7th - 9th April 2019

Tuesday, 9th April: A cold and drizzly morning, after a dry but murky start, with a light to moderate north-easterly breeze..........and rain becoming more persistent later. 

The Selsey Peninsula Statistics - available by clicking the link on the title bar - gives a wealth of information on the Peninsula's birds. Compiled (painstakingly!) by our very own 'statto' Ian Pitts (IP), the amount of information available is impressive and should serve future researchers well, the latest addition being a breakdown of the species seen each month, now going back to 2016. 
Additionally, a breakdown of migrant first/last and average dates is given separately, having been compiled by our Log-keeper Justin Atkinson (JA). Both of these spreadsheets have involved a lot of effort and we are most grateful to both compilers - but of course they are effectively 'works in progress' as more data is added and updated as time passes.
The one fly in the ointment at present is that each time there is an update, it seems to break the link to the file, making access temporarily impossible until a new link is established. If this should happen to you, please bear with us; we are working on it and it will hopefully be overcome in the near future. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: The highlight - for the two observers, at least (KJ & KF) - was the Ring-necked Parakeet that flew in over Hillfield Road car park a 7.45am, and was presumably the same bird as seen over Sandy Point, Hayling Island an hour before.

Otherwise, it was slow going, with a few Sandwich and Common Terns and 15 Brent Geese going east and the female Eider and three Great Northern Divers offshore the pick. Full log below....... 
0700-1045hrs: (C&ME/MO-W/AH/OM/IP et al)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 2E, 1W
Brent Goose - 15E
Shelduck - 2os
Common Scoter - 5E
Eider - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E
Curlew - 1E
Common Gull - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 71E
Common Tern - 4E
Razorbill - 1W
Ring-necked Parakeet - 1N
Meadow Pipit - 6N
Pied/alba Wagtail - 3N
Swallow - 23N
Goldfinch - 5N
Linnet - 53N

Brent Geese (above) & Fox on the beach at the Bill (AH)

(1615-1715hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 20E, 7W

Common Scoter - 29E

Bonxie - 1E

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Swallow - 3N

House Martin - 1N

Ferry Pool: Ten Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with 12 Redshank and 22 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst at least 20 Lapwings were spread between the pool and the field. There were still c30 Teal and a pair of Gadwall, but all the Shovelers seem to have gone. 

At least 20 Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite, plus another pair of Gadwall, and six Wigeon, whilst the Tramway circuit just held a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, plus a Swallow  and c50 Mediterranean Gulls over. (AH)

Later on, a Lesser Whitethroat was heard briefly near the Visitor Centre. (IL)

Blackcap (above), Black-tailed Godwits & baby Brown Rats around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Willow Warbler was singing behind the stables this morning. (IH)

Chichester Marina: A Willow Warbler was singing here, too, in the reed-bed this morning. (PH)

Ivy Lake: At lunchtime today, there were at least 100 Sand Martins and similar of Swallows over the lake. (AH)

Church Norton: A female Marsh Harrier was out hunting in the drizzle this morning, whilst ten Sand Martins were over the Severals and two Wheatears were on the beach. (KJ/KF/GWh et al)
Earlier, a couple of Blackcaps were behind the hide, a couple of Swallows went over the harbour and at least 50 Sandwich Terns and 100 Mediterranean Gulls were around the island. Also, both Peregrines were in residence, three Gadwall were flying about and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the mud. (AH/IP/CRJ)

Blackcap (above), Mediterranean Gulls & Mallard on the church roof at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 8th April: A mild and almost still morning, with a mix of weak sunshine and persistent hazy sea-mist...... 

Selsey Bill: Despite the unpromising conditions, with the misty and murky conditions making things difficult at times, there was quite a bit of sea-passage, including six Velvet Scoters, 16 Little Gulls, seven Arctic Skuas, a Little Tern and 200+ Brent Geese, whilst passerines included a Siskin, three Yellow Wagtails and several Sand Martins in off the sea. Full log below......

0620-1200hrs:  (PB/PM/IP/RB/C&ME/OM/AH/A&YF/KJ et al)

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 2os

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Fulmar - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 18E, 3W

Brent Goose - 248E

Eider - 1E, 1os

Shelduck - 5E, 2ob

Common Scoter - 93E

Velvet Scoter - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 20E, 6os

Ringed Plover - 1ob

Golden Plover - 20E

Turnstone - 13 ob 

Little Tern - 1os

Common Tern - 38E

Sandwich Tern - 119E (inc. 46 os which eventually drifted off E)

Arctic Skua - 7E (all d/p)

Little Gull - 16E

Mediterranean Gull - 11E, plus 30 Oval Field early on, soon flushed.

Meadow Pipit - 43N

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Yellow Wagtail - 3N

Sand Martin - 9N

House Martin - 1N

Swallow - 16N

Blackcap - 1 gardens

Goldfinch - 17N

Linnet - 15N

Siskin - 1N

Brent Geese (above), Common Terns & Shelduck at the Bill (AH)

(1620-1800hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Red-necked Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 30E, 20W, 1os

Common Scoter - 1E

Whimbrel - 2E

Bonxie - 1E

Little Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 27E, 19os

Common Tern - 1E, 1W

Swalllow - 1N

Common Seal - 1os

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - c10E

Bottle-nosed Dolphins off the Bill (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A lone Redwing was feeding in the paddocks in Park Lane this morning. (IP/RM)

Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover, a Snipe and ten Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with a handful of Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank and Lapwings, whilst there were still c30 Shovelers and Teal present, too. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: The Spotted Redshank and c30 Black-tailed Godwits were ion Ferry Channel  early this morning, whilst along the pool there were three Sedge Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, two Blackcaps and a Reed Bunting. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Sedge Warbler & Roe Deer in the mist from the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: The Sedge Warbler was in the first Several again and there were a scattering of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, but no other evidence of migrants, though a Green Woodpecker was by the concrete wall and a Mistle Thrush was gathering food behind the hide.

