Tuesday 4 April 2017

4th - 6th April 2017

Thursday, 6th April: Another very sunny morning, with barely a breath of breeze..... 

Selsey BillVery little moving on a flat calm sea, though three Red-throated Divers and a Brent Goose went east and a couple of Fulmars went west, a few Sandwich Terns were offshore and a what looked like a Hobby - see pics below - flew in carrying prey. Full log below.....
0630-1230hrs:(C&ME/AH)
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1os
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3os
Fulmar - 1E, 1W
Gannet - 26E, 5W, 4os
Brent Goose - 1W
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 8E
Curlew - 1W
Grey Plover - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 14E, 6W, 5os
Common Gull - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 1E
Sand Martin - 3N
Swallow - 11N
Willow Warbler - 2 gardens
also: raptor sp - probable Hobby - 1N
 

Probable Hobby at the Bill, flying into the sun! Comments welcome (AH)

(1630-1800hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Gannet - 9E, 5W
Shag - 1os
Eider - 1os
Arctic Skua - 3E (dark phase birds together east along the Mile Basket line)
Common gull 11e
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 6W

Selsey: Northcommon Farm: A brief visit this morning (no sign of yesterday's Redstart) where there were half a dozen Chiffchaffs calling, a pair of Green Woodpeckers feeding in the long grass, 5 Curlews and a male Goldcrest displaying to its mate. (SR)

Green Woodpecker at Northcommon Farm (SR)

West Itchenor: An Osprey was in Chichester Harbour this morning, viewed from West Itchenor. (BFF)

Ferry Pool: A Water Rail popped out briefly by the road, a Kingfisher and two Gadwall flew into the channel, but otherwise there were just six Shelduck and eight Teal on the pool. (AH)


Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Reed Warbler and two Sedge Warblers were singing this morning from the reed-beds, a couple of Cetti's Warblers and Reed Buntings and a dozen Linnets were along the hedgerows, and eight Tufted Ducks and three pairs of Little Grebes were on the water..
There were a pair of Wigeon and c40 Black-tailed Godwits in Ferry Channel, along with 50+ Redshank. (AH)



Sedge Warblers (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Little Grebe along Long Pool (AH)


Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Not a migrant was to be seen this morning, though the soon-to-be-breeding birds were showing well, including at least three pairs of Little Ringed Plovers, 54 Avocet, 12 Tufted Ducks, a pair of Gadwall and numerous Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Linnets.
Also about were the long-staying Common Sandpiper, a Greylag Goose, and first thing a Green Sandpiper. (per GT) (AH)


Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocets, Common Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gulls, Skylark, Meadow Pipit & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AH)







Wednesday, 5th April: A bright and sunny morning after a chill start, with a modest north-westerly breeze....

Selsey BillPredictably quiet, given the wind direction, with as many birds going west as east, including four Velvet and 22 Common Scoters, whilst the two Eider, and a few Gannets and Sandwich Terns, were lingering offshore. In Bill House garden there were several Willow Warblers, which were clearly recent arrivals.... Full log below....
0615-1000hrs: (PB/C&ME/AH/OM/CRJ/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 34E, 28W, 8os
Shag - 1E
Eider - 2os
Shelduck - 1W
Velvet Scoter - 4W
Common Scoter - 22W
Red-breasted Merganser - 3os
Turnstone - 18E
Oystercatcher - 20W
Sandwich Tern - 13E, 13W (!)
Kittiwake - 6E
Common Gull - 2E
Pied Wagtail - 2W
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens
Willow Warbler - 4 gardens


Shag (above), Sandwich Terns & Gannets at the Bill (AH)




Selsey, Northcommon Farm: A male Redstart was at 'Flycatcher Corner', along with two or three singing Willow Warblers. (OM)
Also, four Buzzards were over nearby Warner Lane. (SH)

Male Redstart at Northcommon farm, and (below) an early spring view of the Paddock Lane section of that area. (OM)

Ferry Pool: Just two Shovelers, two Shelduck and six Teal on the pool this morning, with a Sedge Warbler singing along the start of the Long Pool. (PB/OM)
Also, a Hobby went over the visitor centre at 11.15am heading west. (IL)

