Friday, 30th June: Another overcast and humid morning, with the breeze initially light and north-westerly, freshening considerably as it backed to the south-west.........
Selsey Bill: Two Common Sandpipers were present this morning and 19 Sandwich Terns went west, but that was about it. Full log below. (AW/SR/AH/IP)
(0645-0800hrs) (WNW, F3)
Gannet - 4W
Common Sandpiper - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 19W
Swift - 10
House Martin - 6
Goldfinch - 2
(1630-1730hrs) (SW, F6-7) (SH/AH)
Mediterranean Gull - 18W, 2os
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Common Sandpipers (AW), Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There were seven Avocets on the pool this morning, along with three Black-tailed Godwits, four Redshanks, a Shelduck and a Little Egret, with up to eight Cattle Egrets among the cows at the back. (AH)
Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: A Little Owl - sadly, the first record this year of this fast-declining species - was in trees behind the wall this morning, and at least three juvenile Marsh Harriers were still around. (LP)
Ten Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool, plus a couple of Lapwings and six Teal, but the harbour was quiet, and there weren't too many small birds about either, though a couple of Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus a Chiffchaff were still singing and a Sand Martin was among half a dozen Swallows that went over, and there were were still plenty of Little and Cattle Egrets around Owl Copse. (LP/AH)
Little Owl (above), Marsh Harriers (LP), Sedge Warbler, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwits & Cattle Egrets (AH) at the North Wall
Medmerry: The Spoonbill was present on the Stilt Pools first thing this morning although it had disappeared by mid-morning. There were also plenty of Essex Skipper butterflies on the wing. (BI)
Spoonbill (above) & Essex Skipper at Medmerry (BI)
Thursday, 29th June: After a bit of overnight rain, a grey and murky morning in a moderate northerly breeze, brightening up a bit later on......
Selsey Bill: A very quiet morning! Full log below. (SR/AH)
(0655-0755hrs) (NNW, F4)
Gannet - 1E, 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 1os
Sandwich Tern - 8os
Swift - 4
House Martin - 2
Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two Little Egrets, two Avocets, 12 Redshanks and four Shelducks on the pool this morning, with at least six Cattle Egrets among the cows. (AH)
Cattle Egret (above), Avocet & Avocet and Redshanks at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: There were six Marsh Harriers together behind the wall this morning, all together in the air at one point, and appeared to be the pair plus four juveniles.
A Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker were also in the vicinity, whilst the Mute Swan family was in White’s Creek, five Little Egrets were along the channel and a Stock Dove dropped onto the mud.
The water level on the Breech Pool is dropping slowly and there were four Black-tailed Godwits, a Lapwing and a Grey Heron feeding, with three Teal and nine Mallards on the water, whilst at Owl Copse, 32 Little Egrets were in the trees, along with a handful of Cattle Egrets, and out in the harbour, 12 Redshanks and two Lapwings were by Heron Island and two Avocets flew across the harbour.
At Halsey’s Farm a few Skylarks and Swallows were over the fields, a Buzzard was up high, and two Linnets and a Whitethroat were along the hedgerow. (LP/SP)
There were just two juvenile Marsh Harriers showing this evening, whilst seven Sand Martins and six Swallows went over, three Reed Warblers and two Chiffchaffs were along the wall and there was still lots of Cattle and Little Egret activity in Owl Copse. (S&SaH)
juvenile Marsh Harriers (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing at the North Wall (LP)
Church Norton: There were still several White-letter Hairstreaks in the elms in the car-park, seemingly favouring the one by the gate. (BI)
Yesterday's Wheatear and a Painted Lady were on the beach this afternoon. (AW)
Painted Lady at Church Norton (AW)
This evening there were a Whimbrel and 15 Curlews in the harbour, plus a pair of Ringed Plovers, whilst c35 Mediterranean Gulls and three Sandwich Terns flew in from offshore and settled on the mud. (AH)
Whimbrel (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Stilt Pool - The Spoonbill was back on the Stilt Pool this evening. (MT)
Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - At least half a dozen Little Terns and a couple of Sandwich Terns were feeding around the breach this morning, with a flock of at least 40 Great Black-backed Gulls sitting out, but the only waders seen were a pair of Ringed Plovers and four Curlews.
