Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 1st

Tuesday, 3rd April: A very unsettled day, with a bit of sunshine and a brisk south-south-easterly early on before it veered south-west and brought some showers with it....

Selsey Bill: A first-winter (2cy) Iceland Gull (ie, a different bird to the one seen several times recently) was in the gull roost on the exposed shingle until the tide pushed it off and it drifted off west/inland. (BFF et al)
There was also a big movement of Brent Geese - 1000+ by midday, with a single Pale-bellied Brent Goose among them, and a single drake Garganey east (at 12.17hrs) - the latter showing brilliantly, leading a flock of 20 Brents close in just behind the triangle. A Bonxie and an Arctic Skua also appeared, plus another 200 Sandwich Terns, 30+ Common Terns, 40 Red-throated Divers and a couple of Black-throated Divers. The Water Rail was still present in the Bill House garden, too. Full log below.....
0700-1300hrs: (C&ME/OM/AH/BFF/DM)
Red-throated Diver - 40E
Black-throated Diver - 2E
Great Northern Diver - 3os
diver sp - 11E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os
Gannet - 10E, 31W
Brent Goose - 1097E, including 1 Pale-bellied
Shelduck - 6E
Common Scoter - 208E, c.250os
Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 2os
Garganey - 1E (drake) close in, 1217hrs
Dunlin - c.85W
Water Rail - 1 still present
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Great Skua - 1E
Common Tern - 28E
Sandwich Tern - 205E
Kittiwake - 1E
Common Gull - 39E
Iceland Gull - 1 (1st-w) os, flew off NW
Linnet - 4 gardens
Meadow Pipit - 1N, onto Oval field

Iceland Gull (above), Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Pale Bellied - last bird - and Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Brent Geese & Water Rail at the Bill (AH)

CE on manoeuvres at the Bill (AH)

More Brent Geese on the move (DM)

Park Farm and north of Selsey: Around the hedges there were a Blackcap (in the garden), a Firecrest and at least five Chiffchaffs. (S&SaH)

Ivy Lake: There were 10+ Sand Martins and a Swallow over the lake early this morning, with singing Blackcap and Willow Warbler along the bushes. (PH/BI)
Later on an Egyptian Goose was out on the lake, but there were no hirundines. (AB/AH)

Egyptian Goose on Ivy Lake (AH)

Rose Green (Pagham): A smart male Black Redstart was in the garden this morning. (A Wallington)

Black Redstart at Rose Green (A Wallington)

Ferry Pool: The water level remains very high, with the only birds present being four Gadwall, four Shoveler, two Wigeon, c20 Teal and eight Coots. Also, two or three Chiffchaffs were in the hedge opposite. (AH)

Chiffchaffs at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was very little in the harbour beyond the regular Whimbrel and 20+ Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls amongst the growing Black-headed Gull colony, with very few wildfowl, in particular, about. The two Peregrines were also present on theit island again, and a female Goosander, a Gadwall and a Bar-tailed Godwit were also present.
A Blackcap was singing from somewhere near the Priory and two or three Chiffchaffs were along Rectory Lane, but that was about it. (AH/BFF/DM)

Whimbrel (above), Mediterranean Gull & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The female Eider was in the harbour about 50 metres off the North Wall at around 3pm today. (MO-W)

Medmerry (west): Easton Lane to the stilt pool: Skylarks were happily singing in the rain, as was the odd Chiffchaff. Near the Easton viewpoint was a Greenshank, 17+ Avocets, 28 Teal, 18 Curlew and 3 Stock Doves. The islands on the stilt pool were mainly underwater but held 27 Avocets, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Sandwich Tern and a large number of Gulls, mainly c150 Herring and c75 Black-headed along with 28 Mediterranean and 6 Great Black-backed. A good selection of ducks, including Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and Tufted but I was unable to find the female Scaup, although in the rain many of the Tufted were tucked into the undergrowth asleep so it may still be there. In the main reserve was a further 6 Avocets and 11 Ringed Plover whilst 2 Reed Buntings and good numbers of Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits were in the bushes. (SR) Earlier in the day the presumed Tufted Duck X Pochard hybrid was also present on the Stilt Pool. (R.Fairbank per SOS)

Avocets (SR) & hybrid duck (R.Fairbank) at Medmerry

Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd April: A typical Bank Holiday Monday! A morning of almost uninterrupted rain, veering from heavy drizzle to heavy downpours under leaden skies, but with a bit of south-east in the moderate breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Highlight this morning were the two Arctic Skuas through east at 10.10am, whilst there were also 20+ Common Terns, four Little Gulls, 11 Eider and nearly 200 Sandwich Terns going east and at least 200 Common Scoters still offshore. Also, a Wheatear was on the beach and the Water Rail was still in Bill House garden. Full log below. (JA/SH/SR/PB/AGB/IP/CN/BI/AH)
(0630-1030hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 7os
Red-throated Diver - 23E, 1W
diver sp - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 7E, 1W,2os
Fulmar - 2E
Gannet - 34E, 25W
Brent Goose - 36E, 4W
Shelduck - 4E
Eider - 11E
Common Scoter - 45E, 200+os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 4os
Water Rail - 1p
Arctic Skua - 2E (d/p)
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os
Little Gull - 4E
Mediterranean Gull - 34E, then W (in one tight flock)
Common Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 198E
Common Tern - 24E
Skylark - 1W
Meadow Pipit - 1N
Wheatear - 1p

