4th - 6th August 2024

Tuesday, 6th August: After a pleasant start, it became much cooler and very grey in a brisk south-westerly breeze, with a prolonged spell of drizzly rain mid-morning.......

Selsey Bill: It was another very slow morning! Full log below. (AH/IP/SR)

(0705-0805hrs) (SSW, F4-5)

Gannet - 3E, 9W

Common Scoter - 4E

Oystercatcher - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 4W

House Martin - 3

Pied Wagtail - 2

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

A Fulmar went west, close inshore at lunchtime today. (AW)

Fulmar at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were just a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, eight Avocets - including two colour-ringed juveniles that would appear to have emanated from Snowhill Creek - and 35 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with eight juvenile Shelducks and c30 Teal.

A Whimbrel and a few Redshanks were in the channel opposite, but a look round the Tramway produced just a single Blackcap. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, colour-ringed juvenile Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were still three Curlew Sandpipers along White’s Creek early on, as well as two Common Sandpipes, eight Whimbrels, a Snipe, six Grey Plovers, 32 Dunlin, 16 Ringed Plovers, a Yellow-legged Gull, and lots of Redshanks, Curlews and Lapwings.

The Great White Egret was again on the Breech Pool, along with five Black-tailed Godwits, but apart from a female Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk over and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Green Woodpecker around the paddocks, it was generally very quiet in the mist and drizzle. (LP/CRJ)

This evening there were three female/juvenile type Marsh Harriers on the wing, along with a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard, whilst the Great White Egret and a Kingfisher were on the Breech Pool and 22 Little Egrets were sat out on Owl Copse. (S&SaH)

Great White Egret (above) & Whimbrel at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: There was very little to report this morning, with the harbour just holding two or three Whimbrel, a dozen Dunlin, c25 Ringed Plovers and c75 Redshanks, along with three Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull.

There was nothing at all showing in the hedges, but two Swifts and c30 House Martins were over the churchyard. (AH/RAI)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Unfortunately, there was no sign of the Semi-palmated Sandpiper this evening for a large and expectant crowd, with just a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers in view, along with two three Whimbrel and nine Sandwich Terns. (AW/PB/MRB/MB/DB/AH et al)

Frustratingly for many, the Semi-palmated Sandpiper finally resurfaced well out in the harbour late in the evening. (MB et al)

Also, a Hobby was along the west side. (MRe)

Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 5th August: A warm and muggy morning under mostly grey skies, in a light to moderate south-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: A few Gannets and Sandwich Terns were around, but that was about it this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/P&LH) 

(0700-0830hrs) (SW, F4)

Gannet - 6E, 21W

Common Scoter - 2W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 22W

Gannet (above), Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The water level is very high on the pool, with just a Green Sandpiper at the back, six Avocets and 22 Black-tailed Godwits present, with a Snipe and three Common Sandpipers on the concealed road-side pool. (AH)

Snipe (above), Common Sandpipers & Avocet at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There was a good selection along White’s Creek this morning, although mostly distant, including four Curlew Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Whimbrels, eight Grey Plovers, 200 Dunlin, and the usual mix of Redshanks, Lapwings and Curlews. A sub-adult Yellow-legged Gull was also out on the mudflats.

Elsewhere it was quiet, with just the Great Crested Grebe family, four Teal and ten Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool, a few Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings along the bushes and a Kingfisher along the rife at Halsey’s Farm. (OM/BFF/LP/CT/GHi/P&LH et al)

This evening a Yellow Wagtail came into roost in the Breech Pool. (LP)

Common Sandpiper at the North Wall (LP) and Yellow-legged Gull on the mudflats (OM)

East side: Later, the four Curlew Sandpipers were roosting among 232 Dunlin in the harbour and a Spotted Redshank was about, too. (PA)

West Itchenor: An adult Yellow-legged Gull was among c60 Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour off Chalkdock. (PH)

Church Norton: There was no sign of the Semi-palmated Sandpiper on the low tide this morning, with just c100 Dunlin and c30 Ringed Plovers, plus at least four Whimbrel and two Sandwich Terns out on the mud, along with c50 Redshanks and a few Curlews and Oystercatchers.

