28th - 30th April 2019

Tuesday, 30th April: Another bright and sunny morning, with the breeze again starting in the north-east before drifting round towards south-east.........

Lost...a pair of spectacles on the shingle/path, between Bill House wall and Hillfield Rd car-park, in all the excitement. Really would appreciate their return if anyone should find them. Many thanks (OM)

Selsey Bill: Duck day! Bird of the spring (so far!) was undoubtedly the drake Surf Scoter picked up by Hampshire birder Pete Gammage among a flock of 33 Common Scoters that dropped in on the sea at 09.40hrs. All present managed to see it on the water before the flock took to flight again, heading east at 09.55hrs. Somewhat surprisingly, this is the first confirmed record for the Bill and the Peninsula.
Among other highlights were a summer-plumaged drake Long-tailed Duck east and (to complete the set!) two Velvet Scoters among the 300+ Common Scoters seen going east, plus a Tufted Duck and Shovelers, along with a Black-throated Diver and 100 or so Bar-tailed Godwits, and two Common Sandpipers went along the beach. Full log below.....
0530-1730hrs:  (PG/PB/JF/OM/IP/PM/AH/BI/SH/C&ME/B&MC et al)
Red-throated Diver - 6E
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Gannet - 97E, 15W
Fulmar - 2E, 9W
Shelduck - 2E
Common Scoter - 383E
Velvet Scoter - 2E
Surf Scoter - 1E (drake)
Long-tailed Duck - 1E (drake)
Shoveler - 2E
Tufted Duck - 1E
Whimbrel - 7E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 92E
Turnstone - 14E
Sanderling - 1E
Common Sandpiper - 2E
Razorbill - 4W
auk sp - 4W
Sparrowhawk - 1 area
Little Tern  - 42E
Common Tern - 30E
Commic Tern - 52E, 20os
Sandwich Tern - 156E
Arctic Skua - 4E (d/p)
Great Skua - 1E, 1os
skua sp - 1E
Kittiwake - 1E
Swift - 10N
Sand Martin - 2N
House Martin - 5N
Swallow - 105N
Lesser Whitethroat - 1 gardens
Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 10+ W

Distant (!!) shots of the Surf Scoter among Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Long-tailed Duck (above), Velvet and Common Scoters & Fulmar at the Bill (AH)

 More views of the Velvet Scoters and Long-tailed Duck (PM)

Ferry Pool: The Knot was still present today, along with five Dunlin, three Little Ringed Plovers, ten Redshank and c70 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst a new family of ducklings were among the 30 or so adult Shelduck present, and there were also four Teal and eight Gadwall about. 
Also, a Raven went over westwards and two Stock Doves were around the pool, whilst at least a dozen Whimbrel, ten Black-tailed Godwits and four Gadwall were in the channel opposite. (AH/AM)

Raven (above), Knot and Redshank, Whimbrel, Shelducks & Gadwall around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were up to ten Little Terns feeding along the main channel this morning on a quick look, with 60+ Sandwich Terns on the mud, along with 16 Bar-tailed Godwits, 20+ Whimbrel and a few Ringed Plovers, whilst several Swallows went over. (AH/IP)

Little Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Ivy Lake: The first-winter Little Gull was feeding over the lake again this morning. (KJ et al)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - The Spoonbills were showing well on the Stilt Pool again this morning, along with numerous Avocets and Shelducks, at least eight Bar-tailed Godwits this morning and one or two Knot, plus a few Gadwall and Tufted Ducks. (RP)

Spoonbills (above), Bar-tailed Godwits & Avocet and Ringed Plover at Medmerry (RP)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - This evening there were two singing Corn Buntings along the banks, a couple of Reed Warblers in the ponds, half a dozen Swallows over the fields and a scattering of Skylarks and Linnets. Also, there were four Brown Hares in the big field and adjacent saltmarsh opposite the breach. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above) & Brown Hares at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 29th April: A pleasantly warm and sunny morning, with the much lighter winds starting in the north-east before drifting round to south-east.........

Selsey Bill: A Pomarine Skua past at 6.20am was a good start, but it was generally slow-going, with a Black-throated Diver east and a few waders the only other birds of note, whilst some incoming hirundines and a Willow Warbler singing from the gardens hinted at migration. Full log below.....
(0530-1430hrs)  (JA/PB/IP/JF/C&ME/AH/OM/B&MC)
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Fulmar - 2E, 3W
Gannet  - 48E, 46W
Common Scoter - 16E
Whimbrel - 14E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 6E
Grey Plover - 36E
Dunlin - 80E
Turnstone - 3E
Little Tern - 24E
Common Tern - 22E
Sandwich Tern - 68E
Pomarine Skua - 1E (0620hrs, l/p)
Kittiwake - 5E
Herring Gull - 350 os (around fishing boat!)
Sand Martin - 2N
House Martin - 2 area
Swallow - 45N
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens
also 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins os this morning

(1430-1540hrs) (MD)
Bar-tailed Godwit - 24E
Pomarine Skua - 1E (14.45pm)
Swallow - 2N

(1640-1800hrs)  (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 2E, 1W
Whimbrel - 32E
Little Tern - 10os
Common Tern - 6E
Sandwich Tern - 15E, 5os

