10th - 12th June 2023

Monday, 12th June: The breeze shifted round to the south-west, and was light, leaving a pleasant morning of sunshine and white cloud...........

Selsey Bill: A Mute Swan sat on the sea was the highlight of a pretty slow morning. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0650-0750hrs) (SW, F2-3)

Gannet - 1E, 7W

Mute Swan - 1os

Oystercatcher - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Swift - 4

House Martin - 6

Sandwich Tern (AH) (above) & Mute Swan (SR) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were nine Avocets, four Lapwings and 16 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with 22 Shelducks, whilst two Cattle Egrets were in the fields. (AH)

Avocets at the Bill (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - There were a lot of Whitethroats all round Porthole Farm, but not much else beyond a handful of Swallows, with more Whitethroats, at least eight and a flock of 100+ Linnets along the trail towards Ham.

Only one pair of Corn Buntings could be seen at Ham, though they were seen displaying and mating along the edge of their favoured barley field, which seems rather overrun with Charlock. 

Also about were several Reed Buntings, a pair of Stonechats, a Meadow Pipit, several singing Reed Warblers, a few more Linnets and Yellowhammers and 20+ Skylarks, with half a dozen Sandwich Terns off the breach and a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap around the houses. 

Also, a Brown Hare was in the barley field and lots of Meadow Browns were on the wing.(AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Stonechat, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Linnets, Swallow, Brown Hare & Meadow Brown at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Cuckoo was about this evening, with a Carrle Egret on the reserve and a Buzzard and eight Mediterranean Gulls over, whilst the banks held 14 Yellowhammers, eight Reed Buntings, a Pied Wagtail, c20 Whitethroats, two Chiffchaffs, one Sedge Warbler, two Reed Warblers and three Cetti's Warblers.
There wasn't too much change on the Stilt Pools, with 31 Avocets 9including 14 sitting), the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, three Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin and the pair of Egyptian Geese and their five goslings present. (S&SaH)

North Wall: A group of 16 Little Egrets were feeding in the Breech Pool, one of which had caught a good size Eel, and they were joined by two Grey Herons, with a few Black-tailed Godwits, Teal, Lapwing and Shelduck about, too.
Four Cuckoos appeared just north of the stables, whilst the pair of Marsh Harriers were flying low behind the Breech Pool, where there were a few Reed Warblers moving through the reeds, though only one Cetti's Warbler was heard.
In White's Creek there were the pair of Mute Swans and five cygnets, plus five relocated Little Egrets, whilst in Owl Copse there was the usual comings and goings of Little Egrets, but only one Cattle Egret was visible and at Halsey's Farm there were just a Whitethroat, two Lapwings, a Kestrel and a few Skylarks. (GHi/CT)

Little Egrets (above), Grey Heron, Reed Warbler & Whitethroat at the North Wall (GHi)

Chichester Gravel Pits: Ivy Lake Complex - East Lake held a family of Egyptian Geese along with two other pairs, 14 Greylag Geese, a Tufted Duck and singing Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warblers and Whitethroat, whilst Copse Lake just had the one Tufted Duck on it.

West Trout Lake held the most: the pylon island at the back had two visible Black-headed Gull nests with the probability of more hidden away, another of the tiny islands still held the two Black-headed Gull chicks and their parents, whilst another had a sitting gull and a third was occupied by a sitting Great Crested Grebe, with three other Great Crested Grebes on the lake, along with a fishing Common Tern, a large flock of Canada Geese, one with five goslings, and  another Egyptian Goose family of three there. 

Deep Lake had a Great Crested Grebe with her single chick and a family of Long-tailed Tits, whilst Ivy Lake held five Pochard, five Egyptian Geese, 25 Great Crested Grebes, some displaying, two Common Terns, calling Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers and a family of Great Tits, but Nunnery Lake just held a Green Woodpecker, a Pochard, a Tufted Duck and many Reed Warblers. (SR)

Egyptian Goose family (above) & Black-headed Gull chick at Chichester GPs (SR)

Sunday, 11th June: A real change in the weather this morning, with murky and humid conditions under heavy cloud cover and a moderate north-westerly breeze, though brightening up later before a rainy afternoon...........

