10th - 12th April 2015

Sunday, 12th April: Bright, dry and mainly sunny with a fresh SSW breeze.

Selsey Bill (06.00 - 09.30hrs): Sunny, SSW4.  (Obs: SH/JA/PB/AGB/CN et al) 
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2os
Diver sp - 11E
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Fulmar - 8E, 13W
Gannet - 35E, 26W
Brent Goose - 47E
Eider - 4W
Common Scoter - 107E, 4W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1os
Turnstone - 5E
'Commic' Tern - 16E
Sandwich Tern - 49E, 3W
Little Gull - 6E
Kittiwake - 2W
Great Skua - 1E
Arctic Skua - 4E
Auk sp - 2E
Wheatear - 1ob
Swallow - 3N
Meadow Pipit - 2N
Linnet - 5S

Also, a Pale-bellied Brent Goose appears to have sneaked by unobserved - see the last but one bird in the picture below....

Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Brent Geese and an Oystercatcher past the Bill (AH)

Additional watches -  (0930-1100hrs): (CRJ/C&ME/JH)

Red-throated Diver - 7E

Great Northern Diver - 4 os

Diver sp -  6E
Gannet - 12E, 1W

Brent Goose - 7E

Common Scoter - 16E

Red-breasted Merganser -1E

Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p 0930)

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 14E

'Commic' Tern - 2E

Meadow Pipit - 2N  

(& 1600-1800) (SH/CN/BI)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 14E, 17W, 1os
Common Scoter - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser -  1E
Arctic Skua - 1E (dark phase)
Sandwich Tern - 11E, 1W
'Commic' Tern - 1E
Swallow - 29N

 

Selsey: Two Ravens flew west over the Park farm area, whilst the same observer logged a Blackcap and 2 Willow Warblers in his garden and 4 Mediterranean Gulls over (SH)  

Long Pool/Ferry Channel: The Spotted Redshank was showing well again this morning in the channel with 30+ Common Redshank, and there were up to 50 Willow/Chiffs all the way along the pool, with the majority seemingly Willow Warblers. Also a handful of Swallows were overhead, the Sedge Warbler was singing again and there were one or two Blackcaps about, plus the regular Linnets and Reed Buntings. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & with Common Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Willow Warbler (above) & a fine show of Gorse along the Long Pool (AH)

Ferry Pool: Still more Shoveler than anything else, though four Gadwall were still present. A pair of Mute Swans were upsetting the Lapwings on the fields, who bombarded them constantly until they gave up and went back on the water. (AH)

Shoveler (above) & Mute Swans getting dive-bombed by Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The first Whitethroat of the year was in the bushes beyond the hide this morning with a pair of Blackcaps. (PB/AGB)
Otherwise it was deja-vu early this morning, with a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps about, and in the harbour c200 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Whimbrel on the mud. (AH) 
This afternoon 3 Sparrowhawks, a Blackcap, 20 Willow/Chiffs and 8 Swallows were present, with just singles of Gannet and Sandwich tern offshore (S&SaH).

Saturday, 11th April: A notable change in the weather to cooler, cloudy and fresher conditions, with cloud, showers and a brisk W/SW wind....

Selsey Bill (06.00 - 09.00hrs): Cloud, showers, W/SW 4-5 (Obs: SH/JA/IP/PB/et al)
Great Northern Diver - 1 os
Diver sp - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet  - 22E, 60W
Fulmar - 4E, 15W
Brent Goose - 240E, 3W
Shoveler - 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 6W, 1os
Common Scoter - 25E
Kestrel - 1p
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Great Skua - 1E
Common Tern - 55E
Sandwich Tern - 88E
Little Gull - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Guillemot - 1W
Razorbill - 1W
Wheatear - 1N, 1ob
Meadow Pipit - 3N

Additional watch (16.00-18.00hs): Obs: SH/JA/CN
Gannet - 10E,19W
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Common Scoter - 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Sandwich tern - 2E, 4W
Commic Tern - 5E
Auk sp - 1E
Arctic Skua -  3E (dark phase)

Fulmar (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Church Norton: A Spoonbill was reported  as present in the harbour before the tide dropped, but other than a few Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in the sheltered bushes, two Mediterranean Gulls over high and around 300 Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour, it was fairly quiet. (AH)

There were two Swallows at Park Farm this morning, a pair of Blackcaps at the first Severals and a few Chiffchaffs, with a single Willow Warbler in the Bluebell wood, and there were three Grey Partridge in the field behind . Offshore there were two Gannets, one Sandwich Tern and two Mediterranean Gulls. (S&SaH)

Willow Warbler (above) & Blackcap at Church Norton (AH)

Swallow at Park Farm (SH)

Long Pool/Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was along Ferry Channel with c40 Redshank - it is just starting to acquire a bit of summer plumage. Three or four Yellowhammers were flying about, a Sedge Warbler briefly sung from somewhere in the reeds, and there were 20+ Willow/Chiffs, of which the greater part appeared to be Willow Warblers, along the Long Pool. A few Linnets and Reed Buntings were also present, and a Swallow flew over the Discovery area. 

