Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Sunday, 6th June: A grey and humid morning, though warm, with sea-mist early on in a light south-westerly........

Selsey Bill: A Kittiwake west was the only bird of note in the limited visibility. Full log below. (AH/SR)

(0645-0730hrs) (SW, F3)

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 40os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 2os

House Martin - 6

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

Ferry Pool: There were just two Redshanks, a Lapwing, four Gadwall and 28 Shelducks around the pool early this morning. (AH)

Later on, a Grass Snake was seen swimming across the pond in the Discovery Area. (S&SaH)

It would seem that the Tawny Owls have relocated from the box in the Discovery area to the one in the big trees in the car-park - with one seen there in recent evenings. (A&YF/S&SaH)

Gadwall and Shelduck (AH) (above) & Grass Snake (SH) around the Ferry

Donnington: A look along the Chichester Canal going west produced at least a dozen Reed Warblers, three Cetti's Warblers, three Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Jay and a Green Woodpecker in the hedges and reeds, with a family of Little Grebes and at least ten families of Coots on the water, whilst a Swallow and a Common Tern dropped in briefly, too. (AH)

Common Tern (above), Reed Warbler, Blackcap and juvenile Coot along Chichester Canal (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There was a Gadwall and a Shelduck on the reservoir this morning, with a Green Woodpecker nearby. (IP)

Church Norton: There were at least 40 Sandwich Terns feeding inside the harbour this morning, with all the usual activity going on around the islands, but waders were restricted to a couple of Curlews and a few Turnstones and Ringed Plovers.

Also, a Sedge Warbler, a couple of Reed Buntings and Swallows and a few Reed Warblers, Whitehroats and Linnets were along the Severals, together with a Grey Heron and a pair of Buzzards, whilst a pair of Jays were in Bluebell Wood. (AH/IP)

Sedge Warbler (above), Linnet, Sandwich Tern & the general public at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were two Roseate Terns near Tern Island, while also of note were two unseasonal Greenshank. (AH)

Roseate Tern (above) & Greenshank at Church Norton (AW)

North Wall: The Great Crested Grebes have bred on the Breech pool, whilst the Great Spotted Woodpeckers have had two young, which fledged on Friday, and already four baby squirrels have taken over the nest! (K Price)

Great Crested Grebe family (above), Great Spotted Woodpecker and Grey Squirrels at the North Wall (K Price)

Saturday, 5th June: A complete contrast to yesterday, with a lovely, sunny morning in just a light north-westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: A morning of just the regular species, including the odd Fulmar, Little and Common Tern, plus a few Common Scoters and Gannets. Full log below. (JA/AH)

(0700-0800hrs) (NW, F3)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 4E, 2W

Common Scoter - 1E

Black-headed Gull - 25os

Sandwich Tern - 35os

Common Tern - 1os

Little Tern - 1os

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 8

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

Ferry Pool: There were still eight Avocets on the pool this morning, along with two Redshank, two Lapwings, four Gadwall and 46 Shelducks.(AH)

Avocets (above) & Lapwings and Gadwall on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Whinchat was an unexpected bird along the hedges, whilst among the more regular fare were a freshly fledged family of Sedge Warblers, lots of singing Reed Warblers, a couple of Cetti's Warblers and Reed Buntings and at least five Whitethroats. (AH)

Whinchat (above), Reed Warbler, Whitethroat & Sedge Warblers along the Long Pool (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The Lesser Whitethroat was calling in the hedges again this morning.(IP)

Medmerry: A Green Sandpiper was in one of the small pools along the banks this morning, with a Greenshank nearby, but there wasn't much else to report. (S&SAH)

Church Norton: Waders in the harbour numbered 15 Turnstones around the metalwork plus the breeding Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers, whilst tern numbers were unchanged, including, at one point, 40 Little Terns taking off from around Peregrine Island.

Two Sparrowhawks were at Greenlease Fam and there were two Buzzards in the vicinity, whilst two Green and a Great Spotted Woodpeckers were around the Severals with Cetti’s, Sedge and Reed Warbler all present along with a Reed Bunting, and Bluebell Wood held a lot of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and a Jay. (IP)

This afternoon three Roseate Terns were in the harbour. (ARK/C Melgar), but there was no sign this evening, though a Bar-tailed Godwit, six Sanderlings, 10 Turnstones and c30 Dunlin were in the harbour. (AH)

North Wall: There were a minimum of six Cattle Egrets in the fields behind Owl Copse, whilst a Red Kite was in the area for most of the morning, along with three or four Buzzards, and a Marsh Harrier was sat out briefly at the back of the Breech Pool.

Two Cuckoos were heard, if not seen, whilst there were plenty of Whitethroats, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, plus a couple of Linnets and Reed Buntings, along the wall and a pair of Swallows were prospecting the stables, with a istle Thrush briefly in the adjacent paddocks.

Also, the Breech Pool briefly held two Common Terns, along with a few Gadwall and Tufted Ducks, with a squealing Water Rail heard, a Lapwing and a few Shelducks were in the fields, up to a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were overhead and a lone drake Wigeon was about the only bird of note in the harbour. (AH/PC)

Cattle Egrets (above), Red Kite, Common Tern, Mediterranean Gull & Little Egret at the North Wall (AH)

Friday, 4th June: A thoroughly damp and miserable morning, with persistently drizzly rain in a light north-westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A steady stream of Sandwich Terns were coming and going, but beyond a Gadwall east there was virtually nothing moving. Full log below. (AH/SR)

(0705-0850hrs) (NW, F3) (AH/SR)

Gannet - 2E

Gadwall - 1E

Sandwich Tern - c100os

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

Ferry Pool: There were 14 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with two Black-tailed Godwits, five Gadwall, 42 Shelducks, whilst a pair of Reed Warblers were in the road-side reeds, with a Cetti's Warbler and a Whitethroat nearby, too. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Sanderlings, two Ringed Plovers and a Redshank were the only waders seen, whilst a handful of Common Terns and a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were among the many Little and Sandwich Terns.

Passerines were few, though included a couple of Swallows, a couple of Blackcaps and Whitethroats and half a dozen Linnets. (AH)