Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 7th

Sunday, 9th July: Another warm, but grey and humid morning in a light westerly breeze, mostly dry but with intermittent showers of drizzly rain.........

Selsey Bill: A Brent Goose going west offshore was the unexpected highlight of a quiet morning. Full log below. (SH/PB/MRB/SR/BI/AH)

(0600-0800hrs) (W, F1)

Gannet - 16E, 4W

Brent Goose - 1W

Common Scoter - 6E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 200os

Sandwich Tern - 26os

Little Tern - 1os

Swift - 14

House Martin - 10

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

Ferry Pool: Two Greenshanks and a Little Ringed Plover were on the pool this morning, along with seven Black-tailed Godwits, ten Redshanks, c45 Lapwings, a Teal, eight Shelducks, five Little Egrets and a Grey Heron, whilst c100 Sand Martins were over the fields at the back.

Also, a Kingfisher was briefly in the channel opposite, bur the Tramway circuit was quiet, beyond two or three Whitethroats and at least four singing Blackcaps. (AH/PB/MRB)

Greenshanks (above), Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Heron and Little Egret & Whitethroat at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A pair of Pied Wagtails were on the stable roof at the farm, along with a juvenile, presumably indicative of nearby breeding. (IP)

Church Norton: The Common Sandpiper and Whimbrel were still feeding on the mud in the harbour, where a Meadow Pipit was seen taking food to a location on the Spit, and there were also c20 Redshanks, a Dunlin and three Ringed Plovers about, plus the usual Curlews and Oystercatchers.

Two Common Terns were feeding in the harbour along with a pair of Little Terns and at least 15 Sandwich Terns, whilst c250 Mediterranean Gulls were sat in two groups on the stones opposite the cottages at the west end of the reserve.

Also, the Sedge Warbler was still displaying in the First Several along with a Reed Bunting and a number of Reed Warblers, and the Great Spotted Woodpecker was again in the dead trees at the back, whilst two separate pulses of c20 Sand Martins went through - one over the Harbour and the other over Greenlease Farm. (IP)

Honer Reservoir: There were just a pair of Tufted Ducks and a pair of Mallards on the reservoir, but at least 200 Sand Martins were over the adjacent fields and c30 House Martins were at the north end of the lane, at South Mundham. (AH)

North Wall: It was quiet again here, though a least three of the juvenile Marsh Harriers were about, as were half a dozen Cattle Egrets and c30 Little Egrets.

Passerines were few, though, beyond a couple of singing Reed Warblers, plus c20 Sand Martins over, and the harbour just held half a dozen Lapwings and Curlews and c30 Redshank. (AH/LP et al)

Marsh Harriers (above) & Cattle Egret at the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Stilt Pool just held the pair of Little Ringed Plovers and their chick, the pair of Egyptian Geese and their four goslings, seven adult and three young Oystercatchers and two Avocets.

Four Dartford Warblers were again along the banks, together with three Stonechats, c25 Whitethroats,, five Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, five Reed Buntings, c15 Yellowhammers and a Pied Wagtail, whilst c75 Swifts went over, along with c20 Sand Martins and Swallows, a Buzzard and two Kestrels. (S&SaH)

Little Ringed Plover and chick (above) & Black-headed Gulls with juvenile and Oystercatchers at Medmerry (SH)

Medmerry: Chainbridge to the Breach - A male Marsh Harrier was out hunting near the breach this afternoon, with c20 Mediterranean Gulls and five Sandwich Terns.around, too.

Also, two Swifts went over and c300 Sand Martins were around the breach, some sitting out on the mud . (S&SaH)

Marsh Harrier (above) & Sand Martins at Medmerry (SH)

Saturday, 8th July: A warm, but very humid and mostly overcast start in a light south-westerly gave way to heavy thundery showers as the breeze swung to the north-east.....

Selsey Bill: A Long-tailed Duck among a flock of Common Scoters going east was a real, unseasonable surprise this morning, whist more expected was a Common Sandpiper and a gathering of hirundines. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/AH)

(0600-0815hrs) (SW, F3)

Gannet - 5E, 12W

Long-tailed Duck - 1E

Common Scoter -16E

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 3W

Common Sandpiper - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 29os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 19os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 1W

Swift - 42

Swallow - 4

Sand Martin - 10

House Martin - 40

Common Sandpiper (AW) (above), Sandwich Terns, Sand Martin, House Martins & Sand Martins and House Martins (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were 33 Lapwings again on the pool this morning, along with an Avocet, four Black-tailed Godwits, six Teal and two Shelducks. (AH)

Avocet and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: It was quiet along the hedges, with just a Lesser Whitethroat, three Whitethroats, two Reed Buntings and half a dozen Linnets, plus at least three Reed Warblers singing from the pool, where there was also a Tufted Duck with five ducklings. (AH)

Whitethroat (above), Linnet & Tufted Duck family along the Long Pool (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Two Pied Wagtails were at the eastern end of the farm and a Sparrowhawk flew over with prey in its talons this morning. (IP).

