22nd - 24th June 2024

Monday, 24th June: A lovely summer morning of warm sun and high cloud, with just enough breeze to temper the heat.............

Selsey Bill: A very distant Arctic Skua offshore and four Little Terns east, plus one west, were the only things of note this morning. Full log below. (MRe/AH/SR/IP)

(0615-0815hrs) (WSW, F2-3)

Gannet - 3E, 1W

Little Egret - 1 (on beach)

Common Scoter - 30E

Sparrowhawk - 1 (male, caught a Goldfinch)

Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 45W, 20os

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 15W

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 4E, 1W

Swift - 15

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 6

Later, five active House Martin nests were found in the Broadreeds Estate and there was also eight Swifts and two Linnets about. (SR)

(1845-2045hrs) (MRe)

Gannet - 2W

Shag - 1os

Common Scoter - 21E

Mediterranean Gull - 25os

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 1W, 29os

Little Tern - 3E, 2os

auk sp - 1W

House Martin - 16

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The two Spotted Redshanks were still on the pool this morning, whilst the two adult Little Ringed Plovers were chasing each other around and appeared to be displaying, whilst, otherwise there were 16 Avocets, eight Redshanks, four Lapwings and half a dozen adult and 11 young Shelducks. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Little Ringed Plover & Little Ringed Plovers and Shelducklings on the Ferry (AH)

In addition to what has already been reported, the first returning Green Sandpiper and a Pied Wagtail were also present this morning at around 0730hrs, whilst in the Discovery Area there were a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Lesser Whitethroat, along with several Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit families. (RBe)

Green Sandpiper and Redshanks at the Ferry (RBe)

East Beach Walk: A healthy total of 14 active House Martin nests, some with well grown young, were found on the estate, mostly around the green. Twenty-five Swifts were flying overhead and could be seen returning to nests on the nearby Selsey Gate estate. (SR)

North Wall: The Barn Owl was out again early this morning, along with the male and female Marsh Harriers, whilst around the Owl Copse area there were 20+ Cattle Egrets, 50+ Little Egrets and eight Grey Herons.

Also, a few Reed, sedge and Cetti's Warblers were along the wall, along with a Reed Bunting, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and three Linnets, but a Ringed Plover, two Oystercatchers and a dozen or so Redshanks and Curlews were all that could be found in the harbour. (MO-W)

Church Norton: There were 34 Sandwich Terns, two Little Terns,  a Common Tern and 16 Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour this morning, along with two Whimbrel and six Shelducks. (BFF)

Fishbourne Creek: With the tide well out this morning there were 25 Curlews and four Lapwings on the mud, whilst amongst the commoner gulls were three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull, and on the water were three Great Crested Grebes and 153 Mute Swans. (RW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Little Ringed Plovers appeared to still have four chicks on the stilt Pool., with another pair and a pair of Ringed Plovers nearby, whilst there were five young Avocets, including two very small chicks and three well-grown juveniles, along with ten adults, two pairs of Oystercatchers with two and three young and ten juvenile Lapwings. 

Also, a Little Tern dropped in briefly on the Stilt Pool, and a  female Marsh Harrier and half a dozen Swallows went over, whilst a Red Kite was up over the reserve, along with two Buzzards.

There were at least 25 Yellowhammers along the banks, though the Whitethroats were less conspicuous, with only a dozen or so seen, and there were also two Dartford Warblers, a Chiffchaff, up to five Reed Warblers, a Reed Bunting, two juvenile Stonechats, c20 Skylarks and c40 Linnets about.

