13th - 16th May 2016

Monday, 16th May: The wind had shifted round to the north-west, producing a bright and breezy spring morning, with a mix of sun and cloud....

Selsey Bill: Unsurprisingly quiet at the Bill, with 50 Common Scoter and a dozen Sanderling the only birds of note going east, and still a couple of Great Northern Divers on the sea. Full log below.....

0620-1000hrs: (Obs: CRJ/C&ME/OM)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 3W

Gannet - 6E, 12W

Common Scoter - 50E

Dunlin - 2E

Sanderling - 12E, 4W

Little Tern - 2os

Common Tern - 3W

Commic Tern - 11E

Razorbill - 1E, 1W

auk sp - 2E, 1W

Swift - 4p in area (screaming/apparently paired)

Swallow - 21N

House Martin - 12 p Bill House/Solent Way area (collecting mud)

Whitethroat - 3 gardens

Linnet - 5 gardens

Ferry Pool: A flock of eleven Black-tailed Godwits was present this morning, plus a Lapwing, three Redshank and a pair of Shelduck.
The pair of Cuckoos were calling and flying around purposefully, the two Nightingales were still singing occasionally around the cycleway, and a Lesser Whitethroat, a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs and numerous Whitethroats and Wrens were singing, too. (AH/A&YF)

Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Wrens around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were plenty of Reed Warblers and one or two Sedge Warblers singing along the pool, plus Linnets, Reed Buntings and Whitethroats, whilst at least one Lapwing was on the cultivated fields, and three Whimbrel were in the channel. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above) & Sedge Warbler along Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: There were no waders on the Breech Pool, though a calling Cuckoo was about, and there were plenty of Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings present, plus a Common Tern.
In the harbour there were c30 Dunlin, c20 Ringed Plovers and a dozen Whimbrel, plus three Little Terns feeding on the rising tide. (AH/PC/JDW)

Whimbrel (above), Shelduck, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, Whitethroat & Swallow from North Wall (AH)

  

Medmerry (west side): Nine broods of Avocets were on the stilt pools and nearby saltmarsh this morning. Also 4 Dunlin, 5 Little Terns, at least 6 Little Ringed Plovers and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls on the stilt pools. Out in the middle of the site were 4 Greenshank. (PH)

This evening there were 21 Avocet chicks on the Stilt Pool and at least three more on the pools across the track , and there were still at least six Little Ringed Plovers, a few Yellowhammer sand loads of Skylarks about, as well as three Brown Hares. (S&SaH)

Sunday, 15th May: A fairly similar day to yesterday weather-wise, dry with sunshine and some cloud, but with the wind having swung round to a moderate westerly.....

Selsey Bill: Another slow morning, but the Serin was singing in the Bill House for a couple of minutes early, but could not be located until it flew back over the houses.
(0500-0830hrs) (JA/SH/PB/AGB/AH/CN et al)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 2E
Fulmar - 3E, 8W, 2os
Gannet - 8E, 16W
Shelduck - 4W
Common Scoter - 40E
Kittiwake 1E, 3W
Sandwich Tern - 12E
Guillemot - 1E, 1W
auk sp - 7E, 2W
Swallow - 1N
House Martin - 10+p
Serin - 1p (singing)

Guillemot (above), Sandwich Tern, Linnet & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

(1615-1815hrs) (JA/SH)

Fulmar - 1E, 1W, 2os
Gannet - 8E, 44W

Dunlin - 3W

Whimbrel - 3W
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 10W, 4os

Little Tern - 4os

Common Tern - 2os
Guillemot - 4W
auk sp. - 5E, 7W
Swallow - 10N

Ferry Pool: Just two Shelducks and a Redshank on the pool this morning.
There was no sign of the Tawny Owlets this morning, though one Nightingale was singing, a couple of Cuckoos went over and a good selection of warblers, including Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat were in good voice. (AH/CN)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - A Grey Wagtail was on the settling tanks and 50+ House Martins were overhead, and a few Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and Whitethroats were along the hedges. At least two singing Corn Buntings were along the fenceline of the bank at Ham Farm and there were numerous Skylarks about, plus a pair of Lapwings on the cropped field. Around the farm and houses there were singing Sedge Wartbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and several Whitethroats, plus a few prospecting Swallows. Also there were at least four Brown Hares out on the reserve. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Grey Wagtail, Whitethroat, Swallow & Brown Hares at Medmerry (AH)

Sidlesham: A Lesser Black-backed Gull was in with the Herring Gulls today around the chicken pen today, and early on four Shelduck landed within thirty yards of the house! (AH)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (above) & Shelducks in Sidlesham (AH)

Long Pool: A pair of Yellowhammers briefly dropped in on the cultivated fields this evening, and there were nine Stock Doves, a pair of Red-legged Partridge and two pairs of Lapwing also present. A flock of freshly fledged Long-tailed Tits were making a noisy progress along the hedges and a Common Tern was in the channel. (AH)

Stock Doves (above), Long-tailed Tit, Common Tern & Red-legged Partridge from Long Pool (AH)

Saturday, 14th May: Dry with sunshine and cloud, but with a cooling and fresh N/NE wind force 3-4 or 5.....

Selsey Bill: The brisk NNE wind inevitably made sea-watching slow, and there was very little on offer save a single Arctic Skua east, after mugging a couple of terns, a Common Sandpiper along the beach and a few Sandwich and Common Terns, with an Arctic Tern among them, heading east, plus a steady flow of Gannets, with nothing to report from the gardens but a couple of Whitethroats. Full log below......