Church Norton: The harbour was quiet again, though there were a dozen Mediterranean Gulls amongst the roosting Black-headed Gulls on the mud and waders were almost non existent again, however a Green Sandpiper flew through heading north and a Common Sandpiper was feeding on the mud along with the long-staying Whimbrel.

Also, a Common Tern was feeding in the channels, two Little Terns were close to their island and three Sandwich Terns flew through and out to sea.

Once again a pair of Meadow Pipits were on the spit, whilst the first returning Willow Warbler was between the Severals, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the dead trees at the back of the first Several, the vocal Sedge Warbler of the past two weeks was still displaying, and a pair of Reed Buntings were also present. (IP)

North Wall: A fairly quick look before the rain set in produced a dozen Sand Martins over the Breech Pool, six Black-tailed Godwits on the pool and two Lapwings and c20 Redshank in White's Creek. (AH)

Also, a Snipe was seen, later. (AB)

Lapwing (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (AH)

This afternoon the male Marsh Harrier flew in and all four juveniles flew up after him, with the lead bird taking a perfect catch in mid air, and later one of the juveniles soared up several hundred feet before dropping back down.

There were also 41 Sand Martins, a Swift, c40 Swallows, a Kestrel and two Buzzards airborne at various points, with c40 Little Egrets and 16 Cattle Egrets around and wo Chiffchaffs and three Blackcaps at Halsey's Farm. (S&SaH)

This evening, a Purple Hairstreak was along the East side. (TH)

Purple Hairstreak along the East side (TH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - The Stilt Pool was quieter than of late, with just the pair of Little Ringed Plover and one chick, two pairs of Oystercatchers, but just three chicks, the pair of Egyptian Geese and their four young and six adult Avocets present.

The banks were quite busy , though, in the lighter winds, with four Dartford Warblers, seven Sedge Warblers, seven Reed Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, c25 Whitethroats, c15 Yellowhammers, two Stonechats, four Pied Wagtails and four Reed Buntings noted, whilst c30 Sand Martins, c50 Swallows, 16 Mediterranean Gulls, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and three Kestrels all went over. (S&SaH)

Reed Warbler (above), adult Little Ringed Plover & chick at Medmerry (SH)

Friday, 7th July: A warm and sunny morning, with the breeze easing and shifting to the north-east.....

Selsey Bill: There were 357 Mediterranean Gulls sat on the bar this morning, with 200 more in the distant offshore feeding flock, which also held six Little Terns and eight Sandwich Terns, whilst a Whimbrel and 83 Sand Martins went east, too. Full log below. (BI/SR/AH/IP)

(0650-0820hrs) (NE, F3)

Gannet - 18os

Little Egret - 1

Mallard - 1W

Whimbrel - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 537os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 8os

Little Tern - 6os

Swift - 17

Swallow - 4E

Sand Martin - 83E

House Martin - 8

Mediterranean Gulls (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 33 Lapwings on the pool this morning, but otherwise just a single Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit and four Shelducks were present, plus a flock of 15 Jackdaws flew over. (AH)

Late on, there were three White-letter Hairstreaks near the gate in Yeoman's Field and two Small Coppers were further along feeding on ragwort. (BI)

:Lapwings (above) & Jackdaws at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The White Admiral was still around this morning, initially in the brambles along the path to the beach, before it flew off towards the Mound/car-park area where it showed well along the track Also plenty of Red Admirals, Gatekeepers, Peacocks and a few Marbled Whites in the sheltered spots. (BI)

North Wall & East side: It took a while but eventually four Marsh Harriers showed from the Wall - the female and three juveniles. The Owl Copse colony was still busy with the usual Cattle and Little Egrets, but there was almost nothing on the Breech Pool, bar a single Tufted Duck, three Canada Geese and several Mallards. A Reed Bunting was singing well from opposite the Salthouse, whilst a few brief snatches of Reed Warbler and Whitethroat song were also occasionally heard.

Sixty Redshank were in White’s Creek with a few Curlews and Oystercatchers and the summering drake Wigeon was also present. There was a smattering of Mediterranean Gulls amongst the loafing Black-headed and Herring Gulls, but my check failed to locate any of their yellow-legged congeners! (OM)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - Porthole Farm and the Trail were very quiet this morning, with just a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and a handful of Linnets, Yellowhammers and Whitethroats in the bushes, and a few Stock Doves on the fields.

There was much more activity at Ham, though, with a huge flock of at least 500 Sand Martins and maybe 50 Swallows feeding over the big barley field (which actually has oats in this year!), and as many as five Corn Buntings spread around its periphery.

There were also several Reed Buntings, a Reed Warbler, a couple of Whitethroats and numerous Skylarks and Linnets about, too, and a male Marsh Harrier was seen from the viewpoint. (AH/MW)