28th - 30th April 2016

Saturday, 30th April: A fairly pleasant start with sunshine and a moderate but still chilly N/NW breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Another day with no evident sea-passage, though a Little Ringed Plover came in off the sea and one or two passerines were about. Full log below.....

(0530-0945hrs) (Obs: JA/SH/PB/C&ME/JF et al)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 7E, 28W

Fulmar - 1E, 3W

Common Scoter - 2E

Little Ringed Plover - 1N

Sanderling - 1E

Whimbrel - 1E, 1W

Great Skua - 1 os

Little Tern - 11os

Common Tern - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 12 os

auk sp - 1E, 7W

Swift - 5N

Yellow Wagtail - 2N

Swallow - 1N

Wheatear - 2ob

Willow/Chiff - 1N

Whitethroat - 2 in gardens

Sedge Warbler - 1 in Bill House garden

Northern end of Selsey: On the rough ground at the end of the town there was a female Whinchat and three Whitethroats, whilst around Park Farm there was a Lesser Whitethroat, two Whitethroats and three Swallows. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: A Garden Warbler was behind the hide and a couple of female Redstarts were around the hedges, with another along the Severals, and there were still plenty of Willow warblers, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs around, plus at least three Lesser Whitethroats and 5+ Sedge Warblers and a couple of Reed Warblers along the Severals.

There  were five Little Terns in the harbour and at least 20 Whimbrel scattered about, but not too much else. (AH/GM/A&YF)

Redstarts (above), Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap & Willow Warbler at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: Just two Avocets, four Redshank and a Shelduck on the pool. 

Along Ferry Channel there was still a Spotted Redshank, at least half a dozen Greenshank, 20+ Whimbrel and a pair of Gadwall, whilst all the regular warblers, including two Lesser Whitethroats were singing along the hedges and a pair of Lapwing were displaying over the ploughed fields. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank & Lapwings from Long Pool (AH)

Medmerry (west side): A male Wheatear was on the beach and six Mediterranean Gulls were with the Black-headed Gulls on the stilt pools with the usual Avocets and Little Ringed Plovers also present. Three Sandwich Terns and five Dunlin went east and there was a Great Crested Grebe offshore. Along the tracks were a few Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers, by Marsh Barn there were four Whitethroats and there were three Gadwall in the ditch, and four Whimbrel were on the mud by Easton sluice. (BI)

 Wheatear and Mediterranean Gull at Medmerry (BI)

Later on there were ten Little Terns and the adult Little Gull on the Stilt Pool, along with 40 Dunlin and most of the birds seen earlier. (AH)

Little Gull (above), Little Terns, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin & Swallows at Medmerry (AH)

Chi GPs - Ivy Lake: again 30 Common Terns but only a single House Martin and no Swallows or Swifts. All the commoner warblers were still present round the paths. (BI)


Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A full set of wagtails this evening on the settling tanks - one Yellow Wagtail, one White Wagtail, two Grey Wagtails and c20 Pied Wagtails, plus a few Reed Buntings and Chaffinches, whilst overhead there were several hundred Swallows and House Martins. (AH)

Yellow Wagtail (above), Grey Wagtail & White Wagtail at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 29th April: Yet another cold, grey day this spring, with a strong, blustery west-north-westerly, stopping any real passage happening.....

Selsey Bill: It was a good morning for Manx Shearwaters, with 60+ seen going west, and for Swifts and hirundines, with a small but steady inward arrival.  There was not much else on the move, though 100+ Common Scoter east was noteworthy, as was a single Eider west. The only migrants on land were two Wheatears on the beach and a couple of Chiffchaffs in the gardens, though an odd-coloured finch or sparrow caused some interest; presumably it is either an aberrant House Sparrow or perhaps it emanates from a cage somewhere! Full log below......
0520-1300hrs: (Obs: JA/PB/C&ME/CN/JF/ML/OM/AH/BI et al)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Gannet - 38E, 255W
Fulmar - 10W
Manx Shearwater - 67W
Brent Goose - 1W
Eider - 1W
Common Scoter - 121E, 5W
Sanderling - 3W
Whimbrel - 4E, 8W
Oystercatcher - 5E
Red-legged Partridge - 2 gardens
Guillemot - 2W
Razorbill - 5W
auk sp - 9E, 28W
Little Tern - 40+ fishing os, gradually drifted away E
Common Tern - 12 fishing os drifted away E
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 12 os
Kittiwake - 3W
Great Skua - 2 os
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Yellow Wagtail - 1N
Swift - 36N
Sand Martin - 1N
House Martin - 29N
Swallow - 51N
Wheatear - 2ob
Chiffchaff - 2 gardens
Whitethroat - 1 gardens

Eider (above), Wheatear, Fulmar, Red-legged Partridge & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Odd-looking sparrow (??) at the Bill - all suggestions welcome! (AH)

OM demonstrating his new collapsible chair (above) & CN taking a break from the excitement at the Bill (AH)

There was very little moving this evening, save a single Manx Shearwater and a Red-throated Diver west, and a few Gannets, mostly east. (JA/SH/CN/AH)

Church Norton: A Cuckoo was near the concrete wall, and in the sheltered bushes there were still a few Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers, but not much else.
There were a few Sandwich and Common Terns offshore, whilst in the harbour there were still 20+ Whimbrel and a mixed flock of c50 Dunlin and c50 Ringed Plover on the mud. (AH)

