Tuesday, 22nd July: A fairly mild, but slightly autumnal morning of mostly grey skies and a fresh north-westerly breeze........
Selsey Bill: Five Arctic Skuas and five Common Sandpipers went east this morning, both, oddly, as a three and a two, whilst a Peregrine flew in off the sea and a flock of four Little Egrets went west. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/IP)
(0615-0830hrs) (WNW, F6)
Gannet - 2E, 17W
Little Egret - 4W
Peregrine - 1N
Oystercatcher - 1W
Common Sandpiper - 5E
Arctic Skua - 5E
Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 6W
Sandwich Tern - 26E, 90W
Common Tern - 3W
Little Tern - 1E, 1W
Razorbill - 1W
Swift - 6
Sand Martin - 2E, 9W
Arctic Skuas (above), Sandwich Terns, Peregrine & Little Egrets at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Two Black-tailed Godwits was it this morning on the pool, with two Whimbrel were in the channel opposite. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The Greenshank and four Black-tailed Godwits were on the flooded field this morning, along with five Little Grebes and four Teal, with a couple of Reed Warblers at the front and a handful of Swallows over the water, (AH) and it was basically the same this evening (S&SaH).
Greenshank at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
North Wall: A Spotted Redshank was commuting between White's Creek and the Breech Pool this morning, with a Whimbrel, two Curlews, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, 38 Redshanks and two Mediterranean Gulls at the former and two Little Ringed Plovers, three Common Sandpipers and a Kingfisher at the latter.
Also, 11 Cattle Egrets were on the marsh and a Swift and eight Sand Martins went over. (JC/LP et al)
This evening a Copal Tit was by the gate to Halsey's Farm, along with a couple of Blackcaps, with 19 Cattle Egrets in the fields there.
Also, a Little Ringed Plover, eight Black-tailed Godwits, a Kingfisher and a calling Water Rail were around the Breech Pool, with a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, ten Swifts and c100 Sand Martins over. (S&SaH)
Little Ringed Plovers (above) & Common Sandpiper at the North Wall (LP)
Church Norton: At least 30 Little Terns were still in the harbour this morning, mainly on the far side, with a couple of Common Terns and 60 Sandwich Terns sat out, and as many again of the latter flying up from Tern Island.
There were just a few Mediterranean Gulls, though, along with three Common Sandpipers, up to five Whimbrel and Curlews and a dozen Redshanks. (AH/LL)
Little Tern (above), Common Tern & Sandwich Tern Norton (AH)
The banks were fairly slow, with just four Whitethroats, two Chiffchaffs, three Stonechats, a Reed Bunting and nine Yellowhammers noted, whilst seven Sand Martins, nine Swallows, two Kestrels and a Buzzard went over. (SH/PB)
Monday, 21st July: The wind went round 180 degrees overnight to a light to moderate northerly, leaving a fairly pleasant morning of sunshine and cloud.....
Selsey Bill: After yesterday's excitement, a return to just the regular species this morning. Full log below. (AH/IP/SR/P&LH)
(0700-0845hrs) (N, F2-3)
Gannet - 6E, 4W
Common scoter - 2W
Grey Plover - 2E
Mediterranean Gull - 14W
Sandwich Tern - 62E, 27W
Common Tern - 1eE, 3W
Little Tern - 1E
Swift - 18
Green woodpecker - 2
Sand Martin - 2
House Martin - 20
House Martin (above) & Green Woodpecker at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Just a Lapwing and five Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool today. (AH)
Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: At least 100 Sandwich Terns were in the harbour at high tide, along with a half a dozen Common Terns and not many more Mediterranean Gulls, whilst waders were restricted to up to eight Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews, a couple of Turnstones and c20 Redshanks.
A couple of Whitethroats and Linnets were about it for the bushes, though a Purple Hairstreak and a Migrant Hawker were seen. (AH/P&LH)
Sandwich Tern (above), Purple Hairstreak & Migrant Hawker at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Green Sandpiper, four Common Sandpipers, and four Little Ringed Plovers were on the Breech Pool, a Marsh Harrier was further back, and a Peregrine flew over carrying prey.
