25th - 27th April 2019

Saturday, 27th April: A day dominated by a gale-force due westerly, fairly cool in the mix of sunshine and cloud....

Selsey Bill: Unsurprisingly, given the wind direction, a pretty dire morning's sea-watching, though there were still a few of the more regular species recorded. Full log below. (SH/JA/IP/PB/AH)
(0530-0830hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Fulmar - 2E, 13W
Gannet - 32E, 81W
Common Scoter - 16E
Grey Plover - 22W
Whimbrel - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 20E, 11os
Little Tern - 6os
Common Tern - 11os
auk sp - 3E
Grey Seal - 1os

Common Tern (above), Gannet & Grey Seal at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 28 Shelducks on the pool, along with 12 Avocets, c80 Black-tailed Godwits, four Redshank and c20 Teal this morning. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The two Spoonbills were still present today. (SR) 

Church Norton: Apart from the activity around Tern Island, including c60 Sandwich Terns and c100 Mediterranean Gulls, the harbour was quiet, with just a dozen or so Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits noted, whilst the bushes held a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcaps - all largely unseen, but singing sporadically. (AH/iP)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were seven Bar-tailed Godwits and a Knot in the harbour, along with at least 20 Whimbrel. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot & Whimbrels at Church Norton (AH)

Ivy Lake: The first-winter Little Gull was feeding over the lake again this morning, though could be elusive at times, and there were also a minimum of 15 Common Terns present, along with c 30 Sand Martins, c10 House Martins and c100 Swallows, whilst at least a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were singing along the hedges. (BI/AH/IL)

Little Gull (above), Sand Martins, Chiffchaff & Common Tern at Ivy Lake (AH); Little Gull, bottom, (BI)

Friday, 26th April: A bright and very breezy morning, after a cool start, with the wind from more or less due south.....sunny with cloud and just a few isolated drops of rain.

Selsey Bill: Highlights of a fairly slow morning were a Pomarine Skua east at 0935hrs and two Manx Shearwaters west. Full log below....... 

(0530-1230hrs): (JA/JF/PB/AB/OM/BI/IP/C&ME/AH et al)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver - 3E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
diver sp - 2E
Manx Shearwater - 2W
Fulmar - 2E, 15W
Gannet - 116E, 75W
Brent Goose - 13E
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 82E, 3W, 12os
Whimbrel - 2W
Great Skua - 1E
Pomarine Skua - 1E
Arctic Skua - 5E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern- 133E, 30os
Little Tern - 13E, 18os
Common Tern - 5E, 33os
Razorbill - 3E
auk sp - 4E
Swallow - 1p
Whitethroat - 1 gardens 

Sandwich Tern (above) & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

OM chasing rainbows at the Bill (AH)

(1615-1730hrs) (JA/SH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 14E, 9W
Common Scoter - 1E
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 5E, 6os
Little Tern - 2os
Common Tern - 6os
auk sp - 3E
Swallow - 3N

Ferry Pool: The pair of Little Ringed Plovers were displaying and mating this morning and there were still 12 Avocets present, along with c70 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Redshank, four Gadwall, 16 Shelduck and c20 Teal, whilst a Whitethroat was singing in the hedge by the hide.
Also, the Common Sandpiper, the Greenshank and at least six Whimbrel, plus two pairs of Gadwall were in the channel opposite. (AH/BI)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Little Ringed Plovers around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Visiting birders reported a male Redstart near the Mound, and there was a Cuckoo around the horse field area, but otherwise, beyond a briefly singing Willow Warbler, it was just the usual Blackcaps and the odd Chiffchaff singing.

The harbour held at least 60 Sandwich Terns and half a dozen Little Terns, plus up to a dozen Whimbrel, one Dunlin and 20 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst the female Peregrine was sat on her island. (AH/IP)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH); Redstart, bottom, (JR)

Sidlesham: Walking across farmland between Sidlesham and Highleigh I looked up to see an Osprey passing overhead towards Pagham Harbour. (T Snow per SOS)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The two Spoonbills (seemingly the sub-adult birds seen last weekend) were present again and sleeping soundly on the Stilt Pool, where there were also at least four Little Ringed Plovers, exactly 40 Avocets, a Redshank and a Lapwing, plus a dozen Tufted Ducks, a pair of Gadwall and eight Mediterranean Gulls.

