26th - 28th July 2022

Thursday, 28th July: A mostly grey morning, with the odd bit of hazy sun, quite mild despite the brisk easterly.......

Selsey Bill: A huge feeding gull flock was far offshore, whilst a few Sandwich Terns, two Common Terns and two Little Terns were closer inshore, along with plenty of Mediterranean Gulls, and a Little Egret went east along the beach. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0645-0745hrs) (E, F4)

Gannet - 6os

Little Egret - 1E

Common Scoter - 3E

Dunlin - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 8E, 75os

Herring Gull - c500os

Sandwich Tern - 12E, 1W, 14os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 2E

Swift - 1

Green Woodpecker - 1

Sandwich Tern (above) & Little Egret at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool:There were just seven Common Sandpipers, two Dunlin, two Redshanks, 12 Lapwings, 62 Black-tailed Godwits, four Teal, the Brent Goose and the five juvenile Shelducks, now without their parents, on the pool, whilst the Greenshank was in the channel opposite and c200 Sand Martins were feeding over the fields at the back early on. (AH/BFF)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Greenshank at the Ferry (AH)

East Beach: This evening at 1830hrs, two first-year Kittiwakes flew west. (B Smith)

Church Norton: Five Little Terns were in the harbour this morning, but no Sandwich Terns, with waders including a Greenshank, a Whimbrel, a Grey Plover, 11 Ringed Plovers and 71 Dunlin. (DIS/DM)

Fisher: There were 36 Cattle Egrets in the fields between Bramber Farm and Fisher this morning. (JDW)

North Wall: The Breech Pool held six Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, eight Black-tailed Godwits, 84 Dunlin, 30 Redshank, 12 Lapwings, the Shelduck family and a juvenile Pied Wagtail, whilst half a dozen Swallows flew overhead.

White's Creek had two Greenshank, including the short-billed one, half a dozen more Black-tailed Godwits, along with three Knot, further back with 30 Redshanks, and a Little Tern was fishing the channel.

Five Reed Warblers were in the reeds around the sluice with four Swallows flying in and out of the stables where a Kestrel was hunting, a few Linnets were feeding and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard, whilst a Green Woodpecker.and a Pied Wagtail were in the garden of Little Welbourne.

Out near their island there was a gathering of 24 mostly Little Egrets, with a few Cattle Egrets and a Grey Heron among them, whilst Owl Copse still had one Little Egret family, with adults flying in and one juvenile sitting out, and a Whitethroat was in the bushes and a Chiffchaff called there. At Halsey’s Farm, three Kestrels and two Buzzards were overhead, along with c50 Swallows, and a Kingfisher flew down the rife, but the bushes were very quiet with very few small birds seen. (SR/LP/BFF/DIS/DM)

This evening 30 Sand Martins and ten Swallows were over Halsey's Farm, where there were up to five Green Woodpeckers present, but the Breech Pool just held a Kingfisher and four Dunlin. (S&SaH)

Reed Warbler (above), juvenile Little Egret (SR), Greenshank, Knot and Redshanks, Common Sandpiper, Green Woodpecker and Little and Cattle Egrets (LP) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - None of yesterday's interesting birds were on show this morning, though there were still a few things to see, including an adult and a juvenile Dartford Warbler on the banks opposite Marsh Farm, two Marsh Harriers over the reserve, half a dozen Yellow Wagtails on the Stilt Pool and 300+ widely spread Sand Martins.

Also, three Green Sandpipers were on the small pools north of Marsh Farm, a Whimbrel was by the poplars, a Kingfisher was seen and up to seven Common Sandpipers, four Snipe, seven Avocets, a Dunlin and the pair of Ringed Plovers, plus chick, were on the Stilt Pool, and a Peregrine went over.

The banks were quiet, though, in the breezy conditions, with a Stonechat family, a Meadow Pipit, handful of.Yellowhammers and Whitethroats and 30+ Linnets about it. (AH/BFF/J Aldridge et al)

Dartford Warbler (above), Yellow Wagtail, Marsh Harrier, Sand Martin, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Stonechat & Avocets and Common Sandpipers at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - Around 100 Sand Martins and a few Swallows and House Martins were over the settling tanks and adjacent fields this evening, with c30 Swifts and Swallows and c50 Sand Martins over the bean field to the south. 

