Wednesday, 6th May: It was surprisingly cold early on, though warming up later as the sun pushed through, with the breeze remaining moderate to fresh and from the north throughout.............
Selsey Bill: A very slow morning, with just a few of the regular species seen. Full log below. (AH)
(0645-0800hrs) (N, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 7W, 15os
Shag - 1E
Common Scoter - 2E
Great Black-backed Gull - 6os
Sandwich Tern - 4e, 40os
Common Tern - 3E
Swallow - 1N
Shag (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A Hobby was seen over the Discovery Area early on, then again over the pool later in the morning, whilst the Wood Sandpiper was showing well, with a Common Sandpiper still present, too, along with four Redshanks, 15 Avocets and 58 Black-tailed Godwits, with two Greenshanks still in the channel opposite, along with another Avocet and ten Whimbrel.
There were a lot less wildfowl about, though, with just two drake Shovelers, six Gadwall, a dozen Mallard and 14 shelducks about. (AW/AH/NR)
Hobby (AW) (above), Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank (AH) & Avocet (AW) at the Ferry
Mill Pond Marsh: A Cuckoo was calling from the trees late this morning, but a pair of Shelducks and a pair of Gadwall were about it on the flooded field. (AH)
Cuckoo (above) & Shelducks at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Greenshank and an Oystercatcher were the only waders on a very quiet Stilt Pool this morning, and three Cattle Egrets and a few Canada Geese, plus a Red Kite and a Swallow over was about the sum for the reserve.
The banks were slow, too, with just c20 Whitethroats, half a dozen Reed Warblers, a Chiffchaff, three Cetti's Warblers, a couple of Reed Buntings and Skylarks, six Yellowhammers and c30 Linnets noted. (AH)
Red Kite (above), Cattle Egret, Greenshank, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - Four Swifts and five House Martins were among c100 Swallows feeding over the barley fields this evening, whilst a family of Stonechats were along the roadside bushes and there were also three or four skylarks and Whitethroats about. (AH)
Swift (above), Swallow, House Martin & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)
Tuesday, 5th May: After a grey start, a morning of hazy sunshine, though the north-easterly breeze started light before freshening through the day........
Selsey Bill: Another reasonably quiet morning, though with a few bits to maintain interest, including a Black Tern, seven Arctic Terns, four Arctic Skuas and a few waders east and a Hobby and a Yellow Wagtail in off the sea. Full log below. (PB/AH/IP)
(0545-1000hrs) (NNE, F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 12E, 9W, 1os
Grey Heron - 1E
Mallard - 2W
Hobby - 1N
Kestrel - 1
Oystercatcher - 4E, 3W
Sanderling - 5E
Knot - 3E
Whimbrel - 2E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 25E
Arctic Skua - 4E
Mediterranean Gull -
Great Black-backed Gull - 11os
Sandwich Tern - 40os
Common Tern - 38E,14os
Arctic Tern - 7E
Little Tern - 24os
Black Tern - 1E
Razorbill - 5W
auk sp - 2W
Swallow - 16N
Yellow Wagtail - 1N
Selsey: An Osprey went high over the north of the town late in the morning. (MRe)
Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Kestrel with House Sparrow & PB showing the dedication needed to be Pom-King at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover was on the pool this morning, along with four Redshanks, 16 Avocets, 45 Black-tailed, three drake Shovelers, ten Gadwall, c50 Mallards and c60 Shelducks, whilst a Greenshank, two Avocets and three Whimbrel were in the channel opposite. (AH)
Little Ringed Plover (above), Black-tailed Godwit & Greenshank at the Ferry (AH)
This evening the Wood sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper were on the pool and a Greenshank was in the channel opposite. (AH)
Wood Sandpiper (above) & Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: It was fairly quiet in the freshening breeze this morning, with just the snippet of Reed and sedge Warbler song, though half a dozen Whitethroats, a couple of Reed Buntings and c20 Linnets, plus a Skylark and a Red-legged Partridge in the field, were more conspicuous.
Also, the pair of Little Grebes and two small chicks were still on the pool and up to a dozen Whimbrel were at the far end of Ferry Channel. (AH)
Whitethroat (above), Linnet & Little Grebe and chick along the Long Pool (AH)
Church Norton: A Cuckoo was at the Severals this morning, and there were a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits in the harbour. (MRe)
The only waders seen this evening were a Greenshank, a Grey Plover and three Whimbrel, whilst two Common Gulls and c20 Little Terns were among the throng by the islands. (AH)
Greenshank (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: The Osprey seen over Selsey was later seen over the harbour. (RHa)
Medmerry: Stilt Pool - The Spoonbill was again on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with a Greenshank, whilst a Nightingale was on the reserve. (GR/AS)
Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham Viewpoint - There was a good selection along the banks this evening, including three Cuckoos, four Corn Buntings, six Yellowhammers, eight Reed Buntings, a Stonechat, c30 Whitethroats, c20 Reed Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, three Cetti's Warblers, two Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, and a Chiffchaff, with a Cattle Egret on the reserve and three Swifts and three Swallows over. (S&SaH)
Chichester GPs: The two drake and the duck Red-crested Pochard and their four ducklings were all still on New Lake this afternoon. (AB/CRJ)
Bank Holiday Monday, 4th May: A very grey and overcast morning, only brightening slowly, but quite mild in the light north-westerly breeze....