At Halsey’s Farm, a Kingfisher was along the rife and two Lapwings, and a Redshank were on the mud, but it was quiet along the bushes with just three Whitethroats, a Reed Bunting and a couple of Reed Warblers seen.
Eight Black-tailed Godwits were along White’s Creek, and out in the harbour around high tide were two more Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, ten Grey Plovers, seven Dunlin, three Whimbrels, nine Curlews and c40 Redshanks. (LP/MJa/DHi/TRH)
This afternoon there were six Little Ringed Plovers, three Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a Cattle Egret at the Breach Pool, and there were a Kingfisher, two Little Egrets, two Whimbrel, three Curlews and seven Black-tailed Godwits in White's Creek, (JC), and this evening there were two Spotted Redshanks about (AWi).
Common Sandpipers (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Little Ringed Plovers & Redshank at the North Wall (LP)
Sunday, 20th July: After more heavy overnight rain, a grey, if mild, morning in a near gale-force southerly wind......
Selsey Bill: A total of 13 Balearic Shearwaters went east and four Manx Shearwaters went west on an interesting morning, which also included two summer-plumaged Black Terns, an Arctic Skua and over 600 Gannets going east, too. Full log below. (SH/MRe/PB/MRB/AH/IP/SR/JA)
(0545-1030hrs) (S, F6-7)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Manx Shearwater - 4W
Balearic Shearwater - 13E
Gannet - 603E, 25W, 20os
Common Scoter - 11E
Ringed Plover - 1W
Turnstone - 3W
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 23E, 2W
Kittiwake - 11E, 6W
Sandwich Tern - 88E, 32W, 20os
Common Tern - 21E
Black Tern - 2E
auk sp - 4E, 1W
Swift - 26
Sand Martin - 6
House Martin - 2
Pied Wagtail - 1E
(1350-1500hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 1E, 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 26W
Common Tern - 1E, 1W
Little Tern - 1os
Swift - 2
Sand Martin - 2
Balearic Shearwater (above), Gannets, Common Scoters, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Swift at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Just a Common Sandpiper and a Black-tailed Godwit were on the pool this morning. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The Greenshank and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits were still on the flooded field, along with a couple of Shovelers and Teal and two Little Grebe families, with ten Swifts, 15 Sand Martins and 20 Swallows over and several Reed Warblers around the reed-bed. (LP/MJa/PB/MRB/AH)
Greenshank at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Church Norton: Up to four juveniles were among the ten or so Little Terns in the harbour this morning, with a couple of Common Terns and c50 Sandwich Terns also around, plus doubtless many more on the islands.
At least five Whimbrel were present, too, along with a dozen Curlews, a couple of Ringed Plovers and c30 Redshanks, but that was about it. (AH/PB/MRB/EB)
Little Terns (above), Common Tern & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: Two Common Sandpipers were along White’s Creek, together with eight Black-tailed Godwits, two Whimbrels, seven Redshanks, three Curlews, eight Canada Geese and a Greylag Goose, whilst a Kingfisher flew out from behind the sluice and along the rife.
A Green Sandpiper was at the back of the Breech Pool and five Little Ringed Plovers, two Lapwings, and a Pied Wagtail were on the mud and a Common Tern was fishing over the pool, but there were just a couple of Reed Warblers and a Green Woodpecker along the reeds and bushes.
The Spotted Redshank was again along the rife at Halsey’s Farm, and 27 Cattle Egrets were around the cows, while overhead there were two Sandwich Terns, four Swifts, 30 Sand Martins and 12 Swallows. (LP/MJa)
Also, a summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper - the first returning bird - was among c40 Dunlin in the harbour this afternoon, with two Knot, two Greenshanks, three Grey Plovers, 50 Mediterranean Gulls, two Common Terns and11 Little Terns seen in addition to the morning's list, along with a Marsh Harrier, two Ravens, 13 Swallows and 22 Sand Martins over. (R Wood)
Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover & Green Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)
