Tuesday, 6th July: A very stormy morning, with a gale-force south-westerly blowing and plenty of rain early on before a bit of patchy sun broke through....
Selsey Bill: A single Manx Shearwater east was the only bird beyond the usual, though over 100 Gannets went east, but only a few terns were about. Full log below. (SR/AH)
(0655-0830hrs) (SW, F7-8)
Manx Shearwater - 1E
Gannet - 102E, 15W
Common Scoter - 5W
Sandwich Tern - 16os
Common Tern - 3os
Little Tern - 6os
Razorbill - 2E
Common Tern (above), Sandwich Tern & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
(1645-1815hrs) (SW, F6) (SH)
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Gannet - 5W
Sandwich Tern - 47os
Common Tern - 3os
Little Tern - 5os
Later on, a Common Sandpiper was along the beach. (AW)
Common Sandpiper at the Bill (AW)
Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was back on the pool at high tide, along with 38 Avocets, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Lapwing, five Redshanks, and a dozen or so Teal and Shelducks, whilst a handful of Swifts went over and at least four Cattle Egrets were on Ferry Field. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Cattle Egret & Avocets around the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were lots of young Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls sitting out, with half a dozen Little Terns and a couple of Common Terns fishing in the harbour, but waders were restricted to three Whimbrel and half a dozen Curlews on the rising tide.
The Swallows in the hide have four well-grown young, but beyond the Blackcap by the car-park, a brief Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Whitethroats, passerines were keeping low. (AH/BFF/DM)
Whimbrels (above), Little Tern, young Swallows & juvenile Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
Ivy Lake complex: A brief look this afternoon produced a dozen Common Terns over the water but, somewhat surprisingly, no hirundines whatsoever, whilst the only Pochard noted were two females roosting on the water together.
The Egyptian Goose family was sill by the house, along with a Greylag Goose and the farmyard geese, whilst a creche of c30 juvenile Canada Geese were on Deep Lake and up to a dozen Great Crested Grebes and 100+ Coots were spread about the other lakes. (AH)
Common Tern (above), Pochard, Egyptian Geese, Greylag Goose & Canada Geese around Ivy Lake (AH)
Monday, 5th July: A bright and breezy 'typical English summer day', with a mix of sunshine and fast-moving cloud in a fresh south-westerly breeze....
Selsey Bill: Three Common Sandpipers dropped in on the beach briefly before carrying on west early on, whilst the Sparrowhawk was hunting along the beach, but otherwise it was just the usual mix, including half a dozen young Sandwich Terns accompanying their parents as they headed west. Full log below. (AW/SR/AH/IP)
(0630-0800hrs) (SW, F4)
Gannet - 7E, 3W
Common Scoter - 5E
Sparrowhawk - 1
Common Sandpiper - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 30os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 10os
Swift - 1
There were also just three House Martin nests found around Broadreeds Estate. (SR)
Common Sandpipers (above), juvenile Sandwich Terns (AW), Sparrowhawk, Little Tern & Common Tern (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper was at the back early on, and the Avocet count had risen to 38, but otherwise it was business as usual, including c60 Lapwings, c25 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen or so Teal and Shelducks, whilst a Cattle Egret was again among the cows on the field. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwits (above), Avocets & Teal at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: The pair of Marsh Harriers were again about, whilst at least 15 Cattle Egrets were spread between Owl Copse and Halsey's Farm, a Common Tern fished over the creek at Halsey's and a Little Tern fished over the Breech Pool, where there were still three young Great Crested Grebes.
A Wigeon and two Grey Plovers were in the harbour, along with a flock of a dozen Gadwall and a few Lapwings and eight Black-tailed Godwits flew in from the fields, but small birds were keeping low, though the odd Reed and Cetti's Warbler called.
Also, the Pyramidal Orchids continued to show well, with a couple of Marbled Whites nearby, with another three or four at Halsey's Farm, along with a Comma and a profusion of Meadow Browns. (AH/PC/LP)
Cattle Egrets (above), Marsh Harrier, Little Tern, Common Tern, Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plovers, Wigeon, Marbled White, Comma, Meadow Brown & Pyramidal Orchid around the North Wall (AH)
Sunday, 4th July: After yet another rainy start, the morning slowly improved in a brisk south-westerly breeze....
Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a selection this morning, including a Fulmar, a Razorbill, two Kittiwakes and five Dunlin west and a Common Scoter east. Full log below. (SH/AH/JA/SR/IP/CN)
(0600-0830hrs) (SSW, F4)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 7E, 7W
Common Scoter - 1E
Curlew - 1W
Dunlin - 1W
Turnstone - 1W
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 53os
Common Tern - 6os
Little Tern - 14os
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 1W
Swift - 5
Common Tern (above), Little Tern & Turnstone at the Bill (AH)
(1500-1700hrs) (SW, F5)
Manx Shearwater - 1E, 1W
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 6E, 6W
Sandwich Tern - 62os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 7os
A quick look, later on, produced another Manx Shearwater west, close in, at 1910hrs. (CN)
Ferry Pool: A Cattle Egret was again among the cows, whilst a Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap sang from the adjacent hedges, but the pool just held the regulars, albeit in decent numbers, including 36 Avocets, c65 Lapwings, c25 Black-tailed Godwits, six Redshank, c15 Teal, four Gadwall and a dozen Shelducks. (AH)
Cattle Egret (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: The pair of Marsh Harriers were both out hunting, with a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, two Buzzards, two Swallows and 30+ Swifts also out and about after the rain, whilst at least ten Cattle Egrets were in the fields and Owl Copse.
There were also 30+ Curlews and 20+ Black-tailed Godwits in the fields, along with a Roe Deer and a well-grown fawn. (S&SaH)
The only addition this afternoon was a Greenshank in the harbour. (AW)
Greenshank from the North Wall (AW)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Sparrowhawk was seen here, and also the female Kestrel was chasing off a Buzzard. (IP)
Church Norton: There were a mass of young Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls about, with a juvenile Little Tern seen, too, though beyond a Whimbrel, a couple of Curlews and Ringed Plovers and a dozen Turnstones there wasn't much else to see in the harbour.
There were still a few warblers singing sporadically, including Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge and Reed Warbler, along with a couple of Reed Buntings and a few Linnets, with Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers also noted.
The Sparrowhawk was still around her nest, but the second Several just held the pair of Gadwall and two families of Mallard ducklings. (AH/IP/CN/S&SaH)
Sandwich Terns (above), Little Tern, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was nothing out of the ordinary but plenty of juvenile birds were about.
A noisy Mistle Thrush flew into the poplars, three pairs of Stonechat were about, including one taking food back to the nest and another pair by the Stilt Pool with well-grown offspring, whilst a family of six Swallows were along the fence and a young Linnet took a bath in a puddle.
Half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were in the fields and there was a Green Woodpecker and plenty of Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings, with two Kestrels overhead.
The Stilt Pool just held a herd of cattle, four Teal, six Tufted Ducks, a Little Egret and a Grey Heron, plus 26 Canada Geese. (SR)
Stonechats (above) & Skylark at Medmerry (SR)
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