There were also a couple of Gatekeepers, Small Skippers and Common Blues about, along with plenty of Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns, and a Pyramidal Orchid was along the banks. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover chick (above), Ringed Plover, Dartford Warbler, Whitethroat, juvenile Stonechat, Reed Warbler, Swallow, Yellowhammer, Marsh Harrier, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper & Pyramidal Orchid at Medmerry (AH)

West Wittering: A Coal Tit was singing from a garden at Ella Nore today. (SH)

Sidlesham: A female Cuckoo flew over our garden this afternoon, making its odd, bubbling call, and here were several fledged young Swallows along the lane. (AH)

Birdham: A dozen - mainly juvenile - Swallows were sat out on the wires along Sidlesham Lane this evening. (AH)

Swallows in Birdham (AH)

Sunday, 23rd June: A warm and muggy morning in a light to moderate south-westerly, bright early on before clouding over later.............

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much beyond a selection of the regular species this morning. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH/MRe/SR/P&LH)

(0545-0815hrs) (SW, F2-3)

Gannet - 1W

Common Scoter - 24E, 22os

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - c100os

Sandwich Tern - 18W

Common Tern - 1W, 4os

Little Tern - 2os

auk sp - 1E

Swift - 8

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 4

House Martin - 8

Sandwich Tern (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Spotted Redshanks were on the pool again this morning, along with two adult, but no juvenile, Little Ringed Plovers, 16 Avocets, c35 Redshanks, ten adult and the 11 young Shelducks and two Teal, whilst a Cuckoo was calling from the direction of Porthole Farm and two Mediterranean Gulls went over. 

There were also a Reed Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, two Whitethroats and two swifts about. (AH/P&LH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Spotted Redshank and Avocet, Spotted Redshank and Shelducklings & Little Ringed Plover at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A male Cuckoo was along the hedges this morning, with a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, two Chiffchaffs, four Reed and Sedge Warblers, three Reed Buntings, three Yellowhammers and half a dozen Linnets also present.

Also, a pair of Tufted Ducks with eight ducklings were on the pool, plus a pair of Little Grebes, but just 24 Redshanks and four Curlews were along Ferry Channel. (MRe)

Church Norton: The harbour was largely empty again, with the only waders, apart from a few Oystercatchers, being a Whimbrel, a dozen widely spread Curlews and two Turnstones sat on the old metalwork, whilst there were also four Sandwich Terns sat on the mud, with one bringing in a fish to another, and briefly, a Common Tern, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

There were a lot of Whitethroat families around, whilst a number of Cetti's Warblers   and Reed Warblers were also active in both Severals, with the male Reed Bunting in his usual location in the First Several, and a few Linnets,  Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were about, too, with two Swifts and a Swallow over.

Most unlikely bird of the day was a Grey Wagtail sat on the roof of the houses at Greenlease Farm, with a pair of Great-Spotted Woodpeckers there, too, whilst three Stock Doves flew over the harbour and a Kestrel and a Buzzard were also about. (IP/P&LH/HB).

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were three newly fledged Lapwings on the pool this morning, whilst the two adults Little Ringed Plovers and four chicks, the pair of Oystercatcher and three chicks and five Avocets, including a newly hatched one, among 19 adults, were present, too, along with three Ringed Plovers, a Redshank and a Little Tern.

Around 20 Whitethroats and 15 Yellowhammers were along the banks, together with five Stonechats, a Sedge Warbler, seven Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler, with c20 Swallows, including several juveniles, a Buzzard and two Kestrels over. (S&SaH)

North Wall: A Barn Owl was out hunting the Honer fields this morning, whilst two juvenile Marsh Harriers were practising their aerial skills over the back of the Breech Pool.

Otherwise, though, it was fairly quiet, though there was plenty of Reed and Sedge Warbler families along the wall, c20 Swifts and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls were over the fields and at least 40 Little Egrets and 20 Cattle Egrets were about, but a couple of Lapwings and Curlews was about it in the harbour. 

