28th - 30th April 2018

Monday, 30th April: A truly awful day, with a near gale-force north-westerly wind, persistent heavy rain and unseasonably cold with it......

Selsey Bill: Forty-five minutes from 7.30am produced a bedraggled Wheatear on the beach, a Bonxie west, six Gannets east and 12 Sandwich Terns and 17 Common Terns feeding close offshore. (AH)

Wheatear (above), Bonxie, Common Tern, Gannet & Herring Gull at the Bill (AH)

(1645-1800hrs) (SH)
Manx Shearwater - 2E
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 24E, 29W
Tufted Duck - 2W
Common Tern - 2E, 27os
Sandwich Tern - 8os
auk sp - 2E

Ferry Pool: There was no sign of the Spotted Redshank on the pool this morning, though there were a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits among the 60 or so Black-tailed Godwits, and there were also four Avocets, four Redshank, seven Gadwall and a pair of Shovelers present, whilst the channel opposite held a Common Sandpiper, three Whimbrel and c40 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)
A very quick look early this evening along Ferry Channel produced the Spotted Redshank, two Common Sandpipers, two Whimbrel and c60 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Whimbrel, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Black-tailed Godwit & Goldfinch around the Ferry (AH)

Ivy Lake complex: There were 500+ Swallows and 100+ House Martins over the lakes this morning, plus half a dozen Swifts and a dozen Common Terns, whilst unseen in the bushes there were singing Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff.Also there were three pairs of Pochard (two on Nunnery Lake, one on Ivy Lake), a pair of Gadwall and three pairs of Great Crested Grebes. (AH)

Swallows (above), Common Tern, Pochard & Mallard family at Ivy Lake (AH)

North Wall: There were six Wheatears along the wall this evening, a Cuckoo was near Halsey's Farm and there were two Whimbrel in White's Creek. (BI)

Sunday, 29th April: A cloudy and cool day but remaining largely dry, with a light NNE wind at first, gradually increasing to a brisk force 5-6 later....and with the threat of heavy rain arriving by evening.

Selsey Bill: An interesting day for the fair gathering of observers present, despite the apparently unpromising conditions, with, at last, the first 'proper' fall of passerines, including Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler and Garden Warbler, and a selection of passage birds over the sea including some nice flocks of Bar-tailed Godwits. Full log below......
(0520-1200hrs)   (JA/SH/PM/PB/AB/JF/BI/AH/IP/OM/MJ et al)

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Great Northern Diver - 5os

diver sp - 1W

Fulmar - 1E, 15W

Manx Shearwater - 27W

Gannet - 84E, 274W

Shag - 1os

Brent Goose - 8E

Shelduck - 2os

Eider - 2W

Common Scoter - 47E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E

Mallard - 3 p

Curlew - 2E

Whimbrel - 10E, 7W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 225E

Purple Sandpiper - 2 ob (off Hillfield Rd car-park)

Razorbill - 1E, 4W, 1os

auk sp - 6E, 32W

Little Tern - 16os

Common Tern - 18E

Commic Tern - 1E

Arctic Tern - 4E

Sandwich Tern - 59E

Kittiwake - 3W

Arctic Skua - 1W (d/p)

Great Skua - 1os

Swallow - 28N

Swift - 2N

Yellow Wagtail - 11N

Wheatear - 4ob

Redstart - 1 gardens

Willow Warbler - 40 gardens/area

Chiffchaff - 1

Grasshopper Warbler - 1 Bill House garden

Blackcap - 4 gardens

Garden Warbler - 2 gardens/area

Whitethroat - 8 gardens/area (some seen arriving N)

Arctic Skua (above), Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones, Common and Sandwich Terns, Gannet, Garden Warbler & Willow Warbler at the Bill (AH)

Common Seal at the Bill (AB)

Our multi-talented co-editor AH leading a sea-watch outing this morning (OM)

(1530-1715hrs) (SH)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Gannet - 16E, 81W
Shelduck - 2p
Sandwich Tern - 10E, 6os
Little Tern - 6os
Common Tern - 1E, 10os
Arctic Tern - 1E
'Commic' Tern - 4E
Swallow - 2N

Northcommon Farm: There were two Spotted Flycatchers near 'Flycatcher Corner,' but other than a Blackcap and several Willow Warblers there was nothing else of note. (AB/OM)

 Spotted Flycatchers at Northcommon Farm, Selsey (AB)

North Wall: An Osprey was over the Wall area at 1320hrs, before drifting over the Harbour towards the west side. 
As the tide came in there was an obliging Common Sandpiper along with 60 Grey Plover (some in lovely black and silver finery of summer), 40 Black-tailed Godwit (these in splendid chestnut garb), three Knot, 80 Dunlin (with black bellies) and 12 Whimbrel, and some 30 Shelduck, too. (ARK per SOS)

A Spotted Flycatcher was in my garden near the North Wall early this evening. (JDW) 

Ferry Pool area: The Spotted Redshank was still showing well this morning. along with two Common Sandpipers (and another in the channel opposite), c100 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Avocets, four Dunlin, six Redshank, nine Gadwall, a pair of Shovelers, a pair of Teal, a few Shelducks, a Buzzard and a dozen Swallows, whilst a Swift went over the channel opposite. 

