Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 1st

Saturday, 3rd July: Initially cool and grey, there followed a spell of quite heavy rain before slowly brightening from the west as the south-westerly breeze freshened........

Selsey Bill: A few Little Terns were feeding along the beach, whilst seven Gannets went east. Full log below. (AH/IP/SR)

(0700-0800hrs) (SW, F3)

Gannet - 7E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 25os

Little Tern - 5os

Swift - 1

House Martin - 3

(1600-1700hrs) (SSW, F4) (SH)

Gannet - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 57os

Common Tern - 1os

Little Tern - 3os

Swift - 3

Little Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper were both back on the pool early, whilst three Cattle Egrets were in the field, and later a Little Ringed Plover was present at the back and a Common Sandpiper was in the channel opposite.

Also, there were 36 Avocets, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank, c60 Lapwing, ten Teal and c20 Shelducks on the pool. (AH/PG et al)

Long Pool: A Cuckoo was again skulking along the hedges, but it was otherwise quiet, with just the odd Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Reed Bunting showing briefly, whilst c30 Redshank and c20 Black-tailed Godwits were out in the harbour at the end of Ferry Channel. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above) & Whitethroat along the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: Two adult Yellow-legged Gulls were in the harbour this morning, with a possible younger bird present, too. (BI)

There was also an Essex Skipper along the footpath by the Slipe Field. (TH)

Essex Skipper around the North Wall (TH)

Church Norton: The two Roseate Terns were out on the mud late this morning, whilst there were also a couple of Common Terns, 20+ Little Terns and 30+ Mediterranean Gulls around the harbour, along with 50+ juvenile Sandwich Terns and 300+ juvenile Black-headed Gulls.

A few waders were about, including three Whimbrel, four Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Curlews, five Dunlin, 14 Turnstones, four Ringed Plovers and 20+ Redshanks, with the pair of Swallows over the harbour, too.

The female Sparrowhawk was on her nest, before flying off, whilst a pair of Gadwall were on the second Several, but passerine activity was limited to a Reed Bunting and the odd Reed Warbler along the Severals and a Blackcap singing near the car-park. (PG/AH/IP et al)

Little Tern (above), Sandwich Terns, Whimbrel and Curlew, Turnstone, Swallow & juvenile Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

West Itchenor: I paid another visit to the Itchenor Harbour Office/Haines Boatyard area today just in case any House Martins had returned to nest.

This is normally a very active Martin colony but after seeing only a couple of occupied nests 28th May it was sad to visit on the 17th and 23rd of June to find no sight nor sound of them but thankfully today there were two nests with young and all looked well. (SR)

House Martins at West Itchenor (SR)

Friday, 2nd July: After a very slow-to-clear misty start, a pleasantly sunny late morning in a light north-westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: It was slightly clearer here than inland, but visibility was poor and only a dozen Little Terns feeding along the beach and the regular Sandwich Terns, including a young juvenile with its parents, were seen. (AH/IP)

(0655-0755hrs) (NW, F2)

Sandwich Tern - c30os

Little Tern - 12os

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

Ferry Pool: There were three Cattle Egrets on the field early on, with one still present later on, but the pool just held the usual mix, including c30 Avocets, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Lapwing and c20 Redshank, along with half a dozen Shelducks, whilst a Common Tern dropped in early on. (AH/L&PH et al)

Common Tern (above), Avocet & Cattle Egret at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Cuckoo flew along the pool this evening, as did a Sparrowhawk, whilst a Whimbrel and a very young (hopefully local) Redshank were along the channel and a pair of Little Grebes with two well-grown chicks were on the pool. (AH)

Little Grebes (above) & Redshank around the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: An update on the tern colony from IL is as follows -

Sandwich Tern - c70 fully fledged and c150 imminent

Little Tern - 3 fully fledged, with more chicks at various stages still on their island

Mediterranean Gull - 14 fledged from 18 pairs

Black-headed Gull - 560 fledged (including one ringed bird already seen in Southampton), with many more to come (Eds)

North Wall: Both of the Marsh Harriers were out at different times this morning, whilst Common Tern fed over the Breech Pool, where the three juvenile Great Crested Grebes continue to prosper, whilst an adult and a juvenile Cattle Egret were visible among at least ten Little Egrets in Owl Copse.

