27th - 28th APRIL

Sunday, 28th April: A fair gathering of observers this morning, including none other than Mervyn Jones, former regular and now resident of Wales, on his annual spring visit to the Bill. He normally manages to choose a good week but there is much doubt this year as the forecast is for northerly-based winds throughout his stay. Time will tell if he's got it right again! This morning began with lovely sunshine, a flat calm sea, a very light N wind and little passage. There was just a little variety of species, whilst the calm sea enabled the Great Northern Divers offshore to be more easily counted - the result being a surprising ten birds still present - there can't be many places nationally with a better total, well surely in England anyway. It must have been quiet though, for when Andy House phoned to say there was a Spotted Fly at Church Norton most of the remaining sea-watchers departed the Bill in a hurry!

He's back for a week! Mervyn Jones and Beryl James at the Bill this morning (photo: Sarah Russell)

Selsey Bill: (0530-1115hrs): Sunny and dry at first with light wind N1 becoming variable; then cloud, wind WSW 3-4. (Obs: JA/SH/IP/CRJ/OM et al) 
Great Northern Diver - 10 os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 4E
Diver sp - 1E, 1W
Brent Goose - 1E
Shelduck - 2E
Common Scoter - 71E, 12W
Shoveler - 1W
Shag - 3E
Fulmar - 7E, 7W
Gannet - 27E, 12W, 6os
Oystercatcher - 4E, 7ob off W
Curlew - 4E
Whimbrel - 9E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2E, 5W
Ringed Plover - 2W
Auk sp - 1E, 5W
Peregrine - 1p
Great Skua - 1E
Arctic Skua - 2E
Herring Gull - 476 os (counted on shingle bar!)
C/A Tern - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 32E
Little Tern -12E, 8os
Swallow - 10N
Yellow Wagtail - 2N
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens
1115-1350hrs cont'd..(Obs:GH/JF)
Brent Goose - 31E
Eider - 5E, 1W, 2os
Common Scoter - 35E
Whimbrel - 2W
Great Skue - 1E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Evening sea-watch: (1500-1800hrs)  (Obs(SH)
Diver sp - 1E
Gannet - 41E, 38W
Fulmar - 1E, 1W
Common Scoter - 14E
Auk sp - 5W
Guillemot - 1W
Arctic Skua - 3E
Kittiwake - 1E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 9E, 6W
Little Tern - 2W

Pagham Hbr: Church Norton this morning - a Spotted Flycatcher behind the Hide, a Hobby over, a Greenshank high over calling, 10 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Sandwich Terns, 6 Swallow and a few Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler . On the Ferry Pool the Little Gull was re-located.
Chi GPs Ivy Lake at lunchtime - 1 Common Sandpiper flying along the northern edge, 2 Common Terns and 100+ Swallow and Sand Martins with just a handful of House Martins amongst them. (AH)

Same Turtle Dove at Park Farm Selsey, also Reed Warbler at Severals, 10+ Whitethroat, 12 Swallows, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Whimbrel (SH)

 

Bar-tailed Godwit, Pagham Hbr, (photo: Andy House)

Saturday, 27th April: Despite the good date the prevailing N wind and cooler weather ensured that sea passage was always going to be mediocre, whilst the selection of migrants to be found on the Peninsula was barely average for the time of year.

Selsey Bill (0530 - 1000hrs): Dry, cloud/sun, still quite cool. Wind N2. (Obs: JA/SH et al)
Great Northern Diver - 5os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Diver sp - 1E
Gannet - 16E, 12W, 18os
Fulmar - 4E, 7W
Common Scoter - 116E
Peregrine - 1p
Great Skua - 2E
Med' Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 25E, 7os
Little Tern - 5os
Common Tern - 2E
C/A Tern - 29E, 7os,
Auk sp - 1E, 5W
Yellow Wagtail - 1N
Swallow - 1N
House Martin - 1N.
additional records -
Hobby - 2N
Great Skua - 1E
Little Tern - 10E
evening sea-watch (1515-1715hrs )(Obs:SH&JA)NNE3 sun/cloud.
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Gannet - 10E, 2W
Whimbrel - 4E
C/A Tern - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 10E, 8os
Yet another exciting sea watch!

News from the Park Farm, Selsey area where a Turtle Dove (with a slightly aberrant plumage) was located (SH).

Turtle Dove, Park Farm, Selsey - two views of the same bird (photos: Sam Hill)

 

 

Pagham Hbr: on the North wall this morning a Greenshank and a dozen Whimbrel over (JW).

Church Norton: Black-tailed Godwit in s/p, 18 Whimbrel dotted around the harbour, 10+ Whitethroats and a Hobby which flew over the churchyard. Long Pool: 10+ Sedge Warblers, 3 Reed Warblers, Great Crested Grebe and Little Grebe. Ferry Pool: 3 Med Gulls, 60 Shelduck and a Cetti's Warbler in the ditch. 

Chi GPs Ivy Lake: 2 Common Terns, 4 Swifts, 20+ Sand Martins, 30+ Swallows, 13 Great Crested Grebes and a Kingfisher. (per SOS website).