Thursday, 30th April: The wind remained close to gale-force this morning, though from due east, and it was mostly sunny and pleasant in any sheltered spots..........
Selsey Bill: A total of 18 Pomarine Skuas went east this morning, along with a Bonxie, two Arctic Skuas, two Black Terns, a flock of seven Velvet Scoters and over 200 Bar-tailed Godwits, with 140 Little Terns feeding offshore and drifting east, though how many were migrants was impossible to tell. Full log below.
(PB/PA/AW/TR/IP/LP/IH/SP/MJa/AH/RHa/JDa et al)
(0530-1230hrs) (E, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 24E, 4W, 10os
Shag - 1os
Grey Heron - 1N
Shelduck - 5E
Velvet Scoter - 7E
Common Scoter - 103E
Kestrel - 1N
Grey Plover - 16E
Knot - 60E
Sanderling - 62E
Dunlin - 8E
Whimbrel - 14E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 229E
Turnstone - 12E
Great Skua - 1E
Pomarine Skua - 18E ( 4 at 0607hrs, 2 at 0612hrs, 4 at 0824hrs, 7 at 0838hrs & 1 at 0933hrs)
Arctic Skua - 2E
Common Gull - 5E
Great Black-backed Gull - 7E
Sandwich Tern - 128E
Common Tern - 20E, 30os
Arctic Tern - 5E
'Commic Tern - 108E
Little Tern - 140E, 40os
Black Tern - 2E
auk sp - 1E
Swift - 1N
swallow - 9N
House Martin -
Pomarine Skuas (above), Sanderling, Little Tern, Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwits (AW), Pomarine Skua, Velvet Scoters, Knot, Sanderlings and Dunlin (AH) at the Bill
Another Pomarine Skua, two Black Terns and more waders went east this afternoon. Full log below.
(JA/PB/SH/IP/PA/RHa/JDa/BI/AH)
(1420-1900hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Gannet - 1E
Common Scoter - 6E
Oystercatcher - 6E
Grey Plover - 15E
Knot - 34E
Sanderling - 22E
Dunlin - 3E
Whimbrel - 11E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 79E
Pomarine Skua - 1E (1440hrs)
Arctic Skua - 1E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 1W, 2os
Great Black-backed Gull - 6E, 6os
Sandwich Tern - 80os
Common Tern - 2E, 12os
Arctic Tern - 5E
Little Tern - 30os
Black Tern - 2E
Swallow - 8N
Bar-tailed Godwits (above) & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There was more wader activity this morning, with two Little Stints on the islands, and a flock of four Wood Sandpipers dropping in, but didn't appear to linger, alongside the one already present, and later on two were present - possibly making six in total.
Also, two Greenshanks were on the pool, with two also in Ferry Channel, and a Common Sandpiper, 14 Avocets, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Redshanks, seven Gadwall, five Shovelers, c30 Mallard and c40 Shelducks were present, too. (PA/AH/BI/IP/PB et al)
This evening, in addition to the above, there were two Wheatears, five Common Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover around the pool, with 12 Whimbrel, 30 Bar-tailed Godwits, five Grey Plovers, three Knot and three Turnstones in the adjacent area of the harbour. (MB)
Little Stint (above), Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank & Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: Another Little Stint was in White's Creek this morning. (AHu)
Church Norton: A quick look this evening produced 32 Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Whimbrel, a Curlew and 17 Ringed Plovers on the mud, whilst the Tern Island colony was still as busy as ever. (AH)
Whimbrel (above) & Bar-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)
Wednesday, 29th April: Another day of near gale-force north-easterlies, though a little warmer in the sun......
Selsey Bill: A feeding flock of c90 Little Terns were offshore this morning before drifting off east, whilst a Bonxie, 33 Bar-tailed Godwits and a couple of Whimbrel went east, too, a Manx Shearwater went west and a Cattle Egret was tracked flying in from way out. Full log below. (SH/PA/IP/AH et al)
(0600-0900hrs) (NE, F6-7)
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Fulmar - 3E, 1W
Gannet - 28E, 61W, 15os
Cattle Egret - 1N
Shelduck - 7E, 2os
Common Scoter - 1E
Whimbrel - 2E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 33E
Turnstone - 1E
Great Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 2E
Great Black-backed Gull - 3E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 43E, 15os
Common Tern - 14E, 10os
'Commic' Tern - 33E
Little Tern - 90os, then E
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 3W
Swift - 4N
Swallow - 9N
House Martin - 3N, 2 present
Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Fulmar, Little Tern, Common Tern & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The drake Garganey and the Wood Sandpiper were showing well again, and the Curlew Sandpiper was also still present, though much more elusive.