Reed Warblers, and the occasional Cetti's Warbler, continue to be vocal, whilst the Swallows were still around the stables, but the harbour didn't hold much beyond c30 Redshank and Curlew, a handful of Black-tailed Godwits, a Wigeon, plenty of Shelducks and the odd Mediterranean Gull. (AH/IH/SP/LP/JDW et al)

Marsh Harrier (above), Cattle Egret, juvenile Cattle and Little Egrets, Common Tern, Reed Warbler & Great Crested Grebes at the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Barn Owls were out hunting this morning, whilst unusually for the west of the reserve, a Corn Bunting was singing near Marsh Barn, with another out in the middle.

There was also what appeared to be a small colony of Bright Wave moths - a scarce moth of coastal South-east England, usually found to the east of us. (IL)

Corn Bunting (above) & Bright Wave at Medmerry (IL)

Chichester Canal: A Water Vole was a nice surprise along the banks this afternoon, and there were still three, and possibly four, Norfolk Hawkers present, including one that appeared to be ovipositing. (AW)

Water Vole (above) & Norfolk Hawker along Chichester Canal (AW)

Thursday, 1st July: Finally, some prolonged, if slightly hazy, sunshine, with a pleasant summer's morning in just a light north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Just the regular mix again this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0650-0750hrs) (NE, F2)

Gannet - 2E, 1os

Turnstone - 1W

Sandwich Tern - c20os, 26E with fish

Little Tern - 2os

House Martin - 3

Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was quite a bit of activity on the pool this morning, including the Spotted Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 32 Avocets, c50 Lapwing, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank, a dozen Teal and half a dozen or so Gadwall and Shelducks.

Thee were also four Cattle Egrets on the fields and a showy Lesser Whitethroat, two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap around the Tramway. (AH/AW)

Spotted Redshank (above), Cattle Egret (AH), Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits, juvenile Avocet & Cattle Egret (AW) around the Ferry

Medmerry: Chainbridge Field to the Breach - There were plenty of birds along the hedges and banks, including two pairs of Stonechats, a Meadow Pipit and a couple of Linnets carrying nesting material, with many juveniles of the latter about, too, numerous Skylarks and the odd Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus a few Swallows.

There were two Common Sandpipers in the tidal area near the breach, but the only other waders noted were a Curlew and two Ringed Plovers, whilst at least a dozen Little and Sandwich Terns and four Common Terns were feeding and resting around the breach itself.

There were also several large clumps of Restharrow along the path below the caravans. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Little Tern, Common Tern, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Linnet & Restharrow at Medmerry (AH)

North Wall: The regular male Marsh Harrier was out and about early on, then later a hunting male Sparrowhawk took a Starling over the saltmarsh and settled to enjoy his meal, much to the consternation of the local gulls and waders - eventually forcing the raptor to drag his prize to a more sheltered location.
It was otherwise much as usual along the Wall and the Breech Pool, although a couple of Common Terns fishing enlivened the latter location. (OM/TG)

East side: Two summering and now-moulting Wigeon were the most unusual birds on offer - both spending time in the channels and on the mudflats around White's Creek.
Curlew numbers have clearly increased in recent days and around 35 were feeding in the harbour, together with five Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Lapwings, a few Oystercatchers and at least 40 Redshank. The pair of Shelduck with four or perhaps five ducklings were also present. (OM)

The two summering Wigeon from the East side, now moulting into eclipse plumage (OM)

Ivy Lake complex: A pair of Great Crested Grebes with three young were on the lake this afternoon, whilst, in addition the Egyptian Goose family were in the grounds of the farmhouse along with a family of Greylags and several Canada Geese, and there were a brief sighting of a Green Woodpecker, plus a small number of Common Terns. (C Evans)

Great Crested Grebes on Ivy Lake (C Evans)

Church Norton: There wasn't much variety in the harbour this evening, but there were dozens of young Sandwich Terns and hundreds of young Black-headed Gulls flying around and chasing their parents. (AH)