17th - 19th July 2022

Tuesday, 19th July: An exceptionally hot morning of more or less unbroken sunshine, with the fresh easterly breeze only just having any impact........

Selsey Bill: There was just a mix of the regular species this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0640-0740hrs) (ESE, F4-5)

Gannet - 6E, 1W

Turnstone - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 4W

Sandwich Tern - 31os

Little Tern - 1os

Swift - 10

Swallow - 15E

House Martin - 4

Pied Wagtail - 1E, 2 present

Sandwich Tern (above), Mediterranean Gull, Gannet & Pied Wagtail at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Little Ringed Plovers and two Common Sandpipers at the back this morning, with otherwise just four Avocets, a dozen Lapwings and Dunlin, five Redshank and 36 Black-tailed Godwits, plus the Shelduck family. (AH/SR)

Later, a visiting birder reported a Little Stint on the pool. (per AT)

This evening a Kingfisher flew over the road from Ferry Channel and off along the rife. (AH/RS)

Little Ringed Plover and Dunlin on the Ferry (AH)

North Selsey: A Red Kite was seen over Manor Road this morning. (B Smith)

North Wall: The flock of c50 Goldfinches were still around the paddock along with a few Greenfinches, Linnets, a Whitethroat and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, but a brief bit of Reed Warble song and half a dozen Swallows over was about it for passerines.

Three Little Ringed Plovers were on the Breech Pool, along with four Black-tailed Godwits, 12 Lapwing, a Curlew, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and the Shelduck family, whilst along Whites Creek there were two or three Whimbrel, 40+ Redshank, a Little Egret and a few Curlews.

A little further out in the harbour the Brent Goose and the Wigeon were still present, along with three Knot, c60 Dunlin and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits, whilst there was a big gathering of c20 Little and c30 Cattle Egrets on their island. (LP/TG/AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Little Ringed Plover and Shelducks, Redshank, Little Egret (LP), Whimbrel, Knot & Brent Goose (AH) from the North Wall

Honer Reservoir: What appeared to be two juvenile Garganey were on the reservoir this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper, a Grey Wagtail, two juvenile Pied Wagtails, a pair of Little Grebes and a few Coots and Mallard, with just a handful of Swallows buzzing around over the water. (AH)

juvenile Garganey (above), Grey Wagtail & Common Sandpiper at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Chichester Canal: There were plenty of chicks on the canal this morning, many of them newly hatched. I counted 12 Little Grebe chicks along with nine adults, a Tufted Duck with five small ducklings, six families of Coot, three Moorhen families and one still sitting on its nest.

Four House Martins and two Swallows flew over, a young Whitethroat, Blackcap and Reed Warbler were seen and Skylarks were singing nearby. (SR)

Little Grebe (above) & Tufted Duck family at Chichester Canal (SR)

Sidlesham: There were 100+ Swallows and a handful of Sand Martins along Cow Lane this evening. (AH)

Sand Martin (above) & Swallow in Sidlesham (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report on the high tide beyond c50 of juvenile Mediterranean Gulls, c40 juvenile Sandwich Terns and c30 juvenile Black-headed Gulls careering about the harbour with adult birds in attendance, though very few birs were on the island.

The only waders seen were a Whimbrel and a handful of Dunlin, Turnstones and Ringed Plovers.

Sadly, the Gannet caught up in fishing line was still by the concrete blocks, though clearly now dead. (AH)

Later on, a large flock of 50+ Little Terns flew up briefly with the many Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, whilst 16 Swifts went over and 16 Turnstones were in the harbour. (S&SaH)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 18th July: A morning of slightly hazy sun and white cloud, with the likelihood of it being the hottest day of the year, though with the welcome relief on the coast from the light south-easterly breeze........

