6th - 8th May

Wednesday, 8th May: It seems that I've been a bit less than optimistic this last week when compiling these reports (or as Jim Weston put it this morning they're more like Victor Meldrew's blog),  but the truth is that it has been a very disappointing week. Yesterday looked like it must produce the goods, but in the end it was another damp squib, with no Poms logged ... "I don't believe it" ... and it doesn't help knowing that some were logged at sites further east, so please excuse me if I've sounded a tad grumpy! So what would today bring? The answer is not a lot. Conditions have to be just right for a good passage day at the Bill, and it just hasn't really happened so far. Added to that, many birds seem to be going around the dreaded Isle of Wight rather than through the Solent, the net result being they pass the Bill a long way out, or in many cases beyond viewing range altogether. Frustrating. Today started promisingly enough, with a flurry of early passage and four observers braving the rain and southerly wind, but things soon died down when the rain passed and the wind swung to the SW, and it was painfully slow after that. Of interest, a small bat sp. about the size of a pipistrelle was seen arriving N from the sea early on.

Selsey Bill (0540-1000 & 1145-1315hrs): Rain at first. murky visibility and wind S 3-4, then brighter and clearer with a brisk wind SW4.  (Obs: GJ/CRJ/OM/JW et al).

Great Northern Diver - 2 os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Brent Goose - 39E

Common Scoter - 65E

Fulmar - 1E, 3W

Gannet - 49E, 255W

Whimbrel - 2E, 5NW

Oystercatcher - 2E

Arctic Skua - 2E

Great Skua- 1E

Kittiwake - 5E

C/A Tern - 69E

Common Tern - 12E

Sandwich Tern - 23E, 4W

Little Tern - 3E

Razorbill - 2E

Auk sp - 1E, 13W

Swallow - 6N

Wheatear -1 ob

Gannets passing Selsey Bill this morning (photos; Andy House)

 

 

additional sea-watch (1520-1630hrs): (Obs: CC/MC/SR)

Gannet - 8E, 9W

Common Scoter - 14E

Arctic Skua - 4E (single d/p at 1520hrs, 3 together approx 1600, at least one l/p)

Comic Tern - 8E, 5W

Little Tern - 6 os 

Swallow - 4N

Budgie  - back on the beach!

further watch (1800-1910hrs) (Obs: SH)
Common Scoter - 23E
Gannet - 16E, 13W
Razorbill - 7W
Auk sp - 1E, 2W
C/A Tern - 24E
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 8os
Little Tern - 2E, 4os
Swallow - 2N
 

Peninsula: Church Norton was quiet again this morning - the only new bird being a Spotted Flycatcher that briefly appeared out of the Priory Wood and disappeared again just as quickly (AH).

 

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Tuesday, 7th May: Firstly, late news for yesterday - there were 6 Black Terns on Chi GPs (Trout Lake), which I forgot to post (apologies). Today was full of anticipation with a promising forecast including a SE wind; as usual it didn't quite work out like that in reality and the wind was light NE until mid afternoon. Even so, it would surely be good. Well, I'm afraid not - until 1500hrs at least when the last of the early morning shift (me included) could stand no more and left. Nothing much had happened up until then so we called it a day......yet I have a nagging feeling that the local boys (JA/SH/IP) could do well this evening. Also worthy of mention was a visit by John Brame and his wife Judy; formerly a regular, health issues have now reduced John's visit to about one annual appearance, but we were pleased to see him in his old haunts. John still holds the record for most Poms seen in a day at the Bill (see Pom King page).

(above) Scarce visitor John Brame (centre) and his wife Judy, with Chris Janman
(below) A warm sunny day on the wall, but more birders than birds (well almost!)

 

Selsey Bill (0515-1500hrs): Sunny and warm with some light cloud and haze. Sea flat calm at first. Wind light NE 1-2, becoming more ESE 3 by afternoon. (Obs: JA/GJ/OM/CRJ et al).

Great Northern Diver - 10 os (initially up to 5, but count increased assisted by flat calm sea).

