28th - 30th June 2021

Wednesday, 30th June: A very grey and fairly cool morning, with the odd glimpse of blue sky later on......

Selsey Bill: It was very quiet this morning! Full log below. (AH/SR/IP) 

(0640-0740hrs) (N, F2)

Gannet - 3W, 15os

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 20os, 9E with fish

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 4os

Swift -1

House Martin - 6

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

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was on the pool again this morning, along with 32 Avocets, c50 Lapwings, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Redshank, six Gadwall and eight Shelducks, whilst a Cattle Egret was in the field and the Spotted Redshank was well along the channel opposite in the company of c20 Redshanks. (AH)

Later, a/the Wood Sandpiper was reported again (per RBA)

Green Sandpiper and Lapwing (above), Avocets & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Common Sandpiper was along White's Creek early on, but was the only wader to be seen there.

The Great Crested Grebe family continue to do well on the Breech Pool, though all the Mallard appear to have forsaken the Breech Pool for the still flooded Honer 1 field, where there were 37 this morning. There were brief sightings of Marsh Harriers over the reed bed and there was a great deal of Egret activity over and in Owl Copse.

The path to Honer remains impassable unless wearing wellingtons. (JDW)

This evening both Marsh Harriers were out hunting, along with three Buzzards, whilst nine Sand Martins were over the Breech Pool and eight Cattle Egrets were in the fields. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - It was very quiet along the banks this morning, beyond the activity of the regular Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Skylarks, Whitethroats and Reed Warblers, whilst a Cuckoo and a pair of Jays were by the poplars and half a dozen Swifts and Swallows were overhead.

A Greenshank and a Curlew were by the poplars, with a Dunlin and three Lapwings on the very full Stilt Pool the only other waders seen, with c40 Canada Geese and a handful of Teal, Gadwall and Tufted Ducks the only other birds there. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Dunlin, Reed Warbler, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Stonechat & Jay at Medmerry (AH)

Birdham Pool: There were a drake Pochard, two Little Grebes, 14 Tufted Ducks, a Little Egret and families comprising a pair of Great Crested Grebe with two juveniles, Mute Swans with seven cygnets, one family of Coots with two more still sitting and three Mallard families. Some Reed Warblers were still singing, a House Martin passed overhead and a Yellow Shell moth was about. 

Along the canal a Cetti's Warbler was calling alongside a Chiffchaff, a Great Spotted Woodpecker passed overhead and the Swans that nested between the canal and the road seemed to have just the one cygnet, but well done to the local people who put a temporary barrier up to shield the nest. (SR)

The only cygnet of the Mute Swan pair nesting between the roadway and old canal near Chi Marina (SR)

 

Tuesday, 29th June: After yet another night of continuous heavy rain, a very grey, dank morning, with persistent drizzly rain in a moderate and variable breeze...

Selsey Bill: A flock of 15 Sand Martins appeared to come in off the sea before heading west, and a few Common Scoters went west, too, but otherwise it was the regular Gannets and terns. Full log below. (AH/SR)

(0640-0740hrs) (N, F3)

Gannet - 3E

Common Scoter - 14E

Sandwich Tern - 15os, 28E with fish

Common Ten - 4os

Little Tern - 4E, 5os

Swift - 4

Sand Martin - 15W

House Martin - 3

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

Ferry Pool: The Wood Sandpiper was present again early on, before flying off west at 0910hrs, whereupon the Spotted Redshank re-appeared in its stead.

Thee were also a Little Ringed Plover and exactly 30 Avocets on the pool, along with c50 Lapwings, a dozen or so Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits, ten Teal, eight Gadwall and 17 Shelducks. (AH/BFF/DIS/IH et al)

A Green Sandpiper was present late in the day. (IL)

Wood Sandpiper (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

East side: A near-adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the mudflats in the harbour from the East side this morning. Also present were 15 Curlews, 20+ Redshank, five Black-tailed Godwits and at least four Mediterranean Gulls, plus a brood of Shelduck young amongst the adults. (OM)

Cropped (phone-scoped) images of the Yellow-legged Gull on the East side (OM)

North Wall: Both the Marsh Harriers were out hunting at different times this morning, whilst a Cuckoo flew west over Owl Copse, where two or three Cattle Egrets and half a dozen Little Egrets could be seen.