Arctic Skuas (above), Eider, Common Scoters, Gannets, Sandwich Tern & Water Rail at the Bill (AH)

(1400-1700hrs) (JA/SH/SR/CN/GH/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 10E
diver sp - 2E
Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 2os
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Gannet - 27E, 3W
Brent Goose - 6E
Common Scoter - 9E, c300os
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 8os
Bonxie - 2E
Little Gull - 7E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 198E (making an impressive 417 for the day)
Common Tern - 8E
Wheatear - 3p

Wheatears (SH) (above), Red-throated Diver & Sandwich Tern (AH) at the Bill

Church Norton: An Osprey came in off the sea at midday today over the Severals and headed off west over the harbour. Also about were a Common Tern east offshore, three Wheatears on the spit and two or three Chiffchaffs in the Severals and similar around the car-park, whilst in the harbour there were 30+ Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, a Peregrine, the Whimbrel and 60+ Black-tailed Godwits. (S&SaH/AH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above), Sandwich Terns & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Osprey was seen over the Ferry a few minutes later, heading off in a north-westerly direction. There wasn't much on the pool, though, just a pair of Gadwall, four Shelduck and c20 Teal. (AH)

Osprey over the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were quite a few birds along Park Lane this afternoon, including two Firecrests (with another along Manor Lane), a Goldcrest, a Blackcap, four Willow Warblers, 10+ Chiffchaffs and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, with three Lesser Black-backed Gulls among the gull flock in Manor Lane.. (S&SaH)

West Wittering: The male Siskin was back on the garden feeders this morning and there were also three Bramblings, too (two males and a female), a Coal Tit and two Blackcaps about. (GM)

Siskin (above) & Coal Tit at West Wittering (GM)

Medmerry (west): The Scaup and two Little Ringed Plovers were still on the Stilt Pool, plus 66 Avocets and seven Mediterranean Gulls. Another pair of Little Ringed Plovers were also present, on the other side of the main track. (CN)

Easter Sunday, 1st April: A bit better than of late, though still cool, with a moderate north-westerly breeze and the odd glimpse of the sun through the mostly heavy cloud.....

Selsey Bill: Highlights included a pair of Goosanders going west, an Eider offshore and a rise in the Common Scoter flock to in excess of 200 birds. Also the Water Rail was still in the Bill House garden and both Purple Sandpipers were roosting with 32 Turnstones off the end of Hillfield Road at midday. Full log below.......

(0630-1000hrs) (JA/SH/PB/JF/IP/SR/AH/CRJ/SHo et al)

Great Northern Diver - 9os

Red-throated Diver - 6E

diver sp - 8E

Great Crested Grebe - 6os

Fulmar - 1os

Gannet - 36E, 21W

Shag - 1os

Grey Heron - 1N (from far out to sea)

Brent Goose - 26E (+ a further 45E in one flock at midday)

Common Scoter - 1E, 228os

Eider - 1os

Goosander - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 7W, 13os

Water Rail - 1p

Dunlin - 4E

Purple Sandpiper - 2p

Turnstone - 32p

Common Gull - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 6os

auk sp 1E

Pied Wagtail - 7N

Meadow Pipit - 1S

Linnet - 1N

Common Scoters (above), Water Rail & Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just the usual selection of wildfowl this morning, including two Gadwall, eight Wigeon, four Shelducks, c20 Shovelers and c30 Teal. (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A couple of Chiffchaffs were in Park Lane, as were a pair of Linnets, a dozen Curlews were in the fields and at least four Buzzards were overhead. (AH/IP)

Linnet (above) & Chaffinch at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Church Norton: There were still three Wheatears on the spit and there were three Firecrests in Bluebell Wood and another behind the hide this morning, with three Chiffchaffs around the Severals, too.

At least eight Red-breasted Mergansers and similar of Great Crested Grebes were offshore, along with a couple of Gannets, whilst in the harbour there were a dozen Brent Geese, with another dozen behind the churchyard, a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, the female Peregrine on her island, the female Eider on the far side and 20+ Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, whilst a Sparrowhawk and at least five Buzzards went over. (AH/IP/BI/S&SaH)
This afternoon there were two Ravens in the trees in the churchyard and a singing Willow Warbler nearby. (IP)

Firecrest (above), Wheatear, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gulls, Skylark & Grey Heron at Church Norton (AH)

Northcommon Farm, Selsey: Generally very quiet with the highlight being six Red-legged Partridges in the fields opposite the caravan park. (BI)

Medmerry: Toe End - There were six Corn Buntings on the seeds near the new caravan development this afternoon. (G.James)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The female Scaup was still present as were two Little Ringed Plovers this afternoon. (G.James)

As well as the above, a pair of Ravens were around the poplars area for a while, doing some aerodynamics before drifting off west, a Greenshank was in the adjacent channel and a lone Fieldfare was calling from the trees.

Also, there were c25 Avocets on the Stilt Pool and c50 more on the tidal area by the poplars, at least ten Gadwall, c20 Shoveler and c50 Teal about, around a dozen Mediterranean Gulls and ten Ringed Plovers on the Stilt Pool, c50 Shelduck out on the reserve and a few Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, plus at least 200 Linnets along the banks. (AH)