4th - 6th July 2015

Monday, 6th July: A bright and breezy start to the week, though surprisingly cool for the time of year....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was again present this morning in its now-usual area near the Hide (per RBA).

Ferry Pool: There were no waders, bar two Avocets and a single Black-tailed Godwit, on the pool this morning, and the only other birds present were the Shelduck family and 15 Teal.

Around the Vistor Centre area there was a juvenile Green Woodpecker and several juvenile Goldfinches, plus a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats around the pond in the discovery area. (AH/PH)

Teal moulting into eclipse on Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Quiet but breezy along the Wall; 7 Sand Martins flew over the Breech Pool which was empty apart from a handful of  Mallard and Tufted Ducks and a preening Cormorant, whilst Reed and Cetti's Warblers busy along the Wall and Pagham Rife. Honer reservoir was empty apart from 12 Black-headed Gulls which included 3 immatures. A Buzzard at Honer and several Whitethroats feeding along Honer Lane. Hundreds of Meadow Brown butterflies across the fields. (JDW)

 Buzzard, young Black-headed Gull and Cormorant at the North wall area today (JDW)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - Around Porthole Farm there were several families of Whitethroats and the regular Yellowhammers and Skylarks, but not much else bar a Sparrowhawk in Ham Lane.

Skylark (above), Yellowhammer with food & juvenile Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

The most unusual sight was a flock of 12 Common Sandpipers in the creek at the northernmost part of the tidal area between Ham and Chainbridge. They were clearly all together and were working their way along the creek till they finally disappeared towards the big pool. There were also a couple of Dunlin there. Two Bar-tailed Godwits flew into the breach area, where there were also two Black-tailed Godwits, and a flock of c30 Grey Plover and three or four Dunlin flew around a couple of times and resettled in the same area.

There were a couple of singing Corn Bunting and Reed Bunting, plus plenty of Skylarks and Linnets around the banks, along with a few Swallows and a couple of pairs of Stock Dove, whilst around the farm there were still singing Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. (AH)

Common Sandpipers (above), Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Swallow & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)

Sunday, 5th July: A cool, grey start, with thundery showers and a bit of rain in the air for the first few hours, before brightening and freshening up later to give a sunny afternoon with a moderate SW breeze......

Selsey Bill (0800-1000hrs): Showery rain and cloud, wind SSW3 - SW4  (Obs: OM). A quiet morning with just a few Gannets moving but a nice gathering of terns fishing offshore on the rising tide...

Gannet - 20E

Common Scoter - 5E

Common Tern - 35os

Sandwich Tern - 25os

Swift - 2p

Thundery clouds gathering over Bill House this morning (OM)

Medmerry: Easton lane to the Stilt Pool - 

Highlights of the birds seen this morning included - 
2 Green Sandpiper
2 Greenshank
2 Little Ringed Plover
14 Black-tailed Godwit
20+ Avocet
10+ Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat
6 Yellowhammer
3 Reed Bunting
2 Reed Warbler
2 Buzzards
300+ Swift feeding over fields (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were a Greenshank, the Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, nine Avocets and 10 Little Egrets on the pool. (IP/AH)

Spotted Redshank in the rain early on (above), with a Green Sandpiper & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still present in the harbour (m.obs). Otherwise it was pretty slow going, with just the usual birds on view, including up to 20 Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit and 15 Curlews in the harbour, a few Common and Sandwich Terns in the harbour, too, with more feeding offshore along with a couple of Mediterranean Gulls. The two Stock Doves were on the spit again, and a pair of Oystercatchers appear to have taken up residence at the very start of the fenced off area. There was very little passerine activity this morning, bar a couple of Chiffchaffs around the Mound area. (AH/IP/ et al)