Cuckoo (above), Whimbrel & Ringed Plovers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: The Nightingale was still singing intermittently (IL), the Common Sandpiper was in the channel opposite the road early on (OM/CG), and there were two Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank and two Shelducks on the pool. 
The Spotted Redshank was along Ferry Channel with at least eight Greenshank and up to forty Whimbrel, whilst along the hedges there were three singing Lesser Whitethroats (with another along the Tramway) and plenty of Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers, plus at least a dozen Swifts went over. Two Little Terns were at the head of the channel. (AH/BI/CN/CG)

Whitethroat (above), Reed Bunting and Greenshanks along Long Pool (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Sedge Warbler along Long Pool (BI)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (CG)

  

Selsey, Northcommon Farm:  There was a female Redstart and 5 Whimbrel. (CN)

Ivy Lake: This morning there were 31 Common Terns and many Swallow & House Martins over the water, five Cetti's Warblers, four Chiffchaffs and five Blackcaps along the path and a Great Spotted Woodpecker near the road. (BI)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (above) & Common Tern at Ivy Lake (BI)

Medmerry: Stilt Pools - There were two Wheatears (1m, 1f) on the saltmarsh just behind the beach this today at midday. A male Sparrowhawk was also hunting there causing the Wheatears to vanish into the grass for a few minutes as he went right over them! 

There were also five Whimbrel present, and about 15-20 Little Terns on/over the Stilt Pools. (PH)

Later on there were still 20+ Little Terns on the Stilt Pools, and four Sandwich Terns over, plus half a dozen Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, several Mediterranean Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls, a pair of Gadwall, several Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, and 30+ Avocets. (AH/CG)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Ringed Plover & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Skylark & Avocet at Medmerry (CG)

 Thursday, 28th April: Another sharp frost to start with, before a bright, fairly still morning with a light NW breeze deteriorated into a blustery afternoon with a moderate-strong SW 5-6......

Selsey Bill: Still no sea-bird passage to speak of, with the same as yesterday offshore - a couple of Bonxies and Great Northern Divers present, a few Gannets and a gradual build up of Common and Little Terns feeding along the beach.

There was some evidence of passerine migration, though, including a Grasshopper Warbler reeling for a short time early on in the Bill House garden, where the Redstart was still present, plus one or two Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap. Also a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a few Swallows flew in and a couple of Wheatears were along the beach. Full log below......

0545-1145hrs: (Obs: JF/C&ME/OM/AH/PC et al)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet - 32E, 21W

Brent Goose - 3E, 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Common Scoter - 68E

Mallard - 5 'locals' gardens

Sanderling - 2W

Whimbrel - 1E, 4W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1ob flew off E

auk sp - 2E, 5W

Little Tern - 40 feeding os eventually all drifted off E

Common Tern - 20+ os feeding eventually all drifted off E

Commic Tern - 23E

Sandwich Tern - 30E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Great Skua - 2E

House Martin - 1 around Bill House area, apparently nest-site prospecting

Swallow - 19N

Yellow Wagtail - 2N

Wheatear - 2ob

Redstart - 1 gardens

Grasshopper Warbler - 1 reeling (0645) Bill House garden

Willow Warbler - 4 gardens

Chiffchaff - 2 gardens

Blackcap - 1 gardens

Whitethroat - 1 gardens

 

Wheatears (above), Redstart, Willow Warbler, Little Terns & Mallards at the Bill (AH)

(1130-1300hrs) (E. Stubbs)

Common Scoter - 12E

Great Skua - 1E at 12:30

Little Tern - 23 offshore

This evening there were two Manx Shearwaters, three Guillemots and a few Fulmars west, plus at least one Bonxie, a few Gannets and Sandwich, Little and Common Terns moving about offshore. (JA/AH/SH/CN)

Warner Lane paddocks: Two Whinchats and two Redstarts were in the paddocks this morning, plus a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and a few Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Linnets. Also a Green Woodpecker, a pair of Red-legged Partridges and nearby a pair of Buzzards. (OM/JF/AH)

Whinchat at Warner Lane paddocks (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: The Cattle Egret was reported from the Marsh Farm area this morning but has moved this afternoon. (IL)

Ferry Pool: Two Shelduck and two Redshank was it again today on the pool, whilst along the cycleway the Nightingale sang occasionally and there were plenty of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing early on. (AH)

Long Pool: The Spotted Redshank and at least eight Greenshank were along Ferry Channel again, along with a Common Sandpiper and up to 30 Whimbrel, whilst along the hedges there was still a good selection of warblers. (AH)

Spotted Redshank and Redshank (above), Greenshank & Whimbrel in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: There were 20+ Willow Warblers and a scattering of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs along the sheltered hedges this morning, and in the harbour there were 40+ Whimbrel, 20+ Grey Plover and 100+ Dunlin along the main channel, along with at least four Great Crested Grebes and a couple of Common Terns. (AH)

Blackcap (above) & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were six Little Terns feeding in the harbour, and a few Sandwich Terns were also present. (AH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pools - An adult Little Gull was still present, (with another seen going east), along with a Common Sandpiper, four Yellow Wagtails, a White Wagtail, at least 6 Little Ringed Plovers, ca.35 Avocets, 30 Dunlin, five Little Terns, ca.60 Black-headed Gulls. A Redstart, a Blackcap and 5 or 6 Willow Warblers were also present nearby. (PH/MP)

 Little Gull, Yellow Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover and Little Tern at Medmerry Stilt pools (MP)

Fishbourne Creek: A quick look along from Dell Quay produced between 15 and 20 Greenshank, spread all the along the central channel, and about a dozen thinly spread Whimbrel were present, too, plus a few Redshank and a single drake Wigeon. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Whimbrel at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Chichester GPs: A few Swifts were over Quarry Lake this morning. (E Stubbs)