There were also three Brown Hares in the fields by the reservoir and c20 Marbled Whites and a nice stand of Pyramidal Orchids along the wall. (AH/DHi/JDW et al)

This afternoon the male and three juvenile Marsh Harriers were putting on a show over the Breech Pool, whilst a total of 73 Little Egrets and 24 Cattle Egrets were about. with a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, several Reed and Sedge Warblers, two Swifts and five Swallows also about. (S&SaH)

Sedge Warbler (above), Marsh Harrier, Cattle Egret,marbled Whites & Pyramidal Orchid at the North Wall (AH)

Saturday, 22nd June: After quite heavy overnight rain, a mild and overcast morning in a fresh south-westerly breeze, brightening up later.......

Selsey Bill: There were a surprisingly large number of Common Scoters about, with over 70 going east, and there was a steady flow of Sandwich Terns heading west with fish, along with two very distant Manx Shearwaters and a Fulmar, with an Arctic Skua lingering offshore. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP/MRe/SR)

(0530-0945hrs) (SW, F4)

Manx Shearwater - 2W

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet -1E, 8W

Common Scoter - 71E, 12W

Oystercatcher - 2E

Curlew - 2W

Arctic Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 77W, 21os

Sandwich Tern - 69W

Common Tern - 8W

Little Tern - 2W

Swift - 9

House Martin - 3

(1500-1600hrs) (SH)

Mediterranean Gull - 7E, 43W

Sandwich Tern - 8W

Common Tern - 1W

Sandwich Tern (above), Mediterranean Gulls & common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was just one Spotted Redshank on the pool early this morning, and that not present later, whilst, otherwise there were still two juvenile and an adult Little Ringed Plovers, two Lapwings, 18 Avocets and c40 Redshanks, along with the Shelduck family and another dozen adults, plus seven Teal on the concealed pool. (AH)

Spotted Redshank and Avocets (above), Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Teal and Shelducklings at the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon there were c30 Swifts feeding over the pool. (AH)

Swifts at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool and West side: There were still two or three Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus a Cetti's Warbler, singing along the pool, with a Blackcap and half a dozen Whitethroats along the hedges, together with a Yellowhammer,a couple of Reed Buntings, c40 Linnets and family parties of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits.

Also, a single Swift went over and c50 Redshanks were in Ferry Channel and the adjacent harbour, along with a handful of Grey Plovers and Curlews. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above), Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Linnet & Long-tailed Tits along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: Late this afternoon there were two Little Terns, a Common Tern, two Mediterranean Gulls and a dozen Sandwich Terns in the harbour, though the only waders seen were a couple of Ringed Plovers and half a dozen Curlews. (AH)

Little Tern (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - Just a single Corn Bunting could be found in the big field at Ham this morning, whilst a pair of Stonechats carrying food were near the breach, a Little Grebe with two young was on the pond and there were lots of Whitethroats and Skylarks about.

There were more Whitethroats along the Trail, together with two pairs of Lesser Whitethroats, whilst at Porthole Farm, a Cuckoo was calling continuously, c30 Swifts were overhead and c250 Mediterranean Gulls and 30 Stock Doves were among a big, mixed gull flock on the fields. Also, three Cattle Egrets flew over the trail early on. (IP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were four young and two adult Little Ringed Plovers on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with ten adult and four young Avocets, eight adult and two young Oystercatchers, two well-grown young Lapwings, three Ringed Plovers and a Redshank, whilst a single sandwich Tern was offshore.

Along the banks there were c20 Yellowhammers, c15 Whitethroats, nine Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, seven Reed Warblers, two Chiffchaffs and a Cetti's Warbler, with c30 Swifts and four Swallows over.

There were also a Cattle Egret, c20 Mediterranean Gulls, the female Marsh Harrier with the missing primaries, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and three Kestrels on/over the reserve. (S&SaH)

Chichester GPs: A quick look this morning produced two families of Egyptian Geese - with three and five goslings respectively, c80 Canada Geese and c20 Tufted Ducks, whilst, mostly elusive along the path, there were two singing Reed Buntings, several Reed Warbles and Chiffchaffs and a Cetti's Warbler, with just two Swallows overhead. (AH)

Egyptian Geese at Chichester GPs (AH)