7th-9th May 2015

Saturday, 9th May: Another very windy morning, with a strong blustery westerly bringing heavy squalls with it, but improving slightly, later on.... There were two more Pomarine Skuas this morning, despite the conditions....

Selsey Bill: (0515-1330hrs) (JA/IP/KT et al)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Manx Shearwater - 3W

Fulmar - 3E, 22W

Gannet - 25E, 101W
Common Scoter - 31E, 1W
Curlew - 1W
Whimbrel - 2E
Great Skua - 2E
Pomarine Skua - 2E (0946)
Arctic Skua - 2E ( l/p), 1W (d/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 12E, 34os
Commic Tern - 17E, 40os
Little Tern - 5os
Guillemot - 4W
Razorbill - 8W
auk sp - 5E, 23W
Swift - 6N
Swallow - 175N
(1600-1810) (JA/IP/M&KG)
diver sp - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 18E, 12W
Kestrel - 1p
Dunlin - 10W
Great Skua - 1E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 2E (1 d/p, 1l/p)
Sandwich Tern - 10os
Common Tern - 17W
Swallow - 15N

Ferry Pool: The flock of c65 Black-tailed Godwits were present, plus a couple of Redshank and Avocets. (AH)

Church Norton: Birdless in the harbour, bar half a dozen Whimbrel and a few Oystercatchers and Shelduck. One or two Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing intermittently from the bushes, but otherwise quiet. (AH)

Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - The first-summer Little Gull was still at the back and there c50 Common Terns present, plus at least 100 each of Swift, Swallow, House and Sand Martin. Also a pair of Greylags and several singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs present, and there was a huge - at least 25 birds - flock of Long-tailed Tits noisily moving about. (AH)

Swallow (above), Long-tailed Tit & Greylag Goose at Ivy Lake (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - Probably 200 Swifts and similar of Swallow and House Martin over the sewage works this evening, and there were five Reed Buntings and a couple of Whitethroats in the hedges and 17 Stock Doves went over west.

Also the two Grey Partridges and a Yellowhammer were around Oakhurst Farm on Ham Lane. (AH)

Swift (above) & House Martin at Porthole Farm (AH)

Friday, 8th May: A generally greyer and cooler day than forecast, with a bit of drizzle in the afternoon. And as for Pomarine Skuas - just the one seen at the Bill, plus three more Roseate Terns.....

Selsey Bill: (0515-1000hrs) (JA/PM/ES/DF/SR et al)

Great Northern Diver - 4os
Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Fulmar - 1E, 2W

Gannet - 54E, 15W

Shelduck - 4p

Common Scoter - 33E
Red-breated Merganser - 2W
Oystercatcher - 8p
Bar-tailed Godwit - 44E
Whimbrel - 5E
Knot - 2E
Dunlin - 4E
Sanderling - 2p
Turnstone - 9E
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)
Kittiwake - 3E, 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 66E
Roseate Tern - 2E (0537), 1 os 0930-1000)
Common Tern - 32E
Arctic Tern - 1os
Commic Tern - 33E
Little Tern - 6os
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 6E, 58W
Swift - 7N
Meadow Pipit - 5N
Yellow Wagtail - 2N
Swallow - 145N
Sand Martin - 1N
Whitethroat 1 in gardens

(1330-1800hrs) (JA/CRJ/SHo et al)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 32E, 6W

Shelduck - 5E

Common Scoter - 45E
Great Skua - 1E
Pomarine Skua - 1E (1434)
Arctic Skua - 3E (2d/p, 1 l/p)
Little Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 4E, 4W
Sandwich Tern - 46E
Common Tern - 21E
Commic Tern - 19E
Little Tern - 13E
Guillemot - 4W
auk sp - 45W

Swallow - 3N

Medmerry: Breach - A Wheatear on the rocks this morning was the only migrant. On the pools were half a dozen Knot and a dozen or so Grey Plovers and Dunlin, plus a pair of Little Terns. (AH/IP/AB/AGB)

