4th - 6th August 2021

Friday, 6th August: After more overnight rain, a very blustery morning of near gale-force westerlies, but mild and with a bit of sunshine after a grey and drizzly start...........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much going on this morning, beyond a couple of Common Terns and a few Sandwich Terns and Gannets. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0700-0800hrs) (W, F5)

Gannet - 23E, 12W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 19

Sandwich Tern - 47W, 10os

Common Tern - 2W

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

(1640-1800hrs) (SW, F7) (SH/AW)

Gannet - 1E, 8W

Sandwich Tern - 47W, 10os

Common Tern - 6W

(1830-1915hrs) (SW, F7) (BI)

Gannet - 1E, 13W

Sandwich Tern - 59W, 9os

Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were just the usual species present this morning, including c100 Lapwings, 150 Black-tailed Godwits, four Avocets, c20 Dunlin, c20 Teal and ten Shelducks, whilst a Common Sandpiper and a Curlew were in the channel opposite. (AH)

This evening a Green Sandpiper was on the pool, with two Common Sandpipers in the channel opposite. (NB)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Teal around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still 100+ Sandwich Terns and a few Common Terns in the harbour, along with three very young Mediterranean Gulls with their parents, but waders just consisted of a couple of Whimbrel, half a dozen Ringed Plovers and Curlews and c50 Redshank.

A Willow Warbler was near the hide, where a pair of Swallows were coming and going, but three Swifts and a Sand Martin over was otherwise about it  (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull family & Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

This evening at least 40 Common Terns, including at least a dozen juveniles, were among c150 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, whilst waders included c30 Ringed Plovers, a dozen Dunlin and three Whimbrels. (AH)

Later in the evening, a Roseate Tern was among the other terns, all of which were spooked by a Marsh Harrier at one point. (NB)

Common Terns (above), Whimbrel & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Ivy Lake complex: Late this morning there were at least ten Common Terns present, but it was otherwise very quiet, with just a lone Pochard, half a dozen Gadwall, three families of Great Crested Grebes and 100+ Coots on the water, but again, not a hirundine to be seen.

There were also no geese at all, but a pair of Black Swans were on the Trout Lake. (AH)

Common Terns (above), Pochard, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe & Black Swans at Ivy Lake (AH)

Chichester Canal: Crosbie Bridge to Cutfield Bridge - Despite the strong wind there was still some Reed Warbler activity this morning with occasional short bursts of song, adults flying in and out of the reeds and three young families present.
A Whitethroat was in the hedges, as was a Willow Warbler and a Sedge Warbler, but most of the activity was on the water with at least six Little Grebe families, nine of Moorhen and 11 of Coot.
A few Swallows were overhead, as was a calling Buzzard, and there were a couple of Emperor Dragonflies along with some Small Red-eyed Damselflies. (SR)

Reed Warbler (above) & Little Grebe at Chichester Canal (SR)

This afternoon a male Bullfinch was seen along the canal, which was busy with Emperor dragonflies ovipositing, and a swimming Water Vole was also seen.
Sadly six dead birds were seen floating, including an adult Mute Swan and possibly a cygnet too. A report is being filed with DEFRA. (AW)

Water Vole (above) &Emperor dragonfly at Chichester Canal (AW)

Thursday, 5th August: A fairly bright and breezy morning in a brisk southerly; quite warm in the sunny spells......

Selsey Bill: There were plenty of birds offshore, though mainly Black-headed and Herring Gulls, but not much that was on the move beyond 11 Kittiwakes and a few Swallows. Full log below. (AH/SR/AW)

(0700--0830hrs) (SSW, F4-5)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 15E, 4W

Common Scoter - 5E, 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 11W

Sandwich Tern - 8W, c30os

Common Tern - 2W, 6os

Swallow - 8E

House Martin - 2

Kittiwake (AW) (above), Sandwich Tern & House Martin (AH) at the Bill

A Manx Shearwater went west and an Arctic Skua went east this evening, whilst quite a few Swifts and Sand Martins were well offshore. Full log below. (SH/JA/AW)
(1700-1830hrs) (S, F5)
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 135E, 7W
Turnstone - 2E
Arctic Skua - 2E (1 d/p, 1l/p)
Kittiwake - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 26os
Common Tern - 3W
Swift - 109os
Sand Martin - 50os

Arctic Skua (above), Kittiwakes & Swifts at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were three Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, along with three Avocets, two Redshank, c20 Dunlin, c75 Lapwing, c150 Black-tailed Godwits, five Shovelers, c20 Teal and ten young Shelducks. 