A Redstart was seen and a Cuckoo heard in the Yeoman's Field area early on (BI/RHa), with Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Whitethroats along the Tramway later, whilst out in the vegetation there were up to 20 Whimbrel and out in the harbour there was a large mixed wader flock including c50 Bar-tailed Godwits, c80 Grey Plovers, c20 Knot and c150 Dunlin. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Ivy Lake: There were at least ten Swifts and large numbers of Swallows, Sand and House Martins over the lake this morning. (AB)

Church Norton: There was little of note here in the bleak north-easterly, though there were two Greenshank and a few Whimbrel in the harbour. (IP/AB)

Whimbrel at Church Norton (AB)

Saturday, 28th April: A cool and grey, but dry day with just a light north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was a fair selection of species, including Arctic Skuas, Bonxies, Manx Shearwaters, Hobby and Arctic Tern represented, but numbers were mostly low. Full log below. (JA/SH/JF/IP/AH/C&ME/MO-W et al)

(0600-1000hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 5os
Red-throated Diver - 4E
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Manx Shearwater - 10W
Fulmar - 6E, 8W
Gannet - 310E, 42W
Shag - 1E, 3os

Brent Goose - 2E
Shelduck - 5os
Common Scoter - 67E, 2W
Hobby - 1N
Common Sandpiper- 2p
Dunlin - 12W
Whimbrel - 4E
Arctic Skua - 3E (2 d/p, 1p/p)
Bonxie - 3E, 1os
Kittiwake - 3E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 20E, 20os
Common Tern - 9E
Arctic Tern - 2E
'Commic ' Tern - 34E
Little Tern - 10E, 13os
auk sp - 1E, 2W, 1os
Swift - 1N
House Martin - 4p
Swallow - 36N
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Wheatear - 4N
'Willow/Chiff '- 3N

1545-1830hrs:  (SH/JA et al)
Great Norther Diver - 4os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 27E, 7W
Fulmar - 1W
Manx Shearwater - 10E, 9W
Shag - 1W, 1os
Common Scoter - 1os
Whimbrel - 2E
Great Skua - 1E
Little Tern - 25os
Comic Tern - 15E
Common Term - 21E, 42os
Sandwich Tern - 21E, 16os
Swallow - 4N

Great Northern Diver (above) & Shelducks at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was still on the pool, along with six Dunlin, four Avocets (first thing only), six Redshank, two Lapwing, c100 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Gadwall, four Teal, two Shovelers and three Shelducks, with a Reed Warbler singing near the road..

There were up to ten Whimbrel off the Tramway, with c20 Bar-tailed Godwits, c30 Grey Plover and c50 Dunlin out in the middle of the harbour from there, whilst passerine migrants comprised of a handful of Swallows and a couple each of singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocet, Dunlin and Gadwall, Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

Warner Lane and Northcommon Farm: Very little was about early on, with just Linnets at Warner Lane and just a Whitethroat, a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff at Northcommon Farm. (AH)

Park Lane: There were  Buzzards in the area early evening, plus a Swift, a House Martin and 3 Swallows. (SH)

Church Norton: There were at least half a dozen Wheatears on the spit this morning, with at least ten Whimbrel and a Bar-tailed Godwit in the harbour, plus a Brent Goose, the pair of Peregrines and c40 Dunlin that flew out over the beach, and there were a scattering of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns among the Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls. (IP/RM/AH) This evening two Canada Geese were investigating the anti-predator fence on Tern island, and there were still two Wheatears and a lone Brent Goose present in the harbour, plus 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Whimbrel (AW)

Wheatear (above), Sandwich Tern & Whimbrels at Church Norton (AH)

Lone Brent Goose and Wheatear at Church Norton early evening (AW)

 

North Wall: This afternoon there were two Cuckoos showing nicely along the wall, a Whinchat at the back of the Breech Pool and a few Yellow Wagtails in the area. (GK) Later in the day found one Cuckoo still showing well in the hedgerows and half a dozen Swallows dip feeding over the water. (BI)

Cuckoo at the North Wall (BI)