Selsey Bill: Eight Commons Scoters and a flock of 18 Sanderlings went east, whilst a flock of Gannets were feeding over the bar on the high tide. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0650-0750hrs) (WNW, F3-4)

Gannet - 10E, 6W, 16os

Common Scoter - 8E

Sanderling - 18E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 3W

Swift - 7

House Martin - 10

(1445-1545hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 3E

Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 23W

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Sanderlings (above), Common Scoters & Sandwich Tern the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets, four Lapwings and 24 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with two drake Teal, the pair of Shovelers and 18 Shelducks. (AH)

Teal (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a big surprise this morning, in the form of a female/first-year Golden Oriole which flew across the first Several and disappeared towards Priory Wood just before 10am.

Otherwise, passerines were thin on the ground, with just the odd Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Reed and Cetti's Warblers making their presence known, and just a couple of Skylarks and a dozen Linnets along the beach and spit.

There were a few waders about in the harbour, with a flock of three Whimbrel, two Grey Plovers and a Bar-tailed Godwit flying in, and two of the latter together later, and there were also c40 Ringed Plovers, c20 Dunlin and half a dozen Curlews about, as well as the two families of Shelducks.

Also, at least 30 Little Terns were in the harbour, six Sandwich Terns flew out of the harbour together and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and c50 Black-headed Gulls  were also about, with a few of the latter coming and going from the island. (AH/IP)

Little Tern (above), Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel and Curlew, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, Shelduck-lings & Skylark at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool -The banks ere quite busy in the lighter winds this morning, including a Dartford Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, five Reed Warblers, three Cetti's Warblers, c15 Whitethroats, four Reed Buntings and c15 Yellowhammers, with eight Swallows, a Buzzard and a Kestrel over.
Six Cattle Egrets were out on the reserve, whilst 33 Avocets (including 13 sitting) were on the Stilt Pool, along with the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, three Ringed Plovers, six Black-tailed Godwits and the pair of Egyptian Geese and five goslings. (S&SaH/SR)

Egyptian Goose family at Medmerry (SR)

Saturday, 10th June: Hazy at first, but soon becoming very warm and sunny, as the persistent north-easterly wind finally abated and swung more to the south-east, allowing a touch of summer to arrive, albeit bringing the risk of more humid and thundery conditions with it......

Selsey Bill: A Fulmar east, a Razorbill and a Kittiwake west and a couple of flocks of Common Scoter were the pick this morning. Full log below. (PB/AH)

(0515-0800hrs) (NE, F4)

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet - 34E, 4W

Common Scoter - 23E, 30W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 8E, 2os

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Razorbill - 1W

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 10

House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The were no Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, with otherwise just eight Avocets, six Lapwings, the pair of Shovelers, two drake Teal and c25 Shelducks present, with two Cattle Egrets among the cows in the fields. (AH)

Also, early on, three Kestrel chicks were showing well in their box. (S&SaH)

This afternoon a Greenshank and three Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool, along with five Avocets. (MP)

Shovelers (above), Lapwings, Avocets and Shelduck, Cattle Egret (AH) & Kestrel chicks (SH) at the Ferry

Park Farm, Selsey: Both a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the line of poplars this morning, with a Sparrowhawk hunting the eastern end of Park Lane, and there were plenty of both Swallows and House Martins around the farm, and there was also a Reed Warbler singing in the rife beside the path across the fields. (IP)

Selsey: A Privet Hawk-moth was in the trap this morning. (S&SaH)

Privet Hawk-moth in a Selsey garden (SH)

Runcton: There was a Stag Beetle in the moth-trap this morning. (CRJ/SR)

Stag Beetle in a Runcton garden (SR)

Long Pool: There wasn't much showing this morning, with a few Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers mostly just heard, with a Reed Bunting and a couple of Linnets about, too.

