16th-19th July 2015

Sunday, 19th July: A much better start than forecast, with the rain barely wetting the ground and quickly giving way to another bright and breezy day.....

Selsey Bill: More or less the same species as most other days, including almost 40 Common Scoter, Mediterranean Gulls Common and Sandwich Terns going east and west and a few Gannets offshore, but there were also a Little Tern west, a Common Gull on the beach and a few Sand Martins over, along with the usual House Martins. Full log below. 
(0700-0830) (SH/IP/AH/JA)
Gannet - 18E,12W
Common Scoter - 38E
Curlew - 1W
Common Gull - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 1W, 3os
Sandwich Tern - 14os
Common Tern - 23os
Little Tern - 1W
House Martin - 12p
Sand Martin - 4S
Pied Wagtail - 1p

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

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper, and - unusually for here - a Whimbrel on the pool, plus a dozen or so Black-tailed Godwits and three juvenile Shelduck, plus four Stock Doves, briefly. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above), Whimbrel & Stock Dove on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Still up to a hundred Sandwich Terns, with a few Common Terns amongst them, in the harbour, along with c30 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Dunlin, and a few Whimbrel and Curlew. A roving flock of young warblers was near the concrete wall, including Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and possibly a Reed Warbler, and a few Linnets and Greenfinches were along the beach, but otherwise it as quiet. (AH/IP)
Similar this afternoon, though there were 80+ Dunlin and c40 Redshank in the harbour, plua a Mediterranean Gull and several juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls. (AH)

Sandwich Terns and Dunlin (above), Common Tern, Black-tailed Godwit, juvenile Great Black-backed Gull & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There was still a big mixed flock of Swifts, Swallows, Sand and House Martins feeding over the farm  and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was nearby. (IP)

Medmerry: Ham Lane - Twenty or thirty Sand Martins went over, along with a Mediterranean gull and a Buzzard, and there were several Yellowhammers along the telephone wires. (AH)

Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)

Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - List of species seen this afternoon (S&SaH):

Grey Heron - 5

Little Egret - 10

Tufted Duck - 1 female with 6 young

Oystercatcher - 2 feeding young on stilt pool

Avocet - 12 adult with 8 young various ages

Little Ringed Plover - 4 plus 2 young
Green Sandpiper - 2
Common Sandpiper - 1
Redshank - 1
Dunlin - 6
Curlew - 1
Yellow-legged Gull - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 2

Black-headed Gulls - 20+ including 3 juveniles taking their first short flights

Sandwich Tern - 1
Sand Martin - 100+
House Martin - 20+
Swallow - 50+
Swift - 20+
Reed Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 10+

Yellowhammer - 10+
Corn Bunting - 1

Young Avocets (above), young Black-headed Gulls and Tufted Duck family at Medmerry (SH)

Saturday, 18th July: A very pleasant summer's day with lots of sun and a brisk breeze from the west........

Ferry Pool: Just a Common Sandpiper and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits early on, and late morning there were 80 of the latter while the Common Sandpiper had departed. (AH/SH)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was reported as present by RBA, and there was a large mixed hirundine flock over Park Farm, Selsey. (IP) Also this morning there were two Common sandpipers,  five Grey Plover, c35 Dunlin, a dozen Common Terns and as many as 100 Sandwich Terns in the harbour. (C&ME)

Chichester GPs: Westhampnett Pit - was quite quiet with plenty of water sports taking place, but there were a couple of Common Terns feeding low on the water. (BI)

Common Tern over Westhampnett Pit (BI)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Breach - A good selection this morning, with the most unusual bird (for the time of year) being a Whinchat near Marsh Barn, which looked like it could have been a juvenile bird.

There were plenty of migrant waders about, including two Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, up to five Green Sandpipers, four Dunlin and 20+ Lapwing in the various pools. Around the Stilt Pool a vigilant Redshank looked like it had young somewhere, there were still at least five Avocet families and there were two or three juveniles among the ten or so Little Ringed Plovers. Also a pair of Oystercatchers had a newish chick, there were three almost fledged Black-headed Gull chicks and there were families of Shelduck and Tufted Duck.

Along the beach there were four Sanderling and two Dunlin, plus a pair of Ringed Plovers and a couple of hundred Linnets and plenty of Skylarks were in the cattle fields. There was still the odd snippet of Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Yellowhammer song, whilst at least 50 Sand Martins and Swallows, plus a few Swifts were feeding overhead and along the pools. (AH)

Whinchat (above), Greenshanks, Sanderling, Sand Martin, Swallow, Avocet chicks, Redshank, Skylark, Oystercatcher and chick and Tufted Duck family at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 17th July: A breezy, but brighter day after a gloomy start....

Our story earlier in the week about the influx of Starry Smoothhounds at Medmerry has - thanks to the RSPB - gone 'viral' - not only is it front page of the Daily Mirror, no less, and with a full page inside, but also likely to appear on the BBC. Remember, you saw the news here first!

