16th - 18th April 2019

Thursday, 18th April: The wind switched back to a moderate north-easterly, though it was considerably warmer than earlier in the week in the hazy sunshine, but there was still some mist and murk lingering offshore on the horizon......

Selsey Bill: It was a fairly quiet morning, but with some interesting moments, including a remarkable flock of 18 Velvet Scoters and a flock of 40+ Whimbrel among a total of over 150, all going east. There was also a Bonxie, an Eider, eight Little Gulls and eight Little Terns east and a few Wheatears, Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows were coming in off the sea. Full log below.  (C&ME/JF/CRJ/OM/AF/TR/BI/AH/RJS et al)
(0630-1300hrs) 
Red-throated Diver - 3E
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 72E, 20W
Canada Goose - 3E
Brent Goose - 2E
Eider - 1E
Shelduck - 3os
Velvet Scoter - 18E (one flock, 1035hrs)
Common Scoter - 143E, 5W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E
Pintail - 2E
Curlew - 1E, 1W
Whimbrel - 158E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 6E
Sanderling - 4E
Kestrel - 1 os  drifted E
Sparrowhawk - 1 ob/gardens
Razorbill - 1os
auk sp - 3E
Little Tern - 8E
Common Tern - 14E
Commic Tern - 14E
Sandwich Tern - 92E
Little Gull - 8E
Kittiwake - 1E
Great Skua - 1E
Sand Martin - 10N
House Martin - 9N
Swallow - 37N
Wheatear - 5N/ob
Meadow Pipit - 26N
Yellow Wagtail - 1E
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens
phylloscopus warbler sp - 4N

Fulmar (above), Sandwich Tern & Whimbrel at the Bill (AH)

Wheatear at the Bill, above, (DM) & Whimbrel (BI)

(1610-1800hrs) (JA/SH)

Great Northern Diver - 11os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 7E, 1W

Common Scoter - 19E, 9os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Whimbrel - 3E

Arctic Skua - 2E (d/p)

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 25E, 20os

Little Tern - 3os

Common Tern - 9E, 15os

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 1N

Wheatear - 1p

Northcommon Farm: A ringtail Hen Harrier went over west at midday today. (SH)

Otherwise it was quiet, with the only migrants being a Wheatear in the paddocks, a Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler towards Chainbridge and a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. (AH)

Wheatear at Northcommon Farm (AH)

Warner Lane paddocks: The only birds of note were a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, two Song Thrushes and eight Linnets. (AH)

Blackcap at Warner Lane (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was nothing too unusual on the pool, though the three Little Ringed Plovers - seemingly a pair and an unwanted intruder - were present, along with seven Avocets, c60 Black-tailed Godwits, a handful of Lapwings and Redshank, two Shovelers and c40 Teal. (AH)

Long Pool and West Side: A Cuckoo could be heard fairly distantly this morning, whilst there was plenty of warbler activity along the pool, including at least two Reed Warblers, five Sedge Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat and a Blackcap, with a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler heard towards the Ferry.

Also, another Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Chiffchaffs, plus a dozen Linnets and a displaying pair of Lapwings were along the west side, with two Sand Martins over. (AH)

Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler & Whitethroat along the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: Bright sun and a big tide boded well for an Osprey and so it was today at 13.55hrs, when calling Herring Gulls had me swing round to see the Osprey coming fast, already near the wall, then over and on north or north-west till out of sight. 

Other raptors in my time here (10.40 - 14.40hrs) were Red Kite east, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard and Kestrel. Waders on the saltings were say 110 each of Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover and Dunlin, 30 Knot, a few Curlew and Whimbrel and two Greenshank that flew away east, and there were also 48 Shelduck and two Brent eese present. 

