Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 1st

Thursday, 3rd June: Another bright and breezy morning after a murky start, though with the wind having shifted right round to south-westerly.......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit more selection this morning, including an Arctic Skua east and an Eider and half a dozen Fulmars west, plus a lot of Sandwich Terns and a few Gannets offshore. Full log below. (SR/AH/MO-W/IP)

(0655-0835hrs) (WSW, F3-4)

Fulmar - 6W

Gannet - 17E, 26W

Eider - 1W

Common Scoter - 7E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)

Sandwich Tern - c100os

Common Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 5

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 2E

Eider (above) & Fulmars at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Cattle Egrets dropped in on Ferry Field, but it was standard fare around the pool, including four Avocets, two Black-tailed Godwits (which flew into the harbour), two Lapwings, three Gadwall and c25 Shelducks, whilst a pair of the latter had eight small ducklings in the channel opposite..

A Lesser Whitethroat was seen collecting food around the Tramway circuit, and a few Whitethroats and Blackcaps were also noted, along with a pristine Painted Lady near the hide. (AW/MO-W/AH)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Cattle Egret, Painted Lady (AW), Lapwing & Shelduck family (AH) at the Ferry

Church Norton: A Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk were around the harbour this morning, repeatedly unsettling the vast numbers of Little and Sandwich Terns, Black-headed and (c20) Mediterranean Gulls, though neither appeared particularly interested in them, whilst there were more Little and Sandwich Terns feeding offshore.

Otherwise, ten Black-tailed Godwits flew in and settle briefly, but no other waders were noted, whilst passerines were limited to a couple of calling Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Sedge Warblers, a dozen Linnets and a pair of Swallows. (AH)

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

Wednesday, 2nd June: A very similar day to yesterday - warm and mostly bright, but still with a fresh north-easterly breeze, though clouding up later on.......

Selsey Bill: A Great Northern Diver that dropped in offshore was the avian highlight, though probably topped by the pod of at least eight Bottle-nosed Dolphins that cruised east well inside the 'Mile Basket Line'. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0700-0800hrs) (ENE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 4W, 1os

Common Scoter - 13E

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Swallow - 2

House Martin - 3

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 8E

Bottle-nosed Dolphins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was just the usual selection again this morning, including four Avocets, two Redshanks, a Lapwing, five Gadwall and c40 Shelducks, though a Whimbrel was calling from the salt-marsh off the Tramway and two distant Grey Plovers were on the mud.

Th Tramway circuit also just held the regular birds, including a couple of singing Chiffchaffs and a handful of Blackcaps and Whitethroats, plus a Swift over. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Blackcap, Swift and juvenile Blue Tit around the Ferry (AH)

East Beach Pond: It was quiet here today apart from a few Reed Warblers singing from two small areas of reed, a Chiffchaff, a family of Long-tailed Tits and a juvenile Coot. Sadly the Mute Swans seem to have lost their clutch of eggs and abandoned the nest. (SR)

juvenile Long-tailed Tit at East Beach Pond (SR)

North Wall: Two fairly distant Cuckoos were calling continuously this morning, but most of the numerous Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers were keeping low, with just a couple of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Reed Buntings noted otherwise.

Also, six Cattle Egrets were among the cows in the fields north-east of Owl Copse, with a pair of Buzzards and two Mediterranean Gulls overhead, whilst two Black-tailed Godwits and six Lapwings were in the Honer fields and a family of Mute Swans were in White's Creek, though no waders were seen in the harbour. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Mediterranean Gull, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Black-tailed Godwit, Buzzard & Mute Swan cygnets around the North Wall (AH)

Sidlesham: Two Yellowhammers dropped in on our lawn this afternoon - the first I have seen here in probably ten years! (AH)

Yellowhammer in a Sidlesham garden (AH)

Church Norton: A flock of about 40 Ringed Plovers were on the mud this evening, whilst there were still many Little and Sandwich Terns in the harbour, a pair of Swallows were feeding around the hide and a pair of Mistle Thrushes were in Grange Lane. (AH).

Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Barn Owl was out hunting this evening, before disappearing over the new reservoirs, whilst a Brown Hare was out on the ground the far side of the tidal area by the poplars.

At the Stilt Pool, a pair of Avocets with two chicks were present, whilst when a Grey Heron flew in, it was actively mobbed by three other Avocets. (C Evans)

Barn Owl (above), Avocet and chicks & Brown Hare at Medmerry (C Evans)

Tuesday, 1st June: Another warm and sunny day, despite the fairly brisk north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Single Fulmars east and west and 23 Common Scoter east were just about it this morning. Full log below. (AH/MO-W/IP/SR)

(0700-800hrs) (ENE, F4)

Fulmar - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 1W

Common Scoter - 23E

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Common Tern - 1os

auk sp - 1E

House Martin - 4

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

Ferry Pool: Two visits produced totals of 14 Black-tailed Godwits, four Avocets, two Redshanks, a Lapwing, five Gadwall and 65 Shelducks, with a Whitethroat, a Cetti's Warbler and a Blackcap all singing nearby. (AH/MO-W)

Avocet (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Gadwall and Shelducks & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were up to 25 Little Terns feeding (and occasionally displaying) at the far end of the spit, whilst a constant procession of Sandwich Terns came and went as the tide dropped.

The only waders noted were two pairs of Ringed Plovers and a few Oystercatchers, whilst two pairs of Skylarks and a few Linnets were along the beach and spit, together with the Red-legged Partridge again. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern, Ringed Plover, Oystercatchers & Red-legged Partridge at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - It was all about young birds today with plenty of successful breeding evidence. Around the Stilt Pools was the Stonechat family, a family of Canada Geese and a pair of Kestrels, whilst one of the Avocet pairs were watching over their two chicks, chasing away everything from Shelduck to Dunlin. I understand quite a few pairs have already walked their offspring across the path into the main reserve and there seem to be 15+ still sitting.

Also on the pools were a single Egyptian Goose, a Shelduck, two Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover, four Oystercatchers, two male Shovelers, six Tufted Ducks and two pairs of Mute Swans, with half a dozen Swallows over. Along the path was a very vocal young Linnet, a Green Woodpecker and the usual Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers calling. (SR)