13th - 15th April 2017

Saturday, 15th April: A generally cool, grey day, with a fresh north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Another day with low numbers of birds heading east, but of a wide variety of species, including a Bonxie, an Arctic Skua, two Little Gulls and two Red-throated Divers, and there were 30+ Sandwich Terns feeding offshore. Full log below......

0600-0900hrs: (JA/SH/PB/IP/JF/AH et al)

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2os

Diver sp - 1E

Gannet - 13E, 104W

Fulmar - 1E, 10W

Brent Goose - 7E

Eider - 1os

Common Scoter - 14E, 4W

Curlew - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 52E, 16os

Little Gull - 2E

Black-headed Gull - 14E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)

Great Skua - 1os

auk sp - 2E, 4W

Swallow - 2N

Meadow Pipit - 2N

Chiffchaff - 2 gardens

Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

(1620-1730hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 57E, 3W

Whimbrel - 10W

Common Tern - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 6W

Swallow - 2N

Hunston: A Red Kite drifted east over the B2145 just south of the village mid-morning today. (PB)

Ferry Pool: Just a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover and two Redshank were on the pool this morning, with the Spotted Redshank, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and three Gadwall in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Gadwall & Little Ringed Plover around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Surprisingly, there were still up to ten Wheatears on the concrete blocks (presumably yesterday's birds), but beyond a few Swallows and a couple of House Martins coming in off the sea, there was not too much evidence of migration. There were still a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Sedge Warblers singing intermittently, plus a single Reed Warbler, along the front, and a few Skylarks and Linnets about, but not too much of note in the harbour beyond a few Black-tailed Godwits, a Peregrine and just a couple of Mediterranean Gulls.

There were no terns in the harbour, though a pair of Sandwich Terns were on the beach, where there were also 50+ Grey Plover and Dunlin coming and going, with a single Knot among them, whilst offshore there were the first-year male and female Eider and a couple of Gannets. (AH/IP/S&SaH)
Also of note was a Little Ringed Pover that flew over the beach, calling. (BFF/CM)

Wheatears (above), Linnet, Chiffchaff & Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Long Pool: Two Reed Warblers were in the opposite ditches and three Sedge Warblers and two Cetti's Warblers were along the reeds this morning. Along the tramway was a Lesser Whitethroat and a Green Sandpiper was in Red Barn Ditch. (BI/RN)

Drayton GPs: At least three Reed Warblers were back at Drayton today. (BI)


Good Friday, 14th April: A beautiful start to the morning with unbroken sunshine and virtually no wind, but soon becoming cloudier with a fresher and cooler W/NW breeze...... though staying dry and bright.

Selsey Bill: Another morning with little moving offshore, though a Bonxie flew in from way out, stole something off a large gull and sat on the sea eating it, before heading off eastwards. Also six Velvet Scoters and a few Common Scoters went east, a Common Tern was among the Sandwich Terns offshore and three Yellow Wagtails and 50+ Swallows came in off the sea. Full log below......
0600-1000hrs: (JA/SH/PB/JF/IP/BI/CN/AH/SR et al)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 4os

Gannet - 23E, 9W

Shelduck - 3E

Eider - 2E, 1os

Common Scoter - 59E, 2W

Velvet Scoter - 6E

Ringed Plover - 1E

Sanderling - 3E
Turnstone - 22ob

Whimbrel - 3E, 7W

Razorbill - 1E

Guillemot - 1E

auk sp - 1E

Common Tern - 1E, 1os

Sandwich Tern - 24E, 2W, 20os

Great Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W

Sand Martin - 1N

Swallow - 53N

Meadow Pipit - 15N

Pied/alba Wagtail - 2N

Yellow Wagtail - 3N

Wheatear - 3 gardens

Willow Warbler - 2 gardens

Chiffchaff - 2 gardens
Willow/Chiff sp - 7N

Bonxie (above), Great Northern Diver & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

(1630-1800hrs) (SH/JA/PB)
Fulmar - 2E
Gannet - 31E, 13W
Common Scoter - 2E
Eider- 2E
Turnstone - 14E
Bonxie - 1E
Common Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 11E, 11W
auk sp- 1E, 1W
Swallow - 1N

Selsey: East Beach - Just doing the washing up and noticed two Wheatears on my neighbour's roof this evening! (SR)

Selsey: North/Park farm: There were 2 Wheatears, 7 Swallows, a Buzzard, a Willow Warbler and a Blackcap (S&SaH/PB)
 

Swallow at Park Farm (SH)

North Wall area: An early start on a splendid morning, but although there was a fair selection of species, none of the hoped-for scarcer migrants could be located! My walk extended from White's Creek, along the Wall and out to Owl Point , but the highlights were just two Spotted Redshanks, six Whimbrel, a Whitethroat and a few Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, as follows:

Brent Goose - 2 (one sitting in a cattle field!)

