Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 7th

Tuesday, 9th August: It remains very bright and sunny, increasingly warm through the day despite the breeze, nearly north early on before veering round to the south............

Selsey Bill: It was pretty quiet this morning, with just a few Sandwich and Common Terns offshore and a Willow Warbler in the bushes of note. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0645-0800hrs) (NNE, F2)

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 3E, 1W, 1os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 20os

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Common Tern - 6os

Swallow - 7E, 3W

House Martin - 3

Willow Warbler - 1

Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Temminck's Stint was on the pool again this morning, at times showing well towards the front, and often in the company of the two of the three Little Ringed Plovers present.

There were also a Common Sandpiper, ten Lapwings, c75 Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Teal, three juvenile Shelducks, the Brent Goose and a Pied Wagtail on the pool, with an apparent family group of four Buzzards at the back.

Also, very unusually, a Kingfisher was at the pond in the Discovery Area - a reflection on how dry everywhere is. (BFF/DM/OM/AH/SR et al)

The Temminck's stint was present early afternoon before disappearing for a while but was back by early evening. also a juvenile Cuckoo was flushed from the hedges by a Buzzard. (IP/NM et al)

Temminck's Stint (above), Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit & Brent Goose at the Ferry (AH)

Honer Reservoir: A Turtle Dove was feeding close to Honer Lane and flew up in to trees at the entrance to Honer House where it was hard to see amongst the greenery. It began to purr as I walked away, but sadly, no camera!

The water level on the reservoir is very low and was very productive for a feeding Grey Heron, whilst there were also a Common Sandpiper, 16 Pied and two Grey Wagtails, five Teal and a Little Grebe present. (JDW)

North Wall: The Squacco Heron was still in its favoured rife at Halsey's Farm this morning, whilst the adjacent hedges and fields held a Lesser Whitethroat, a couple of Whitethroats, a family of Reed Warblers and 50+ Sand Martins.

The wall area was quiet, though, with the Breech Pool only holding a Snipe, a Little Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, a Lapwing and four juvenile Shelducks, and no small birds were evident.

A distant, mixed wader flock in the harbour held at least 20 Grey Plovers and 50 Dunlin, whilst there was also a big gathering of 60+ Cattle Egrets and a few Little Egrets near their island, with a few more scattered elsewhere.

Also, a flock of 29 Canada Geese flew into the harbour, a Kingfisher was at Owl Water and a Sparrowhawk dropped in at the Breech Pool. (JDW/AH/GHi et al)

Later on, a Great White Egret was roosting among 62 Cattle Egrets in the harbour. (BFF/DM)

Squacco Heron (above), Cattle Egrets, Sand Martin, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler (AH), Sparrowhawk, Grey Heron & Canada Geese (GHi) at the North Wall

Church Norton: A Cuckoo was seen sat out on the fencing on Tern Island this morning, whilst six Little Terns were feeding in the main channel and there were also 22 Grey Plovers, four Whimbrel, 40 Ringed Plover and 50 Dunlin. (BFF/DM)

This evening two Wheatears and a dozen Linnets were around the concrete blocks, whilst in the harbour there were a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrels, a dozen Curlews, c20 Grey Plovers, c40 Ringed Plovers and c100 Dunlin. (AH)

Wheatear (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Grey Plovers and Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Hobby and a Marsh Harrier were see this evening, along with three Kestrels,, 500+ Sand Martins and 50+ Swallows, whilst a Dartford Warbler and a Corn Bunting were along the banks, together with a Reed Bunting, four Yellowhammers and a couple of Whitethroats.

Also, a Green Sandpiper and four Common Sandpipers were on the Stilt Pool, along with a Little Ringed Plover, two Ringed Plovers, a Snipe, an Avocet and 34 Dunlin. (S&SaH)

Pagham Village: There was an unusual sighting of a female Mandarin on the small pond along Sussex Drive this evening. (LP)

Mandarin in Pagham Village (LP)

West Wittering: There were at least four newly arrived Spotted Flycatchers in the garden this evening. (GM)

Spotted Flycatchers in a West Wittering garden (GM)

Monday, 8th August: Another very warm and sunny day, as temperatures start to build again, with the breeze light, initially from the north-east before swinging to south-west.......

Selsey Bill: A quiet morning with a lot of distant gulls, but nothing moving. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0645-0815hrs) (NE, F2-3)

Gannet - 6E, 8W, 1os

Turnstone - 27

Mediterranean Gull - 37W

Sandwich Tern - 13E, 6W, 4os

Common Tern - 5E

Swift - 2E

Green Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 31E

House Martin - 6

Turnstone (above) & Swallow at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Temminck's Stint (first identified as a Little Stint, in a strange repetition of last year's bird) was the only small wader on the pool later this morning, whilst earlier on there were two Common Sandpipers, three Little Ringed Plovers and 35 Dunlin, along with a dozen Lapwings and Redshanks, c60 Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Teal and the lone Brent Goose, and there were also seven Swallows and a Pied Wagtail about. (TG-P/AH/SR/ABi et al)

Temminck's Stint (above), Common Sandpiper, Brent Goose & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: It was really quiet here, with just the odd Whitethroat and Willow Warbler in the bushes, a couple of Reed Warblers in the Severals and a few Swallows over the harbour, whilst the harbour just held a couple of Whimbrel, ten Turnstones, c30 Ringed Plovers and c80 Dunlin and the usual Curlews, Redshanks and Oystercatchers, plus a couple of Mediterranean Gulls over. (AH/SaH)

Whimbrel (above), Ringed Plover and Dunlin, Swallow & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Wood Sandpiper was sill on the Stilt Pool, along with a Green Sandpiper and a couple of Common Sandpipers and Snipe, with a dozen Yellow Wagtails around the main island, a Wheatear on the reserve and up to three Dartford Warblers, including a juvenile, along the banks. (ABi/GT)

This evening there was another huge gathering - of 1000+ Sand Martins around the Stilt Pool, though they didn't stay long.

