13th - 15th June 2024

Our esteemed Bill Log-keeper JA has now completed his annual summary. So, what was the spring like at Selsey Bill this year? How many Pom's were seen? Was it as quiet as I thought? These and other queries can now be answered by clicking on the Spring Summary 2024 in the title bar above. (Eds)

Saturday, 15th June: A very windy morning, freshening to gale force by midday, with early heavy rain slowly giving way to sunshine and white cloud ........

Selsey Bill: Two Manx Shearwaters went west early on, but later in the morning there were a further 29, along with three Arctic Skuas, plus one east, two or three Fulmars and a few Little and Common Terns among a steady flow of Sandwich Terns, whilst the summering female Eider was offshore. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/MRe/AH/SR)

(0530-0830hrs) (WSW, F6)

Manx Shearwater - 2W

Fulmar - 3W

Gannet - 7E, 11W

Eider - 1os

Common Scoter - 35E

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 7os

auk sp - 1W

Fulmar (above), Common Tern & PB having some technical issues with his umbrella at the Bill (AH)

(0940-1200hrs) (BI/SH/PB/AH)

Manx Shearwater - 29W

Gannet - 1E, 13W

Common Scoter - 6E

Arctic Skua - 1E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 23os

Common Tern - 7os

Little Tern - 1os

Swift - 4

Manx Shearwaters (above) & Arctic Skua at the Bill (AH)

(1500-1600hrs) (SH)

Manx Shearwater - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 8os

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 14os

Common Tern - 8W

Little Tern - 3W

Then, at 1706hrs, a Roseate Tern - the first of the year - went west with five Common Terns. (PA)

Roseate Tern and Common Terns at the Bill (PA)

Ferry Pool: There was no sign of the Wood Sandpiper this morning, though there were still two Little Ringed Plovers present, along with 14 Avocets, 11 Redshanks, four Lapwings, 22 Shelducks, including the dozen ducklings, and the family of at least five Pied Wagtails. (AH/PB)

Little Ringed Plover (above) & Shelduck family and Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A dark-phase Arctic Skua flew briefly into the harbour mouth this morning, before flying west along the spit and being lost to view.

In the harbour a Little Tern and two Common Terns were among c25 roosting Sandwich Terns, but waders were restricted to four Turnstones, two Ringed Plovers and three Curlews, whilst a singing Blackcap and a Chiffchaff was it along the hedges. (AH)

Arctic Skua (above), Little Tern, Turnstone and Sandwich Tern, Little and Sandwich Terns, Common Tern,Common and Sandwich Terns & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were 12 Little Terns in the harbour - all apparently adults and the most seen here for some weeks, along with a first or second summer Arctic Tern, three Common Terns and c30 Sandwich Terns, with waders including two Whimbrel and two Ringed Plovers, whilst a Sparrowhawk caught something along the spit and flew off with it. (AH)

Arctic Tern (above) & Little Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: A brief walk around the village this morning before the rain came produced two Swifts, a Green Woodpecker, two singing Reed Warblers, two Goldfinches, two Greenfinches and a Chaffinch feeding young in our front garden, and there was also a hind Roe Deer about. (CRJ)

Chaffinches (above) & Roe Deer at Runcton (CRJ)

North Wall: It was predictably quiet along the wall this morning in the very windy conditions, though the male Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reeds and a Swift flew over, and the Mute Swan family were along White’s Creek, now with just two remaining of their original seven cygnets.
Three recently fledged Sedge Warblers were along the bottom path and a Linnet, a Greenfinch and a Reed Bunting were also about, whilst at Owl Copse, eight Little Egrets were in the trees and a Cormorant caught a very large Eel on the water, and at Halsey’s Farm, 12 Cattle Egrets were in the fields, two Reed Warblers were singing from the reeds and a Skylark was overhead. (LP)

Marsh Harrier (above), Mute Swans & Cormorant at the North Wall (LP)

 

Friday, 14th June: A bright, but very breezy morning in a fresh and blustery south-westerly ........