Up to a dozen Whimbrel were out on the reserve, but the banks were fairly quiet in the blustery conditions, though plenty of Skylarks were singing, as were half a dozen Whitethroats and a couple of Reed Buntings, whilst a single Swallow and a Swift went over. (AH/IP/BI)

Spoonbills (above), Little Ringed Plover, Swift, Lapwing & Skylark at Medmerry (AH); 
and awake (!) Spoonbill (BI)

Ivy Lake: The first-winter Little Gull was present again this morning, along with half a dozen Swifts and a few hirundines, a Reed Warbler and a few Orange-tips were along the edges and a pair of Pochard were displaying. (AB/NM)

Pochards (above), Long-tailed Tit & Orange-tip at Ivy Lake (AB)

Late this afternoon the first-winter Little Gull and up to ten Common Terns were over the back of the lake, along with a few Swallows, with six Pochards and a dozen Great Crested Grebes on the water. (AH)

Little Gull (above) & with Common Tern at Ivy Lake (AH)

Thursday, 25th April: The fresh breeze was fairly constant from a south-south-easterly direction, but the morning went from cold and grey, with the odd drizzly shower, to warm with bright sunshine.....

Firstly, a short update on Peninsula regular Yvette Ford, following her recent accident when she (and husband Alan) were struck by a car in Chichester. We are pleased to say that she is now home and recuperating, following her operation at St Richard's Hospital. She asks us to pass on this message.....
"Thank you so much for organising the delivery of the lovely flowers. They brightened my day (and Alan’s).! Please thank everyone. I’m feeling a bit better each day, missing being there with you all, hopefully I’ll be back in business for the Autumn migration, maybe in a wheelchair so you’ll have to get a disabled access sorted for me!!
Thanks again, Love to you all,  Yvette xx "    
Get well soon and we look forward to seeing you back as soon as you are ready. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: Steady passage this morning, although the anticipated south-easterly failed to deliver a wow factor and the weather failed to deliver much of the promised rain moving through. Even so, two Pomarine Skuas went east, (singles at 7am and 10am), along with over 20 Arctic Skuas, 15 Bonxies, seven Velvet Scoters, three Little Gulls, a Black-throated Diver, nine Red-throated Divers, 300+ Sandwich Terns and 100+ Common Terns. Full log below..... 
0600-1515hrs:  (PB/CN/BI/JF/IP/C&ME/AH/RHa/OM et al)
Red-throated Diver - 11E
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Fulmar - 7E, 10W
Gannet - 165E, 70W
Brent Goose - 71E
Velvet Scoter - 7E
Common Scoter - 226E, 35os
Whimbrel - 11E
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 4E
Great Skua - 15E
Arctic Skua - 24E (all but one dark phase - or dark morph as some insist!)
Pomarine Skua - 2E (l/p)
skua sp - 1E
Little Tern - 21E
Commic Tern - 146E 
Common Tern - 11E
Sandwich Tern - 362E
Little Gull - 3E
Kittiwake - 4E
Swift - 2N
Swallow - 12N

Arctic Skuas (above), Bonxie, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

More cameos from the morning's sea-watch, this time at the 'south-easterly corner.' (above) the early crowd assembles and PB (furthest right and in pole position) assumes responsibility as duty Log-keeper.

(centre) All goes well as PB sticks to his task diligently, scanning in all directions and maintaining the Log....

(lower) ah!. ..but the pressure eventually tells and he is found wanting for a short while, asleep at his post in the sunshine! (OM)

(1530-1830hrs) (JA/SH/AH/RHa/PD)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 36E, 5W

Brent Goose - 8E

Common Scoter - 40E

Eider - 1os

Bonxie - 1E, 3os

Common Gull - 5E

Mediterranean Gull - 7W

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 56E

Common Tern - 22E, 12os

Swift - 1N

auk sp - 2E

Ivy Lake: A Hobby went over the lake this afternoon (BFF/DM/CM), whilst early this evening there was a first-winter Little Gull, ten Common Terns and a Common Sandpiper present, along with ten (nine drakes!) Pochard and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. (AB)

West Itchenor: A pair of Nuthatches were seen at a nest-hole were along a track in the village today. (PH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool - There were two Spoonbills on the Stilt Pool this afternoon. (P Charleston/C Evans)

Spoonbills at Medmerry (C Evans)

Ferry Pool: There was a Knot among the 50 or so Black-tailed Godwits present, as well as  a Common Sandpiper, 14 Avocets, ten Redshank, six Gadwall and c20 Teal, whilst the channel opposite held a Greenshank, nine Whimbrel and 25 Black-tailed Godwits, plus a pair of Wigeon and a pair of Gadwall. (AH/BFF/DM/CM)

Knot and Black-tailed Godwits (above), Avocets, Greenshank, Whimbrel and Gadwall & Whimbrel and Wigeon around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The harbour produced a sub-adult Yellow-legged Gull, a dozen Whimbrel, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, 19 Little Terns, ten Common Terns, c75 Sandwich Terns and lots of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, whilst a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps were singing around the hide. (AH)
This evening, c20 Ringed Plovers and a flock of 11 Whimbrel flew into the harbour mouth, and a Common Sandpiper was also in the harbour. (SA)

Whimbrel (above), Sandwich Terns & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)