Red-throated Diver - 5E

Diver sp - 2E

Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Mute Swan - 2W

Brent Goose - 3E

Shelduck - 2W

Common Scoter - 144E, 66W

Shoveler - 2E

Fulmar - 4E, 3W

Gannet - 40E, 10W

Oystercatcher - 16E, 10W

Curlew - 1E

Whimbrel - 16E, 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 43E, 3W

Grey Plover - 2E

Sanderling - 4E

Turnstone - 29E

Hobby - 1N

Auk sp - 4E, 3W

Arctic Skua - 1E

Kittiwake - 1E

C/A Tern - 188E

Sandwich Tern - 54E

Little Tern - 14E

Swift - 6N

Swallow - 25N

Wheatear -2 gardens

Peninsula: At Church Norton this morning - 1 Common Sandpiper, 22 Little Terns feeding in harbour mouth, 2 Lesser Whitethroats amongst the usual warblers. This evening - 2 Sanderling, 2 summer-plumage Knot, 20+ Grey Plover inc some in summer plumage, 200 Dunlin, 20 Bar-tailed Godwits & 10 Whimbrel.

Chi GPs: Around the Ivy Lake complex this morning, at least 20 Common Terns, including at least one displaying pair. (AH).

 

 

Common Terns displaying, Chi GP's, 7th May

 and Common Sandpiper, Church Norton (photos: Andy House)

 

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(Bank Hol) Monday, 6th May: I arrived at the Bill early at 0620hrs and struggled to find either a parking place or a reasonable watching spot on the wall, whilst suffering the usual abuse from the assembled gallery of regulars accusing me of being the late shift! Then within twenty minutes a thick bank of fog rolled in, sea visibility was virtually nil, and some of them left to go home again! There was nothing for it but to stick it out and hope it would clear, which it did at about 0740. This was a theme that was to be repeated through the morning, with periods of bright sunshine then thick fog, before it cleared again - so doubtless plenty of birds were missed. It also involved handing over the log duties on several occasions, making things a bit tricky when trying to work out the totals, but a full list is given until 1530hrs (when I left) followed by highlights thereafter. Effectively most of the day was watched, though things were at times slow going. Highlights today included a single Pomarine Skua in the morning and a couple more in the evening, several Black Terns, c.1500 Commic Terns and a couple of Hobbies.

 

Selsey Bill (0620-1530hrs): Sunny, warm, some light cloud, wind light W1 at first, becoming S/SE 2 later, with periods of dense sea fog. (Obs: GJ/JA/SH/JF/CRJ/OM/IP et al)

Great Northern Diver - 5 os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Diver sp - 1E

Brent Goose - 1W

Common Scoter - 228E

Tufted Duck - 2E

Gannet - 16E, 13W

Fulmar - 6E, 5W

Whimbrel - 6E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 31E

Greenshank - 1E

Oystercatcher - 2E

Sanderling - 9E

Turnstone - 10E

Dunlin - 3E, 1N

Hobby - 1N, 1NW

Arctic Skua - 5E

Pomarine Skua - 1W (1100hrs)

Great Skua - 2E

Med Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 29E

Common Tern - 23E

C/A Tern - 503E

Little Tern - 7E

Black Tern - 1E

Swift - 4E

Swallow - 165N

House Martin - 4N

Sand Martin - 2N

Yellow Wagtail - 1N

Sedge Warbler - 1 gardens

additional watch: 1530-1900hrs: selected highlights reported   (Obs: SH/JA et al)

Great Northern Diver - now 10 os

Red-necked Grebe - 1 os, flew off W

Whimbrel - 8E

Arctic Skua - 2E

Pomarine Skua - 2E (1856hrs)

C/A Tern - 600+ E
Black Tern - 3E
 

Bar-tailed Godwits, Selsey Bill beach, early a.m. 6th May

 

Peninsula: A female Redstart in Church Norton churchyard and a Garden Warbler by the concrete wall were the only two new migrants I could find. A Common Sandpiper was on Sidlesham Ferry, but the North Wall was incredibly quiet - about a dozen Whimbrel, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and a few Dunlin being about it, before the sea mist rolled in (AH). Additional

reports from the latter site include 4 Wheatears, 1 Whinchat, 9 Whitethroats, 1 Cuckoo - and 5 hares (JW).  

 

 

Redstart (fem) Church Norton churchyard, and (below) sea fog rolling in (photos: Andy House)