A pair of Meadow Pipits with at least three fledged young were around the viewpoint, and up to a dozen Linnets and two or three Swallows were about, but that was it. (AH)
Little Tern (above), Sandwich Tern, Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipit & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)
Wednesday, 28th June: A very overcast, if mild and quite humid morning in a moderate westerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: A Common Sandpiper, three Little Terns and seven Mediterranean Gulls went west and 17 Common Scoters went east this morning. Full log below. (AW/SR/IP/AH)
(0515-0800hrs) (W, F3-4)
Gannet - 3E, 4W
Common Scoter - 17E
Common Sandpiper - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 7W, 1os
Sandwich Tern - 16W, 16os
Little Tern - 3W
Swift - 2
Swallow - 1
House Martin - 6
Gannet - 4W
Curlew - 1W
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 10W
Common Tern - 1W
Little Tern - 2W
Kittiwakes (above), Common Tern & Curlew at the Bill (AW)
Ferry Pool: There were ten Little Egrets feeding together on the pool early this morning, though otherwise there were just two Avocets, six Redshanks, a Teal and four Shelducks, whilst up to six Cattle Egrets were among the cows inn the back fields. (AH)
Later on, a Little Ringed Plover was on the pool. (IP)
North Wall: Three juvenile Marsh Harriers were together in one of the bushes behind the Breech Pool and a Stonechat, two Linnets and a Kingfisher were also about, on the pool there were three Black-tailed Godwits, the Canada Geese pair with their gosling and a Grey Heron.
A Buzzard and a few Skylarks were at Halsey’s Farm and there were lots of Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets in Owl Copse.
Along White’s Creek there were 12 Redshank, eight Curlews, a Whimbrel, three Lapwings and the Mute Swan family, still with their five cygnets. A Chiffchaff was by the stables and a few Greenfinches and Goldfinches were in the surrounding trees. (LP/CT, et all)
juvenile Marsh Harriers (above), Linnets & Greenfinch at the North Wall (LP)
Church Norton: The first returning Wheatear was seen this afternoon, along with a single Sandwich Tern and six Curlews. (DP)
There were two Common Sandpipers in the harbour this evening, along with a dozen Turnstones, half a dozen Ringed Plovers, two Common Terns, six Sandwich Terns and five Mediterranean Gulls, but there was no activity at all around the Little Tern colony. (AH)
Common Sandpipers (above) & Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The highlights of a busy morning were a juvenile Spoonbill - presumably the one that went over the Visitor Centre yesterday - on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper, plus a Kingfisher that flew over the pools just north of Marsh Farm.
Otherwise, the Stilt Pools were full of breeding activity, with at least 31 Avocets chicks of various sizes seen, along with two pairs of Oystercatchers with two chicks each, a pair of Lapwings and three chicks and the pair of Little Ringed Plovers with three chicks, with another pair brooding and seemingly a third pair present, too, whilst the pair of Egyptian Geese still had their five goslings, too. Also, a single Ringed Plover was the only other wader present, whilst half a dozen Sand Martins and c25 Swallows were feeding over the pools and two Common Terns were offshore.
The banks, by comparison, were quiet, though there were plenty of Whitethroats, Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks about, along with at least four Stonechats, a Reed Bunting and two or three Reed Warblers, with lots of butterflies about, too, including numerous Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, Small Skippers and a few Marbled Whites. (AH/IP)
This evening four Dartford Warblers were near Marsh Barn and two more were near Marsh Farm, including a male seen taking food into a nest site.
Also six Common Terns and two Little Terns were on the Stilt Pool, along with at least 24 Avocet chicks. (S&SaH)
Spoonbill (above), Avocet chicks, Little Ringed Plover and chick, Lapwing and chick, Common Tern, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Yellowhammers, Stonechat & Gatekeeper at Medmerry (AH)