A Common Tern went north over the Breech Pool, half a dozen Curlews were in Honer 1 field and a dozen or so Lapwings and Redshanks, along with 20+ Shelducks (including a family of youngsters) were in the harbour.

A few Reed Warblers were active along the reeds, with a couple of Cetti's Warblers calling, whilst the Swallows were still around the stables.,

Also, there was a nice flush of Pyramidal Orchids along the bottom of the wall. (AH/CT)

Marsh Harrier (above), Cuckoo, Cattle Egret, Reed Warbler & Pyramidal Orchids along the North Wall (AH)

Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was in the harbour again at lunchtime today (per Birdguides), whilst later on there were quite a few juvenile Sandwich Terns out and about and a constant stream of adults bringing in fish, along with a few Common and Little Tens (AH).

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

Monday, 28th June: After another night of prolonged heavy rain, a murky drizzly and humid morning, with barely a breath of breeze...

Selsey Bill: There were plenty of terns offshore, plus the odd Gannet, but not much else! Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0715-0815hrs) (N, F1)

Gannet - 1E, 1W, 4os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - c50os (also 32E carrying fish)

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 8os

Swift - 2

House Martin 4

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

Ferry Pool: The summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was still present on the pool this morning, along with 15 Avocets, c50 Lapwings, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Redshanks, ten Gadwall, six Teal and eight Shelducks.

Also, a Cattle Egret was among the cows by the road, whilst a Blackcap was about the only thing singing around the Discovery Area. (AH/AW/TG-P et al)

Spotted Redshank (above), Cattle Egret & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon a Wood Sandpiper was among the birds on the pool and at least two Cattle Egrets were with the cows on the field. (AW et al)

Wood Sandpiper on the Ferry (AW)

Long Pool: There were probably two different Cuckoos along the pool this morning, along with the Yellowhammer and the odd Reed and Sedge Warbler. (AW)

Cuckoo (above), Yellowhammer & Sedge Warbler along the Long Pool (AW)

East Beach Pond: There was a family of Reed Warblers barely visible in the reedbed, two broods (seven and five) of Mallard, one brood of Coot and one of Moorhen and both Moorhen and Mallard were being bullied by a Coot.

Also present was a pair of Mute Swans and the Muscovy Duck while a steady stream of fish-carrying Sandwich Terns flew overhead toward the colony at Church Norton. (SR)

Church Norton: At least three freshly fledged juvenile Sandwich Terns were on the mud among the multitude of young Black-headed Gulls, whilst a steady flow of Little and Sandwich terns were still bringing in fish, but otherwise the harbour just held a dozen Curlews and a couple of Ringed Plovers.

The odd Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Linnet and Reed Bunting popped up along the Severals, along with an unseasonal Tree Pipit, whilst a Blackcap was still singing near the car-park and the Swallows were still around the hide. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above), Black-headed Gulls & Tree Pipit at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A flat calm and muggy morning along the Wall and apart from a few Mallard and a Little Egret there were no birds along White's Creek, but there were dozens of Mullet close to the sluice gates. Breech Pool was very quiet and except for the Great Crested Grebe family there were just Mallards and two pairs of Tufted Ducks; however both Marsh Harriers were seen at different times in the area behind and also Reed and Sedge Warblers seemed to be particularly busy. 
At Owl Water the Mute Swan family were still present along with a pair of Little Grebes. Much activity was going on within the egret colony, where 12 birds - six each of Little and Cattle Egret - could be observed and some Cattle Egrets were also returning to the colony carrying nesting material. (JDW)

Little Grebe at the North Wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - A Barn Owl was out this evening, seen carrying a large rat, whilst a Greenshank, an Avocet and a Common Tern were around the tidal area by the poplars and two Stonechats and a Swallow were along the banks.

The Stilt Pool remains quiet, though, with just the Brent Goose, a Ringed Plover and three Avocets of note. (S&SaH)