Also, the Wood Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers, three Ringed Plovers, a Snipe, two Avocets and 48 Dunlin were around the Stilt Pool, along with five Yellow Wagtails and 50+ Swallows, whilst a Green Sandpiper flew out from one of the path-side pools.

The banks were quiet, though a Dartford Warbler was seen, along with a Reed Bunting, three Stonechats, three Whitethroats and ten Yellowhammers, whilst three Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard were also seen. (S&SaH)

Sand Martins at Medmerry (SaH)

North Wall: The Squacco Heron was again showing well but intermittently throughout the morning and a Kingfisher, a Buzzard, a Kestrel and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the trees around the adjacent fields.

In the Breech Pool, there were 11 Dunlin and a few Lapwing along with two Yellow Wagtails, two Pied Wagtails and c250 Sand Martins while in the reeds there were lots of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings, with a Sparrowhawk in a bush behind the pool and further back in the fields a few Lapwings and 40+ Cattle Egrets.

A Jay and a group of six Magpies were in the paddock where the Swallows were still busy around the stables, and in Whites Creek there were a Greenshank, a Whimbrel and 20 Redshanks. (LP/PC/CT/TG)

A Great White Egret went to roost in Owl Copse this evening. (P&JW)

Sand Martins (above), Yellow Wagtail, Reed Bunting & Sparrowhawk at the North Wall (LP)

Sunday, 7th August: A beautiful summer's day, with unbroken sunshine, cool early on bu quickly warming up, with just a light, freshening to moderate, south-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There were at least 50 Gannets feeding distantly offshore, with a few Common and Sandwich Terns among the many gulls closer in. Full log below. (BI/AH/IP/P&LH)

(0630-0800hrs) (S, F2-3)

Gannet - 1E, 17W, 50os

Common Scoter - 2W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 23

Mediterranean Gull - 7W, 10os

Sandwich Tern - 5W, 8os

Common Tern - 1E, 6os

Swift - 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 3E

Sand Martin - 26E, 4W

House Martin - 4

Pied Wagtail - 1W

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

Ferry Pool: There were three Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper, c20 Dunlin, a dozen Lapwings and Dunlin, c60 Black-tailed Godwits, the lone Brent and c25 Teal, with several Reed Warblers in the roadside reeds. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above) & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon the Grass Snake was showing well in the pond in the Discovery Area. (S&SaH)

Grass Snake in the Discovery Area pond (SH)

Long Pool: It was very quiet this morning, with several Reed Warbler families and just a couple of Sedge Warblers and Linnets he only birds seen, though a Jersey Tiger moth was by the Small Pool. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above) & Jersey Tiger at the Long Pool (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were 30 or so each of Swallows, House and Sand Martins around the farm this morning, with a single Long-tailed Tit, three Willow Warblers and a dozen Pioed Wagtails also seen. (IP)

Church Norton: The most interesting sighting this morning was of at least four Little Terns around their island, whilst offshore thee were three Sandwich Terns and a Gannet.

Two Wheatears were along the spit, whilst waders in the harbour comprised c75 Dunlin, a Whimbrel, a Turnstone and a collection of the regular Redshank, Oystercatchers, Curlew and Ringed Plovers, along with two Mediterranean Gulls and a minimum of seven Grey Herons, with two more of the latter at the Severals

Bluebell Wood was more active than usual with Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and a lone Chiffchaff all feeding actively, and there were also a Green Woodpecker, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Kestrel and a Buzzard in the vicinity. (IP)

North Wall: The Squacco Heron was again showing very well this morning, close to the wall, and 20 Cattle Egrets and four Little Egrets were out in the harbour, along with five Greenshanks and a Whimbrel.

A Grasshopper Warbler was along the wall, calling intermittently but unseen, and there were also a Whitethroat, a Long-tailed Tit, a Willow Warbler and a few Reed and Sedge Warblers about, along with a Raven over.

There was just three Dunlin and a few Lapwing on the very dry Breech Pool, but in and over the reeds there was a large flock of c300 Sand Martins together with a few Swallows. (LP/SP/CG/GM/RJF et al) A search later in the morning failed to locate the Grasshopper Warbler but there was a Garden Warbler in the tamarisk. The Sidlesham Quay area was quiet apart from a few hirundines over the saltmarsh. (BI/RHa)

Squacco Heron (top one GM, lower two LP) (above), Sand Martin & Sedge Warbler (LP) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham Viewpoint - There were masses of Sand Martins around this afternoon, with 400 over the bean field by the Medmerry Trail and 50 more and five swifts and a couple of Swallows along the banks, where there were also five Wheatears, three Stonechats, a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, three Yellowhammers and a Sparrowhawk. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Wood Sandpiper was again on the Stilt Pool, but it remains elusive, often in the reeds by the first island, whilst there were also two Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, two Ringed Plovers, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Avocets, three Snipe, 31 Dunlin and a Cattle Egret.

There were large numbers of Sand martins, too, this morning, with, at one stage, at least 500 along the beach and fences there, with at least another 100 and similar of Swallows around the Stilt Pool and banks, along with up to 17 Yellow Wagtails and a Pied Wagtail.

The banks themselves were predictably quiet, but three Dartford Warblers were present, together with eight Stonechats and ten or so Yellowhammers and Whitethroats, whilst a Marsh Harrier was over the reserve and there were also two Buzzards. (S&SaH/AH/RJS/RJF et al)