Church Norton: Two Red Kites went east over the harbour, at 8.55am and 10.15am, the second bird missing several flight feathers so clearly different to the first. There were also four Buzzards, a Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk.
Otherwise it was quiet, with the odd Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing, but not many other migrants about. Also few Mediterranean Gulls were in the harbour, two Sandwich Terns went west along the beach, three pairs of Shelduck were prospecting the horse field and a Buzzard was in Rectory Lane. Two Jays were present and two Willow warblers near reedy marsh, plus 20 Dunlin in the harbour and a pair of Canada Geese on tern island. (AH/CRJ)




Red Kite (above), Buzzard & Shelduck at Church Norton (AH)



Chichester Marina: There was no sign of the Mandarin Duck on the marsh, but there was a singing Sedge Warbler, 2 Cetti's Warblers, several Chiffchaffs, 2 Canada Geese and 2 pairs of Tufted Ducks.
Along the canal were 2 Reed Buntings, the Black Swan and a Grey Wagtail. (SR)

Late this afternoon a Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reedbeds. (PH)

Birdham Pool: Not a lot... a pair of Great Crested Grebes, 6 Little Grebes, a pair of Teal, a pair of Gadwall, 2 Shelduck, a Little Egret and at least 7 pairs of Coot. (SR)


 
Tuesday, 4th April: A very still, very grey morning.......with some light rain but nothing much to speak of.

Selsey BillNothing really moving save the odd Sandwich Tern and a small flock of Brent Geese east, and just the two Eiders and a Great Northern Diver on the sea. Full log below.....
0645-1215hrs: (C&ME/OM/AH et al)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Gannet - 32E, 33W
Shag - 2E
Brent Goose - 16E
Eider - 2os
Common Scoter - 19E
Red-breasted Merganser - 18E, 11W
Sandwich Tern - 23E, 15W, 9os
Swallow - 1N
Meadow Pipit - 2N
Wheatear - 1 ob
Eider at the Bill (AH)

(1645-1745hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 3 os
Gannet - 6E, 9W
Shag - 1W
Eider - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 6W

West Itchenor: An Osprey, being pursued by gulls and a pair of Shelduck, went over the Chichester Harbour Conservancy office, heading south-west, at 11.15 this morning. (PH)

Chichester Marina: On the marsh a drake Mandarin was displaying to a Mallard on the small pond in front of the hide. Also a pair of Canada Geese, 2 Shelduck, 2 pairs of Tufted Duck, at least 2 squealing Water Rails, 2 singing Cetti's Warblers, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a singing Blackcap. (OM)

Drake Mandarin displaying to a female Mallard on the Chichester Marina marsh pond. This was a bit of a surprise, for although regular elsewhere, this is always a difficult species to add to the Peninsula year-list (or in some cases, Peninsula life-list!) (OM)

Northcommon Farm: At least three Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were singing along the hedges this morning. Not much else; a couple of Curlew in the fields and a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. (OM)
Willow Warbler singing at Northcommon Farm (OM)

Ferry Pool: A Water Rail, briefly early on, 18 Teal, five Shelduck and a calling Cetti's Warbler was the sum of activity on the pool, though the Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite again. (AH/OM)
Later on there were two Little Ringed Plovers on the pool, a Greenshank and the Spotted Redshank in the channel opposite and two Sedge Warblers singing along the Long Pool. (BFF/DM)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)


Church Norton: There were three Wheatears on the beach this morning, along with a few Linnets, a Swallow and a pairt of Mediterranean Gulls flew over east and a Whimbrel was on the strand-line before flying into the harbour.
There were two Peregrines, 30+ Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal out on the mud, but beyond a couple of Willow Warblers behind the hide, one or two singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a few Goldfinches, it was pretty quiet. (AH/BFF/DM et al)



Wheatears (above), Linnet & Black-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)



Ivy Lake: A couple of House Martins were among a small flock of Sand Martins and Swallows over the lake, and at least three Willow Warblers were singing along the hedges. (JD/DS)



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