Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Friday, 6th April: A surprisingly chilly start, though warming up slowly, with a fresh south-easterly breeze blowing the clouds through quickly...

Selsey Bill: There was a good movement of Sandwich Terns east - 512, making 1539 in the last five days, and a good selection of other birds also heading east this morning, including 200+ Common/Commic Terns, nearly 800 Common Scoters, three Velvet Scoters, seven Arctic Skuas, a Bonxie and three Little Gulls. Full log below. (JA/PB/CN/SR/AH/BI/C&ME/GH/ES/MJ/SM/SHo)
(0630-1000hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Red-throated Diver - 13E
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Fulmar - 1E, 11W
Gannet - 112E, 3W
Brent Goose - 8E
Teal - 5E
Shoveler - 11E
Common Scoter - 788E, 230os
Velvet Scoter - 3E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E
Curlew - 1E
Turnstone - 17E
Arctic Skua - 7E (all d/p)
Bonxie - 1E
Common Gull - 19E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Little Gull - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 512E
Common Tern - 84E
'Commic' Tern - 152E
auk sp - 3E
Meadow Pipit - 11E
Swallow - 1N
Goldfinch - 5E
Linnet - 9E

Arctic Skuas (above), Shoveler, Common Tern, Sandwich Terns & Common Scoters past the Bill (AH)

A look from Hillfield Road this afternoon produced six Sandwich Terns east, and a Bonxie that went through at around 3.45pm, breaking its journey east to stop and bully one of the Herring Gulls. (MO-W)

(1600-1830hrs) (JA/SH/CN)
Great Northern Diver - 3E
Red-throated Diver - 14E
diver sp - 2E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Manx Shearwater - 1E
Re-necked Grebe - 1E
Gannet - 7E, 2W
Brent Goose - 3E
Garganey - 1E
Common Scoter - 6E, 320os
Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 3os
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Sandwich Tern - 189E
Common Tern - 34E

Ferry Pool: There was Green Sandpiper in the back corner, along with a pair of Gadwall, six Wigeon, 14 Shoveler and c25 Teal this morning, whilst a pair of Ravens were on the fields at the back and a lone Swallow went over.. (AH)

Raven (above) & Green Sandpiper, Shoveler and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Chichester Marina Reed-beds: There was sign of the Bearded Tits in a brief look from 12.15pm, but a Red Kite went over. (PH)

Northcommon Farm: One, and possibly two, Firecrests, along with a male Blackcap were at 'Flycatcher Corner' early this afternoon. (CN)

Birdham: A Swallow was back and prospecting the garages at home this evening. (AB)

Long Pool: Possibly the same pair of Ravens were with another pair which later flew over the Long Pool heading for Church Norton, but there wasn't much else to report, though there were a probable Willow Warbler and a couple of Chiffchaffs, a pair of Gadwall, seven Tufted Ducks and two pairs of Little Grebes along the pool and c30 Redshank and half a dozen Teal in the channel. (AH)

probable Willow Warbler (above), Gadwalls & Redshank along Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: A bit later on (presumably the same) two pairs of Ravens were seen contesting ownership of a very tall pine tree in Priory Wood. (CN)
There was little else about, though, save a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the hedges and a pair of Gadwall, c50 Shelduck and a few Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour. (AH/SM/CN)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool: It was predictably quiet for small birds in the strong easterly breeze with just the regular Skylarks & Linnets along the banks and a few Meadow Pipits along the beach. On the Stilt Pool were six Little Ringed Plovers, c.82 Avocets and a selection of wildfowl including Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck & Shoveler. A Marsh Harrier was over the back of the pools and a Buzzard was up high whilst the gull roost included a Lesser Black-back Gull & 15 Mediterranean Gulls in with the Black-headed Gulls. (BI)

Little Ringed Plover & Avocets at Medmerry (BI)

Thursday, 5th April: A bright and sunny morning, though with the modest north-westerly breeze keeping it fairly cool...

