Wednesday 26 July 2017

26th - 28th July 2017

Friday, 28th July: Yet another very grey and windy morning, if fairly mild, with the prospect of more heavy rain later....

Selsey Bill(0715-0800hrs) (AH)
Gannet - 8E, 27W
Turnstone - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 3W

(1025-1130hrs) (BI)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 3E, 33W
Turnstone - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 5W
Arctic Skua - 2 E (l/p)

Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Heron, five Redshank, six Teal and 14 Shelduck on the pool, plus a Stock Dove on the side and two Common Terns and eight Swifts over west, whilst in the channel opposite a very young Grey Wagtail was feeding around the pumps. (AH)



Grey Wagtail (above) & Grey Heron around the Ferry (AH)


Church Norton: There were still c20 Sandwich Terns and a lone Common Tern in the harbour, along with half a dozen Whimbrel, Ringed Plover and Redshank and up to 80 Dunlin in one big mobile flock.
Also, two Peregrines were hunting together on the far side and the Swallow family was still around the hide, but the bushes were devoid of life bar a couple of Willow Warblers with a flock of Blue Tits along the harbour-side. (AH)



Sandwich Terns (above), Common Tern, Dunlin, Willow Warbler & Swallow at Church Norton (AH)





North Wall: There were four Common Sandpipers this evening, one by the sluice and a further three out on the saltmarsh keeping the company of a few Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits. The water in the Breech Pool was still very high and the only birds present here were three Mallards & a Coot whilst around Grey Barn there were at least a  dozen Swifts. (BI)



Thursday, 27th July: Changeable....another fairly grey but dry autumnal morning, with a brisk westerly breeze, and slowly brightening up.....but then a few heavy showers and some drizzle, before brightening up again.

Selsey BillA few Common and Sandwich Terns went west,  a Shag went past, and an Arctic Skua put in an appearance, but otherwise it was  just the usual small and presumably local movements of Gannets and Common Scoters this morning. Full log below......
(0745-1145hrs) (OM/BFF et al)
Gannet - 28E, 31W
Shag - 1E
Common Scoter - 54E
Turnstone - 2ob
Common Tern - 7W
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 20W
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Swift - 2S
Sand Martin - 5W
House Martin - 2p

(1640-1740hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 5W
Turnstone - 15ob
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 17W (inc 1 juvenile)
Common Tern - 1W

Ferry Pool: There were just four Little Ringed Plovers, seven Avocets, 12 Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Shelduck on the pool this morning, with a Whimbrel, a Common Tern and the Kingfisher in the channel opposite. (AH/OM)

Kingfisher (above), Common Tern, Whimbrel, Little Ringed Plovers & Avocets around the Ferry (AH)





Church Norton and West Side: There were barely a dozen Sandwich Terns and a single Common Tern in the harbour this morning, though there were a dozen Whimbrel widely spread across the mud and at least 20 Curlews likewise, with another 40+ of the latter out on strand-line of the beach on the very low tide.
Generally it was very quiet, with just a few Dunlin and Ringed Plover on the mud, and not much more than a handful of Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Linnets and Reed Buntings , plus a couple of Skylarks and Sand Martins, along the whole of the west side, though the Swallow family was still around the hide. (AH)


Sandwich Terns (above), Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, juvenile Wren & Swallows at Church Norton (AH)








Fishbourne Creek: There were 95 Curlews and 320 Mediterranean Gulls in the creek this morning. (BFF)

Medmerry: Easton Lane - Stilt Pools: The recent rain has filled up the stilt pools, which were not so good for waders today. Sadly, a young Barn Owl, which had recently died, was found in the general area. On a positive note more singing Corn Buntings are appearing on the west of the site, whilst a covey of Grey Partridges (4-5 flying young) were in the bird cover crop. (BO'D)



Wednesday, 26th July: After a brief dry, but very grey, start the heavy rain moved in earlier than forecast, driven on by a brisk southerly......

