7th - 9th April 2016

Saturday, 9th April: Another reasonably bright though changeable day, with the wind still mainly in the west but easing somewhat through the morning. Obviously Redstarts found it to their liking with new arrivals at a number of sites today......

Selsey Bill: Not much moving on the sea, bar a few Fulmars west and Common Scoter east, though there were seven Great Northern Divers offshore and a few passerines in the gardens, including a male Redstart, a couple of Wheatears and a Blackcap. Full log below.....

0615-1115hrs: (Obs: SH/PB/IP/SR/AH/OM)
Great Northern Diver - 7os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Fulmar - 1E, 18W
Gannet - 10E, 102W
Brent Goose - 40E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 2W, 1os
Common Scoter - 57E
Sandwich Tern - 5E, 3W, 6os
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 1W
Meadow Pipit - 4 gardens
Pied/alba Wagtail - 1N
Swallow - 3N
Wheatear - 2 beach/gardens
Redstart - 1 (male) gardens
Chiffchaff - 3
Willow Warbler - 2
Blackcap - 1 gardens

(1615-1730hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 2E, 5W
Sandwich Tern - 1os

Wheatears at the Bill (AH)

Warner Lane, Selsey: Another male Redstart was here too, plus a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Buzzard. (OM)

Northcommon Farm: There were at least two Willow Warblers, a Blackcap, a singing Goldcrest, a pair of Green Woodpeckers and a pair of Stock Doves, plus another Buzzard eating worms. (OM)

Pair of love-struck Stock Doves at Northcommon Farm (OM)

Park Farm, Selsey: This morning there was a Wheatear, a Willow Warbler, four Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and four Buzzards in the area. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There were three Redstarts, including two males, around the Severals. (IP) Also the two Ravens were showing well on the spit again, and there were a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs about early on. (AH) Later, another Redstart was seen in the churchyard (IL).

Ravens at Church Norton (AH)

 

Later on there were two Sedge Warblers around the Severals, along with 10+ Willow Warblers, 30+ Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps, a Sandwich Tern and a Brent Goose were in the harbour and there were four Buzzards overhead. (S&SaH)

Sedge Warbler at Church Norton (SH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was present again this morning, plus two Avocets, four Redshank and 20 Shoveler. (AH) Late afternoon a Spotted Redshank was on the pool before flying into Ferry Channel. (AH)

Spotted Redshank on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry (west side): On the Stilt Pool there was still one Little Gull, with a White Wagtail and a Swallow nearby. The Little Owl also showed for a while at Marsh Farm buildings (PH).

Sidlesham Churchyard: A male Blackcap carrying nesting material was in the lane, while the churchyard itself had a second Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests, a Jay, 5 Buzzards, a Kestrel, and a Green Woodpecker. (SR)

North Wall: Still not much happening....the Spotted Redshank was still on White's Creek along with 48 of his Common relatives, and some 40 plus Black-tailed Godwits were at the back of the Breech Pool. Five cock Pheasants were together in the field behind, unusual for this side of the Harbour, but apart from Linnets there was nothing along the Wall. Gargling noises were coming from Owl Copse, indicating that the Little Egrets were back in residence, whilst a single Whimbrel was on the mud at Owl Water. Three male Blackcaps were also located, one in Owl Copse and a couple at the Macracarpa Copse. (JDW) 

Later a male Wheatear was along the wall (P&J Wilder)

 Nesting Little Egrets at Owl copse and Common Redshanks in White's creek (JDW)

Friday, 8th April: A more pleasant day with sunshine and cloud; less windy too with a light to moderate mainly north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill (0755-0855hrs): NW f3 (Obs: SR/TR) An hour was enough at the Bill this morning, where there was next to nothing moving! Log below....
Great Northern Diver - 5 os
Fulmar - 1 W
Gannet - 1 E
Brent Goose - 9 E
Common Scoter - 1 E
Sandwich Tern - 2 E, 8 W

Selsey, Park Farm: The Black Redstart was still present this morning (PC)

Ferry Pool: There was a Green Sandpiper and four Avocets present this morning, but little else of note (AH).

Green Sandpiper (above) & Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Three Gadwall were on the pool, with several Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps along the hedgerows, plus a few Reed Buntings and Linnets. (AH)

Gadwall (above), Reed Bunting & Wren along Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: The two Ravens again paid a visit and the Sedge Warbler was still present, singing from the first Severals. Generally quiet otherwise with a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap (AH)

Ravens at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Along White's Creek were 70 Redshanks with a single Spotted Redshank coming into breeding plumage. The Breech Pool was very quiet with just 48 Black-tailed Godwits roosting at the back, whilst in the field behind were 5 Brent Geese, 26 Curlew and 5 Roe Deer. All of my migrant hot spots were very chilly today;  only at the Macracarpa copse did I find 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Swallows. One of the Grey Herons nesting in Owl Copse is easily seen from the last bench along the Wall. Blackthorn bushes are now coming into flower.  (JDW)

 Grey Heron at nest site in Owl copse, moulting Spotted Redshank and Blackthorn flowering (JDW)

 

Sidlesham: Two Swallows were back over our sheds where they normally nest yesterday evening, and again this morning. (AH)

Thursday, 7th April: A cool and breezy day with a brisk WNW wind 5/6; mainly dry with some sunshine and cloud, but the increasing risk of showers or heavier rain later.....

Selsey Bill: Very quiet again, though there were a few Meadow Pipits arriving, but offshore there were barely double figures of Gannets and Sandwich Terns moving and four Great Northern Divers were on the sea. Full log below...
0700-1030hrs: W4-5 (Obs: C&ME/AH/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 3E, 9W
Brent Goose - 6E 
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W, 3os
Common Scoter - 4E, 2os
Oystercatcher - 9W
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 8W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E  
Meadow Pipit - 34N, 1 gardens
Swallow - 2N                      
Linnet - 3ob, flew N

Gannet past the Bill (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The female Black Redstart was in the horse paddock again, but there was no sign of the male Common Redstart. (AH)

Black Redstart at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Ferry Pool: As empty as it usually is with a stiff westerly blowing - just a Green Sandpiper, two Shoveler, two Shelduck and four Teal this morning. (AH)

Green Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The pair of Ravens were around again, along the beach and upsetting the local Carrion Crows, but there wasn't too much evidence of migration, though there was a flurry of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers around the gorse bank by the second Several, and a singing Sedge Warbler in the reeds there and another in the first Several. Otherwise there were a couple of Reed Buntings and plenty of Linnets about, and a calling Cetti's Warbler at the back of the second Several.

A late Slavonian Grebe was on the sea, as were a pair of Great Crested Grebes, and two or three distant Gannets went east, but there was not much in the harbour beyond 30-40 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Ravens (above), Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Bunting & Black-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

Long Pool: This evening there was a Greenshank in Ferry Channel along with 20+ Redshank and plenty of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs along the pool. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)