Today's Daily Mirror, complete with pictures first seen on the Blog! (AH)

Selsey Bill: (0715-1045) (AH/C&ME)
Gannet - 34E, 21W
Common Scoter - 15 E
Mediterranean Gull - 23W
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 10os
Common Tern - 8os
Swift - 4 over
House Martin - 12p

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

Ferry Pool: Not much this morning - just five Avocets, a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and five juvenile Shelduck. Later on a flock of 17 Canada Geese dropped in before heading off towards Medmerry, doubtless heralding what has become a regular late summer build-up in numbers of this (fortunately?) not especially common species down here. (AH)

Juvenile Avocet (above) & Canada Geese on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was roosting in the harbour with a handful of Whimbrel and c100 Curlews at 1.30pm today. (AB)

Church Norton: There were the best part of 100 Sandwich Terns in the harbour this morning, including many youngsters, with the adults bringing in enormous numbers of Sandeels and the like. An adult Mediterranean Gull and a dozen Common Terns were amongst them, and also present were two flocks of c40 Dunlin, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews and four or five Whimbrel. 

Not much else of note about, bar three Swifts and a couple of Sand Martins that went over, and a singing Chiffchaff. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Not much change in the harbour this evening, but there was the first Common Gull for a while, along with around 20 Mediterranean Gulls among the roosting gulls on Rectory Lane, and there was also a grey Partridge with around a dozen Red-legged Partridges. (AH)

Common Gull and Mediterranean Gull (above), Red-legged Partridge & Grey Partridge at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 16th July: A fairly dismal start to the day, with a brisk easterly wind, heavy cloud and poor visibility - though it was meant to improve by afternoon.......

Ferry Pool: There was just one Common Sandpiper this morning, along with three Little Ringed Plovers and 12 Black-tailed Godwits, plus five juvenile Shelduck. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwit and Shelduck on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: At least five Whimbrel in the harbour this morning, though the Hudsonian was not among them, along with 30+ Curlew, a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and 20 Redshanks. There were at least 50 Sandwich Terns and 20 Common Terns in the harbour, too, and along the west side there were 20+ Linnets, a few Whitethroats and a brief snatch of Reed Warbler, plus a handful of Sand Martins over, whilst there were families of Whitethroat and Chiffchaff around the Mound/car park area. (AH)

Whimbrels (above) & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Flying ants brought out the hirundines this evening between the North of Selsey and the Severals, with 350+ Sand Martins, 50+ House Martins, 50+ Swallows and 30+ Swifts feeding overhead, along with 50+ Black-headed Gulls, and a passing Sparrowhawk taking an interest. (S&SaH)

13th -15th July 2015

Wednesday, 15th July: A grey and dank start, after overnight rain slowly gave way to bright and warm day.....

Church Norton: The Hudsonian Whimbrel was still in the harbour this morning. (C&ME) This evening there were 50+ Sandwich Terns in the harbour along with the usual Curlews,  half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a flock of c60 Dunlin. (AH) At least five Sandwich Terns were seen heading west over Park Farm, Selsey, all carrying fish and cutting out the Bill on their way back to (presumably) Langstone Harbour. also a female Roe Deer was behind the second Several with a remarkable three young fawns. (S&SaH)

Sandwich Tern with fish at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were six Common Sandpipers on the mud this morning, along with two Little Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, two Avocets and ten Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Common Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach area - Fairly quiet bird-wise, but there was an amazing spectacle in one of the small tidal pools near the breach, where over a hundred Starry Smoothhounds had gathered. The water was thick with dorsal fins and tails as the fish, many a metre or more in length, circled round and round. Eventually, as the tide came in, they drifted off though a number were stranded along the waters edge, presumably exhausted from their exertions, but soon swan away with a bit of encouragement.

As far as birds were concerned, a Grey Wagtail and three Sandwich Terns went over, 20+ Linnets were around the viewpoint and a few Grey Plover and Curlew, plus a Great Crested Grebe were in the pools. (AH/PH/GH)

Starry Smoothhounds (above) & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)

Chainbridge Field to Ham Farm: There were still singing Reed Warblers and Whitethroats along the rifes, though looking a bit ragged, and along the banks there were plenty of Skylarks and a few Reed Buntings, Linnets and Stock Doves. 

Around the Ham Farm area there were four or five families of Corn Buntings being very conspicuous, along with lots of Skylarks, and a dozen or more Sand Martins went over with the odd Swallow and Swift. A big flock of c40 Grey Plover and similar of Dunlin were flushed from out on the reserve a couple of times. (AH/PH/GH)
Also at Medmerry this afternoon a Marbled White butterfly was along the banks - quite a rare sight at the south of the peninsula. (PLS)

Corn Buntings (above), Skylark, Reed Warbler, Kestrel and Buckshorn Plantain at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 14th July: Generally cloudy and fairly cool, with a fresh W/SW wind, early rain and the chance of showers through the day....