We start with a request to those observers that visit Drayton Gravel Pits and submit their records to SOS/Birdtrack:-

These pits currently have no formal wildlife designation or protection, so we are keen to improve this situation, especially given the amount of development taking place in the surrounding area. It is therefore important to submit your bird records for these pits - especially breeding records - though all records are valuable. There are actually three Drayton pits in existence, though unfortunately, due to unforeseen problems, most records in the SOS files have previously been attributed to just one - the old (original) Drayton pit (situated  east of the railway line but west of Oving Road).

In recent years the two newer pits have produced the lion's share of the Drayton GP records, so in order to clarify the situation for the future, and ensure that the correct record is attributed to the correct pit, all observers are asked to adopt the following site names forthwith when submitting their records.............

1. The 'old' original pit  = Chichester GPs Drayton (pit 7) (SOS site code 24)

2. The newer pits = Chichester GPs New Drayton House South (pit 7a) (SOS site code 2959) and/or as applicable Chichester GPs New Drayton House North (pit 7b) (SOS site code 3442).

A bit of a mouthful we know, and you will note the newer pits are now treated separately, but your co-operation would be much appreciated. Many thanks.  (Eds) 



Selsey Bill: The dry start didn't last long and by about 0800 the rain had begun, driven by the onshore wind, with variable visibility as a result.... so by 0900 the only sensible option was to watch from the shelter of a car! Things were mighty slow however and the only highlights were a handful of Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua......

(0700-0730hrs) (AH)
Gannet - 5E, 1W
Common Scoter - 12E
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 6W
Swift - 4p
House Martin - 2p

(0750-1220hrs) (OM)
Gannet - 9E, 1W
Common Scoter - 25E
Oystercatcher - 2W
Turnstone - 2ob
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 6W, 4os

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 25E, 4W
Turnstone - 4ob
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 6W (inc 1 juvenile)

Sandwich Tern past the Bill (AH)
Common Scoters passing the Bill, and (below) nice to see Turnstones back in the Hillfield Road car-park (OM) 



Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocets on the pool first thing, and the Egyptian Goose was, too, before it flew off into the harbour with eight Shelducks. Also about were a Common Sandpiper, four Little Ringed Plovers, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, a juvenile Redshank and eight Lapwings, with a couple of Sedge and Reed Warblers in the reeds at the front.
The Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite, as was a Kingfisher (briefly) and a Common Tern, three Sand Martins went over, and one or two Whitethroats and Willow/Chiffs were hiding in the bushes. (AH)
Later (1230hrs) there were still a dozen Avocets and 15 Black-tailed Godwits, but at least eight Little Ringed Plovers were present plus the Common Sandpiper. (OM)

Spotted Redshank (above), Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpiper, Avocets, Sedge Warbler & Egyptian Goose and Shelducks around the Ferry (AH)






Church Norton: A Sanderling was with c40 Dunlin and a dozen Ringed Plovers on the mud this morning, at least three Whimbrel were also present, and up to 20 Sandwich Terns and a Common Tern were also about. The family of Swallows was still around the hide, and a mixed flock of Long-tailed and Blue Tits, plus a few Willow/Chiffs, moved through there. (AH)

Sanderling and Dunlin (above), Sandwich Terns, Willow Warbler & Swallow at Church Norton (AH)




North Wall: This afternoon three Yellow Wagtails dropped into the reeds by the path along the Breech Pool. (AB)
A pleasant evening stroll at Pagham North Wall produced a couple of extremely early Yellow Wagtails - an adult of vivid, lemon-yellow,and a pale juvenile, solicitous of food. A possible second adult was seen nearby, along with some Grey Wagtails. The north fields offered excellent, extended views of two hunting Barn Owls. (D Ilman per SOS)

Ivy Lake: This evening there were 300+ Sand Martins, plus a couple of Common Terns on/over the lake. (AH)





Sand Martins (above) & Common Tern at Ivy Lake (AH)



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