Singing in the reeds were three Sedge and one Reed Warbler and, not singing, two pairs of Reed Bunting. A lone Lapwing was prospecting a field and up to 60 Teal were on the Pool and two Wigeon in the Harbour. (ARK per SOS)

Church Norton: One singing Willow Warbler and a couple of Blackcaps and Swallows was the total of migrants, though there were half a dozen Whimbrel in the harbour on the high tide.
Also, the gulls and terns have returned to Tern Island, with half a dozen Common Terns among c40 Sandwich Terns, and c80 Mediterranean Gulls among the hundreds of Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Whimbrels (above), Mediterranean Gull & Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 17th April: A calm, dry and fairly warm day with hazy sunshine and a very light northerly breeze, but with lingering mist all morning, until a thick coastal fog swept in shortly after noon...........

Selsey Bill: With restricted visibility due to the misty horizon it soon became clear this wasn't going to be a great sea-watch day and passage was much slower than of late. There were some compensations though, including a Black-necked Grebe briefly offshore, a Red Kite over, and the first 'proper' arrival of Swallows. It was also apparent that passerine migrants were at last beginning to arrive, both at the Bill and further into the Peninsula, but the thick fog put paid to hopes of anything further. Full log below........

0615-1230hrs: (PB/JF/CN/C&ME/AH/OM/IP/AF et al)

Red-throated Diver - 2E
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Black-necked Grebe - 1os
Fulmar - 2E, 5W
Gannet - 7E, 10W
Little Egret - 1N
Brent Goose - 35E
Shelduck - 4os
Common Scoter - 88E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Shoveler - 2E
Wigeon - 3E
Ringed Plover - 1E
Sanderling - 1E
Sparrowhawk - 1 with prey, Bill House garden
Red Kite - 1 drifted S over the Bill then turned back N
Little Tern - 1E
Common Tern - 23E
Sandwich Tern - 37E
Arctic Skua - 1E 
Common Gull - 1E
Sand Martin - 3N
House Martin - 1N
Swallow - 141N
Meadow Pipit - 2N
Wheatear - 5N/ob
Willow Warbler - 5 area
Chiffchaff - 2 gardens
Whitethroat - 2 gardens
Goldfinch - 1N, 5 area

 Red Kite over the Bill (OM)

Warner Lane paddocks: A selection of migrants here, with a male Redstart, a Wheatear, a Common Whitethroat, a singing Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, two Willow Warblers and at least two Blackcaps. A pair of Red-legged Partridges and at least one pair of nesting Linnets were also present. (OM)

Linnet at Warner Lane paddocks (OM)

Northcommon Farm: There were two different male Redstarts this morning, plus a Garden Warbler, 10 Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat and at least 4 Blackcaps. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was again near a nest-hole, two Green Woodpeckers were vociferous and 10 Mediterranean Gulls went over calling. (OM/SH et al) 

Church Norton and West side:  A Ring Ouzel was halfway along the west side from Church Norton early on (AW), but became elusive and soon moved to the back of a field, from whence it eventually disappeared.  A singing Lesser Whitethroat was also present in the area, whilst a female Redstart was along the path leading from the churchyard. (AH/BI/IP) Later, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Common Whitethroat were along the path and a Water Vole was seen in the rife (AB), and there were plenty of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the churchyard. (BC)

Ring Ouzel along the west side path (AW, above & AH)

An early evening look along the west side produced a male Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat, 10+ Willow Warblers, three Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff and six Swallows. (SH)

Later there were six Whimbrel and 20 Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour and a lot of the Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls - though no Sandwich Terns - had returned, but were not back on the island. (AH)

Redstart (SH) (above), Whimbrel & Mediterranean and black-headed Gulls (AH) at Church Norton

North Wall: What a difference a day makes.... today there were migrants all along the Wall. Behind the stables a Willow Warbler was singing, a Wheatear was along the Wall, two Sedge Warblers were around the Breech Pool and a Common Whitethroat, a male Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs were at Owl Water. 

The highlight was on the return trip, where a pair of Garganey had arrived at the Breech Pool along with the regular 70 Black-tailed Godwits. (JDW)
Later in the afternoon, a Cuckoo was seen and heard. (D Illman)

 Distant record shot of the pair of Garganey and Black-tailed Godwits at Breech pool (JDW)

Selsey, Park Farm: At least 10 Willow Warblers were in the area this evening. (SH)

Hunston: Two Garganey were reported early on, having been observed in the rife of the Chichester Golf course yesterday afternoon at 1630hrs (per BI).

