14th - 16th July 2023

Sunday, 16th July: Another bright, but very blustery morning in a fresh westerly breeze..............

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, including a Little Gull, a Kittiwake, a Redshank, five Black-tailed Godwits and 15 Common Terns all going west. Full log below. (SH/PB/MRB/SR/BI/AH)

(0545-0830hrs) (W, F6)

Gannet - 10E, 33W

Common Scoter - 4E

Redshank - 1W

Black-tailed Godwit - 5E

Mediterranean Gull - 36os (including five juveniles)

Little Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 28W, 18os (including six juveniles)

Common Tern - 15W

Swift - 5

House Martin - 1

(1600-1700hrs) (SH)

Oystercatcher - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 18os (including one juvenile)

Little Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 6W

Sandwich Tern - 18W (including three juveniles), 6os

Common Tern - 1os, 1W

Common Terns (above), Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Avocets, 17 Black-tailed Godwits, seven Redshank, c40 Lapwings, four Teal and five Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: An adult and juvenile Pied Wagtail were in the fields this morning, along with a Stock Dove and a Kestrel was hunting nearby. (IP)

Church Norton: In the harbour numbers were low, but with a little variety, including a Greenshank feeding in the channels, five Whimbrels, at least four Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, six Dunlin and the usual Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers.

A dozen Sandwich Terns were moving between the harbour and offshore, where a flock of seven also went west, and three Common Terns flew in and joined the roosting gulls, which also included six Mediterranean Gulls.

Passerines were limited to a single Common Whitethroat and two Reed Warblers, whilst a moulting Gadwall was on the second Several amongst the Mallards and three Swifts were over the back of Priory Wood. (IP/PB/MRB)

North Wall: Two Marsh Harriers were seen briefly this morning, whilst a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a Kingfisher, a Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel were in White's Creek, along with c40 Redshanks, a few Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls and the Mute Swan family.

A flock of 26 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in on the Breech Pool, with a Sand Martin and a few Swifts over, and there were still plenty of Little and Cattle Egrets about, but a single Whitethroat was about the only passerine seen. (AH/LP/DHi et al)

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull (above), Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwits, Swift & Cattle Egret at the North Wall (AH)

Honer Reservoir: A Common Sandpiper was on the reservoir this morning, with about 20 Sand Martins and a couple of Swifts feeding overhead, and a few Mediterranean Gulls were among the Black-headed Gulls present. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Sand Martin & Mediterranean Gull at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Stilt Pool still held a Little Ringed Plover and its growing chick, a pair of Oystercatchers and a juvenile, the Egyptian Goose family and three Common Sandpipers, but the banks were quiet in the wind, with just five Whitethroats, 11 Yellowhammers, a Reed Warbler and a Chiffchaff noted.

Also, three Swifts, ten Sand Martins, c40 Swallows and a Buzzard went over. (S&SaH)

Saturday, 15th July: A very windy, but mostly bright and quite warm, morning, with the south-westerly freshening through the day..........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much out of the ordinary, but a pale-phase and a dark-phase Arctic Skua were offshore, and lots of birds were going west, with two Kittiwake and a 21 Common Terns among good numbers of Sandwich Terns and Gannets. 

Also, a Roe Deer was seen swimming, well out in the sea, drifting east with the tide, eventually making land to the east of the Bill. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/SR/IP/AH/JA)

(0530-0900hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Gannet - 8E, 118W

Common Scoter - 3E, 7W

Kestrel - 1

Ringed Plover - 2W

Whimbrel - 1W

Arctic Skua - 1E, 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 40os

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 112W

Common Tern - 21W

Razorbill - 2os

auk sp - 1W

Swift - 47W

Roe Deer - 1os!

(1400-1530hrs) (SH/JA)

Gannet - 2E, 4W

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 22W, 2os

Common Tern - 4W

Swift - 17

Kittiwake (above), Gannet & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much on the pool this morning, just an Avocet, three Black-tailed Godwits, six Redshanks and c40 Lapwings, along with three Teal and two Shelducks. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit, Redshanks and Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: At least 30 Sandwich Terns were spilt between the harbour and offshore, where there were also a couple of Gannets, but there was little else to report beyond a handful of Curlews, Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers, c40 Redshank, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls and c50 Black-headed Gulls, pus a dozen Swifts over west. (AH)

Swift (above), Gannet, Sandwich Terns & Redshanks at Church Norton (AH)

Chalder and Marsh Farms, Sidlesham: A pleasant circular walk produced few birds today, with Green Woodpecker, a family of Whitethroats, a Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs, a Jay, two Pied Wagtails, a Little Egret, two Swallows and a Swift being about it. (SR)

North Wall: There was just a Redshank, a Lapwing, three Little Egrets and the Mute Swan family in White’s Creek and a handful of Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool this morning.