Selsey Bill (0930-1130hrs): Cloudy, mainly dry, wind WSW4  (Obs: C&ME)
Gannet - 26E, 39W
Common Scoter - 22E
Kestrel  - 1p                            
House Martin - 8 present again on muddy puddles
Swift  - 2 p over sea
                           

Ferry Pool:  Nine species of wader on the pool this morning, including the Spotted Redshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, two juvenile Lapwings, seven Black-tailed Godwits, six Avocets, nine Redshank and four Dunlin, along with half a dozen Teal and five juvenile Shelduck. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Common Sandpiper & juvenile Shelduck on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: An adult Cuckoo was moving along the spit this morning, three Stock Doves were near the hide and there were a few Skylarks and Linnets about, too. Only around a dozen Little Terns could be seen in/over the colony - hopefully because some have now fledged and moved off, though there were plenty of Sandwich Terns bringing in fish for their youngsters in the harbour. A couple of Whimbrel went over into the harbour and there were quite a few Ringed Plover and Curlew about, plus the odd Dunlin and Turnstone. (AH)

Cuckoo (above), Sandwich Tern & Ringed Plover along Pagham Spit (AH)

North Wall: A Yellow-legged Gull and 20+ Lapwings were in the harbour and three juvenile Pied Wagtails were on the wall, whilst the Breach Pool remains devoid of birds, bar a few Reed and Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings, though a Black-tailed Godwit did fly over into the harbour. (AH)

At White's Creek were 31 Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and 3 juvenile Pied Wagtails, whilst Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warblers were very vocal and visible all along the Wall and alongside Pagham Rife. Something of a rarity was on Breech Pool - a wader!... a solitary Black-tailed Godwit preening amongst a flock of Mallards. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing in Owl Copse and Yellowhammers and Whitethroats along Honer Lane. 
Much the same at Honer reservoir - 24 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Pied Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper. Gatekeeper and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were  abundant amongst the brambles and Buff-tailed Bumblebees were busy on the thistle heads. (JDW)

Lapwing from North Wall (AH)

Gatekeeper (above) and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies on the North Wall (JDW) 

Yellowhammer and Red-tailed Bumble bee North Wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The following were seen this evening - 

Little Grebe - 2 very young chicks
Buzzard - 3

Avocet - 12 & 7 chicks

Little Ringed Plover - 2

Green Sandpiper - 3
Black-tailed Godwit - 10+
Yellow-legged Gull - 1

Sand Martin - 150+

Swallow - 50+

Reed Warbler - 2

Whitethroat - 10+
Yellowhammer - 10+
Reed Bunting - 2
Corn Bunting - 3

and a Hare (S&SaH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - A quick look this evening produced up to 20 Common Terns, plus a few Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins, 10+ Great Crested Grebes and a singing Chiffchaff. (AH)

Monday, 13th July: Another fairly dismal, if not exactly unusual, day for the time of year, with heavy cloud, squally drizzle and a stiff west-south-westerly.......... more reminiscent of late autumn than summer!

Selsey Bill (0810-1110hrs): Cloudy, murky offshore, WSW4 increasing 5-6. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a steady movement of Gannets west. Most of the Sandwich and Common Terns, although fishing, also seemed to be heading west, whilst there was no sign of any House Martin activity today, despite nests in the area ...rather worrying?  Log below... (OM/AH)
Gannet - 7E, 57W
Common Scoter - 2W
Whimbrel - 1W
Curlew - 2W
Little Tern - 4 os
Common Tern - 10W (some fishing)
Sandwich Tern - 15W (some carrying fish)
Mediterranean Gull - 1, juv, settled on beach before moving W 

1720 - 1830hrs: (SH)
Gannet - 2E, 7E
Whimbrel - 3W (all showing white rumps!!)
Little Tern - 2 os
Common Tern - 10 os
Sandwich Tern - 23 os

Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

At the Bill this morning: juvenile Med Gull, more Gannets and a yacht rounding the Bill-tip, perhaps a little too closely, discovering the hidden power of the prevailing cross-currents (OM)

Park Farm, Selsey: Three Grey Partridges this evening (SH)

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was still present, plus three Common Sandpipers, four Little Ringed Plovers, 11 Dunlin, four Avocets, eight Redshank, a few Teal and at least three juvenile Shelducks. (AH/OM)

Spotted Redshank & Redshank on the Ferry (AH)

On the Ferry Pool: another view of the Spotted Redshank, a feeding Teal and 11 distant Dunlin (OM)

Church Norton: At least four Whimbrels were in the harbour, but not the Hudsonian, along with 20+ Curlews and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits. There were a few other waders about on the rising tide, including a Common Sandpiper, three Grey Plovers, two Ringed Plovers, four Turnstones, four Dunlin and around 40 Redshank, plus at least 50 Sandwich Terns of all ages and a dozen Common Terns. (AH)

The Hudsonian Whimbrel was again reported early afternoon (though distant) north of the hide (per RBA).

Whimbrels (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Turnstones and Redshank & Ringed Plover at Church Norton (AH)