There were at least 50 Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour, but little else of note beyond a lone Brent Goose, a few Teal and the female Peregrine. (AH/IP/RM)

Blackcap (above), Mistle Thrush & Green Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

Northcommon Farm: There were four Willow Warblers and three Blackcaps in the trees and bushes, plus a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker near last year's nest-hole. Also, a pair of Red-legged Partridges, 40+ Mediterranean Gulls and two Green Woodpeckers were in the paddocks. (AH/OM)

Mediterranean Gulls (AH) and Red-legged Partridge (OM) at Northcommon Farm

Birdham Pool: The pair of Great Crested Grebes were still present this morning. (MR)

Great Crested Grebes on Birdham Pool (MR)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Wheatear was flitting about the junction of Easton Lane and Ham Road this evening, whilst around Porthole Farm there were half a dozen Willow Warblers, including one singing, about a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, a Mistle Thrush and at least five Yellowhammers. (AH)

Wheatear (above), Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer & Rabbits at Medmerry (AH)

Snowhill Creek: The pair of Avocets were still in residence and looking like they may stay to breed. (MR)

Avocets at Snowhill Creek (MR)

Sunday, 7th April: A pleasantly warm morning, after a chilly and murky start, with hazy sunshine and a fairly light north-easterly breeze...... 

Selsey Bill: It was quiet for passage, though a Bonxie and a few Sandwich Terns and Common Scoters went through, and the Red-necked Grebe, an Eider and six Great Northern Divers were offshore, and a House Martin, two Yellow Wagtails and six Wheatears came in off the sea. (JA/SH/PB/CRJ/JF/BI/IP/AH/A&YF/RAI et al)

(0615-1015hrs) 

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Red-throated Diver - 1os

diver sp - 2E

Red-necked Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 19E, 2W

Mallard - 2W

Common Scoter - 14E

Eider - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Grey Plover - 2p

Ringed Plover - 1p

Bonxie - 1E

Common Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 5E

Sandwich Tern - 22E, 30os

Common Tern - 2E

Yellow Wagtail - 2N

Meadow Pipit - 22N

Swallow - 1N

House Martin - 1N

Wheatear - 2p, 6N

Chiffchaff - 2p

A Bonxie went east in poor visibility at 14.10hrs. (AW)

1545-1645hrs:  (SH)

Gannet - 8E, 1W

Sandwich tern - 6E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Bonxie past the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover was at the front again, whilst there were still ten Avocets, ten Redshank and 12 Lapwing about, along with c40 Teal and 27 Shovelers.

Also, the Spotted Redshank and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were again in the channel opposite, a Blackcap was in the hedges and a Grey Wagtail went over. (AH/RAI/PB)

Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were three singing Sedge Warblers, a Blackcap, a Reed Bunting, a Cetti's Warbler and two Chiffchaffs along the pool and three Swallows and 20 Mediterranean Gulls went over. 

Also, six Little Grebes, a Gadwall, a Little Egret and a Grey Heron were around the pool and the Spotted Redshank and c25 Black-tailed Godwits were in Ferry Channel (PB)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Willow Warbler was singing near the farm, moving along the hedges and a Meadow Pipit, a couple of Swallows and up to five Skylarks went over. Also, a pair of Shelducks were on the balancing pool in Manor Lane and one or two Linnets were nearby. (AH/IP)

Willow Warbler (above), Linnet & Shelducks at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were 13 Cattle Egrets present today near the dairy buildings and a Whimbrel was among six Curlews. (SA)

Ivy Lake: At least 100 Sand Martins were over the lake this morning. (RAI)

Church Norton: Migrants comprised a Wheatear on the beach, a Sedge Warbler in the first Severals, half a dozen swallows over and one or two scattered Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, whilst there were  also several Skylarks and Linnets along the spit and beach and two Great Spotted and two Green Woodpeckers were also present.
The harbour held at least 50 Sandwich Terns and similar of Mediterranean Gulls, but waders were few, beyond a couple of Ringed Plovers and Black-tailed Godwits, plus a few Curlews and Redshanks. Also, two Brent Geese and two Wigeon were out in the harbour and the female Peregrine was on her island. (AH/IP/A&YF)

Sedge Warbler (above), Blackcap, Wren & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A decidedly quiet morning for migrants overall. White's Creek held 60 Black-tailed Godwits and at least 35 Wigeon amongst the usual Redshanks and Curlews, whilst on the Breech Pool were a further 43 Black-tailed Godwits and 34 Teal. At least three Cetti's Warblers and similar of Chiffchaffs were singing stridently, whilst a single Swallow went over. A circuit from Owl Copse to Owl point and back through Halsey's farm was disappointing; a single Willow Warbler, several Chiffchaffs and three Blackcaps - all in song occasionally - was the best I could do. (OM)

Medmerry: Chainbridge to Toe End - There were 5 Corn Buntings, 2 Reed Buntings and 3 Stonechats along the path hedgerows, with little else seen except a Pied Wagtail and a Sparrowhawk. The Breech area was dead - just singles of Dunlin and Ringed Plover! (SH)