Wigeon - 5

Teal - 24

Shoveler - 2

Black-tailed Godwit - 50

Whimbrel - 6

Spotted Redshank - 2 (one White's Creek, one Owl Point)

Redshank - 56

Mediterranean Gull - 2 flying over

Cetti's Warbler - 5

Sedge Warbler - 3

Whitethroat - 1

Willow Warbler - 7

Blackcap - 5

Chiffchaff - 3

Meadow Pipit - pair/display

(above) Spotted Redshank in White's Creek, and (below) Whitethroat, Whimbrel and Brent Goose from the North Wall (OM)

Looking back along the North Wall from the path near Halsey's farm on a fine morning (OM)

Later in the day the Spotted Redshank was still showing nicely in White's Creek and there was a constant trickle of Swallows coming in over the wall and hawking around the fields. Three Sedge Warblers and two Reed Buntings were still around the breech pool and the Whitethroat was present further down. (BI/PC)

Spotted Redshank in White's Creek (BI)

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were on the pool early on, and the Spotted Redshank was in the creek opposite. (AH/CGF/BI)

Also, a Gadwall was on the Long Pool. (MR)

Common Sandpiper on Ferry (AH) (above) & Gadwall on Long Pool (MR)

Church Norton: There were up to ten Wheatears around the concrete blocks on the spit this morning, a couple of Sedge Warblers were in the first Several, and a couple of Whitethroats were around the horse field.

A Sand Martin went over the car-park and at least a dozen Swallows were about, with several seen coming in off the sea, and the two Eider were offshore, plus a couple of Great Crested Grebes.

Also a Raven went over early on, and there were several singing Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps around the hedges. (AH/IP/PD et al)

A later visit produced 30+ Swallows and 4 Sand Martins in off the sea, plus 30 Mediterranean Gulls and a mixed flock of Grey Plover and Dunlin offshore. There were also a peregrine, 3 Sedge warblers, 2 Reed Warblers and 20+ Willow Warbler/Chiffchaffs (S&SaH/PB)

Wheatears (above), Blackcaps & Eiders at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There were 100+ Swallows, with a dozen House Martins among them, over the settling tanks of the Sewage Farm this evening, a couple of Grey Wagtails were with just a few Pied Wagtails there, too, at least 15 Mediterranean Gulls were among the Black-headed Gulls, and a Whitethroat was skulking in one of the ditches. (AH)

House Martin (above), Grey Wagtail & Mediterranean Gull at Porthole Farm (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This afternoon there were 34 Avocets, two Greenshank, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover and a Little Tern around the Stilt Pool, and two Whitethroats, 10+ Swallows, two Buzzards and 50+ Mediterranean Gulls were seen from and along the banks. (S&SaH/PB)

Thursday, 13th April: After a grey but still start, a moderate NNW breeze picked up, though there was some sunshine and it became warmer by afternoon..... 

Selsey Bill: Very little indeed was moving today, though a couple of Common Terns were among c40 Sandwich Terns offshore, four Great Northern Divers were on the sea, and 20+ Swallows and 30 Meadow Pipits arrived. Full log below.....
0630-1115hrs: (OM/C&ME/A&YF)
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 4os
Fulmar - 1E, 1W
Gannet - 16E, 7W
Brent Goose - 6E
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 67E
Curlew - 1W
Whimbrel - 2W
Oystercatcher - 6W
Sparrowhawk - 1 gardens
Common Tern - 2 os
Sandwich Tern - 42 os
Mediterranean Gull - 2 ob
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 ob drifted E
Meadow Pipit - 30N
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Swallow - 23N
Willow Warbler - 2 gardens

(1530-1700hrs) (SH)
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Gannet - 12E, 6W
Common Scoter - 21E
Golden Plover - 19w
Sandwich Tern - 16E, 1W

Ferry Pool: A Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover were on the pool this morning, plus half a dozen Shelduck, whilst a Common Sandpiper, the Spotted Redshank and c30 Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite.

There was a single Whitethroat, plus a handful of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and 20+ Linnets around the Tramway/cycleway area, plus several Orange-tip butterflies. (AH)

Common Sandpipers (above), Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit & Orange-tip around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was no sign of yesterday's Pied Flycatcher this morning, though the Redstart was still present, if elusive, and, save a couple of Swallows over and thee Whimbrel in the harbour, there wasn't much evidence of migration.

One or two Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were singing in the hedges, and possibly two Sedge Warblers were singing infrequently around the first Several, whilst in the harbour there were c20 Sandwich Terns and similar of Mediterranean Gulls and Black-tailed Godwits. (AH et al)

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

North Wall: Warm and cloudy along the wall this morning. A Spotted Redshank on White's Creek still has a way to go before achieving full breeding plumage, and a Grey Heron had a tussle with an eel nearby. 

Just a few Teal and Mallard were on the Breech Pool along with 40+ Black-tailed Godwits roosting at the back. Singing Reed Buntings and Linnets were along the Wall with three Sedge Warblers in the reeds. 

A pair of Little Ringed Plovers were along Pagham Rife, but Honer reservoir was very quiet with just four Tufted Ducks present, and one or two Whitethroats were along Honer Lane. Also, there were lots of Bluebells in Macracarpa Copse. (JDW)

Spotted Redshank (above), Reed Bunting, Linnet, Grey Heron & Bluebells around North Wall (JDW)

Northcommon Farm: Barely worth the effort today.... apart from the resident pairs of Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, the only migrants I could find were 3 Willow Warblers. (OM)