A couple of Buzzards were about, but the bushes were very quiet beyond the Stonechat family and the odd Yellowhammer, Whitethroat and Linnet, mostly keeping low. (AH)

Swift (above), Sand Martin, Swallow, Swift and Sand Martin & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)

Wednesday, 27th July: After a fairly cool and grey start, a bright and breezy morning in a moderate easterly.....

Selsey Bill: A big mixed flock of gulls and terns were on the bar before the tide pushed them off, whilst a few Gannets and a large gull flock was feeding well offshore. Full log below. (SR/AH/P&LH)

(0645-0830hrs) (SE, F4)

Gannet - 1W, 15os

Common Scoter - 3W

Oystercatcher - 2E, 11W (together)

Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 66os

Common Gull - 1W, 1os

Herring Gull - 400os

Sandwich Tern - 15E, 21W, 40os

Little Tern - 3os

Swift - 15

Green Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 6E

This evening c100 Sandwich Terns were sat on the shingle bar off Hillfield Road. (B Smith)

Sandwich Tern (above) & Common, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool:There was no sign of the White-rumped Sandpiper this morning, though a Spotted Redshank was at the back, along with three Common Sandpipers and two Dunlin, with the pool otherwise holding two Avocets, a handful of Lapwings and Redshanks, 40 Black-tailed Godwits and the Shelduck family, together with the lonely Brent Goose which seems to have joined them.

A Marsh Harrier was seen over the harbour, whilst a Greenshank and a Whimbrel were in the channel, but the Tramway circuit just produced a few Whitethroats. (AH/BI/P&LH)

Later on, two Spoonbills went over, heading west. (TG-P)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocet, Whitethroat & Brent Goose and Shelduck at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The White-rumped Sandpiper was still on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with the Curlew Sandpiper and a Spoonbill. (P&LH)

Later, the White-rumped Sandpiper was still present, as was the Curlew Sandpiper and two Snipe, whilst the Spoonbill ringed NC4P, seen earlier at the North Wall, dropped in, a Dartford Warbler called from the gorse opposite, a Yellow Wagtail c350 Sand Martins were seen and and two Clouded Yellows were along the banks. (SR/B&MC)

The White-rumped Sandpiper had gone again (presumably out onto the reserve as the tide dropped) this afternoon, though three Spoonbills dropped in and four Yellow Wagtails went over.(CN)

This evening there was a huge flock of 1000+ Sand Martins feeding over the Stilt Pool, with just 20 Swallows among them, and ten Swifts were about, too.

The White-rumped sandpiper was back, along with the curlew Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, the pair of Ringed Plover and their well-grown chick, eight dunlin, a Black-tailed Godwit and four Avocets.

A female and a juvenile Marsh Harrier were seen over the reserve, whilst a Greenshank was by the poplars, with otherwise, just six Yellowhammers, three Whitethroats, two Green Woodpeckers and three Kestrels seen. (S&saH)

Earlier on, a Grasshopper Warbler was seen and photographed along the banks. (E Rogers)

Grasshopper Warbler at Medmerry (E Rogers)

North Wall: A juvenile Spoonbill - bearing the ring NC4P - was in White's Creek this morning at high tide, and earlier there were four Great Crested Grebes, a Little Tern and a Wigeon, along with two Greenshanks, six Grey Plovers, a Turnstone and a Whimbrel, plus the usual Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatchers and Dunlin.

Three Little Ringed Plovers were on the Breech Pool, with a Common Sandpiper at the back of the channel, a Greenshank, a Pied Wagtail and c70 Redshanks and c120 Dunlin also present, with just the odd Reed and Sedge Warbler in the reeds.

In the bushes along the edge of the harbour there was a Lesser Whitethroat, a few Chiffchaffs and a pair of Collared Doves, whilst a handful of Swallows went over and a dozen Cattle Egrets were at Halsey's Farm, but otherwise it was quiet. (AH/LP)

Spoonbill (above), (top two AH, loer two LP), Greenshank, Common Sandpiper (LP) Little Ringed Plover & Dunlin and Redshanks (AH) at the North Wall 

Church Norton: It was very quiet this evening, with just a single juvenile Sandwich Tern sat on the mud, though later two adults appeared, one carrying a fish, and four Little Terns flew out high over the spit.

