4th-6th May 2015

Wednesday, 6th May: An even worse day! Gale force winds and heavy showers making birding all but impossible.... Still, the forecast is better for the next couple of days.

Selsey Bill: Still quite a few terns offshore, but less than yesterday, and less Gannets, too. A flock of eleven Brent Geese going east, a Wheatear briefly on the wall and a few Swifts and hirundines in over the sea suggested that a few birds were still moving. Full log later. (AH/CRJ/SR et al)
(0650-1200hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 19E, 48W

Fulmar - 1E, 3W

Brent - 11E

Eider - 2E

Common Scoter - 2E

Kestrel - 1p

Hobby - 1S 0900, 1N 1050

Arctic Skua  1E (d/p)

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 18E, 11W

Commic Tern - 19E, 5W

Little Tern - 9E, 1W

auk sp - 1os

Swallow - 65N

House Martin - 19N

Wheatear - 1p

Grey Seal - 1os

Wheatear (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

(1820-1925hrs) (SH)

Manx Shearwater - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 3W

Shelduck - 2p

Little tern - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Commic tern - 2os

Swift - 1N

Church Norton: There were still half a dozen Whimbrel, four Curlews, c100 Dunlin and c30 Ringed Plover on the mud, along with a dozen Common Terns and a couple of Sandwich Terns. A Cuckoo briefly along the west side, a Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat was about it, even on the more sheltered hedges. (AH)

Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Late this afternoon, a pair of Little Terns and a dozen or so Common and Sandwich Terns were in the harbour, along with a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and similar numbers of the other waders to this morning. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Bar-tailed Godwit & Sandwich Terns and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Three Avocets and a dozen Shelduck were the only birds on the pool this morning. (AH)

Tuesday, 5th May: A dreadful day! It started with a strong southerly, with squalls of rain, before veering west and increasing to gale force as the cloud cleared....

Selsey Bill: There was a big flock of terns off Hilfield Road early this morning - c300 Common, c70 Sandwich and c20 Little Terns, but no sign of the Roseate Terns in poor conditions. Not much else either - a Buzzard seen coming in off the sea being the rarest bird in local terms. Otherwise there were two distant Manx Shearwaters west, a Hobby east, 30+ Swifts in off the sea, c30 Common Scoter east, a couple of great Northern Divers offshore and a continual stream of Gannets west. Full log later. (AH/DF/CRJ/RJS)

(0700-1230hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 4osp

diver sp - 1E

Manx Shearwater - 4W

Fulmar - 4E, 2W

Gannet - 57E, 75W

Common Scoter - 36E

Common Buzzard - 1N ( at 0930)

Hobby - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 33W

Common Tern - 31W

Little Tern - 10W

Guillemot - 1E

Swift - 56N

Swallow - 53N

House Martin - 17N

Wheatear - 1N

Great Northern Diver (above), Gannets, Common Tern & Oystercatchers at the Bill (AH)

(1430-1900hrs) (PB/SH/SHo et al)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated diver - 1E

Manx Shearwater - 17W

Fulmar - 1E, 5W

Gannet 32W 27E

Common Scoter - 1E

Hobby - 2N

Arctic Skua - 5E (2l/p, 3d/p)

Kittiwake - 5W

Commic Tern - 120os

Sandwich Tern - 40os

Little Tern - 3W, 20os

Razorbill - 3W

auk sp - 5E

Swift - 3N

Swallow - 70N

Wheatear - 1ob

Ferry Pool: Just two Avocets, 35 Shelduck and four Gadwall on the pool, and ten or so Lapwing on the field. (AH)

Church Norton: The first two Spotted Flycatchers of the year were sheltering along the path to the beach; the first ones last year appeared on a similarly dire day. Not much else in the bushes to report - a few Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps being about it.

Around twenty Sandwich ( including one in winter plumage) and similar of Common Terns were in the harbour, along with a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, four Grey Plover, up to ten Whmbrel and c150 Dunlin. (AH/CRJ)

Spotted Flycatchers (above) & Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake complex - There were 50+ Common Terns again this afternoon on Ivy Lake, but no sign of the Little Gull, and virtually all the 100+ hirundines were Sand Martins. There was a Hobby over the lakes on the east side, and at least 100 Swifts. (AH)

Hobby (above) & Swift over Chichester GPs (AH)

Medmerry: The three Spoonbills were out on the reserve again this morning, with two Wheatears on the banks. (PH)

Ham Lane - A pair of Grey Partridges were right by the buildings at Oakhurst Farm this evening, and plenty of Swallows over the fields. (AH)

Grey Partridges (above) & Swallow at Medmerry (AH)

Bank Holiday Monday, 4th May: Not exactly a re-run of last year's bumper day, with a bright and breezy start and the wind to the west, before slowly shifting round and becoming hazy...

