Sunday, 18th June: After a grey and surprisingly cool start, a very warm and humid morning in a light easterly breeze, turning drizzly by lunchtime.........
(0650-0750hrs) (ESE, F2)
Gannet - 6E, 1W, 2os
Teal - 1os
Common Scoter - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 14os
Little Tern - 4E
House Martin - 7
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Common Seal - 1os
Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was still on the pool today, along with five Avocets, four Lapwings, four Teal and five Shelducks, with a couple of Cattle Egrets among the cows at the back of the fields. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above), Avocets & Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: It was quite quiet for singing birds this morning, but thee were still a Lesser Whitethroat, a couple of Whitethroats and Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, half a dozen Reed Warblers and a couple of Reed Buntings and Linnets about.
Also, a Great crested Grebe was carrying a young chick on its back on the pool, c20 Redshanks and four Lapwings were at the far end of Ferry Channel and the first Gatekeeper of the summer was along the hedges.. (AH)
Lesser Whitethroat (above), Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Great Crested Grebe and chick & Gatekeeper along the Long Pool (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Sand Martin was over Park Lane this morning, and a Sparrowhawk flew over the new building site being mobbed by a brave Swallow, whilst a Buzzard cruised over the tree line and a Pied Wagtail flew over. (IP)
Church Norton: There was plenty of Little Tern activity i9n the harbour this morning, with reasonable numbers chasing each other, sat on the mud and feeding in the channels, and there was also a Common Tern feeding here and a lone Sandwich Tern flew through, with half a dozen more offshore.
Waders, though, were virtually non-existent beyond the regular Oystercatchers, two Curlews and a Ringed Plovers. Also, the nine young Shelduck from the second family were feeding on the mud, watched over by a vigilant parent, whilst the first family are now virtually fully grown and were on the concrete blocks.
Whitethroat numbers around the Severals appear to have increased after a slow start to the year, with quite a few about, along with a pair of Reed Buntings and a few vocal Reed Warblers, whilst a Jay flew over the back of the Second Several. (IP)
North Wall: A Cuckoo was calling from behind the paddock this morning and both Marsh Harriers were up, further back, whilst on the Breech Pool, there were a pair of Tufted Ducks along with resident Coots and a few Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers were in the reeds.
Along White’s Creek there were two Redshanks, the Mute Swan family and a few Shelduck, with a couple of Curlews out on the mud, and at Owl Copse there was the usual activity from the Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and in the bushes were a couple of Reed Buntings, a Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff. (LP/DH)
Church Norton: There was plenty of Little Tern activity i9n the harbour this morning, with reasonable numbers chasing each other, sat on the mud and feeding in the channels, and there was also a Common Tern feeding here and a lone Sandwich Tern flew through, with half a dozen more offshore.
Waders, though, were virtually non-existent beyond the regular Oystercatchers, two Curlews and a Ringed Plovers. Also, the nine young Shelduck from the second family were feeding on the mud, watched over by a vigilant parent, whilst the first family are now virtually fully grown and were on the concrete blocks.
Whitethroat numbers around the Severals appear to have increased after a slow start to the year, with quite a few about, along with a pair of Reed Buntings and a few vocal Reed Warblers, whilst a Jay flew over the back of the Second Several. (IP)
North Wall: A Cuckoo was calling from behind the paddock this morning and both Marsh Harriers were up, further back, whilst on the Breech Pool, there were a pair of Tufted Ducks along with resident Coots and a few Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers were in the reeds.
Along White’s Creek there were two Redshanks, the Mute Swan family and a few Shelduck, with a couple of Curlews out on the mud, and at Owl Copse there was the usual activity from the Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, and in the bushes were a couple of Reed Buntings, a Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff. (LP/DH)
Reed Warbler along the North Wall (LP)
Pagham Spit and East Side: At least 30 Little Terns were busy around their island and the harbour mouth, with several birds seen bringing in fish, and there were also half a dozen Sandwich Terns about, whilst a flock of 14 Turnstones was in the newly forming lagoon, along with a couple of Ringed Plovers.