Tuesday, 16th April: The strong winds finally abated, swinging round to a light westerly, and it was a bit warmer this morning, though it was generally grey and murky with the odd spot of rain and drizzle......

Selsey Bill: It was predictably slower this morning, though numbers picked up a bit late morning, with passage confined to two Bonxies, two Arctic Skuas, 300+ Brent Geese, 140 Common Scoters and a few Sandwich and Common Terns, whilst four Eider dropped in on the sea. However, there continues to be a dearth of passerine migrants - at least on the coast - and surely we must soon be due a decent fall!   Full log below..... 
0630-1400hrs: (C&ME/JF/IP/AF/AH/OM/TR et al)
Red-throated Diver - 6E
Diver sp - 4E
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 215E, 13W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 341E
Eider - 4os drifted W
Common Scoter - 145E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Whimbrel - 4E, 2W
Peregrine - 1N
Razorbill - 1E
Common Tern - 4E
Commic Tern - 30E
Sandwich Tern - 57E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 2E (l/p+d/p)
Great Skua - 2E
Swallow - 13N
Wheatear - 2N/ob
Chiffchaff - 2 gardens
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens

Flock of Brent Geese passing the Bill early afternoon; there's over 70 birds here (OM)

Sandwich Tern (above), Common Terns & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: A Common Sandpiper was on the pool mid-morning, but was not present later, along with three Little  Ringed Plovers. (AW) 

Common Sandpiper (above) & Little Ringed Plovers on the Ferry (AW)

Otherwise, it was the usual mix, including two Little Ringed Plovers, four Avocets, a handful of Lapwing and Redshank, 60+ Black-tailed Godwits, four Gadwall and c50 Teal.

Also a pair of Gadwall, two Whimbrel and a few Black-tailed Godwits were in Ferry Channel and a Reed Warbler was singing along the Long Pool. (AH/IP)

Avocet  (above) & Gadwall around the Ferry (AH)

Warner Lane and Northcommon Farm: There was very little to report this morning, with a handful of Linnets and a Song Thrush at the former site and nothing of note at the latter. (AH/IP)

Church Norton: A few Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls had returned to Tern Island, but there were only half a dozen Sandwich Terns in the harbour, which was otherwise very quiet on the high tide, though the regular Whimbrel was still about its usual haunts.
A Sedge Warbler and a Reed Bunting were in the first Several, a few Linnets were around the beach, a Willow Warbler and a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing intermittently from various locations, a Song Thrush was gathering food and a pair of Jays were chasing each other around. (AH/IP)

Whimbrel (above), Linnet, Jay & Song Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: I did my four farms circuit this morning hoping to record new migrants, but overall it was very disappointing, The total along the Wall was a single Wheatear, 3 Swallows and 3 singing Chiffchaffs. There is a lot of exposed mud on the Breech Pool but the only waders to be seen were 72 Black-tailed Godwits; also there were 58 Teal and a pair of Tufted Ducks and Little Grebes. 
A lot of Little Egret gargling was coming from Owl Copse but not much activity. On Honer reservoir were 6 Gadwall and 2 Tufted Ducks, whilst Stock Doves were at Macrocarpa Copse.. Two Little Ringed Plovers were on a flooded field and I also recorded Cetti's Warblers at 8 locations. (JDW)

 Little Ringed Plover  at the North Wall (JDW)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were 12 Cattle Egrets amongst the cattle between Marsh and Bramber Farms this morning, along with one or two Stock Doves. (JDW)

 Cattle Egrets between Marsh and Bramber Farms (JDW) 

Ivy Lake: There were seven Common Terns on the lake at lunchtime, but no hirundines, despite the overcast conditions. Otherwise there were three Pochard - two drakes and a duck, two Gadwall, 12 Great Crested Grebes and eight Greylag Geese about the lakes, but only a couple each of Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Cetti's Warbler gave away their presence. (AH)

Common Tern (above), Pochard & Chiffchaff at Ivy Lake (AH)