Oystercatcher (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GP's - Drayton Pits: The summering drake Wigeon was still present, with its Mallard and Gadwall congeners, but it looks as if its eclipse moult is underway. There were 30+ Tufted Duck, plus 3 females with broods of 5, 8 and 11 respectively (the latter all very small), whilst the female Pochard was still with her brood. Two pairs of Mute Swans have cygnets and a loafing flock of 32 Canada Geese was very obvious, and two pairs of Great Crested Grebes and several pairs of Little Grebes all have young. A flock of 3 Black-tailed Godwits spent some while circling the pits before apparently moving on due to lack of muddy margins on which to settle, a Hobby appeared, hunting insects over the lakes, and a pair of Stock Doves were chasing around. Butterflies seemed to be very numerous; the common species were well represented and Meadow Browns must have numbered well into several hundreds, but the best for me were at least 4 Marbled Whites.(OM)

Three Black-tailed Godwits, drake Wigeon with Mallard and Gadwall, and Tufted Ducks and Coots, Drayton GPs (OM)

North Wall: Early pm there were two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, single Common Tern and Sandwich Tern and nine Teal present and just prior to high tide there were 220 Curlew in the saltings along with 28 Redshank and 30 Lapwing, while the Little Egret roost peaked at 28. (ARK per SOS)

Saturday, 4th July: A fairly cloudy start with thundery prospects and a moderate SW breeze, becoming sunny and very warm later....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still present this morning along the west side of the harbour, along with a dozen or more Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits. 

There were 20+ Common Terns and 10+ Sandwich Terns in the harbour, and similar numbers feeding offshore, whilst the Little Tern colony at the east end of the spit still seems to be thriving, with between 30 and 40 adults present, feeding offshore, bringing in fish and chasing off big gulls. Two Mediterranean Gulls went west along the beach and there were at least five pairs of Ringed Plover and two or thee of Oystercatcher along the spit.

There was not much land-bird activity in the strong breeze, though there were several Skylarks and Linnets, plus a couple of Stock Doves along the spit, a Chiffchaff was singing near the car-park and a dozen Swifts were overhead. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Common Tern, Ringed Plover & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were two Greenshank and the Green Sandpipers on the pool, plus the summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank, along with a dozen or more Avocets. (SH/IP)

Selsey Bill: (0630 - 0800hrs): Dry, cloud/sun, warm, wind SW3-4 (Obs: SH/IP/AH)
Gannet - 11E, 6W
Common Scoter - 4E
Tufted Duck - 1W
Common Tern - 31os
Sandwich Tern - 32os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Swift - 4p
House Martin - 8p

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

(1220-1320) SH)
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Common Tern - 15os
Sandwich Tern - 2os

(1620-1730) (SH)
Shearwater sp. (Manx/Balearic type) - 1E distant
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Common Tern - 37os
Sandwich Tern - 18 os

1st - 3rd July 2015

Friday, 3rd July: A very pleasant summer's day, with the breeze for once welcome to keep the heat down a little.....

Selsey Bill (0745-1045hrs): A Great Skua lingered offshore this morning before heading off east.... (Obs: C&ME).      
Gannet - 18E, 3W
Shelduck - 4E  
Common Scoter - 44E 
Great Skua - 1os 0810, departed E 0825 after harassing terns                        
Little Tern - 3E
also several each of Sandwich and Common Terns fishing os
Swift - 2p, feeding                     
Also 3 Common Dolphins - breaching  about three-quarters of the way out (0920hrs) 

 

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was again reported as present in the usual area at 1745hrs (per RBA)

North Wall: There was at least one Yellow-legged Gull amongst the large gulls out in the harbour this morning. (PC)

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was still in residence, as was the Greenshank, along with 18 Avocets, 45 Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Redshank and eight Teal. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Spotted Redshank and Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the breach - Most notable count, on an otherwise quiet morning, was of five Green Sandpipers in the vicinity of the poplars. There were few other waders on show away from the Stilt Pool, though there were half a dozen young Lapwings, a Curlew and two pairs of Ringed Plovers with chicks spread about the reserve. 