A few Linnets and Greenfinches was about it on the spit itself, along with a Cinnabar moth, whilst wo or three Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats were along the bushes on the east side, but there was nothing on the mud beyond 20 Lapwings and a few Curlews and Oystercatchers, with the drake Wigeon and a drake Gadwall along the main channel, along with six Mute Swans. (AH)
A few Linnets and Greenfinches was about it on the spit itself, along with a Cinnabar moth, whilst wo or three Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats were along the bushes on the east side, but there was nothing on the mud beyond 20 Lapwings and a few Curlews and Oystercatchers, with the drake Wigeon and a drake Gadwall along the main channel, along with six Mute Swans. (AH)
Little Terns (above), Turnstone, Chiffchaff & Cinnabar moth at Pagham Spit (AH)
Two Dartford Warblers were along the banks, along with two Chiffchaffs, two Cetti's Warblers, five Reed Warblers, c25 Whitethroats, ten Yellowhammers and half a dozen Reed Buntings, including a newly fledged youngster.
Also, three Cattle Egrets were on the reserve and two Kestrels and c30 Swallows went over. (S&SaH)
Sidlesham: A Red Kite went low over the houses along Keynor Lane, near the school, early this afternoon. (AH)
Red Kite over Sidlesham (AH)
Saturday, 17th June: A humid and murky start gave way slowly to pleasant, hazy sunshine in just a light north-easterly breeze.........
Selsey Bill: Three flocks of Common Scoters, totalling 77 birds going east were the highlights of an otherwise quiet morning. Full blog below. (SR/AH)
(0700-0800hrs) (NE, F2-3)
Gannet - 1E, 1os
Common Scoter - 77E
Sandwich Tern - 7os
House Martin - 8
Goldfinch - 5
Grey Seal - 1os
Sandwich Tern t the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was again on the pool this morning, along with two Avocets, six Redshank, four Lapwings, ten Teal and 24 Shelducks, with a Stock Dove and eight Cattle Egrets in the fields. (PB/S&SaH/AH/TB/NR et al)
Spotted Redshank (SH, top), Cattle Egret & Teal (AH) at the Ferry
Church Norton: A few Little Terns, a couple of Sandwich Terns and a Common Tern were in the harbour, with one of the latter offshore, too, but waders were few, beyond the usual handful of Ringed Plovers, Curlews and Oystercatchers, plus three Dunlin, whilst at least one of the Shelduck families was still present, as were a number of Little Egrets, with a Cattle Egret again in the horse field..
A Cuckoo called intermittently behind the Severals, where there were at least two Whitethroat families, along with one or two Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, a couple of Reed Buntings and a dozen Linnets, with just a few Swallows over.
There were also half a dozen Marbled Whites along the path between the Severals, and what appeared to be a small colony of Childling Pinks nearby. (AH/IP)
Common Tern (above), Whitethroat, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Marbled White & Childling Pink at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A look round Halsey's Farm early on produced a Cuckoo, a Sedge Warbler, three Reed Warblers, four Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs and a Pied Wagtail, with plenty of Little and Cattle Egrets around the fields. (S&SaH)
Also seen were two Barn Owls together, two Cuckoos, one or two Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroats and Skylarks, with a female Marsh Harrier along the wall. (MT)
Barn Owls (above), Marsh Harrier, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff & Little and Cattle Egrets at the North Wall (MT)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An adult Little Gull was roosting on the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst it was back to normal for the regular species, with just the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, three Ringed Plovers and 33 Avocets, including the 15 brooding birds, whilst one of the pairs of Oystercatchers had two new chicks and the pair of Egyptian Geese still had their five goslings.
A female Cuckoo was seen, whilst the banks were quite busy, including c25 Whitethroats, two Dartford Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, four Reed Warblers,, a Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, six Reed Buntings and c16 Yellowhammers, pus a flock of 18 Greenfinches.
Also, a Sand Martin and c30 Swallows were around the Stilt Pools and the beach, with two Sandwich Terns offshore, whilst a Cattle Egret was on the reserve and three Buzzards went over. (S&SaH/PB)
Later on, a female Garganey was on the Stilt Pool (J Todd)
Little Gull and Black-headed Gulls (above), Swallow and Sand Martin & Oystercatcher family at Medmerry (AH)
Chichester GPs: Drayton House pits - The highlight was again Pochard, when I was pleased to find a female with a brood of seven small young on South pit and three further broods (of six, six & seven) on North pit – making a well above average total of six broods logged so far this season. Given the 40+ adult birds also present (mostly drakes but some females) on these pits and the fact they are late breeders, it is quite likely there will also be further broods, but time will tell.