A few migrants were present today, but the best birds were saved till last - with two Roseate Terns found off the Bill early this evening....

Selsey Bill: A big crowd of hopeful watchers assembled, but the weather defeated them all, with a couple of Arctic Skuas and a few flocks of Common Scoter being about the only birds going eastwards, though the big mixed flock of terns remained offshore. There was a Hobby, a Yellow Wagtail and a Wheatear in off the sea, but generally it was a pretty quiet morning. 

Late news this evening of two Roseate Terns among the tern flock off the Bill, roosting on the bar at 6pm. Hopefully they will still be there in the morning. (JA/CRJ)

(0515-0930hrs) (JA/SH/CN/IP/AH/PB/AB et al)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Fulmar - 7W
Gannet 7E, 23W
Brent Goose - 2E
Shelduck - 2p
Common Scoter - 116E
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Hobby - 1N
Kestrel - 1p
Whimbrel - 4E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E
Sanderling - 11E
Turnstone - 8W
Great Skua - 1W
Arctic Skua - 3E (1l/p, 2d/p)
Kittiwake - 2E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 8E
Guillemot - 1E
auk sp - 6E, 2W
Swallow - 45N, 4p
Yellow Wagtail - 1N
Wheatear - 1p
Whitethroat - 1p
Willow warbler - 1p

 Hopeful watchers (above) (AH), Great Black-backed Gull (AB) and then Spaniel (AH) with dead Smooth-hound at the Bill 

(0930-1800) (JA/SH/GH/B&MC/CRJ)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 6E, 1W

Brent Goose - 3E

Shelduck - 9W

Common Scoter - 39E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E

Hobby - 1N

Whimbrel - 6E, 15W

Turnstone - 2E

Great Skua - 1E

Arctic Skua - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 41E

Commic Tern - 36E, 6W, 50+ os

Roseate Tern 2 os c1730-1800

Little Tern - 6E, 5os

auk sp  - 1W

Swift - 1N

Swallow - 50N

Park Farm, Selsey: Two Nightingales were singing in the hedges along Park Lane early on, plus a Lesser Whitethroat, and later on there was a Garden Warbler in the same area and six Wheatears on the cropped field. (S&SaH/IP/CN/AH)

Garden Warbler at Park Farm (SH above & AH)

Church Norton: A Whinchat was in the horse field, and another was on Rectory Lane, there were seven Wheatears on the spit, the Cuckoo was calling well, and in the harbour there were a dozen Little Terns, plus double that of Sandwich and Common Terns, as well as at least ten Whimbrel and c100 Dunlin. (AH/S&SaH/IP)

Cuckoo (above) & Little Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool area: The Nightingale was singing well early on, along the cycle-path, and there was a Lesser Whitehroat nearby. Three Common Sandpipers, two Avocets, twenty Black-tailed Godwits and a Redshank was the sum of interest on the pool today. (AH)

Ivy Lake: The first-summer Little Gull was still present though, sadly, not the Black Tern, and there were only a dozen or so Common Terns about. (AB)

Northcommon Farm: A Redstart was near Flycatcher Corner and at the Medmerry end there were nine Whimbrel and a Cuckoo. (GH/AH)

Medmerry Breach: Not much to report - the two Corn Buntings were singing well and there were six Whimbrel and two Grey Plovers on the pools, whilst a pair of Kestrels showed nicely together. (AH) Later on there was also a Wheatear, a very close Cuckoo, eight Swallows and plenty of Whitethroats around, whilst on the pools there were eight Black-tailed Godwits and 32 Grey Plover. (SR)

Corn Bunting (above) & Kestrels at Medmerry (AH)

Ham Viewpoint: Two Spoonbills took to the air after being moved on by the cattle, settling down nearby, and a pair of Brent Geese were next to the brick building. Also seen were three Corn Buntings, two Red-legged Partridges, an Avocet, a Reed Bunting, 18 Stock Doves, c25 Skylarks and a Wheatear along the path. Also 3 Brown Hares were present.

Easton Viewpoint: Quiet apart from nine calling Whimbrel that flew in (perhaps the ones seen earlier at North common Farm), three Yellowhammers and a Kestrel.

Stilt Pool: There were twenty Avocets on the pool, with one more close by, along with a Little Ringed Plover and 22 Tufted Ducks. (SR)
Porthole Farm/ Sidlesham SF: There was a huge mixed hirundine flock around the treatment works late this afternoon - probably in excess of 1000 birds, in a 3:2:1 ratio of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins. Not much else, though, bar a dozen Linnets and a couple of Whitethroats. (AH)

House Martin (above) & with Sand Martin and Swallows at Sidlesham SF (AH)