(above) AH creating muddy puddles for the local House Martins, which are starting to return to the Bill during very dry conditions this year, and (below) you know it's a quiet day with a photo like this....there was a massive flock of about 350 Herring Gulls following this boat as the crew gutted fish and discarded the offal! (OM) 

Ferry Pool: A Knot was on the pool again, along with the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, a dozen Avocets and Redshank, plus around 80 Black-tailed Godwits, but wildfowl was restricted to 22 Shelducks, four Gadwall,  four Teal and half a dozen Mallards.
The channel opposite held a dozen Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits, pus another pair of Gadwall, whilst a Whitethroat was singing in the bushes by the hide. (AH)

Knot and Black-tailed Godwits (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Whitethroat & Mallards around the Ferry (AH)

North Selsey: In the hedges towards Park Farm this morning there were two Lesser Whitethroats, two Whitethroats, two Willow Warblers, three Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff. (SH)

Church Norton: There were seven Bar-tailed Godwits and up to 20 Whimbrel in the harbour this morning, whilst a couple of Little and Common Terns were among the Sandwich Terns sat on the mud.
A Cuckoo was calling continuously from the trees at the back of the Severals and there were six Lesser Whitethroats spread between the path to the beach and the west side, along with plenty of Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler and two or three Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. Resident birds included a couple of Reed Buntings and numerous Linnets, plus a Sparrowhawk over and a pair of Gadwall in the moat of the Mound.. (AH/IP)

Linnet (above), Blackcap, Gadwall, Bar-tailed Godwit & Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Ivy Lake: The first-winter Little Gull was feeding over the lake again this morning. (BFF/DM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - A superb spring morning with a light north easterly and plenty of sunshine. All the way down we could hear Mediterranean Gulls calling though remaining hidden in the blue sky. A Raven cronked east being chased by local Carrion Crows, plenty of Common Whitethroats were holding territory, a Yellowhammer and single Stonechat were in the gorse holding territory and at least one Lesser Whitethroat was singing, whilst a group of 7 Whimbrel were feeding in the tidal marsh with another 3 further to the south. 
On the Stilt Pools the 2 Spoonbills were actively dozing, whilst 6 Little Ringed Plovers and many Avocet were busy defending territories and 5 summer plumaged Dunlin were also noted, plus Gadwall and Tufted Duck. On the walk back Sedge and Reed Warbler were singing stridently. (BFF/DM)

 Spoonbills and Avocet on the Stilt pool and Yellowhammer in the gorse (BFF)

Sunday, 28th April: Less windy than yesterday, but still with a very fresh north-westerly blowing, and still decidely cool in the mostly cloudy conditions.........

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, though a Hobby came in over Hillfield Road just before 9am, single Arctic Skuas and Bonxies went east, 20+ Whimbrels went west and half a dozen Great Northern Divers and two Eider were offshore. Full log below. (JA/SH/IP/AH)
(0530-1015hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 8os
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 66E, 82W
Shelduck - 2W
Gadwall - 2W
Mallard - 6os
Common Scoter - 11E, 1os
Eider - 2os
Hobby - 1N
Whimbrel - 32W
Turnstone - 2p
Bonxie - 1E
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 37W
Kittiwake - 2E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 35os
Common Tern - 3E, 25os
Little Tern - 8os
Razorbill - 1E, 1W
auk sp - 1E, 1W

(1120-1530hrs) (JA/SH/PB/C&ME)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 46E, 20W
Common Scoter - 1E, 3W, 3os
Kestrel - 1N
Pomarine Skua - 1W, then os, 1340hrs
Bonxie - 1E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 22os
Little Tern - 2E, 11os
Common Tern - 22os
auk sp - 3E, 1W
Swallow - 11N
Goldfinch - 9N

Eider (above), Common Tern & Whimbrel at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were only four Avocet present this morning, along with a lone Knot, c90 Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Redshank, 25 Shelducks and four Gadwall, but there were only half a dozen Teal about.

Ferry Channel held a Greenshank, a pair each of Wigeon and Gadwall, and a dozen Whimbrel, with another 30 or so spread around between there and the main channel from the Tramway.

The Tramway circuit held a handful of Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps, plus two Lesser Whitethroats, whilst a Cuckoo was calling distantly from the direction of Sidlesham Quay. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Knot, Black-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Ivy Lake: The Little Gull was feeding over the lake again this morning. (RHa)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The two Spoonbills were again on the Stilt Pool, along with four Little Ringed Plovers, plenty of Avocets, 20 Grey Plovers, a Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit and - briefly - three Little Terns.

Also, a Peregrine was seen with a fresh kill and a pair of Stonechats were along the banks. (IP/RM)
Also seen were a Wheatear on the beach, four Reed Warblers and three Whimbrels. (ARK per SOS)

Church Norton: Waders included four Bar-tailed Godwits, two Dunlin, a Curlew and half a dozen Ringed Plovers, along with at least 20 Whimbrel, whilst only one Little Tern could be seen among the large numbers of Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls.
Two or three Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats, plus a vocal, but unseen, Lesser Whitethroat were along the front, along with a couple of Reed Buntings and a handful of Linnets. (AH/IP/RM et al)

Sedge Warbler (above), Reed Bunting & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)