The name Common Pochard belies the fact that this is a red-listed species of high conservation concern and also that it is a rare breeding bird, with this number of pairs being of national significance. It is also of note that these pits currently have no wildlife designation whatever to at least offer some basic protection; I have tried for quite some time to alter this and get the site officially recognised, but at present the status quo still exists, although the SOS have been liaising to try and improve the situation.
The usual Greylags, Canada Geese and non-breeding Egyptian Geese were present this morning, a Kingfisher flew across the lakes and two Common Terns were fishing, whilst there was still plenty of Reed Warbler song from the reedbeds. (OM)
Pochards Galore! Top two, broods of six and seven on Drayton House North pit, and lower, brood of seven on South pit (OM)
Friday, 16th June: Another very warm and sunny morning, with the light breeze initially from the north-east, before veering to the south.....
Selsey Bill: Two Little Terns and two Common Terns were among a mixed flock of terns and gulls feeding offshore, whilst nine Common Scoters went east and a single Bottle-nosed Dolphin went west. Full log below. (SR/AH)
(0700-0800hrs) (NE, F2-3)
Gannet - 4E, 7W, 3os
Common Scoter - 9E
Mediterranean Gull - 12os
Sandwich Tern - 20os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 2os
auk sp - 2E
Swift - 1
Swallow - 1
Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 1W
Little Tern (above), Common Tern & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A smart summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was on the pool late this morning - it was presumably the same one as seen briefly at the North Wall earlier on, and was the first one back, and right on time.
Also about were two Little Ringed Plovers, two Avocets, 12 Lapwings, 12 Teal and 22 Shelducks, whilst two Cattle Egrets were among the cows in the fields.
Apparently the Tawny Owl has fledged and gone from the Discovery Area, but the three Kestrel chicks s were still in their box this morning and two Blackcaps, a Cetti's Warbler and half a dozen Chiffchaffs were nearby, whilst the pond held half a dozen Four-spotted Chasers and the vocal Marsh Frogs.(SR/AH/BFF/DM)
Spotted Redshank (above), Teal (AH), Spotted Redshank and Little Ringed Plover, Kestrel chicks & Four-spotted Chaser (SR) at the Ferry
Chichester GPs: A Red Kite drifted over the Lakeside Holiday Park, late this morning. (IP)
North Wall: A summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was in White's Creek early on, but not later - it was presumably the one that was later at the Ferry (see above), but there were few other waders in the harbour beyond half a dozen Lapwings, Grey Plovers and Curlews, with the drake Wigeon, a drake Gadwall and a dozen Shelducks also about, and, unusually, a Brent Goose was out at the far end of the main channel, along with a Common Seal.
A Cuckoo was still calling behind the Breech Pool, with two together seen later, and both Marsh Harriers were seen at different times, but most passerines were keeping low, though a number of Reed Warblers and Whitethroats were about, along with the odd Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting, whilst a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap were all heard at Halsey's Farm, where there were also up to a dozen Swallows.
There was also still plenty of Little and Cattle Egret activity around Owl Copse. (BFF/DM/AH et al)
Spotted Redshank (BFF) (above), Marsh Harrier, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat & Cattle Egrets (AH) at the North Wall
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There seemed to have been an influx of Avocets and Little Ringed Plovers onto the Stilt Pool this evening, with a peak of 56 of the former counted, including a group of about 25 before half flew off, whilst there were up to six of the latter getting very exited and chasing each other about.
Thee wasn't too much else going on, though a couple of Ringed Plovers and the Egyptian Goose family were also on the Stilt Pool, with just the usual mix of Yellowhammers, Whitethroats, Skylarks and Linnets along the banks, plus a couple of Reed Warbles and Reed Buntings, whilst half a dozen Swifts and a dozen Swallows were feeding overhead and a Cuckoo was sat out, not calling, in the poplars. There were also two Brown Hares in the fields and lots of meadow Browns on the wing. (AH)
Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocets, Cuckoo, Swallow & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AH)
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