Thursday, 2nd July: A mostly grey and blustery morning in a brisk westerly, though warm in the brief sunny interludes......
Selsey Bill: Nothing was moving this morning, but a feeding flock of Sandwich Terns slowly built up offshore. Full log below. (AH)
(0710-0825hrs) (W, F5-6)
Gannet - 1E, 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 8W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 120os
Common Tern - 1os
Little Tern - 4os
Swift - 12
House Martin - 8
Gannets (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gulls the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The pair of Little Ringed Plovers and two chicks were still present, as was the shelduck family, but Avocet numbers had dropped to a dozen adults and 15 youngsters, with most of those now fledged having moved off. (AH)
Also, a Whimbrel went over the Visitor Centre. (AS)
Little Ringed Plovers (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were still large numbers of Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls about, plus c20 Little Terns, with waders comprising a Whimbrel, a couple of Ringed Plovers, a dozen Curlews and Redshanks and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, and there were also four Swifts and two Swallows over. (AH)
Whimbrel (above) & Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)
Wednesday, 1st July: A bright and increasingly warm morning in a moderate north-westerly breeze......
Selsey Bill: A feeding flock of a dozen Little Terns off Hillfield Road and a flock of 16 Swifts going west were the highlights of another quiet morning. Full log below. (AH)
(0645-0800hrs) (NW, F4)
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Great Black-backed Gull - 4os
Sandwich Tern - 30os
Little Tern - 12os
Swift - 16W
House Martin - 8
Little Terns (above) at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were still the families of Little Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and Shelducks around the pool, along with 15 adult and 25 young Avocets. (AH)
Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocets & Oystercatcher chick at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A Greenshank was in the harbour this morning, along with the usual mass of terns and gulls. (JC)
North Wall: It was pretty quiet along the wall this morning, with a Little Ringed Plover early on, an Avocet, a Lapwing and a Common Tern on the Breech Pool, plus a Spotted Redshank in White's Creek and a Whimbrel in the harbour being the most noteworthy.
Otherwise, there were just the odd Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warblers and Linnets along the wall, plus a couple of Swifts and half a dozen Swallows over, with a few Grey Herons, Cattle and Little Egrets around Owl Copse and the adjacent harbour. (AH/LP/MJa et al)
Common Tern (above), Lapwing, Whitethroat & Linnet at the North Wall (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Greenshanks, an Avocet, two Lapwings, two pairs of Oystercatchers and two chicks and three Common Terns were on the Stilt Pool, with nine more of the latter around the rafts, whilst a Sandwich Tern was offshore and five Swifts, nine Swallows, a Kestrel and a Buzzard going over.
Also, along the banks there were a Stonechat, two Pied Wagtails, a Sedge Warbler, five Reed Warblers, a good count of c30 Whitethroats, two Reed Buntings and c20 Yellowhammers. (S&SaH)
