Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 1st

Saturday, 3rd August: A much cooler morning, though still muggy and briefly drizzly, in the heavily overcast conditions and brisk westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A very slow morning in fairly promising conditions, with just a Whimbrel, four Common Terns and three Sand Martins west of note. Full log below. (SH/PB/MRe/SR/BI/AH)

(0545-0800hrs) (WSW, F5)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 7W

Common Scoter - 7E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 4W

Whimbrel - 1W

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 4W, 1os

Common Tern - 4W

Swift - 1

Sand Martin - 3W

(1030-1130hrs) (SH/PB)

Great crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 1E

Dunlin - 2W

Whimbrel - 1W

Turnstone - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 3E, 9W

(1715-1800hrs) (SM)

Gannet - 1os

Common Scoter - 30os

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 6E

Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (SH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, but eight Avocets, three Lapwings and 28 Black-tailed Godwits were the only other waders present, along with 20 Teal and half a dozen juvenile Shelducks. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Lapwing & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were still two Curlew Sandpipers in White's Creek this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper, a summer-plumaged Grey Plover, three Whimbrel, a couple of Dunlin and lots of Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits.

Also, four Spotted Redshanks, four Greenshanks and three Green Sandpipers were on the Breech Pool, a few Cattle and Little Egrets were around Owl Copse and at Halsey's Farm, a Kingfisher flew along the rife and a Coal Tit was in a pine tree, whilst a Sand Martin, two Swallows, the tatty-looking female Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and a Kestrel went over.. (IP/PB/S&SaH et al)

Coal Tit at the North Wall (SaH)

Church Norton: A Curlew Sandpiper was in the harbour this morning, along with c25 Dunlin, c40 Ringed Plovers, c60 Redshanks, two or three Whimbrel and a dozen Curlews and Oystercatchers.

There were also at least eight Sandwich Terns and four Mediterranean Gulls about, but the land-side was very quiet, with just a Whitethroat and a couple of Linnets, plus two fly-over Sand Martins, seen. (AH)

Curlew Sandpiper and Redshanks (above), Ringed Plover, Redshank and Dunlin, Sandwich Terns & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon there was a Little Stint out on the mud among the Dunlin. (AW/MRe/SR et al)

The Little Stint was later re-identified from photos as a Semi-palmated Sandpiper - just the second ever on the Peninsula. (Eds)

Semi-palmated Sandpiper and Dunlin at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was quiet in the windy conditions this afternoon, with just a Whitethroat, a Stonechat and four Yellowhammers along the banks and a Swallow and six Sand Martins over, with six Common Sandpipers and three Gadwall on the Stilt Pool and a Sandwich Tern offshore. (S&SaH)

Friday, 2nd August: The spell of fine weather continues, with another pleasantly sunny morning in a moderate north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Fulmar hurrying east and two Redshanks west were the only birds beyond the usual mix this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/CRJ/BI)

(0700-0845hrs) (NW, F3-4)

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet - 6W

Common Scoter - 4E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 3W

Redshank - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 11W

Swift - 8

Swallow - 22E

House Martin - 6

Pied Wagtail - 1

Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper were on the pool this morning, along with eight Avocets, 32 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 juvenile Shelducks and 22 Teal, whilst a single Cattle Egret was on the fields. (AH)

This evening there were two Shovelers on the pool, among 27 Teal, with more waders about than of late, including a Little Ringed Plover, a Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, eight Avocets, three Lapwings and 35 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst a Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (MRe)

Greenshank (above), Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit & cattle Egret at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were four Curlew Sandpipers showing well at the far end of White's Creek this morning, and there were also a Green Sandpiper and three Spotted Redshanks on the Breech Pool. (BI/PA et al)

This afternoon the four Curlew Sandpipers were still in White's Creek, along with seven Whimbrel and two Common Sandpipers, whilst three Spotted Redshanks and a Green Sandpiper were on the Breech Pool, with ten Cattle Egrets about and three Marsh Harriers - a tatty female and two juveniles - went over, along with 20 Sand Martins. (BFF)

In addition to the above, this evening produced two Curlew Sandpipers, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, a Sanderling with c40 Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, c40 Turnstones and three Whimbrel, along with two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and eight Sandwich Terns, plus a Snipe on the Breech pool. (MRe)

Curlew Sandpipers on the east side (BI)

Church Norton: There were very few waders in the harbour this morning, though they did include three Sanderlings and a Common Sandpiper, with just four Whimbrel, ten Curlews and Oystercatchers and c25 Redshanks and Turnstones completing the list, whilst there were still two Common Terns and a dozen Sandwich Terns present, mostly along the metal work.

The bushes were extremely quiet, with just a couple of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, plus a Green Woodpecker and a Jersey Tiger moth, by the hide and just a handful of Linnets, plus a handful of Swallows over, along the front.

Also, two Marsh Harriers were seen dropping onto the saltmarsh near the North Wall and a sparrowhawk went over the hide.(AH/CRJ)

Sanderlings and Redshanks (above), Common Sandpiper, Whitethroat, Green Woodpecker & Jersey Tiger at Church Norton (AH)

Late this afternoon there were a Greenshank, five Whimbrel, a Grey Plover, c40 Dunlin and c75 Ringed Plovers out on the mud, with a handful of Swallows feeding overhead. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Whimbrel & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 1st August: Another very warm and sunny morning, after a grey and humid start, in just a light and variable breeze....

Selsey Bill: It was very quiet this morning, with just a feeding flock of Swifts and House Martins providing any interest. Full log below. (SRAH)

(0655-0755hrs) (ENE, F1)

Gannet - 1E

Common Scoter - 1E

Turnstone - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 3E, 1W

Common Tern - 1E

Swift - 40

Green Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 2E

House Martin - 50

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

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper, four Lapwings, eight Avocets and 33 Black-tailed Godwits were the only waders present, with a dozen Teal and Shelducks about, too, along with lots of Mallards and Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Shelducks at the Ferry (AH)

East side: A summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was again present, but hard to see among c100 Dunlin out in the harbour, with other waders present including a Sanderling, three Common Sandpipers, eight Greenshanks, four Whimbrel, c40 Grey Plovers, four Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen or so Turnstones and Ringed Plovers and c60 Redshanks.

There was also a Little Tern sitting out, with a couple of Common Terns, a Sandwich Tern, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull also present, whilst a handful of Swallows went over and a Whitethroat was the only thing along the hedges. (AH/JDa/PB/CRJ/ARK)

Little Tern (above), Common Tern & Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Grey Plovers along the East side (AH)

North Wall: Early on, a Green Sandpiper and three Spotted Redshanks were on the Breech Pool, but later there was just a Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and the Great Crested Grebe family, and there was no sign of the Great White Egret throughout.

Also, a Wheatear was along the wall, and a family of Reed Buntings and a few Reed and Sedge Warbles were around the Breech Pool. (AH/PB/JDa/CRJ/ARK)