0500-0900hrs:  (Obs: JA/SH/AH/CRJ)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Gannet - 165E, 19W
Fulmar - 1E
Shelduck - 7E, 2W
Common Scoter - 2E
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E
Tufted Duck - 7W
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E
Whimbrel - 8E
Ringed Plover - 2W  
Common Sandpiper - 1ob 
Peregrine - 1p 
Razorbill - 1E 
auk sp - 2E, 13W 
Common Tern - 30E    
Commic Tern - 10E
Arctic Tern - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 34E
Great Skua - 1os
Arctic Skua - 1E
Swallow - 3N
House Martin - 6 p
Whitethroat - 2 gardens

Probable Arctic Tern (front bird) with Common Terns (above), Common Tern, Gannets & Sandwich Terns  at the Bill (AH)

(1600-18hrs) (JA/SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 9E, 1W

Peregrine - 1os

Kittiwake - 4os
Sandwich Tern - 19E
Little Tern - 2E
Commic Tern - 30E
auk sp. - 2E, 1W

Ferry Pool: Just an Avocet and a Redshank this morning. (AH)

Church Norton: There were three or four pairs of Little Terns and a couple of pairs of Common Terns feeding in the harbour, but other than a little group of six Dunlin and three Ringed Plover there wasn't much else to report, though a Peregrine was hunting high over the far side.

In the bushes around the Mound there were a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, and along the Severals there were one or two Whitethroats, Linnets and Reed Buntings, plus some Sedge and Reed Warbler song. (AH/CRJ) 

Also a Hobby over Rectory Lane, just as I was leaving. (CRJ)

A Blackcap was singing from Bluebell wood and nearby there was a Lesser Whitethroat at Park Farm (S&SaH)

Little Tern (above), Blackcap & Linnet gathering nest-material at Church Norton (AH)

 Singing Blackcap at Bluebell wood, Church Norton and Lesser Whitethroat at Park Farm (SH)

Late this afternoon there were 14 Knot, three Bar-tailed Godwits, six Grey Plover, four Dunlin, 25 Whimbrel and c60 Shelduck along the west side, plus several Little and Common Terns feeding in the channel, and a Cuckoo was calling from the small copse. (AH)

Knot, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher (above) & Shelduck at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 13th May: The wind shifted back north to north-easterly overnight, and picked up to produce a bright and brisk sort of a day......

Selsey Bill: Nothing much was moving this morning, just a few Sandwich, Little and Common Terns offshore, plus a Bonxie, a distant Arctic Skua, the odd Gannet and Fulmar and three Great Northern Divers on the sea, with the gardens devoid of grounded migrants save a single Willow Warbler. Full log below.....

0500-1000hrs:  (Obs: JA/OM/AH/C&ME)
Great Northern Diver - 3os

Fulmar - 9E, 1W
Gannet - 86E, 26W
Little Egret - 1W
Grey Heron - 1E, 1N
Shelduck - 2E
Common Scoter - 15E
Mallard - 6 area ('locals')
Oystercatcher - 13E, 1W
Dunlin - 8E, 4W
auk sp - 4E, 19W
Little Tern - 4E
Common Tern - 10E
Commic Tern - 48E
Sandwich Tern - 22E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Great Skua - 1os
Swift - 4N
Swallow - 15N
Whitethroat - 1 gardens (apparently on territory)
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens
Grey Seal - 1os

Sandwich Tern (above), Gannet & Grey Seal at the Bill (AH)

(1700-1830hrs) (JA/SH)

Gannet - 7E, 7W

Whimbrel - 3E

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 5E

Little Tern - 2E

Common Tern - 1E

Arctic Tern - 3E

Commic Tern - 14E

House Martin - 3N, 6p

Swallow - 16N

Ferry Pool: Just three Avocets, a Redshank and four Shelduck on the pool this morning. The two Tawny Owlets were doing well, one in the box and one out, and at least one Nightingale was singing along the cycleway, along with numerous Whitethroats. (AH/JDW)

Tawny Owlet (above) & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Just a couple of Whimbrel and a dozen Redshank were in the channel this morning, with three Gadwall flying around several times, and there was a mixed flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover (c50 birds in total) well out in the harbour.

There appeared to be two pairs of Lapwings in the newly-cropped fields, with a Buzzard over, and plenty of Reed and Sedge Warbler song from the reed-beds. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Lapwing, Gadwall & Buzzard around Long Pool (AH)

A look at the end of Ferry Channel early this evening on the high tide produced ten Knot in a mix of plumages, eight Bar-tailed Godwits, four Grey Plover and around 15 Whimbrel, along with two Little Terns. There were five Stock Doves, two pairs of Lapwings and a displaying pair of Redshank on the cultivated fields. (AH)

Knot (above), Bar-tailed Godwit & Stock Doves from Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: The early brisk northerly wind kept many birds down, with not one to be seen on White's Creek. On the Breech Pool there were a few Mallard, a pair of Gadwall, an Oystercatcher and a pale looking Canada Goose. 

The Mute Swans seem to have abandoned their nest, but the pairs at Owl Water and Bremere Rife are still sitting tight. Sedge Warblers were particularly showy and noisy along the Wall, and there was lots of activity around the Little Egret colony. A lone Whimbrel was at Owl Water and there were pairs of Shelducks at various locations around the fields. (JDW)

Shelduck (above) & Little Egret from the North Wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There were 40 Swifts and c200 each of House Martins and Swallows over the settling tanks and adjacent fields, but not much else of note this evening. (AH)

Swift (above) & House Martins at Medmerry (AH)