Friday, 1st August: A morning of sunshine and quite heavy cloud, cool early on, but warming up despite the brisk northerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: The first Wheatear of the autumn at the Bill livened up another quiet morning. Full log below. (BI/AH/SR/IP et al)
(0625-0810hrs) (N, F4-5)
Gannet - 8E, 22W
Oystercatcher - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 22W
Common Gull - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 35E, 44W, 5os
Common Tern - 2W
House Martin - 10
Pied Wagtail - 2
Wheatear - 1
Linnet - 3
Wheatear (above), Common Tern & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two Common Sandpipers, three juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, five Black-tailed Godwits and six Redshanks on the pool this morning. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above) & Little Ringed Plovers at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: Seven Black-tailed godwits were on the flooded field and just two Willow Warblers were in the bushes late this afternoon. (S&SaH)
North Wall: A Spoonbill flew over Halsey’s Farm early this morning, before heading off towards Sidlesham, and a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, a Redshank and two Lapwings were along the rife, while in the bushes around the fields there were three Willow Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, eight Long-tailed tits, twelve Goldfinches and a Green Woodpecker.
Thirty four Cattle Egrets were in and around Owl Copse, a Brown Hairstreak was along the wall, and a Sparrowhawk was sat in the hedgerow, whilst along White’s Creek the Spotted Redshank was present again, as well as two Greenshanks, a Whimbrel, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, six Dunlin, c50 Redshanks, 23 Curlews, and an Oystercatcher, also a Marsh Harrier and c20 Swallows flew overhead. (MJa/LP/GHi/SP/IH/EB et al)
Late this afternoon, a Wheatear was at Owl Point, with a Willow Warbler and a Reed warbler in the bushes, whilst four very young a downy Cattle Egrets were with six adults in Owl Copse, and two Swallows, four Sand Martins, a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard went over. (S&SaH)
Common Sandpiper (above) & Sparrowhawk at the North Wall (LP)
Church Norton: Around 150 Sandwich Terns were in the harbour this evening, including a dozen juveniles, and a couple of first-winter Common Terns and a Whimbrel were present, too, but not too much else. (AH)
Common Terns (above) & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A female Redstart was along the path from the car-park this morning, whilst at the opposite end, half a dozen Wheatears were around the rocks by the Stilt Pool, and along the banks there were three or four Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, a couple of Chiffchaffs and Sedge Warblers, a dozen Whitethroats and Yellowhammers, at least five juvenile Stonechats and 50+ Linnets and Goldfinches, with c20 Sand Martins and c30 Swallows over.
There were four Avocets on the Stilt Pool - the first here for a while, along with three Greenshanks, five Common Sandpipers, two Ringed Plovers and five Lapwings, whilst at least ten Common Terns were around the rafts, with a Whimbrel and a Cattle Egret nearby, but just a few Redshanks, a couple of curlews and c50 Canada Geese near the poplars. (AH)
Redstart (above), Wheatear, Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Stonechat, Greenshank, Avocet & Moorhen at Medmerry (AH)