Another three Common Sandpipers and two Whimbrel were in the channel opposite, too, whilst half a dozen Sand Martins went over. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Lapwings & Shoveler and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Roseate Terns and four Little Terns were among c30 Common Terns and c150 Sandwich Terns in the harbour this morning, with a couple of the latter taking fish into a near-deserted Tern Island, whilst a couple of barely fledged young Mediterranean Gulls sat out on the mud.

There were very few waders in the harbour, all at one point upset by a juvenile Peregrine,  though, beyond a Bar-tailed Godwit, a couple of Grey Plovers, a few Whimbrel and Curlew, plus half a dozen Ringed Plovers, with another half dozen of the latter and 15 Dunlin roosting on the beach. (AH/BFF/DM/DIS)

Grey Plover (above), Ringed Plover and Dunlin, Mediterranean Gulls, Common Terns & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

DIS and DM, along with Boo, studying the terns in the harbour! (BFF)

North Wall: We flushed a Grasshopper Warbler from along the path along the wall this afternoon, which shot down into the undergrowth in the rocks below the wall, and there was also a Wheatear there.
Eight Greenshank and a single Spotted Redshank were roosting in the harbour, along with a lone adult Yellow -legged Gull and eight Whimbrel, whilst c10 Cattle Egrets were in the fields and harbour at the west end of the wall. Also, over the Breech Pool there were two juvenile Marsh Harriers and two Common Buzzards. (BFF/DM/DIS)

Wednesday, 4th August: Another autumnal morning, cool and grey in a light north-easterly, though brightening up a little later on......

Selsey Bill: A Wheatear dropped in on the wall briefly early on, whilst a couple of Sanderling were among 76 Turnstones feeding on the strand-line seaweed and good numbers of Sandwich Terns were lingering offshore. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0700-0800hrs) (NE, F2-3)

Gannet - 7E, 3W

Common Scoter - 1E, 5os

Sanderling - 2

Turnstone - 76

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 9W, 64os

Common Tern - 1os

Swift - 5

House Martin - 2

Pied wagtail - 1W

Wheatear - 1

Wheatear (above) (SR), Sanderling, Turnstones & Sandwich Terns (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were three Spotted Redshanks and three Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, along with four Avocets, a dozen Dunlin, c50 Lapwing, c120 Black-tailed Godwits, ten juvenile Shelducks and c20 Teal, whilst a Whimbrel was in the channel opposite and half a dozen Cattle Egrets were in the field to the south, early on. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Common Sandpiper, Avocet & Whimbrel around the Ferry (AH)

Warner Lane paddocks: Four Willow Warblers, a Whitethroat, eight Linnets and a Swift were about, whilst a total of 11 Swallows were making use of both stable blocks. (SR)

North Wall: A minimum of 45, and probably over 50, Cattle Egrets were about Owl Copse and adjacent fields, including a flock of 32 that flew up from Halsey's Farm, and there were also at least 20 Little Egrets about, too.

One  of the juvenile Marsh Harriers was briefly sat out, a Common Tern was over the Breech Pool, where there were two juvenile Great Crested Grebes, and c30 Sand Martins went over east, but it was very quiet for passerines beyond the occasional Reed Warbler and Whitethroat and a few Goldfinches.

Two summer-plumaged Knot and a Yellow-legged Gull at the end of White's Creek were the highlights in the harbour, where there were very few waders beyond a couple of Greenshank and a few Whimbrel and Curlews, with a few more of both in the fields. (AH/PC/RHa)

This evening a Wheatear was at Halsey's Farm, whilst three Marsh Harriers flew in high from the north and soared around before disappearing, whilst later a juvenile landed in the fields briefly.

There were also 26 Cattle Egrets present, along with 200+ and Sand Martins, with a couple of Swallows among them. (S&SaH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Knot, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Tern, Sand Martin & Goldfinch at the North Wall (AH)

Church Norton: An adult Little Stint - the first of the year - was out on the mud this evening, with other waders present including three Common Sandpipers, a handful of Whimbrel and Turnstones, c20 Dunlin and c40 Redshank, whilst a new family of three tiny Ringed Plover chicks were by the concrete slabs.

There were also still c20 Common Terns and a few Mediterranean Gulls among 100+ Sandwich Terns. (AW/AH/SR)

Little Stint with Dunlin (AW) (above), Little Stint, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin & Sandwich Terns (AH) at Church Norton 

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Wood Sandpiper was still on the Stilt Pool today, along with up to three Common sandpipers and a Yellow Wagtail. (R Allen per Twitter)