Selsey Bill: An unidentified - probably large - shearwater going east was the frustrating highlight, though three Fulmars went west and there were more Sandwich Terns, but less Mediterranean Gulls offshore. Full log below. (AH/MO-W/SR/IP)

(0700-0830hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

shearwater sp - 1E

Fulmar - 3W

Gannet - 4E, 3W

Little Egret - 1W

Common Scoter - 13E

Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 10W, 25os

Sandwich Tern - 5E, 12W, 40os

Common Tern - 2W, 2os

House Martin - 5

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

This afternoon, eight Sanderlings went west, along with a Common Tern and lots of Sandwich Terns, many carrying fish. (AW/SH)

(1530-1700hrs)

Sanderling - 8W

Mediterranean Gull - 21os

Sandwich Tern - 16W

Common Tern - 1W, 2os

Sanderlings (above) & Common Tern at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: The Wood Sandpiper was still on the pool, along with two Little Ringed Plovers, six Avocets, four Lapwings, 12 Redshanks, the drake Teal and 28 Shelducks, including the 12 youngsters. (AH/MRe)

Wood Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plover & Shelduck family at the Ferry (AH)

This evening c40 Swifts were feeding over the pool. (AH)

Swifts over the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Little Terns were sat out on the mud this morning, along with half a dozen Sandwich Terns, whilst waders in the harbour comprised three Knot, three Dunlin, two Ringed Plovers, three Whimbrel, two Curlews and a dozen Oystercatchers, with five Gadwall and half a dozen Shelduck about, too..

Thee was very little in the bushes beyond two or three Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Long-tailed Tits, plus a Mistle Thrush along Rectory Lane. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Knot, Whimbrel, Sandwich Tern, Gadwall & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were three Common Terns and c20 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, along with a few Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, but the only waders seen were a Ringed Plover and two Whimbrel. (AH)

Common Terns (above) & Ringed Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 13th June: After a bright start, a cool grey day in a freshening south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: A quiet morning, with lots of Mediterranean Gulls offshore, but not much else going on. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0645-0800hrs) (SW, F3-4)

Gannet - 4E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 6E, 30W, c150os

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 8os

Swift - 4

House Martin - 15

(1730-1830hrs) (SH)

Manx Shearwater - 4W

Gannet - 6E, 3W, 3os

Mediterranean Gull - 7os

Sandwich Tern - 10os

Kittiwake (above), Mediterranean Gull & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Wood Sandpiper was present again this morning, along with three Little Ringed Plovers, four Avocets, eight Redshanks, four Lapwings and 22 Shelducks, including the dozen ducklings.

A look round a quiet Tramway in the freshening breeze produced a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, three Blackcaps and four Whitethroats, along with a dozen Swifts over. (AH)

Wood Sandpiper (above) Little Ringed Plovers and Redshanks, Avocets, Blackcap & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Green Woodpeckers and a Greenfinch were by the stables, but it was very quiet along the wall in the windy conditions, with just four Lapwings in the harbour and a Swallow and three Swifts overhead.
The male Marsh Harrier was seen passing food to one of the two Juveniles who were in the air, and a female was also about.The pair of Bullfinches were seen again, this time along the footpath that runs from the wall alongside Owl Copse, where there was also a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff and lots of young Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits. (LP/SP/TRH/GHi)

Chichester Canal: There were plenty of Reed Warblers present this morning, although no obvious juveniles were seen, with four Blackcaps, seven Whitethroats, three Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler and three groups of Long-tailed Tits also about, whilst overhead there were four House Martins, nine Swifts, a Swallow and a Red Kite.  
There were also eight Coot, five Moorhen and three Little Grebe families and a pair of Mute Swans had four cygnets.  
A surprisingly large dark fish was making its way toward town and half a dozen large Mullein Moth caterpillars were on the Water Figwort. (SR)

Reed Warbler (above), Little Grebe & Mullein Moth caterpillar along Chichester Canal (SR)