Selsey Bill: There were a flock of Swifts out over the sea and a bigger flock over the houses this morning, whilst a dozen Ringed Plover and a Turnstone dropped in on the bar. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0635-070hrs) (SE, F3)

Gannet - 2E

Ringed Plover - 12

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Swift - 55

Swallow - 7E

Sand Martin - 6E

House Martin - 2

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just two Common Sandpipers, the three Avocets, c20 Lapwings, six Redshanks, c50 Black-tailed Godwits and the Shelduck family on the pool this morning. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Avocets & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm and North Selsey: A flock of c40 Swifts were over the Selsey Centre this afternoon. (SaH)

Later, c50 House Martins, c40 Swallows and a single Sand Martin were over Park Farm, with a Pied Wagtail and a Jersey Tiger also seen. (S&SaH)

Jersey Tiger at Park Farm, Selsey (SaH)

North Wall: A Green Sandpiper and three Little Ringed Plovers were on the Breech Pool this morning, along with 30 Black-tailed Godwits, 30 Lapwings, two Pied Wagtails and the Shelduck family, whilst severl young Reed Warblers were viewable in the reeds. 

A Jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Green Woodpecker were around the paddock this morning, along with plenty of Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Blue Tits and a few Linnets, whilst a Blackcap sang from a nearby tree and a Sparrowhawk flew through, whilst a Grey Wagtail, two Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and six Long tailed Tits were by the sluice. 

Also, there was a lot of activity from Little and Cattle Egrets in Owl Copse, whilst others were parked out on the Owl Copse windbreak. (LP/TG/JDW)

Green Sandpiper (above) (LP) & Cattle Egret (JDW) at the North Wall

Honer Reservoir: Water levels are very low on the reservoir, where there were a few Coots, two Mute Swans and a Little Grebe, whilst at the eastern end there were a Common Sandpiper and a pair of Grey Wagtails. (JDW)

Grey Wagtail at Honer Reservoir (JDW)

East Side: Three Knot were along the channel this morning, along with ten Cattle Egrets, a few Dunlin, a Whimbrel, a Greenshank and plenty of Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatchers.

Three Little Terns were fishing the channel, a Sandwich tern was further out, and two Great Crested Grebes and a juvenile Shelduck were on the water. (LP/TG)

Knot (above), Cattle Egrets & Oystercatcher along the East side (LP)

Fishbourne Creek: On the low tide there were five Greenshank above Dell Quay, together with a Turnstone, c25 Redshank, a number of Curlew, Oystercatcher and Lapwing, which were well spread out.

The Mute Swan herd of 142 contained a Black Swan, and there was a Great Black-backed Gull, along with small numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls, amongst the more numerous Black-headed and Herring Gulls. (RW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Greenshank was by the poplars this morning, with anothe on the Stilt Pool, along with two Common Sandpipers, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, a Ringed Plover, six adult and the near-juvenile young Avocets, two Black-tailed Godwits and eight Lapwings. There were also a mother and seven juvenile Gadwall on the pool, along with three Teal, a Common Gull and 20 Mediterranean Gulls, whilst c30 Swallows went over.

The banks were predictably quiet, though up to ten Yellowhammers and Whitethroats were seen, along with a Stonechat, a Reed Warbler, half a dozen Skylarks and Stock Doves and c50 Linnets. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, Gadwall family, Whitethroat, Stonechat and Whitethroat & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton: There were lots of waders on the falling tide this evening, including a Curlew Sandpiper in an odd winter-type plumage, c200 Dunlin, two Knot, a Whimbrel, c30 Turnstones and c50 Redshanks, whilst a dozen Swallows went over.

There was also a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the mud, but there were only a dozen or so Little Terns present, though there were 100+ Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, plus at least 500 Black-headed Gulls, with many more than was immediately evident still on the island.

Sadly, there was a sorry-looking adult Gannet sitting on the concrete blocks, looking like it had avian flu, but it actually transpired to have fishing line tangled up around its bill and head. The RSPCA and RSPB were notified, so, hopefully, somebody will be able to rescue it. (AH)

Curlew Sandpiper (above),  juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, Dunlin & Gannet caught up in fishing line at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 17th July: It remains very hot, with a mix of sunshine and light cloud, with a moderate easterly breeze keeping it bearable....

Selsey Bill: There was a surprise this morning when a (presumably juvenile) Cuckoo started to fly out to sea before retreating inland and drifting off west - this is a rare bird at the Bill, and the first reported on the Peninsula for at least three weeks.

