Sunday 23 July 2017

23rd - 25th July 2017

Tuesday, 25th July: A lovely morning, with plenty of sunshine and just a modest northerly breeze....

Ferry Pool: There were a Common Sandpiper, six Little Ringed Plovers, six Avocets, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, six Shelducks and four Lapwing on the pool this morning, but just a couple of Whitethroats in the nearby hedges. Also a Painted Lady was by the Small Pool, the first report in a while in what has been a poor summer for them. (AH)


Little Ringed Plover (above) & Painted Lady around the Ferry (AH)


Long Pool: There were around 3-400 Sand Martins this morning over the pool and adjacent harbour, often settling on a couple of dead trees. A few Swallows were with them and half a dozen Swifts and a Peregrine went over, but the hedges were quiet save a few Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers and a couple of Reed Buntings, and Ferry Channel just held a lone Avocet and c50 Redshank. (AH)


Peregrine (above), Whitethroats & Sand Martins along Long Pool (AH)







Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - There were lots of warblers along the banks and ditches, including c20 Sedge Warblers, c20 Reed Warblers, c10 Willow Warblers and c30 Whitethroats, plus the usual Yellowhammers and Skylarks, and c50 Sand Martins and a few Swallows moved through.
The Stilt Pools were very quiet, with just a single Little Ringed Plover, which acted as though it still had young, though I didn't see any chicks, a Common Sandpiper, a Black-tailed Godwit and two Lapwings being the total of waders seen. There was a new family of six Tufted Ducklings, plus the mother, and the large Shelduck family present, too, but not much else of note, save plenty of Common Blues along the banks. (AH)


Sedge Warbler (above), Willow Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Yellowhammer, Tufted Ducks & Common Blue at Medmerry (AH)






This evening there were eight Whitethroats, two Reed Warblers, a Willow Warbler, a Sand Martin and 20+ Swallows along the banks, and four Redshanks, six Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, a Whimbrel, seven Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, 11 Avocet, 20+ Curlews, 100+ Mediterranean Gulls, two Common Terns around the Stilt Pool and the reserve. (S&SaH)

Chi. GPs - Drayton Pits: A brief visit to finish surveying the breeding situation at the pits, where it was fairly quiet, as might be expected. Two broods of Pochard were still viewable (from this year's total of four broods), and two new broods of Little Grebe, and one of Great Crested Grebe bring the season's totals to at least 12 and two broods respectively. An eclipse pair of Shoveler and 29 Gadwall were probably the best of the other wildfowl, whilst a pair of Buzzards and up to three pairs of Green Woodpecker were also notable. Ten Whitethroats, a pair of Bullfinches, several families of Reed Warbler and c.6 Willow Warblers were also present. (OM)
Pair of Shoveler at Drayton Pits (OM)
 
Ivy Lake complex:   
East Lake:  The nesting Common Terns that were still present yesterday on their precarious outcrop nest have now been forced to abandon their two eggs, the water level having risen during the night.  Four Common Terns were over the water along with 6 Sand Martins and a dozen or so Swallows, whilst a Whitethroat was in the bushes and there were a few Sedge Warblers. 
Ivy Lake:  The female Pochard and her remaining two ducklings had moved across from Nunnery Lake and there were at least four family groups of Great Crested Grebe, but viewing is now difficult as the viewing points are again cordoned off due to the presence of blue green algae.  A Sparrowhawk was about and there was a least two Long-tailed Tit family groups plus a Blackcap and Chiffchaff, plus 5 Common Terns and Swallows over the water.
West Trout Lake: A pair of Great Crested Grebes with three young, 3 Black-headed Gull chicks, 6 Common Terns and two juvenile Moorhens. (SR)

Great Crested Grebe with young at Chi GPs (West Trout Lake) (SR)

Selsey Bill: A single juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was with a moderate size gull flock at the end of Hillfield Road this evening as was Little Egret. (E.Stubbs)

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull & Little Egret at Selsey (E.Stubbs)


Church Norton: There were just twenty or so Sandwich Terns and a couple of Common Terns remaining in the harbour tonight, along with a Common Sandpiper, four Whimbrel and a dozen Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, plus an injured Mediterranean Gull. (AH)

Sandwich Tern not sure who to give a Sandeel to! (above) & Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)




Monday, 24th July: A very autumnal feel this morning, with a cool and brisk north-westerly and heavy grey cloud, occasionally breaking for a glimpse of the sun.....

