Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May: Another very warm and sunny morning, though with a slightly fresher north-easterly breeze tempering the heat slightly...............
Selsey Bill: A Ringed Plover, three Sanderlings and 11 Common Scoters going east were the only potential migrants this morning. Full log below. (SH/AH/IP)
(0600-0800hrs) (NE, F3)
Gannet - 1E, 4W
Common Scoter - 11E
Oystercatcher - 1E
Ringed Plover - 1E
Sanderling - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 8W
Great Black-backed Gull - 4os
Sandwich Tern - 150os
Common Tern - 4os
House Martin - 18
Sandwich Tern (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two Avocet chicks again this morning, along with 43 adults, 85 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and four Redshanks.
Also, the pair of Common Terns were looking settled on the islands and the pair of Shovelers, 14 Gadwall, four Shelducks and c20 Mallards were present, too. (AH)
Greenshank (above), Common sandpiper and Avocets, Avocet chicks, Common Terns and Avocet & Shoveler and Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: At Halsey’s Farm, a Barn Owl was very active early on, and later three Cuckoos were about, plus a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap, with plenty of Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers in the reeds
There were 11 Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool, along with nine Tufted Ducks, a Shoveler, a Gadwall, and 48 Mallards, whilst three Marsh Harriers were further back over the reeds and distantly out in the harbour there was a small group of Grey Plovers, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers along with five Whimbrels and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
Also, six Painted Ladies were seen. (LP/DHi/MJa/KU/S&SaH et al)
Cuckoo (above), Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Tufted Ducks & Painted Lady at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - A look along the banks this morning produced a Sedge Warbler, four Reed Warblers, four Cetti's Warblers, ten or so Whitethroats, a Reed Bunting and half a dozen Yellowhammers.
Also, six Common Terns could be seen over the reserve, along with a Kestrel, and there were also two Cattle Egrets present. (S&SaH)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - A Cuckoo was at Porthole Farm this morning, but there wasn't too much else there, or along the Trail, beyond a dozen Yellowhammers and Linnets, half a dozen Whitethroats, Cetti's Warblers and Skylarks and a pair of Stonechats.
A singing Corn Bunting was along the bank at Ham, with a couple of Reed Buntings, half a dozen Yellowhammers, another pair of Stonechats, a Sedge Warbler, four Reed Warblers, ten Skylarks and 20 Linnets about, too.
Also, a Raven and a couple of Swallows went over, four Gadwall were flying about and Ringed Plovers could be seen displaying on the shingle towards the Breach. (AH)
Corn Bunting (above), Stonechat, Cuckoo, Yellowhammer, Sedge Warbler & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)
Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - A look around the North & South pits this morning, to check on the wildfowl breeding situation, and in particular Pochard (a nationally rare breeding species). I could only find one brood of the latter, with a total of 11 duckings, although they are notoriously late breeders (well here at least) and I would anticipate further broods in due course...and including the breeding pair there were two females and nine drakes present today! Moorhens were more notable than usual today, with one adult scattering her brood in alarm at the slightest movement.
Other breeding species noted were a pair of Mute Swans with seven cygnets, at least three pairs of Egyptian Geese with broods of various ages, three pairs of Canada Geese with goslings of various ages and a pair of Greylags with four well-grown young. A total of eight pairs of Great Crested Grebes were noted, although no young apparent today, whilst just one brood of Mallards was seen.
A Common Tern was fishing on South pit, with the same or another on North pit and a total of about 20 Reed Warblers were present/singing but just one Reed Bunting was located. (OM)
At Drayton House pits this morning: female Mallard with brood, Moorhen, Pochard pair with 11 ducklings, drake Pochards, and Common Tern fishing. (OM)
Sunday, 24th May: An even warmer morning under blue skies in just a light south-westerly breeze.............
Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua and a Great Northern Diver offshore were the very modest highlights this morning. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH/JA)
(0600-0900hrs) (SSW, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Gannet - 2W
Mallard - 2
Common Scoter - 3E
Oystercatcher - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 3os
Sandwich Tern - 56os
Common Tern - 12os
Swift - 3
House Martin - 14
Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The two Common Terns were around the islands again this morning, along with a Greenshank, but only one Avocet chick could be seen.
There were still 36 adults present, though, along with five Redshanks, 93 Black-tailed Godwits, the pair of Shovelers, five Gadwall, three Shelducks and c20 Mallards, plus half a dozen Swallows. (AH)
Common Terns (above), Greenshank & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)
Pagham Spit: There were at least 60 Little Terns around their island, though they were being quite flighty this morning, repeatedly going up when nothing else was happening.
There were also two or three Common Terns and vast numbers of Sandwich Terns about, whilst good numbers of waders were present, but mostly far out in the harbour, including c30 Grey Plovers and Turnstones, c50 Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers and c150 Dunlin.