Out on Heron Island, ten Little Egrets, two Cattle Egrets and three Grey Herons were sheltering from the wind and ten Swifts flew over, but it was generally very quiet in the challenging conditions. (LP)

Later, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk were seen, but no Marsh Harriers, with 17 Swifts, seven Sand Martins and two Swallows also going over.

There were also c40 Little Egrets and eight Cattle Egrets about, along with seven Black-tailed Godwits, a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap. (S&SaH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Little Egret at the North Wall (LP)

Friday, 14th July: A very murky and cool morning, with intermittent drizzly rain pushed through on a brisk southerly breeze....

Editorial: We have recently had several requests for copies of our publication 'A Birdwatchers Guide to Pagham Harbour, Medmerry & Selsey Bill' which was on sale at the RSPB Visitor centre, until all copies were sold out a little while ago. It is now out of print. I/we have managed to obtain a couple of personal copies to supply, but this short note is to say no more copies will be available as from now. Thought is being given to a future edition although no decisions have been made yet, but thanks to all for your interest. (OM/AH)

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on offshore beyond the regular species, but there was a big movement of Swifts, both overhead and over the sea, all broadly heading east. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/AH/P&LH)

(0600-0900hrs) (S, F4)

Gannet - 53E, 33os

Common Scoter - 10W

Oystercatcher - 7W

Mediterranean Gull - 393os

Sandwich Tern - 51E, 2os

Swift - 409E

Swallow - 3E

Sand Martin - 8E

House Martin - 4

The big eastward movement of Swifts continued early this afternoon, with 747 counted in an hour and a half. Full log below. (P&LH)

(1200-1330hrs) 

Gannet - 46E

Kestrel - 1

Curlew - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 27E

Sandwich Tern - 35os

Swift - 747E

Swallow - 5

House Martin - 7

This afternoon there was a big feeding flock offshore, but nothing really moving beyond the first returning Shag going west and another 108 Swifts going east. Full log below. (SH)

(1530-1700hrs)

Gannet - 10E, 2W

Shag - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 124os

Sandwich Tern - 5W, 42os

Common Tern - 4os

Swift - 108E

Swifts were still moving later, with 200+ south over the southern end of the village around 1730hrs.(IP)

Swift (above), Mediterranean Gull & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were quite a few different waders on the pool at different times this morning, comprising a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Greenshank, a Dunlin, an Avocet, nine Redshanks, six Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Lapwings, as well as six Teal and three Shelducks, with c60 Swifts going over, heading south.

The Tramway circuit was unsurprisingly quiet, but held a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat and a Jay. (AH/P&LH)

Greenshanks (above), Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Avocet & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There have been two or three reports over the last few weeks, including yesterday, of a probable Turtle Dove in the Chalder Far/Marsh Farm area, which would be very encouraging if confirmed. (per AT)

Church Norton: There wasn't much on the high tide and in the wind, but a couple of Common Terns, a dozen Sandwich Terns, c40 Mediterranean Gulls and c75 Black-headed Gulls were roosting in the harbour, with a Common Sandpiper, a handful of Curlews and Ringed Plovers and c40 Redshanks the only waders seen.

Also, a couple of Swifts and a handful of Sand Martins and Swallows moved through. (AH)

Sand Martin (above) and Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Common Sandpiper was briefly in White’s Creek this morning and the Mute Swan family, a juvenile Redshank, five Little Egrets and three Lapwings were also nearby, while further out, another 26 Redshank, two Curlews and 6 Lapwing were on the mud.

A dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool, as well as the pair of Canada Geese with their gosling and120 Swifts and a couple of Sand Martins flew over, but there was no sign of any of the Marsh Harriers.

Along the hedgerows there were a few Great Tits, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Dunnocks and Blackbirds, and a Reed Warbler was by the sluice. (LP/SP)

Black-tailed Godwits (above), juvenile Redshank & Great Tit at the North Wall (LP)