Also, a Little Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe were on the pool and eight Redshanks were at the far end of Ferry Channel. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above) & Linnet along the Long Pool (AH)

This evening a Cuckoo was along the hedges. (AW)

Cuckoo along the Long Pool (AW)

Church Norton: The harbour was predictably quiet, though there were eight Sandwich, two Common and a minimum of 30 Little Terns present, plus a Lesser Black-backed Gull, whilst a female Marsh Harrier flew over the western end of the Harbour and a Buzzard was also present.

Waders were thin on the ground, with three Grey Plovers the highlight amongst the regular Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and two Curlews, whilst the Shelduck family from two weeks ago is now growing well and another collection of eight fluffballs were sat on the mud with their parents.

Several Whitethroats, Reed and Cetti's Warblers were around the Severals, along with a Reed Bunting, whilst a Cuckoo flew through and two Cattle Egrets were in the horse field. Also, two Lesser Whitethroats and a Jay were at Bluebell Wood and a Green Woodpecker was at Greenlease Farm, where eight Mallards were sat in a line on the thatched roof. (IP)

This afternoon there was a good selection of waders out in the middle of the harbour, including 21 Sanderling, three Knot, six Grey Plovers, six Dunlin, 140 Ringed Plovers and a Whimbrel, with c30 Little Terns still around their island. (MP)

North Wall: The female Marsh Harrier was seen bringing in food this morning, whereupon the male set off to hunt, and there were Cuckoos behind the Breech Pool and at Halsey's Farm, where there were seven Cattle Egrets, whilst several young Cattle and Little Egrets were showing well in Owl Copse.

A pair of Gadwall were on Owl Water, with a female and nine ducklings on the Breech Pool, along with ten Teal and 20 Mallards.

There were plenty of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers heard but not seen along wall, where there were also a Blackcap and a couple of Whitethroats, whilst five Swallows and four Lapwings were along the rife at Halsey's Farm. (AH)

Marsh Harriers (above), juvenile Cattle and Little Egrets, Whitethroat & Gadwall family at the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Barn Owl was flying southwards near the car-park early on, and a Cuckoo was calling nearby, with a Dartford Warbler being very vocal a bit further on.

Also, along the banks there were four Reed Warblers, two Reed Buntings, a Chiffchaff and c20 Whitethroats, along with a few Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks, plus six Swallows over, with a Greenshank and a Cattle Egret in the vicinity of the poplars.

At the Stilt Pool, there were still 15 sitting Avocets, with ten more nearby, along with the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, four Ringed Plovers, five Black-tailed Godwits, two Pied Wagtails and the pair of Egyptian Geese and five goslings. (MT/S&SaH)

Dartford Warbler (above), Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Linnet (MT), Black-tailed Godwit & Egyptian Goose and gosling (SH) at Medmerry

Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - Most of the activity was on the north pit today, where once again Pochards were very much in evidence. These pits must be one of the strongholds for this species in the County, so it is pleasing the report a second brood (a female with ten ducklings) for what is a rare breeding bird nationally, and in addition there were 42 adults (all but four being drakes). Time will tell if there will be further broods. 

Also present was an unseasonal drake Wigeon - now undergoing its moult to eclipse plumage - together with 15 Tufted Ducks, 26 Canada Geese and 11 Greylags. Also, a Common Tern was fishing, a Red Kite drifted over high, and at least 15 Reed Warblers and six Cetti's Warblers were singing. (OM)

Female Pochard with 10 ducklings, moulting drake Wigeon and Common Tern at Drayton North pit (OM)

Fishbourne Creek: A summering Brent Goose was in the channel this afternoon, along with 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with nice views of two Cuckoos and an energetic and vocal Whitethroat the other highlights. (SM)

Whitethroat at Fishbourne Creek (SM)