There were also half a dozen Common Seals hauled out and at least a dozen Painted Ladies along the spit. (AH)
Little Terns (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Terns, Dunlin, Common Seals & Painted Lady at Pagham Spit (AH)
North Wall: Along the reeds and bushes in the sunshine there were lots of small birds around, with good numbers of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings, Whitethroats, Cetti’s Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tits, Linnets, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches, whilst a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Cuckoo, a Song Thrush and two Mistle Thrushes were at Halsey’s Farm, and 22 Cattle Egrets were in the trees at Owl Copse early on, before they all headed off north.
A Shoveler and two Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, and a Lapwing flew over the fields, with the male Marsh Harrier also around.
Also, a Grey Wagtail was by the sluice, and a couple of Swallows were along White’s Creek, but out in the harbour there were just two Curlews and a few Shelducks. (LP/JDW/KU/MJa/EB/SBr)
Grey Wagtail (above), Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Mistle Thrush, Cattle Egret & Shoveler at the North Wall (LP)
Later in the day there was a Spotted Flycatcher present, along with the Marsh Harriers. (AD)
Spotted Flycatcher (above)& Marsh Harrier at the North Wall (AD)
Chichester GPs: An Osprey went over the south of Chichester, immediately north of Ivy Lake early this afternoon. (CRN)
Runcton: South of the village this morning there were a pair of Mute Swans, 11 Shelducks, 16 Mallard, two Gadwall, 17 Tufted Ducks, five Pochard, a pair of Little Grebes, a Grey Heron, ten Coots, a pair of Black-headed Gulls, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers, five Swallows, a Green Woodpecker, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Cetti’s Warblers, three Reed Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, two Whitethroats, several Roe Deer and a Brown Hare, plus two Painted Lady butterflies. (CRJ)
Chichester Canal: A look between the Birdham Road and Donnington this afternoon produced seven Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, two Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, a Kestrel, a Stock Dove, a family party of Long-tailed Tits, a Moorhen pair with young and several families of Coots.
There were also at least ten Norfolk Hawkers, two Hairy Dragonflies, a Southern Hawker and a probable Lesser Emperor. (JA)
Sidlesham: Two Swifts and half a dozen Swallows were around Cow Lane today, along with a calling Cuckoo, a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Chiffchaffs, plus a Sparrowhawk over. (AH)
Saturday, 23rd May: A very warm morning of unbroken sunshine, initially in just a light northerly breeze, though it freshened a little as it backed to the west later on........
Selsey Bill: Another unsurprisingly quiet morning, though 17 Common Scoters went east, two Fulmars and three Sanderlings went west and three Great Northern Divers were on the sea. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/IP/JA)
(0600-0830hrs) (N, F2)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 2E
Common Scoter - 17E
Sanderling - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 13E, 11os
Great Black-backed Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 38os
Common Tern - 8os
Swift - 6
Swallow - 3
House Martin - 8
Mediterranean Gulls (above), Common Scoters & House Martin at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper was at the back and the pair of Common Terns were again looking interested in the islands this morning, whilst it looked like an Avocet was brooding young, with another 33 present, along with 65 Black-tailed Godwits, the pair of Shovelers, nine Gadwall, two Shelducks and c25 Mallards.
Also, the sedge Warbler was again singing from the Small Pool and one or two Whitethroats and Cetti's Warblers were in the Discovery Area. (AH/JA)
Common Sandpiper (above), Common Terns, Black-tailed Godwit & Sedge Warbler at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: Two Barn Owls were seen around Halsey's farm at dusk this evening. (LP)
Church Norton: There were at least 200 Sandwich Terns out on the mud this morning, along with a dozen Little Terns and a couple of Common Terns, but a Whimbrel and a handful of Oystercatchers were the only waders present.
There wasn't much else to report beyond a Whitethroat and a Blackcap in the hedges and a couple of Swallows along Rectory Lane, plus lots of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls overhead throughout. (AH/IP)
Mediterranean Gull (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were eight Common Terns around their rafts this morning, whilst a pair of Lapwings were on the reserve, along with a Dunlin, and two Avocets were on the Stilt Pool, with five Swallows, a Buzzard and three Kestrels over.
The banks were fairly busy in the lighter winds, notably with four Dartford Warblers showing, whilst a good selection, otherwise, included c20 Whitethroats, a dozen Reed Warblers, four each of Chiffchaffs, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, a Blackcap, two Stonechats, a Pied Wagtail, five Reed Buntings and c20 Yellowhammers. (S&SaH/PB)
Chichester GPs: On Nunnery Lake there were six or so Norfolk Hawkers this afternoon, and there were also Kingfisher, a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Warbler, an Egyptian Goose and a surprise Firecrest present, too. (BI).
Chichester Canal: There were up to nine Norfolk Hawkers between Donnington and the Birdham Road this evening, along with a ,Hairy Dragonfly and a four-spotted Chaser. (AW)
Norfolk Hawker along Chichester Canal. (AW)