Waders comprised c80- Redshanks, c40 Dunlin and a few Curlews, whilst a dozen Swallows went over. (AH)

Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Selsey: A Jersey Tiger was seen in hedges between Manor Lane and Manor Road this morning. (J Perceval)

Jersey Tiger in Selsey (J Perceval)

Tuesday, 26th July: The breeze had eased and shifted to the north this morning, leaving a mild but mostly overcast day.....

Well done RSPB. It's nice to have something positive to say, but it's probably no co-incidence that plenty of waders (including rarities!) have started to appear in numbers on our freshwater pools, since freshwater rather than seawater has been pumped in and the pools managed. Get the habitat right and the birds will come, as we all know, so thanks RSPB team for your continuing efforts and we look forward to more goodies to come. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: A few Sand Martins went through and there were more House Martins about than of late this morning, whilst a drake Common Scoter was sat on the sea. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0650-0805hrs) (N, F3-4)

Gannet - 8E, 9W, 8os

Turnstone - 9E

Common Scoter - 3E, 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 3W, 42os

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 13W

Swift - 8

Sand Martin - 6E

House Martin - 20

Sand Martin (above), House Martin, Common Scoter, Gannet & Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: An adult White-rumped Sandpiper appeared on the pool this morning, remarkably just before another adult was found on the Stilt Pool (see below). These are the sixth and seventh records for the Peninsula, but the first since one on the Ferry in August 1995.

It was feeding along the central bar with the ten or so Dunlin present, whilst there were also four Little Ringed Plovers, five Common Sandpipers, a few Redshank and Lapwings, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, the Brent Goose, four Teal and the Shelduck family, whilst the Greenshank with the deformed rear-end was back in the channel opposite. (D Rimes/BFF/DM/SM/AH/BI/CRJ/JJE et al)

White-rumped Sandpiper and Dunlin (above) & Greenshank at Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An adult White-rumped Sandpiper was with seven Dunlin on the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst among the selection of waders present there was still the Curlew Sandpiper, a Greenshank, two Black-tailed Godwits, six Common Sandpipers, seven Avocets, including the juvenile and the pair of Ringed Plovers with their chick.

The banks by comparison were quiet, with a Dartford Warbler seen briefly, along with a Stonechat and a few Whitethroats, Yellowhammers and Linnets, whilst a few Swallows went over and a Marsh Harrier was out over the reserve. 

There were also two Teal and a family of ten Shelducks on the Stilt Pool, c50 Canada Geese were on the reserve  and a Clouded Yellow was along the banks. (SM/AH/OM/CRJ et al)

This afternoon the White-rumped Sandpiper flew out onto the reserve, though a Yellow Wagtail, good numbers of Sand Martins were seen. (NB)

White-rumped Sandpiper with Dunlin (above), Curlew Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, juvenile Ringed Plover, Stonechat, Shelduck family & Clouded Yellow at Medmerry (AH)

Not quite the Tour de France! OM and BI racing to see the White-rumped Sandpiper - I knew who my money was on! (AH)

North Wall: There were still five Little Ringed Plovers on the Breech Pool this morning, along with 40 Dunlin, 50 Redshank, 12 Lapwing, eight Black-tailed Godwits and the Shelduck family, with the reeds holding plenty of Reed Warblers and a few Reed Buntings, whilst a Green Woodpecker was by the paddocks and the Swallows were still busy around the stables.

Also, 20 Cattle Egrets and four Little Egrets were out by their island, a Wigeon and eight Whimbrel were in the harbour and c30 Sand Martins and a few Swallows were at Halsey’s Farm. (LP/CT/BFF/DM/SM et al)

A White-rumped Sandpiper was reported here this evening (SP), and later on a Barn Owl was out hunting (TH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Reed Warbler & Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A pleasant morning birding from the bench at Church Norton. Many of the breeding terns and gulls have dispersed leaving 26 Sandwich Terns, including four juveniles, in the harbour, along with seven adult Common Terns, whilst the Little Terns were mainly fishing in the main channel with 20 Mediterranean Gulls loafing on the mud, too.

Few waders were in the harbour, though, with just eight Dunlin, four Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, five Whimbrel and 30 Curlew present.  (BFF/DM/SM)