29th - 30th April 2015

Thursday, 30th April: A very bright, but very windy day with the wind due west, which is never a very promising direction......

Selsey Bill: (0700 - 1000hrs) (JDW/PC/AH/DS/A&YF) Hard work at the Bill this morning. The brisk westerly breeze put a stop to any sustained passage. The few birds recorded came by in dribs and drabs as follows -

Great Northern Diver - 1os

diver sp - 1E

Gannet - 9E, 3W

Brent Goose - 2E

Common Scoter - 5E

Whimbrel 11

Dunlin - 30W

Sanderling - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 3E

Commic Tern - 5E

Little Tern - 8E

Swallows - 3N 
Additional (1750-1900hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Gannet - 2E, 7W
Fulmar - 1W
Kestrel - 1P
Sandwich Tern - 32os
Commic tern - 5os
Arctic Tern - 1os
Common Tern - 3os
Little Tern - 8W (in one tight flock)

Ferry Pool: The Nightingale and Lesser Whitethroat were both still present along the cycle-path this morning, and there was a Painted Lady in our garden nearby. (A&YF)

Just two Avocets, 50 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Shoveler and 40 Shelducks were on the pool this morning, and about a dozen Lapwings on the field. (AH)

Lapwing over Ferry Field (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - There were a handful of Swallows, House and Sand Martins and at least 15 Swifts over the lake this morning. Not less than 40 Common Terns and 16 Great Crested Grebes were also present, and in and around the bushes were Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warblers. (JDW)

Church Norton: The Cuckoo was being very noisy and mobile around the edge of Priory Wood this morning, and a Lesser Whitethroat and several Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were near the concrete wall. There were still at least twenty Whimbrel in the harbour, along with a single Bar-tailed Godwit, 40 Dunlin and eight Sandwich Terns. (AH)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Whitethroat & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 29th April: A genuine SSW wind this morning, with some squalls but not heavy rain, and even a glimpse of the sun....until about noon when a band of heavy rain really moved in and the wind became more westerly.

Selsey Bill (0700-1215hrs):The strong south-south-westerly wind brought some birds this morning, most notably over 20 Manx Shearwaters by 10.30am, as well as six Bonxies and an Arctic Skua east, and, most surprisingly, a Long-tailed Duck going west. 

There were also plenty of Gannets, Fulmars, auks and a few Kittiwakes going west, and a few Brent Geese and Common Scoter going east, plus some lingering Commic, Little and Sandwich Terns. Full log below.... (OM/AH/GH/SR/JDW)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os
Diver sp - 1E
Fulmar - 19W
Gannet - 5E, 73W
Manx Shearwater - 5E, 23W
Brent Goose - 44E
Common Scoter - 38W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E
Long-tailed Duck - 1W

Whimbrel - 1W
Razorbill - 4W
Auk sp - 3E, 49W
Great Skua - 6E
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)
Little Tern - 4E, 10 os
Common Tern - 4W
Commic Tern - 30E, 5W, 6os
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 9W
Kittiwake - 5W
Swallow - 3N
Additional: 17.30-19.00hrs:  (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Gannet - 20E, 4W
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Common Scoter - 7E
Auk sp - 2E
Little Tern - 13os, 2E
Commic Tern - 15os
Sandwich Tern - 16os
Kittiwake - 1W

Arctic Skua (above), Gannets, Little Tern, Turnstone and a leaden sky at Selsey Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Not much this morning - just two Avocets, c50 Black-tailed Godwits and 45 Shelduck of note. (OM/AH)

Church Norton: Unsurprisingly 'passerine-free', but there were two each of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns in the harbour, plus at least 20 Whimbrel, several late Curlews and c200 Dunlin. (AH)

Curlew and Whimbrel (above) & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Sidlesham: There were four Lesser Black-backed Gulls amongst the Herring Gulls in the garden this morning. Though they are regular around Chichester, they are surprisingly uncommon at this end of the peninsula. Also, the Jackdaws were busy finding the freshest nesting material! (AH)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (above) & Jackdaw gathering nesting material in Sidlesham (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - The only birds of note were the hirundines over the sewage works, numbering several hundred, of which most were Swallows, with a reasonable number of House Martins but just a few Sand Martins. (AH)

Swallows & House Martins at Sidlesham SF (AH)