Sunday, 6th July: After some steady rainfall overnight, the morning began dry but generally grey and cloudy. with a moderate W/NW breeze 3-4, gradually brightening up to give sunny intervals later.
The last couple of days have seen me birding off the patch, at the Selsey Peninsula area and doing an early WeBS count, so on my way back homewards today I had time to make a quick visit to two of the local reservoirs, though nothing exciting was found!
Lidsey WTW area: The small reservoir held just three Tufted Ducks, three Little Grebes and a few Mallard, including the female with a brood of young. Several Swallows were feeding over the water and two Pied Wagtails and two Stock Doves were drinking around the edges. In the hedgerows were two singing Blackcaps, a Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff.
Bilsham farm: On the reservoir were just seven Tufted Ducks, 20 Coots, four Little Grebes and several Mallards, including a female with a brood of small young. Two House Martins and a few Swallows also fed over the water briefly. The only gulls present on my arrival were two juvenile Black-headed Gulls, looking somewhat bemused, before they were joined by other gulls later. There wasn't too much else: two singing Whitethroats were logged, and a Blackcap, whilst a male Yellowhammer was also singing from its favourite perch, in a hedge near the reservoir and a male Kestrel was hunting along the reservoir banks for a while, with two Buzzards higher up and more distant.
Two juvenile Black-headed Gulls (above), Mallard with brood of young and Yellowhammer singing from its regular perch at Bilsham farm.
Friday, 4th July: Another lovely summer's day - pleasantly warm with prolonged sunshine, blue skies, some high fluffy cloud and a fairly light NW breeze.
Elmer Rocks: A lovely day for beach visitors and on my arrival at 07:45hr it was unsurprising to find people already swimming on the high tide and calm sea or settling in for a longer stay. Inevitably, some of the roosting gulls were being pushed around a bit, but without too much of a problem for a persistent birder!
There was little offshore except for Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns. A fairly accurate estimate of about 80 Meds and a dozen Sandwich was my final tally, with some birds on the shore at Atherington being disturbed by walkers and then eventually settling on the Elmer side. These apart, the only highlight was a sighting of two Dunlin heading west just offshore - an early return date for the species. Behind the beach, the family party of four Linnets was near Poole Place, as were a singing Blackcap, two Greenfinch and eight Goldfinch. I eventually left at 09:45 as the beach began to get busier.
(above two) Mediterranean Gulls at Elmer Rocks area, moving around at times to avoid the beach-goers, whilst (below) five Sandwich Terns heading west
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