1st - 3rd June

Monday, 3rd June: Other views on the Seal (of 1/6) now suggest it might well be a Common; I wrongly thought they were meant to be easy, so any expert opinion appreciated! Generally dry and fine conditions with a moderate wind that varied from NE to SE tempted me (but no-one else) back to the Bill again today, and although it was slow going there were a few rewards, not least a close Bonxie and then light and dark phase Arctic Skuas together. I was settling in to sea-watch for a few hours when at 0900 Trevor G-H phoned to say he was at the Ferry and had briefly had what appeared to be a large pale pipit that had landed in the grass but was now out of sight. His initial thoughts were it was a thrush until he saw the longer tail, stance and paleness, he then thought pipit (possibly Tawny) but he was suitably cautious and hadn't seen it well so didn't make any claims. It showed a pale mantle and a notably pale throat and neck area but appeared to have a band of streaks below it, but it disappeared from short grass to longer stuff and remained out of sight. Long story short time:- I dashed over to join him, alarm bells ringing as to Richards due to breast streaks. Several brief glimpses only, obscured by vegetation, looked pipit-ish and not Skylark (of which pair nearby) - very frustrating - 2 hours wait - meanwhile contacted AH et al just in case - just cannot be anywhere near certain though, given hopeless views - bird not seen again. It may (or may not) be one that got away, but worth keeping your eyes open in the area just in case.

Selsey Bill (0650-0900 & 1115-1245hrs): Dry, sunny with some cloud, wind NE/E 3-4. (Obs: OM)
Common Scoter - 46E
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 26E, 5W
Oystercatcher - 3E
Redshank - 1N
Bar-tailed Godwit - 6E
Great Skua - 1E
Arctic Skua - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 12 os
Swift - 20+ p, over Bill-tip, including a pair mating on the wing
House Martin - 10 over Bill-tip

PENINSULA: Pagham Hbr: a visit to Church Norton at low tide produced 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Grey Plover, 6 Curlews and a Whimbrel. On Sidlesham Ferry  a vociferous Cetti's Warbler,  4 Teal and 6 Tufted Duck. The North wall/Breech Pool was generally quiet, though 2 Little Ringed Plovers were briefly seen and 4 Knot were on the mudflats.

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Sunday, 2nd June: Firstly, a few comments on yesterday's photo's from SH re the 'Orca' and the Seal. I'm reliably informed that it's not that easy but the latter is probably a Grey; however I think my instincts were right on the former as it looked very strange and decidedly plastic to me - and I think that's exactly what is was! Nice one Sam - it would have been better on 1st April though - but it nearly fooled me and a few others I suspect. Ok, on with today...a couple of possible Great White Egrets in from the sea this morning at the Bill; SR reports " Bit of a lazy birdwatch as I was chatting to Beryl but there was one surprise in the form of two large white birds coming in just left of the island; swans I thought, that's nice as we don't often get them here.  As they got closer I realised their long black legs, narrow body and fairly slow deliberate wing-beat - egrets, large and pure white so probably Great  White.  They came closer and disappeared round the corner of the Bill further to the right of us so I'm hoping they turn up somewhere locally though I'm also wondering about Farlington Marshes."

 

Selsey Bill (0530-1100hrs) :  Sunny, dry, wind N4. (Obs: SH/JA/ SR/BJ)  

Common Scoter - 34E, 10W
Fulmar - 4E, 12W
Gannet - 112E, 52W
Sanderling - 8E
Guillemot - 1E
Auk Sp - 7W, 3W
Kittiwake - 2E, 2W
C/A Tern - 25E
Common Tern - 2 os
Sandwich Tern - 15 os
Little Tern - 1E
Swift - 3N, 8p
House Martin - 29N, 4p
Reed Warbler - 1, gardens (Bill House)
(Also 2 large Egrets N, considered possibly Great Whites)
 

A quick lunchtime visit produced up to 60 Sandwich Terns and about 20 Common Terns (off Hillfield Road) feeding & loafing around the shingle spit and adjacent beach.

Sandwich Terns (above) and Common Tern loafing off the Bill (photos: Andy House)

PENINSULA: Medmerry: Several Avocets still present in area, (one of which has distinctive, but unreadable, orange rings on both legs). Also there this evening were 1 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Ringed Plover, 8 Dunlin, 4 Lapwing, 1 Corn Bunting and 4 Meadow Pipits (SH/AH).

Pagham Hbr: At the North wall/Breech Pool a pair of Little Ringed Plovers, a Cuckoo and 2 Spotted Flycatchers (JW).

Avocets at Medmerry - with orange-ringed bird, right (photo: Andy House)

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Saturday, 1st June: All fairly slow this evening at the Bill, but on Chi GPS (Ivy Lake complex) the 1st-sum Little Gull reported again from the West Trout Lake area. It was still there late afternoon but can sometimes be very difficult to locate.

Selsey Bill (1630-1830hrs). Dry, sunny with some cloud. SW 2-3  (Obs: SH et al)
Gannet - 22E, 12W 
Fulmar - 1E
Common Scoter - 8E
Sanderling - 15 ob, then E
Ringed Plover - 1 ob
Hobby - 1N
Common Tern - 20 os
Sandwich tern - 8 os
Swift - 1N
House Martin - 3 os
Swallow - 2 os
Also: An apparent Orca moving W offshore (see photo)
At Selsey East beach the regular Seal put in a much closer appearance than normal.


A selection of today's interest...

 SH assures me this is actually an Orca heading west past the Bill! (photo: Sam Hill).

 Seal at East beach - Common or Grey? (photo: Sam Hill)

 Common Whitethroat with food, Sidlesham Ferry (photo: Andy House)

 

Pair of Mute Swans with six cygnets on the (second) Severals, Church Norton (photo: Sam Hill)

 

Drake Garganey, Sidlesham Ferry Pool (photo: Andy House)

 

PENINSULA: Pagham Hbr: This afternoon a drake Garganey (reported on Birdguides) was still present on Sidlesham Ferry, also a pair of Whitethroats gathering food. In the harbour, still a few Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits & Dunlin about and quite a bit of Common/Sandwich Tern activity over Tern island (AH). On the Severals a pair of Mute Swans with 6 cygnets.