whimbrel, along with a group of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits on the emerging mud.  
There were also seven Cattle Egrets and 11 Little Egrets on Heron Island while a Common Tern flew over.  (IH)
Later, 14 Cattle Egrets were on the island, and a Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank were in White's Creek. (J Holter)

Church Norton: There were still up to ten Little Terns - some carrying food - and 50 Sandwich Terns in the harbour on the high tide, whilst waders included at least three Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews and a few Dunlin. There were five Sanderlings along the shore, along with a pair of Ringed Plovers carefully guarding one chick.
There were family groups of Swallows around the hide and along the west side, but few other passerines beyond a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Linnets. (AH/AW)

Swallows (above), Blackcap & Little Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Little Tern carrying food, Sanderling, Ringed Plover chick and Willow Warblers (AW)

This afternoon a Pied Flycatcher was seen at the bottom of the path from the car-park to the harbour (IL) and a Curlew Sandpiper was reported from the harbour (per Birdguides)
This evening at least 20 Little Terns were roosting near the harbour mouth and at least 60 Turnstones, 300+ Dunlin, a Grey Plover and a few Ringed Plovers were in the high tide roosts. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Dunlin, Grey Plover & Turnstones at Church Norton (AH)

Fishbourne - Dell Quay: A blustery walk, with the tide well out, was showing increased numbers of waders. There were two Whimbrel amongst the widely dispersed Curlew, a Black-tailed Godwit, four Greenshank, 30+ Redshank, and six Turnstone at Dell Quay. 
Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a group of 24 Mediterranean Gulls were at Fishbourne, but it was very quiet in the bushes with just two Yellowhammers and a Reed Bunting, whilst overhead there were four Swifts, four Swallows and two Kestrels. (RW)

Yellowhammer at Fishbourne Creek (RW)

Monday, 27th July: A mostly grey morning, with rain early on, and a fresh southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Balearic Shearwater went west early on, and a few Kittiwakes and Sand Martins also went west, with a few Gannets and Common Scoters going both ways. Full log below. (BI/AH/IP)
(0605-0820hrs) (S, F5)
Balearic Shearwater - 1W (0638hrs)
Gannet - 54E, 31W
Common Scoter - 7E, 15W
Oystercatcher - 2W
Turnstone - 11
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 1E, 7W
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 30w
Common Tern - 2W
Sand Martin - 24W

Kittiwakes (above), Turnstone & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

(1430-1700hrs) (PB/SH)
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 28E, 4W
Common Scoter - 14E
Kitttiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 10W

Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets, three Little Ringed Plovers, two Teal and thee Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning.
A juvenile Peregrine flew along Ferry Channel and on over the pool, whilst c80 Lapwings went up high from the adjacent harbour and the regular Greenshank was again present.
The Tramway circuit was very quiet, though, with just a couple of Reed Warblers in Red Barn Ditch and a couple of Whitethroats seen. (AW/AH)

Peregrine (above), Little Ringed Plovers, Greenshank, Buzzard and Lapwings (AW), Avocets & Reed Warbler (AH) around the Ferry

North Wall: White's Creek at late morning held a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank and about 50 Black-tailed Godwits while six Swifts flew over. 
The Breech Pool, with higher water levels, contained only Black-headed Gulls but, sheltering from the wind, six Cattle Egrets and ten Little Egrets were on Heron Island. (IH)

Church Norton: There were still a dozen Little Terns and at least 50 Sandwich Terns, plus a lone Common Tern around the harbour this morning, though three Whimbrels and c50 Dunlin were the only waders of note.
There were c20 Swallows feeding over the harbour, and half a dozen Swifts went over west, but otherwise passerines were restricted to a handful of Whitethroats and a  dozen Linnets. (AH)

Little and Sandwich Terns, Swallow, Linnet, Whimbrel & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 26th July: A blustery morning of warm sun and banks of heavy cloud, moving through swiftly on the stiff westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A morning with a good selection of species, including a Manx Shearwater east and five Shovelers and four Black-tailed Godwits west, but frustration with two distant shearwaters that went east, booming up high followed by long shallow glides, with Sooty being a distinct possibility, but too distant to be completely certain. Full log below. (SH/PB/PM/BI/IP/AH/SR)

(0545-0900hrs) (WSW, F5)

Manx Shearwater - 1E

Fulmar - 1E, 2W

shearwater sp - 2E (0755hrs)

Gannet - 27E, 30W

Shoveler - 5W

Common Scoter - 16E, 11W

Ringed Plover - 9E

Turnstone 3E, 16W, 2 on beach

Sanderling - 3W, 2 on beach

Black-tailed Godwit - 4W

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 20E, 50W

Common Tern - 2W

Swift - 5W

Sand Martin - 40W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Willow Warbler - 1
Also, a Willow Warbler was in nearby Ursula Square. (RP)

Gannet (above), Sanderling, Shovelers & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

(1400-1500hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 2E, 2W

Little Tern - 1W

Common Tern - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 19W

Sand Martin - 3W

Ferry Pool: There were just five Black-tailed Godwits on the pool at high tide, whilst later a dozen were in the channel opposite, along with two very active Greenshanks. (AH)

Greenshanks in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: There were still c20 Little Terns and c50 Sandwich Terns in the harbour this morning, along with 100+ Dunlin, 20 Turnstones, a summer-plumaged Grey Plovers and a few Ringed Plovers, whilst 20 Black-tailed Godwits went east offshore.

There was a Wheatear along the fences on the spit, a Willow Warbler in Bluebell Wood, a Whitethroat and a Pied Wagtail at Greenlease Farm, with a few Sand Martins over the second Several and more moving south, too. There was also a Clouded Yellow by the carriage homes just beyond the south end of the reserve. (IP/s&SaH)
Tgis afternoon eight Common Scoters went east offshore, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, two Grey Plovers, a Common Sandpiper and 111 Dunlin were in the harbour and aWillow Warbler was in the bushes. (ESt)

There wasn't too much to see this evening, though two or three Little Terns were feeding in the harbour, at least 30 Sandwich Terns were being busy and noisy and the Swallows were around the hide. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Terns & Swallow at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were 16 Cattle Egrets split between Owl Copse and the island in the harbour this morning, and included four juveniles. 

Unfortunately, not much mud was exposed in the Breech Pool which held only Mallard and a couple of Lapwings but 40 Curlew and a few Black-tailed Godwit were in the field behind, whilst a few intermittent snatches of Reed Warbler song was about it for passerines.  (IH/AH/ARK)
This afternoon there was a Little Ringed Plover present, along with 13 Cattle Egrets, including three juveniles. (ESt)

Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets from the North Wall (AH)

East Side: White's Creek this morning contained a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, about 40 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Lapwing and two Great Crested Grebes, whilst a Kingfisher flew over.  

Out on the mud in the harbour there were a Yellow-legged Gull, a summer-plumage Grey Plover, a single Knot, some 300 Dunlin and at least four Whimbrel, whilst two Little Terns and a Common Tern came up the harbour to feed. (IH/AH/ARK)

Whimbrel (above) & Black-tailed Godwit in White's Creek (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Greenshanks, a Whimbrel, 38 Black-tailed Godwits and 42 Redshank were roosting near the poplars, but the banks were quiet beyond a Whitethroat and plenty of Linnets and Skylarks, with ten Sand Martins, two Swallows and a Buzzard over.

The Stilt Pools were quiet, too, with just a Common Sandpiper, a Black-tailed Godwit and nine Dunlin of note, plus two feeding Common Terns. (S&SaH)
Earlier in the day a Hobby was also present. (RJS)