Not much on the Ferry beyond the 50+ Shoveler, though there were four Wigeon, six Gadwall and a dozen Teal also present, plus the Black-tailed Godwit flock, relocated from the harbour. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (above) & Linnet along Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: Wet and windy this morning, and apart from two Curlew and a Little Egret White's Creek was devoid of bird life. The now overflowing Breech Pool held a few Teal, two Tufted Ducks and six Gadwall. The first swallow was back at the Welbourne stables, but the only other migrant  was a single Wheatear along the Wall. The Little Egret choir was in good voice at Owl Copse. (JDW)

Wheatear (above) & Swallow from North Wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - This evening there were six Stock Doves about the buildings, four Yellowhammers in the hedges and 30+ Swallows over and 30+ Reed Buntings, 50+ Pied Wagtails and a single Grey Wagtail on the settling tanks. Also a Brown Hare was in the arable fields. (AH)

Stock Dove (above) & Brown Hare at Porthole Farm (AH)

Friday, 10th April: At last the sea stole the show with some Skuas (Arctic) past the Bill, as a hazy morning with an easterly wind produced a bit of passage....meanwhile an early check at Sidlesham Quay failed to locate yesterday's Ring Ouzel and passerine migrants were at a premium...until a fall of Willow Warblers was discovered near the Pagham Hbr Visitor centre.

Selsey Bill (0600-1500hrs): Sunny with cloud, hazy offshore, wind E3-4. (Obs: JA/BI/GH/C&ME/AH/OM/DS/JD et al). Four Arctic Skuas - the first of the year - went east by 10am, along with seven Little Gulls, and there was an obvious passage of Sandwich Terns and Brent Geese. The Black Redstart was still in the gardens, but the only other passerine loitering seemed to be a single Chiffchaff! Full log below:

Red-throated Diver - 13E

Black-throated Diver - 2E

Diver sp - 4E (one quite probably another Black-throat but not enough to convince!)

Great Northern Diver - 6 os

Fulmar - 1E, 6W

Gannet - 14E

Brent Goose - 787E, 1W

Common Scoter - 118E

Red-breasted Merganser - 25E, 7os

Kestrel - 1N

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E

Whimbrel - 13E

Arctic Skua - 4E
Razorbill - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 259E

Common Tern - 45E

Little Gull - 7E

Black-headed Gull - 30E

Meadow Pipit - 2E, 30N

Pied/alba Wagtail - 2N

Black Redstart - 1 gardens

Swallow - 5N

Goldfinch - 2E

Linnet - 33E, 6W, 21N

Chiffchaff - 1 gardens

Arctic Skua (above), Sandwich Tern, Brent Geese, Fulmar (BI) & Black Redstart at the Bill (AH)

Additional watch: 1700 - 1900hrs: (Obs: SH/JA/PB)

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 9E, 3W
Brent Goose - 50E  

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 1W

Short-eared Owl - 1N
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 1W
Common Tern - 2E
Little Gull - 2E
Black Redstart - 1 still present, gardens



Medmerry: Easton Lane west - At the (only!) Tamarisk bush halfway along the beach from the Stilt Pool to the Breach there were 2 Chiffchaffs, a male Blackcap and a Firecrest feeding well. There was a Green Sandpiper close to Marsh Barn, a Cetti's Warbler was seen and heard, plus Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, Sand Martins, Swallow and a scattering of Wheatears. (PLS)

Ferry Pool/area: Just the usual suspects early this morning - with the Shoveler flock being the most conspicuous. (AH/OM) Later, at least 50 Willow Warblers around the Visitor Centre and West Side, with good numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff with them and a Sedge Warbler at Long Pool.

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Not much doing this morning - just a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs about, plus at least 50 Grey Plover and 30 Curlew in the harbour. This evening a Sandwich Tern and two Whimbrel were in the harbour, along with c200 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall/Halsey's farm: A Sedge Warbler along the Wall, and also a Redstart reported from Halsey’s Farm (per IL).