Location Profile: RSPB Medmerry

Medmerry lies to the south of Chichester, on a section of the coast called Bracklesham Bay. It is a fantastic place for wildlife, despite being a recently created and developing landscape. Conceived as a coastal realignment scheme, it is benefiting both wildlife and people through the creation of new habitats and mitigating flooding in the local area.

A variety of habitats and ecological niches provide a framework for a diverse mix of species to thrive here. Habitats range between farmland, grassland, freshwater, brackish water, coastal scrub, trees and hedgerows, developing intertidal mudflats, saltmarsh, saltwater lagoons, shingle beaches and the open sea. All of this results in Medmerry being an excellent place to go and view bird life.

The groundworks for Medmerry were completed in 2013, and since 2016 I have been conducting regular surveys of the birds and reptiles at the reserve for the RSPB. Like most places different bird species can be seen at different times of year. Over time you start to get in tune with the rhythms of a place. Having said that there is an extra dynamic nature to Medmerry that can result in changes year on year, owing to its continued development as a site for nature.

Familiar sights at Medmerry include species such as skylark, yellowhammer and corn bunting that can all be seen year round. Others species spend a portion of the year here, such as cuckoos and avocets that choose to breed in the reserve. And some drop in at odd times, a good example of which are spoonbills that like to pop up at Medmerry almost in any month of the year.

Skylark and Corn Bunting at Medmerry. Photos by Mike White.

I choose when to run my events at Medmerry based around the best periods of time to visit. Below I have listed some of the highlights of the location at different times of year:

Spring

This is possibly my favourite time of year at Medmerry. From as early as February the avocets will be moving onto site to eye up the location as a potential breeding area. In 2018 there were 36 pairs that bred on the site. Birdsong starts to fill the air and at its height you can spend all day here and listen to skylarks the entire time. Passage migrants such as wheatears and whinchats move through, it is a great time to catch up with these as they are in their spring finery. As spring progresses the songs of the resident birds are bolstered by the tunes of incoming warblers. Alongside these are the cuckoos that have become a regular fixture of springtime at Medmerry, hearing them is not too difficult but spotting one can prove more challenging! It’s a good time to see rare species, in previous years I have found unusual visitors such as a Montagu’s harrier at this time.

Avocets, Little Ringed Plover and Yellowhammer at Medmerry in spring. Photos by Les Phillips.

Summer

Most of the action is centred around the breeding species. Birdsong is still prevalent but starts to fade as the season progresses. Juvenile birds can be found from the rather cute young of ringed plovers and avocets, to the scruffy brown robins and stonechats, which are equally adorable. There is a veritable hum of insects around the banks, these providing a key food source for the developing birds. Flocks of linnets bounce around the site. Again rare species can feature, myself and a fellow surveyor had a close encounter with a quail at this time of year. Late summer can produce some impressive flocks of gulls, with individual species of Mediterranean, black-headed and herring all numbering in excess of 1,000 birds at times. Whilst still ostensibly in the breeding season autumnal migration kicks off with waders such as common, green and wood sandpipers starting to show up.

Spoonbills and Quail at Medmerry in summer. Photos by Mike White.

Autumn
 
At most coastal sites this is an exciting time of year, and Medmerry is no exception. This is the time to see the largest range of species, with over 60 bird species in a few hours possible at Medmerry. A memorable guided event yielded 7 raptor species in an afternoon, including a marsh harrier mobbing an osprey! Anything is possible around this time, from flocks of thousands of swallows and martins, to ospreys fishing in the mullet rich waters. There is however a typical cast of migrating species that includes wheatears, whinchats and yellow wagtails amongst others. Winter visitors start to arrive, a personal favourite of which are the short-eared owls.

Wheatear at Medmerry. Photo by Mike White.

Whinchat at Medmerry in autumn. Photo by Les Phillips.

Dotterel at Medmerry in autumn.

Winter

Many of the birds at this time of year have congregated into flocks. Medmerry can boast impressive numbers of numerous species. I have personally seen individual flocks of 1,000+ golden plover and lapwing, 1,200+ linnet, and 2,000+ teal all at Medmerry in the wintertime. Naturally flocks this large and impressive attract predators, and it is this time of year that is best for seeing the peregrines and merlins that enjoy hunting around the site. Some of the resident species get the taste of spring rather early, and the corn buntings can be heard singing from December, as well as skylarks on any warm and still day. The aforementioned short-eared owls can occasionally be seen, as well as the barn owls. On the sea it is possible to see scoters, divers, and mergansers. And in the bushes the elusive Dartford warblers are now regular visitors during this period. Again rarer visitors can be found, I regularly come across jack snipe at this time, and have previously found species such as Richard’s pipit, as well as seeing delights like snow bunting.

Snow Bunting at Medmerry in winter. Photo by Guy Wilkerson.

Another positive point of Medmerry is that the paths are wide, flat, and level, so it provides easy access to those with walking difficulties. It is a large area and thus to explore the whole site is a long walk, however a great deal can be seen within half a kilometre of the Easton Lane car park. You can read past trip reports from Medmerry on this website, they can be accessed through the trip reports page here: Trip Reports. 

Of course birds aren't the only creatures of interest at Medmerry. It is quite common to see roe deer, brown hares and a range of different fauna. It is home to four of the six reptile species found in Britain, and if you get really lucky you may be able to spot one of these. I'm fortunate to regularly encounter all four species through surveying for the reptiles, such as this beautifully marked female adder:

I have never seen one on the main path so don't be concerned if you don't like snakes! All the reptiles are shy, for they are predated upon by numerous species, not least of which by the resident kestrels.

If you are interested in attending a guided walk at Medmerry, you can see any upcoming events at this location on the 'Events' page of this website (here). For the best chance of spaces being available, you can receive news of upcoming events prior to them being published on the website by joining my mailing list. To do so, simply email me at: baggaleyhugh@gmail.com

I will only send you information regarding the events and you can be removed from the list at any time.

I hope this piece may have encouraged you to visit Medmerry, it's a great place.

- Hugh Baggaley