Selsey Bill: A fairly quiet morning, though a Pomarine Skua was an unexpected highlight, whilst 37 Brent Geese went east, too, three Eider went west and a Tree Pipit and two Yellow Wagtail came in off the sea. Full log below. (JA/SH/IP/AH et al)
(0500-0930hrs) (NW, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1os
Gannet - 3E, 8W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 37E
Eider - 3W
Common Scoter - 31E
Oystercatcher - 3E, 4W, 1 present
Sanderling - 3E, 1W
Whimbrel - 5E
Pomarine Skua - 1E (0909hrs)
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E, 3os
Great Black-backed Gull - 8E, 4W, 13os
Kittiwake - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 140os
Common Tern - 12os
Little Tern - 22os
Cuckoo - 1 (heard)
Swift - 4
Swallow - 12N, 4 present
House Martin - 6
Tree Pipit - 1N
Yellow Wagtail - 2N
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Wheatear - 1
(1415-1615hrs) (JA/SH)
Gannet - 2W
Shag - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 8W
Sandwich Tern - 22E, 15os
Little Tern - 8os
Eider (above), Brent Geese, Red-throated Divers & Little Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The Wood Sandpiper was around again, though often elusive, whilst the Black-tailed Godwit count had risen to 44 and the Avocet count was down to 11, along with a couple of Redshanks, and in the channel opposite there were still two Bar-tailed Godwits, two Greenshanks and a Whimbrel.
Also, two Common Terns dropped in briefly, a Water Rail was calling from the roadside reeds and there were a lot of wildfowl on the pool, including c70 Shelducks, c50 adult Mallards and c30 ducklings in four different families, with 11 Gadwall and a Shoveler about, too. (PA/AH)
Wood Sandpiper (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank & Common Terns at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: It was busy in the paddocks this morning, with six Yellow Wagtails, a Pied Wagtail, 16 Linnets, three Swallows, four Greenfinches, 12 Goldfinches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Jay, a Whitethroat, two Reed Buntings, and two Cuckoos about, with another Cuckoo and four Marsh Harriers further back.
Along the wall, the reeds were full of Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Cetti’s Warblers, while on the Breech Pool there were seven Tufted Ducks, two Shelducks and a Great Crested Grebe. Another Cuckoo was at Halsey’s Farm, a Kingfisher was about and two Swifts passed high overhead but the only other bird of note was a Gadwall by the outfall. (LP/MJa/CT)
Yellow Wagtails (above), Whitethroat, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Tufted Duck at the North Wall (LP)
Mill Pond Marsh: Two or three Reed Warblers were singing from the reeds this morning, but a Shelduck was the only thing of note on the flooded field, whilst in the adjacent Yeoman's field there was little to report beyond two or three Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs, plus a couple of Swallows over. (AH)
Reed Warbler (above) & Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Church Norton: Apart from the endless activity around the colony, it was quiet this morning, with just half a dozen Whimbrel and a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits on the mud and just a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the hedges. (AH)
Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Spoonbill was still on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with a Greenshank, whilst five Common Terns were over the reserve and a Little Tern and two Sandwich Terns went east offshore and a Yellow Wagtail and 42 Swallows came in off the sea..
Also, three Lapwings and two Egyptian Geese were on the reserve, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and four Buzzards went over
The banks were quite busy in the stiller conditions, and included a family part of two adult and three juvenile Stonechats, c30 Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, a B lackcap, four Chiffchaffs, four Cetti's Warblers, six Sedge Warblers, nine Reed Warblers, five Reed Buntings and 13 Yellowhammers. (S&SaH)
Fishbourne Creek: Highlights of a quiet morning included 20 Whimbrel, two Greenshanks and a Lesser Whitethroat. (RW)
Chichester GPs: The curious family of two drake and one duck Red-crested Pochard and their four ducklings were all still on New Lake this morning. (PA)
West Wittering: A Nightjar was seen roosting in a garden in the village today. (S Arnell)
Nightjar in a West Wittering garden (S Arnell)