Stilt Pool area - There were three Little Ringed Plovers and c20 Avocets on the pool, a single Spoonbill on the reserve and a Corn Bunting and plenty of Skylarks along the fences. (AH/IP/AB/AGB)

Wheatear at Medmerry (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake -  The first-summer Little Gull was present with c30 Common Terns today. Also a pair of Bullfinches and a pair of Black Swans were present. (AH/IP/AB/AGB)

Little Gull and Mute Swans (above) & Black Swan at Ivy Lake (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper on the pool this morning, plus three Avocets and six Gadwall, and c65 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in. Across the road, single Greenshank, Whimbrel and Curlew were in Ferry Channel. (AH/IP/AB/AGB)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A few Whimbrel were in the harbour, but otherwise quiet, though a Grey Partridge was with several Red-legged Partridges along Rectory Lane. 

Grey Partridge (above) & Moorhen family at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Cuckoo flew along the wall this afternoon. (MP)

Fishbourne Creek: A quick look late in the day produced 17 Brent Geese and a Wigeon, plus 105 Mute Swans and a few Whimbrel but few other waders, whilst there was a pair of Bullfinches in the churchyard. (AH/IP/AB/AGB)

Brent Geese in Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Thursday, 7th May: Hello to all from sunny Lesvos.......... well it's currently 30 degrees C and seven Selsey regulars are having an easy day today before going for a cold beer and a splash in the pool. Well we thought we'd wind that into you as we've been following the blog and monitoring the poor weather on the Peninsula at present. Perhaps we will be in with a chance of the Pom crown after all, when we return at the weekend! Anyway, good luck to all to all and keep up the good work, from Owen, Bernie, John F, Mervyn, Dorian, Jim and Mike.

Luckily we can get one back on them today - a Red-rumped Swallow flew in at the Bill this morning at 7.20, to the delight of the four observers present (AH/IP/CRJ &TR), and with the prospect of some more seasonal, Pom-bearing weather tomorrow. 

There will be no news till late tomorrow because I have volunteered to do the Bird Race  and will be hurtling around the county all day and away from the computer. (AH)

Selsey Bill: (0630-1400hrs) (CRJ/TR/AH/IP) The highlight was clearly the Red-rumped Swallow which flew in at 7.20, right up over our heads before disappearing over the Bill House. Otherwise sea-passage remains light, though the tern flock had re-assembled over the bar.

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 23E, 25W

Shelduck - 2p

Common Scoter - 28E

Eider - 2W

Whimbrel - 1E

Turnstone - 4W

Bonxie - 1E

Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)

Sandwich Tern - 11E, 18W, 30os,

Commic Tern - 130os

Little Tern - 22os

auk sp - 1E, 3W

Swallow - 90N

Red-rumped Swallow - 1N (0720)

House Martin - 6N

Goldfinch - 4W

Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)

(1415-1820hrs) (JA/IP/SR)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 11E, 6W

Brent Goose - 1E

Common Scoter - 3E

Mallard - 3p

Turnstone - 7W

Arctic Skua 1E (l/p)

Kittiwake - 4W

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Common Tern - 15os

Little Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 1W

Guillemot - 1W

Swift - 2N

Swallow - 21N

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: A first-summer Little Gull (looking suspiciously like the one recently on Ivy Lake) was briefly present this morning, though not much else to report - just three Avocets, six Gadwall and c50 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in. 

A Spoonbill was at the far end of Ferry Channel and there were plenty of warblers, plus a few Reed Buntings singing along the hedges/reedbeds. Also, two or three Holly Blues were on the wing. (AH/IP)

A Spotted Flycatcher was by the Visitor Centre early on. (TR)

Little Gull (above), Gadwall, Black-tailed Godwits & Holly Blue at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Still a few Whimbrel in the harbour and c100 Dunlin present, but not much else of note. (AH/IP)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Spotted Flycatcher was around the perimeter of the sewage works, but there were only a few hirundines present, outnumbered by the 50+ Swifts. (AH/IP)

Spotted Flycatcher at Porthole Farm (AH)