Selsey Bill: Three Little Terns were reported briefly offshore (A&YF), but were not seen again. Otherwise it was very quiet, with just a few Sandwich Terns and Common Scoters and up to half a dozen Great Northern Divers seen. Full log below.....
0645-1145hrs: (OM/C&ME/AH et al)
Red-throated Diver - 3E
Great Northern Diver - 6os
diver sp - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 3os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 22E, 2W
Grey Heron - 1os then E
Brent Goose - 39E
Common Scoter - 37E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 10os
Turnstone - 30E
auk sp - 1E, 6W
Sandwich Tern - 14os
Common Gull - 2W
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

(1615-1800hrs) (JA/SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 5E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 4E, 1W

Common Scoter - 9E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 2os

Common Gull - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 15E, 4os

Chichester Marina Reed-beds: There were possibly as many as five Bearded Tits in the reeds late this morning, being quite vocal and quite flighty; whether or not these were dispersing migrants is uncertain, but it would be great if they stayed on to become residents!
There were also at least two Cetti's Warblers, a pair of Mute Swans, a pair of Canada Geese, four Shelduck and several Teal around the flooded pool, whilst a Swallow dropped in momentarily. (OM/AH/BI/BFF/DM)

One of the Bearded Tits at Chi Marina pool reed-bed (DM)

Birdham Pool was quiet and held only 7 Tufted Ducks, 8 Little Grebes, 2 Shelduck, a Water Rail and a Willow Warbler. (OM)

Sidlesham: There was a singing blackcap and a singing Chiffchaff in the garden today. (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just the usual selection of ducks on the pool this morning, including four Gadwall, four Wigeon, 12 Shoveler and c20 Teal. (AH)

Church Norton: There were at least six Blackcaps - four by the Mound and two behind the hide - present this morning, along with three or four Chiffchaffs, but no other indications of migration.
There were up to a dozen Sandwich Terns and c30 Mediterranean Gulls about the harbour, though not too much else of note, though six Brent Geese were sat out on the mud and a pair of Wigeon and two pairs of Shovelers were on the flooded creek by the horse field.. (AH)

Blackcaps (above), Chiffchaffs, Mediterranean Gull, Shoveler, Wigeon & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 4th April: Another cold and grey day, with some hints of brightness on a strengthening SSE wind, then veering more SSW by late morning.....with showers by noon.

Selsey Bill: Another fairly busy morning of eastward movement, including, by midday, six Arctic Skuas, three Bonxies, 11 Little Gulls, 300+ Sandwich Terns, 200+ Brent Geese, 500+ Common Scoters (over and above the 250+ on the sea), a few Common Terns and 60 Red-throated Divers. Full log below................
0630-1230hrs: (PB/OM/SR/AH/PD/MJ)
Red-throated Diver - 61E
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 2 os
diver sp - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 134E, 5W
Brent Goose - 234E
Common Scoter - 565E, c.250os
Red-breasted Merganser - 10E, 4W
Sanderling - 30E
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 1E
Arctic Skua - 6E (all d/p)
Great Skua - 3E
Common Tern - 16E
Sandwich Tern - 390E
Little Gull - 11E
Kittiwake - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Common Gull - 12E
Linnet - 5E

Bonxie mugging a Great Black-backed Gull and eating its prize (above), Arctic Skuas, Red-throated Divers and Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Arctic Skua off the Bill (PB)

(1600-1730hrs) (SH)
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 1W
Common Scoter - 80E
Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 5E, 3os

Ferry Pool: A Raven dropped in on the arable fields, there were a couple of pairs of Lapwings on the field, with a pair of Canada Geese and a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls on the pool, along with three Gadwall, six Wigeon , ten Shovelers and c30 Teal, all disturbed by a low-flying Buzzard. (AH)

Raven (above), Gadwall & Great Black-backed Gulls and Canada Geese on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: It was pretty dire here, with the wind whipping across the harbour and hardly anything on the mud, save a few Common and Mediterranean Gulls, Shelducks, Redshanks and Grey Plovers, with the bushes bereft of life, too. (AH)

Grey Plovers (above), Redshanks, Common Gull & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: On a very high tide there were just 40 Wigeon and 2 Great Crested Grebes on the sea side of the Wall. Breech Pool and Pagham Rife have burst their banks and the only birds on the Pool were 4 Tufted Ducks. In the field behind were 290 Black-tailed Godwits, 28 Curlew, 8 Shoveler, 6 Shelduck and 3 Canada Geese and all of the Honer fields were flooded..... and Honer 2 held 38 Curlew, 2 Gadwall and 2 Shoveler. (JDW)