On the pool there were still 20+ adult and at least six families of Avocets, and half a dozen Litle Ringed Plovers, including a couple of juveniles, plus a family group of Shelducks - the ducklings only a day or two old, and a pair of Gadwall.

Around a dozen Sand Martins went over, as did a Cuckoo, and there were a few Stock Doves and plenty of juvenile Starlings around Marsh Barn. Also, Yellowhammers, Whitethroats and Reed Warblers were still singing,a few Meadow Pipits were along the fields by the beach and there were lots of Skylarks about. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plover, Avocet and chick, Gadwall, Skylark & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 2nd July: Muggy and still warm, but with heavy grey cloud, thundery conditions and the likelihood of heavy showers through the morning.....

Church Norton: this morning 0830 to 0930hrs the Hudsonian  Whimbrel was feeding  on the mudflats near the bench . Also noted in the area were 21 Sandwich, 14 Common and 2 Little Terns, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 12 Black-tailed Godwits and singles of Grey Plover and Common Sandpiper (BFF).

Ferry Pool area: The Spotted Redshank was at the back this morning, along with a couple of Little Ringed Plovers, c40 Redshank, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 16 Avocets, a juvenile Lapwing, 12 Teal and the Shelduck family 

At least one of the Nightingales was croaking and showing briefly along the Tramway near the creek this morning, and in the area there were still singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wren, Song Thrush and Blackbird, plus plenty of young birds of various species. (AH/PH/PH)

Avocets over (above), and juvenile Blackcap, Whitethroat & Wren around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were still a few singing Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus several Reed Buntings around. At least one of the Little Grebe families was still present, and a couple of pairs of Tufted Ducks were still hanging about, but showing no intention to breed. Along Ferry Channel there were 30+ Redshank and several very young Black-headed Gulls, whilst four Common Terns and a couple of Swifts went over west. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above) & Tufted Duck along Long Pool (AH)

Wednesday, 1st July: A very warm, sunny day as we start the second half of the year, with a fairly brisk E/SE wind just taking the edge off the temperature along the coast. Even so, we should reach the high twenties Centigrade with the possibility of thundery showers later....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still present at 0820hrs and showing well in the usual area (per RBA). And it was showing well to a crowd of just two of us this evening! Also about were a Whimbrel, 10+ Curlews, 20+ Black-tailed Godwits and half a dozen Common Terns, whilst a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap had a half-hearted attempt at song. Also, there were 30+ young Swallows with their parents and a handful of House Martins along Rectory Lane.(AH)

Hudsonian Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool area: Along the cyclepath (behind Visitor Centre) the Nightingale family was still present, with one adult and a juvenile seen this morning. A Comma butterfly was also nearby (SR).

Comma along the cyclepath (behind the Visitor centre) (SR)

On the pool itself the Spotted Redshank was still present, plus five adult Little Ringed Plovers early on, along with a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, 60 Redshank, 21 Avocets, 11 Teal, the Shelduck family and four Lapwing, whilst a Stock Dove posed nicely in the Environment Agency yard. (AH/SR)

Spotted Redshank (above), Stock Dove & Redshanks around Ferry (AH)

Selsey Bill: Around 30 Common  Terns and a dozen Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore, and half a dozen Gannets went east, whilst up to ten Swifts and the usual 20+ House Martins were busy overhead, and also gathering grass from the bank, as well as their usual mud supplies. (AH/GH)

House Martins (above) & Swift at the Bill (AH)

Medmerry: Breach area - A summer plumaged Grey Plover, half a dozen Ringed Plovers, ten Black-tailed Godwits and four Curlews were the only waders present, three Mediterranean Gulls went over west, two Sandwich terns went east, and there were c60 Linnets and 20 Greenfinches around the viewpoint, plus a Kestrel. (AH)

Grey Plover (above), Ringed Plover, Linnets & Kestrel at Medmerry (AH)