Selsey Bill: (1130-1220hrs) (BI)
Gannet - 7E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 1os, chasing Tern then W (d/p)
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 5W

Two Arctic Skuas followed our fishing boat back in from around a mile and a half offshore from the Bill this morning. (CW)

Arctic Skuas off the Bill (CW)



Ferry Pool: The Egyptian Goose was back again this morning, along with a total of 17 Shelducks, five Avocets, eight Black-tailed Godwits and 20 Lapwings.
A family of Reed Warblers were in the hedge opposite, but there wasn't much else on a look round the Discovery Area and Tramway, beyond a couple of Whitethroats and Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff and 20 Sand Martins over, plus a couple of Whimbrel in the harbour and c50 Redshank in Ferry Channel. (AH)


Egyptian Goose and Shelduck (above), Reed Warblers and juvenile Robin around the Ferry (AH)





Church Norton: It would appear that all the Little Terns have moved off - with none at all in the harbour, though there were still 20 or so Sandwich Terns and half a dozen Common Terns present, along with three Whimbrel, a Grey Plover, c30 Curlews and c20 Redshanks.
There was little in the bushes beyond a couple of skulking Willow/Chiffs and Whitethroats, though at least a dozen Swallows were around the hide and a dozen Swifts feeding overhead. (AH)



Sandwich Terns (above), Whimbrel, Whitethroat & Swallows at Church Norton (AH)





North Wall: Highlight this morning was a flock of Swifts feeding low over Church Farm - about 70 birds in all. Along White's Creek were seven Black-tailed Godwits, one Common Sandpiper, three Mute Swans, a Little Egret and around 30 bathing Black-headed Gulls. Four Magpies were ominously close to the stables at Welbourne where the Swallows breed. The water on the Breech Pool was very high and as a result there were no waders to be seen, though birds recorded there were two Little Egret, a Cormorant and a few Mallard and Teal, and if you were patient a few Reed and Sedge Warblers could be seen along the Wall , but otherwise it was very quiet. (JDW)



Sunday, 23rd July: After another very wet night, a pleasant summer's morning, with some warm sunshine and a moderate westerly breeze before the cloud built up again and more heavy rain followed....

Selsey Bill: (1300-1400hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 4E, 5W
Arctic Skua - 2os then E (d/p)
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 6W
Common Tern - 1W

Ferry Pool: Early on, there were a seven Avocets, a Common Sandpiper and a dozen or so Black-tailed Godwits, plus a Stock Dove, on the pool, and a Sedge Warbler among several Reed Warblers in the reeds at the front. 
Later on, first a Buzzard, then a Peregrine upset everything on the pool, whilst along the adjacent hedges there were a couple of juvenile Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat. (AH/IP)


Reed Warbler (above), Reed and Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits & Peregrine around the Ferry (AH)






Church Norton: There were several more juvenile Willow Warblers, plus a few Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings along the Severals, with a Gadwall and a couple of Little Grebes on the second Several.
Out in the harbour there were plenty of Little and Sandwich Terns, plus a couple of Common Terns and a few Mediterranean Gulls, plus a Peregrine on the salt-marsh and a few Linnets along the beach. There were also a couple of Whimbrel, a dozen Curlews, three Turnstones and singles of Redshank, Ringed Plover and Dunlin in hte harbour and five Grey Plovers flew in with a couple more Dunlin. (AH/IP/S&SaH)
Also, there was a Purple Hairstreak in the ash tree along the path to the beach. (CRJ)



Willow Warblers (above), Reed Warbler & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)



Park Farm, Selsey: There were 20+ Sand Martins among the House Martins and Swallows this morning, a Sparrowhawk and a Swift went over and there were seven Pied Wagtails on the fields and a Whitethroat in the hedges. (AH/IP/S&SaH)


Ivy Lake Complex:  
East Lake - I watched while a pair of Common Terns defended their nest against intruding Canada Geese, they have eggs but I fear their greatest danger comes from the rising water levels.  A Reed Warbler was being fed by its parent in the margins and there was a family of Long-tailed Tits and plenty of feeding Swallows over the lake.  
Ivy Lake - The first juvenile Great Crested Grebes of the year were about with two families of three young, one of two and another with just the one.  A Tufted Duck had a family of four tiny ducklings, but I could only find one Pochard about. There were nine Common Terns, a Blackcap, a Whitethroat, family of Long-tailed Tits, a Cettis Warbler, and a Sedge Warbler along the edges.  
Nunnery Lake -  There were two female Pochards and three tiny ducklings present, along with six Gadwall, a pair of Mute Swans with three cygnets and a Coot with young.  
West Trout Lake -  Two more  Common Terns looked as if they were trying to make a scrape for a nest on this pit, which seems terribly late, and there were also one large Black-headed Gull chick and half a dozen juveniles plus large numbers of Tufted Ducks and more Canada Geese about.  (SR)


Common Terns and Canada Geese at the Ivy Lake complex (SR)


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