Otherwise, three Sand Martins went east, as did a steady flow of Sandwich Terns, whilst a Common Tern was on the shingle bar. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0645-0800hrs) (E, F3)

Oystercatcher - 6E

Mediterranean Gull - 10os

Sandwich Tern - 16os

Common Tern - 1os

Little Tern - 7os

Cuckoo - 1

Swift -  8

Sand Martin - 3E

House Martin - 6

Pied Wagtail - 3E

Cuckoo (above), Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Common Sandpipers and three Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with a single Dunlin, the three Avocets, 37 Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Lapwings and the Shelduck family.

A look round the Tramway circuit just found two sporadically singing Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Whitethroats. (AH/SH)

Later in the morning, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull flew over. (ESt)

Common Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plovers & Lesser Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A mix of c60 Swallows, c20 House Martins and four Sand Martins were over the farm, along with two sightings of Sparrowhawks carrying prey, and there were also six Pied Wagtails and a flock of 30 Linnets in the fields. (Sa&SH/IP)

Church Norton: A Yellow Wagtail flew over the Orchard at Greenlease, and a Buzzard was around Priory Woods, but the Severals were again silent, with three Reed Buntings and a fleeting Reed Warbler seen, with the highlight being two eclipse plumaged Shovelers amongst the moulting Mallards.

The harbour held its usual species, including a flock of c40 Dunlin, joined by two Knot, whilst Little Tern numbers were still high, with quite a few around their new island, and an adult flew out to sea with a juvenile, though nesting birds on Tern Island are now much reduced, with probably as little as 50 birds in residence this morning. (IP)

This evening there were still 20+ Little Terns in the harbour, along with plenty of young Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, whilst waders included a Whimbrel,  c80 Dunlin, c20 Turnstones and Ringed Plovers and c50 Redshanks. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A female Marsh Harrier was over the reserve this morning, whilst the banks held ten Yellowhammers, three Stonechats, five Whitethroats, three Reed Warblers, a Pied Wagtail and two Green Woodpeckers, whilst ten Sand Martins and 30 Swallows went over.

A Snipe, three Common Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, two Ringed Plovers, four Dunlin and five adult and a juvenile Avocet were all on the Stilt Pool, whilst six Little Terns, a Common Tern and two Sandwich Terns were offshore. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham viewpoint - A female Marsh Harrier was airborne this afternoon, as was a Buzzard, two Swifts, two Sand Martins and 20 Swallows, whilst three Corn Buntings were at Ham and there were also two Yellowhammers and a Stonechat about. (S&SaH)

Corn Bunting at Medmerry (SH)

North Wall: A flock of 20 Linnets were with the usual Greenfinches and Goldfinches around the paddock this morning, and the Swallows were still busy in the stables, whilst a Common Tern was fishing in White's Creek, where there was also a Whimbrel along with the regular Redshanks and Curlews.

The Shelduck family were still on the Breech Pool along with a Little Ringed Plover, ten Black-tailed Godwits, 32 Lapwing and three Cattle Egrets, and there were still plenty of Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets and Grey Herons in Owl Copse and out on their island, while over the fields at Halsey’s Farm there were c30 Swallows and a few Sand Martins. (LP)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Cattle Egrets, Linnets & Goldfinches at the North Wall (LP)

Chi GPs: Drayton House pits -  An anxious female Pochard was defending her brood of three fairly small young against all-comers on the North pit this morning – this late brood being the fourth for these pits this year. No such good news on the South pit, where the resident pair of Mute Swans – whose nest failed again this season – were seen to be dead on the water, in almost a last embrace; so sad and presumably another case of avian flu. Otherwise it was standard fare and fairly quiet, with the early-returning Shoveler still present, 30 non-breeding Pochard, 41 Canada Geese and a total of five pairs of Great Crested Grebes with young. Passerines were generally few, although Reed Warblers were still active in the reed-beds, with a couple still giving short bursts of song, whilst a small group of four Sand Martins flew over. (OM)

Female Pochard with brood of three, heading for cover on Drayton House North pit. (OM)