There were also still 15 Avocets, a Black-tailed Godwit, four Redshanks, seven Shovelers, eight Gadwall, 27 Shelducks and c40 Mallard present, whilst a Whimbrel and two Greenshank were in the channel opposite. (PA/AH/AS et al)
Garganey and Avocets (above), Garganey, Wood Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)
East Side: On the rising tide this morning there was a mixed group of c160 waders containing a summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper, a Bar-tailed Godwit, four Ringed Plovers, 70 Grey Plovers, 50 Dunlin, 16 Knot, 12 Whimbrels and two Curlews, whilst two Great Crested Grebes were on the water and two Little Terns were fishing along the channel. (SP/LP/MJa).
This afternoon a count of waders produced the Curlew Sandpiper, 35 Knot, 195 Dunlin, 65 Grey Plovers, eight Whimbrel and an impressive 135 Bar-tailed Godwits out on the mud. (PA)
Curlew Sandpiper (above), Grey Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Tern, Dunlin and Knot, Ringed Plover & Whimbrel along the East side (AH)
North Wall: It was fairly quiet along the wall in the windy conditions, although a Common Tern was fishing over the Breech Pool, the usual mix of warblers were along the bushes and reeds, and a new flagged Curlew was along White’s Creek, H5 with just a yellow ring and a rather large tracker on its back.
The Swallows were still around the stables, and a Pied Wagtail, a Whitethroat, a Jay, a Green Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff were around the Paddock, whilst further back a Cuckoo was calling from the trees, and the Marsh Harriers were active over the reeds. (MJa/LP/SP)
Swallow (above), Pied Wagtail, whitethroat & Curlew at the North Wall (LP)
Church Norton: Five Bar-tailed Godwits, six Whimbrel, a Curlew and c25 Oystercatcher were the only waders to be seen in the harbour, whilst at least 200 Sandwich Terns were around the islands. (AH)
Whimbrel (above) & Bar-tailed Godwits and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Silt Pool - A Cuckoo was on the reserve this morning, along with a Cattle Egret, whilst 22 Whitethroats, three Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, five Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, two stonechats, three Reed Buntings and three Yellowhammers were along the banks.
Also, two Greenshanks were on the stilt Pool, five Whimbrel went east along the beach and three Swifts, two Swallows, a Red Kite, two Kestrels and three Buzzards went over. (SH)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - This evening there were c200 Swallows, c100 House Martins, a handful of Sand Martins and a single Swift over the settling tanks and fields, whilst a Cuckoo was heard distantly to the north and a handful of Whitethroats and Linnets were in the hedges. (AH)
Swallow (above), Sand Martin & House Martin at Medmerry (AH)
Tuesday, 28th April: After a drop of overnight rain, a return to the strong and blustery north-easterlies this morning, keeping it cool despite a reasonable amount of sun.....
Selsey Bill: It was fairly slow this morning, though at least 20 Arctic Terns went east along with a few waders, a Hobby came in off the sea and a Whinchat was on the beach early on. Full log below. (PB/PA/AW/AH/IP/ZS/JDa et al)
(0530-1030hrs) (NE, F5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red Throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Fulmar - 1E, 1W
Mallard - 2E
Common Scoter - 14E
Hobby - 1N
Oystercatcher - 3W
Knot - 1E
Whimbrel - 6E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 3E
Turnstone - 1E
Great Skua - 1os
Common Gull - 1E, 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 5E
Sandwich Tern - 10E, 50os
Common Tern - 8E, 28os
Arctic Tern - 20E
'Commic' Tern - 45E
Little Tern - 30os
Razorbill - 1W
Swallow - 5N
Sand Martin - 1N
House Martin - 1
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Rook - 5E
(1600-1715hrs) (SH/AH)
Gannet - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 50os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 2E, 2os
Arctic Terns (PA) (above), Whinchat, Little Tern & Whimbrel (AW) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: The drake Garganey, the Wood Sandpiper and the Curlew Sandpiper were all still present on the pool today, along with two Little Ringed Plovers, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Redshanks, an Oystercatcher and 14 Avocets, with a Greenshank and two or three Whimbrel in Ferry Channel.
Also, on the busy pool were 28 Shelducks, eight Gadwall, eight Shovelers and c40 Mallard. (PA/AH/TS/JDa/CRN/NM et al)
Garganey and avocet (above), Garganeyt, Wood Sandpiper & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There was little to report on the high tide this morning, with a dozen Whimbrel and a couple of Curlews the only waders about, with all the activity being around Tern Island, where there were at least 200 Sandwich Terns among the Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls. (AH)
Whimbrel and Curlew (above) & Tern Island at Church Norton (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: Around high tide the Glossy Ibis was present below the Lavant outflow, whilst the Dell Quay roost contained 11 Greenshanks and the saltmarsh held eight Whimbrel, with a pair of Wigeon in the channel. (RW)