Two Garden Warblers were in the churchyard, along with half a dozen Willow Warblers and a couple of Whitethroats, with at least 50 House Martins feeding overhead and over the adjacent maize field, but everywhere else was very quiet, with no more than a handful of Linnets to be found along the front. (BI/AH et al)

Garden Warbler (above), Garden Warbler and Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, House Martin, Linnet, Whimbrel & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Late this afternoon, the Semi-palmated Sandpiper re-appeared with the dropping tide and was on show for a while, though never very near.

There were plenty of Dunlin and Ringed Plover about with it, along a Common Sandpiper, with two Greenshanks and half a dozen very vocal Whimbrel, several of which flew around looking like they wanted to depart. (AW/KT/IP/BI/PA/MRe/SH/NM/JDa/AH et al)

Semi-palmated Sandpiper (above), Semi-palmated Sandpiper and Dunlin (KT), Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Greenshank & Whimbrel (AH)  at Church Norton

Sunday, 4th August: A mix of hazy sunshine and cloud this morning, pleasantly mild in the light to moderate north-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: It was another quiet morning, with four Common Terns west the only slight bit of activity. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/IP)

(0600-0800hrs) (NW, F3)

Gannet - 3E, 1W

Common Scoter - 2E, 27os

Oystercatcher - 7E, 1W

Turnstone - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 9W, 2os

Common Tern - 4W

Swift - 7

House Martin - 16

Ferry Pool: There were just two Common Sandpipers, five Avocets, 22 Black-tailed Godwits and 26 Teal on a very full pool this morning. (AH)

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

Church Norton: The small wader seen yesterday and initially identified as a Little Stint was present again this afternoon, and it looks as though it may well be a Semi-palmated Sandpiper. There is only one previous record of this rare American wader - from Chichester GPs in September 1998.

Otherwise,  there were two Greenshanks, at least eight Whimbrel, c40 Dunlin and c60 Ringed Plovers in the harbour and c20 House Martins and a few swallows over. (AW/CRJ/AH et al) There was no further sign of the Semipalmated Sandpiper at dead low water this evening. (KT/MRe/PA/MB/DB/BI)

probable Semi-palmated Sandpiper at Church Norton (AW)

North Wall: The Great White Egret was back on the Breech Pool this morning, along with a Green Sandpiper, four Spotted Redshanks, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, a Water Rail, two Gadwall and c20 Teal, with up to three Kingfishers about, too, whilst up to four Curlew Sandpipers were in White's Creek, along with a Common Sandpiper, six Lapwings, 32 Dunlin, four Grey Plovers, 35 Redshanks and 14 Black-tailed Godwits.

Also, up to a dozen Willow Warblers were along the wall, with similar numbers of Reed and Sedge Warblers about, too, together with a Lesser Whitethroat, two or three Whitethroats, a Chiffchaff, five Cetti's Warblers and five Reed Buntings, plus half a dozen Cattle Egrets in the fields and seven Swallows, six Sand Martins, a Snipe and a Sparrowhawk with prey over. (PB/MRB/JC/MRe/BI/AH/LP/DB/CG/ARK/JDW et al)

There wasn't much different this afternoon, though a Coal Tit was again in the pines at Halsey's Farm. (S&SaH)

Curlew Sandpiper (above), Great White Egret and Grey Heron, Black-tailed Godwit, Willow Warbler & Sedge Warbler at the North Wall (AH)

East side: A juvenile Cuckoo and a Yellow Wagtail flew west over the harbour early this morning, whilst a Sedge Warbler, a Chiffchaff and half a dozen Willow Warblers were along the tamarisk hedge.

A fair selection of waders in the harbour included a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Whimbrel,, three Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, 26 Grey Plovers, two Curlew Sandpipers, 177 Dunlin and five Turnstones, with an adult and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Common Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls and four Sandwich Terns also present. (MRe/BI/AH et al)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above) & Greenshank along the East side (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - With the wind dropping there were a few more birds along the banks today, including three Dartford Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, ten Willow Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, three Stonechats and 11 Yellowhammers,with c50 Swifts, c30 Sand Martins, seven Swallows, two House Martins, two Kestrels and six Buzzards over.

Also, a Green Sandpiper flew out from one of the path-side pools, two Whimbrel and a Cattle Egret were on the reserve and four Common Sandpipers and a Pied Wagtail were on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

Common Sandpiper at Medmerry (SH)