23rd - 25th May 2016

Wednesday, 25th May: The wind remained in the north-east, but a much cooler day with heavy cloud cover....

Selsey Bill: A quiet day, though a late Bonxie offshore was unusual, but otherwise just a few Gannets, the odd Fulmar and a Great Northern Diver offshore, plus a few terns, though less than in recent days. Full log below:  (OM/C&ME/CRJ)
0630-11115hrs:  (Obs: C&ME/OM/CRJ/AH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 2E, 7W
Gannet - 48E, 3W
Little Egret - 1E, 4N
Common Scoter - 43E
Sanderling - 8E
Dunlin - 1E
Little Tern - 7os
Common Tern - 12os
Commic Tern - 8E
Sandwich Tern - 16os
Great Skua - 1E                       
Swallow - 1N
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens
Whitethroat - 2 gardens
Linnet - 10 (Oval field)              

Ferry Pool: Just a Lapwing, a Redshank and four Shelduck present this morning. (AH)

Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry (west): An early morning look around the Easton Lane area produced a Cuckoo calling and showing well, a Blackcap, three or four Reed Warblers and a few Whitethroats, Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers, but not too much else. (AH)

Cuckoo (above) & Reed Bunting at Medmerry (AH)

Pagham Spit: The landscape has changed massively in recent weeks - and not just the removal of the hide! - with almost half of the new spit having gone, and the channel separating it from the Pagham side likewise, making it unlikely that the Little Terns will settle there this year, sadly.
Birdwise there was not much to report, though a couple of Little Terns and Sandwich Terns were feeding near the harbour mouth, and there were one or two Ringed Plovers, Skylarks and Linnets spread around the shingle. (AH)

Little Tern (above), Sandwich Tern & Skylark over/on Pagham Spit (AH)

View from the spit to where the Little Terns bred (above), the new harbour mouth & a hide-less view of the harbour (AH)

North Wall: It was quiet here, too, with just a single Black-tailed Godwit and a dozen or so Tufted Duck and Mallard on the Breech Pool, and not much else beyond a few singing Reed Warblers and a few Swallows. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above), Black-tailed Godwit & Tufted Ducks from North Wall (AH)

Church Norton: This evening a Cuckoo was calling continuously from near the concrete wall and two Little Terns were feeding offshore, with another half a dozen in the harbour, but there were no waders at all save a few Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers. (AH)

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

Tuesday, 24th May: Another bright and breezy morning, but with the wind from the north-east........

Selsey Bill: Similar to yesterday, just with lower numbers, including 40+ Common Scoter and 50+ Sanderling east, and a gathering of terns again on the rising tide. Full log below....
0630-1100hrs: (Obs: C&ME/OM/AH/CRJ et al)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 1E, 6W
Gannet - 71E
Common Scoter - 46E, 1W
Sanderling - 54E
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 1E
Little Tern - 7os
Commic Tern - 24E
Common Tern - 45os, most eventually drifted off E
Sandwich Tern - 7E, 12os
Kittiwake - 2E
Swallow - 5N
House Martin - c.20 area, still collecting mud from puddles
Whitethroat - 2 gardens
Jackdaw - 6E, high

Fulmar (above) & Common and Little Terns, Common Terns & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

My esteemed co-editor is always keen to seize any photographic opportunity but here the tables are turned and he is shown in action today on a solo vigil looking through a gathering of terns (OM)

Sanderlings at the Bill (OM)

Selsey (north): A Hobby was over the rough ground to the north of the town (near factory estate) this evening (SH)

Ferry Pool: Just a single Black-tailed Godwit, two Redshank and ten Shelduck on the pool, whilst around the Tramway a Nightingale and a Lesser Whitethroat were singing and a Cuckoo went over. (OM/AH)

Long Pool: There were a dozen Stock Doves and a pair of Lapwing on the fields, half a dozen Whimbrel in the harbour beyond Ferry Channel and the usual selection of warblers.
(AH)

Stock Dove (above) & Reed Bunting along Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: Quiet again late morning/early afternoon, the most obvious birds being the terns present, consisting of c.15 Little and 20+ Common Terns, with a couple of Sandwich in the harbour mouth. There were few migrant waders, just a flock of c.25 Dunlin and the odd Whimbrel or two, whilst in the bushes a Cuckoo was singing well (BFF/DM/OM)

An unusual panoramic view from Church Norton.... looking towards the west side, across the harbour mouth and tern island, to the concrete slabs and old ironwork (OM)

View 1 is looking into the harbour from the new mouth

View 2 looking from Norton spit east over the harbour entrance to what is now the new island

View 3 looking from Norton spit out to sea towards Pagham beach eastwards. (BFF)

Medmerry: Ham Farm to Chainbridge - There were three Corn Buntings and plenty of Skylarks along the bank, a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Bunting and a Whitethroat around the marshy areas, and a Cuckoo was calling, but unseen. A pair of Lapwing were on the cropped field, but there were just three Curlew by the breach. (AH)

Corn Buntings (above), Skylark & Swallow at Medmerry (AH)

Sidlesham: An unexpected garden tick late this morning in the form of a singing Reed Warbler in the dense hedge just outside the back-door! (AH)



Monday, 23rd May: A clear, bright and sunny start with a moderate-fresh NW wind 3-4 or 5 and cloud due to build later..... not ideal sea-watching conditions then in this part of the world!

Selsey Bill: Despite the unfavourable conditions, there was a bit to see this morning, notably the big gathering of terns offshore, though there were still 50 Common Scoter east, plus a few waders, including 30 Grey Plover that came in from way out and dropped in on the Mile Basket. Full log below. (C&ME/AH)

(0630-1030hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 28E, 16W
Brent Goose - 1E
Common Scoter - 50E
Grey Plover - 30E
Sanderling - 3E, 14W
Mediterranean Gull  - 1os
Kittiwake - 3W
Common Tern - 75os
Sandwhich Tern - 20os
Little Tern - 12 os
Guillemot - 1W
auk sp - 3E
Swallow - 12N

Fulmar (above), Common Scoter & Little, Sandwich and Common Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were eleven Black-tailed Godwits, four Redshank, a Gadwall and eight Shelduck this morning. (AH)

Gadwall & Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: At least three Sedge Warblers and five Reed Warblers singing this morning, and the Little Grebes were getting very territorial on the pool. On the fields there were 24 Stock Doves and at least one pair of Lapwings. (AH)

Aggressive Little Grebe (above), Sedge Warbler & Stock Dove from Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: A late Spotted Flycatcvher was lurking in the big oak by the concrete wall, but otherwise it was quiet, with just a couple of Whimbrel and a few Ringed Plover and Dunlin in the harbour, plus a handful of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns, and four Mediterranean Gulls over. (AH)

Spotted Flycatcher at Church Norton (AH)