22nd - 24th April 2019

Wednesday, 24th April: A very odd morning's weather, with a murky, almost still start, then a freshening breeze and showers, veering from north-east round to south-east and south and ending up with sunshine and fast-moving cloud and a very brisk south-westerly.... 

Selsey Bill: Highlight was a Pomarine Skua east at 1010hrs, and there were also eight Arctic Skuas, two Bonxies and 300+ Bar-tailed Godwits on the move, with up to eight Great Northern Divers and a mix of terns offshore. 
Also, the unobliging Serin was heard and seen again briefly, the pod of up to ten Bottle-nosed Dolphins went east, and for the second day running a small bat appeared from the sea  - just above the waves - and headed north. Full log below..... 
(0545-1300hrs) (PB/JF/OM/C&ME/IP/AB/CRJ/AH/TR/PG et al)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 8 os
Fulmar - 1E, 8W
Gannet - 76E, 20W
Brent Goose - 6E
Shelduck - 5E
Common Scoter - 58E
Whimbrel - 9E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 338E
Sanderling - 1E
Guillemot - 1W
Razorbill - 4W
Great Skua - 2E, 1os
Arctic Skua - 8E (5 d/p, 3 l/p)
Pomarine Skua - 1E (l/p, 1010hrs)
Little Tern - 11E
Common Tern - 24E
Arctic Tern - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 134E
Mediterranean Gull - 6E
Skylark - 1N
Swallow - 3N
House Martin - 1N
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens
Serin - 1 still present Bill House area

Bonxie (above), Arctic Skua, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern (AH) & Mallards (RP) at the Bill

Cameos from the Bill this morning: (above) an air of anticipation on the Wall as news comes in of a Pom on its way through the Solent....furthest from the camera are some of the Hants boys - including Pete Gammage - invariably a Pom indicator!  (below) Ads Bowley doing a little 'gardening' to improve the view for the sea-watchers on the bench. (OM)

Highlights this afternoon were three close Manx Shearwaters, eight Arctic Skuas and three Bonxies.  (SH/AH)

(1530-1815hrs)

Manx Shearwater - 2E, 1W

Gannet - 102E, 13W

Arctic Skua - 8E (6 d/p, 2 l/p)

Bonxie - 2E, 1os

Sandwich Tern - 9E, 8os

Little Tern - 4E, 2os

Common Tern - 2E

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 2E

Manx Shearwaters (above), Arctic Skua & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ivy Lake: There were quite a few Swifts among the hirundines over the lake late this afternoon. (PH/AB)

Ferry Pool: A Bar-tailed Godwit was among 40+ Black-tailed Godwits this morning, and there were also a Little Ringed Plover, 12 Avocets, ten Redshank, six Gadwall, a Shoveler and 20+ Teal present. 
Between Ferry Channel and the main channel from the Tramway there were at least ten Whimbrel, plus a Greenshank and c30 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst the Tramway circuit held a couple of Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats and at least five Blackcaps. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Garden Warbler was singing along the lower path today. (BI)

Church Norton: A quick early evening look produced nine Bar-tailed Godwits in the harbour, along with two or three Whimbrels, c50 Sandwich Terns and at least 100 Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 23rd April: After a grey and murky start, a very warm and hazy day, with just a light breeze, shifting round from north-easterly towards south-easterly.... 

Selsey Bill: The Serin seen yesterday flew along the front, calling, at just after 8am before disappearing over the gardens and was heard again briefly after 9am, whilst a Little Ringed Plover (possibly only the third in 15 years here) dropped in briefly on the beach.
By late morning ten Arctic Skuas, two Avocets and 200+ Bar-tailed Godwits and Common Scoters had gone east, with lesser numbers of Whimbrel and terns also moving. Also, a pod of a dozen Bottle-nosed Dolphins went west and a small bat was seen to fly in from well out to sea. Full log below....... 
0530-1330hrs: (JA/PB/OM/JF/IP/C&ME/TR/AH/KJ et al)
Red-throated Diver - 5E
Great Northern Diver - 9 os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Fulmar - 1E, 7W
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Gannet - 44E, 12W
Canada Goose - 5E
Brent Goose - 1E
Eider - 1os
Shelduck - 4os
Common Scoter - 288E, 10os
Shoveler - 4E
Curlew - 1E
Whimbrel - 60E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 228E
Avocet - 2E
Grey Plover - 2E
Dunlin - 3E
Sanderling - 6E
Little Ringed Plover - 1E (settled briefly on beach)
Kestrel - 1N
Great Skua - 3os
Arctic Skua - 10E (4 d/p, 6 l/p)
Black-headed Gull - 10E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W
Kittiwake - 1E
Little Tern - 27E (inc. fishing flock which later drifted off)
Common Tern - 24E (ditto above)
Sandwich Tern - 125E
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Wheatear - 1 ob
Swallow - 8N
House Martin - 1N
Serin - 1 still present

Arctic Skuas (above), Little Ringed Plover, Little Terns, Common Terns, Bar-tailed Godwits & Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel (AH) & Common Terns (RP) at the Bill 

(1630-1800hrs) (SH/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 7E

Common Scoter - 16os

Sanderling - 2E

Whimbrel - 5E

Bonxie - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 25E, 10os

Little Tern - 3E, 1os

Common Tern - 3E

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank were again on the pool (with the latter flying in from Ferry Channel), along with the pair of Little Ringed Plovers, 12 Avocets, c50 Back-tailed Godwits, eight Gadwall, two Shovelers, c20 Teal and six Shelducks. (AH/IP)

Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper & Gadwall around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: At least eight Little Terns and 50+ Sandwich Terns were in the harbour, along with at least 100 Mediterranean Gulls, whilst there were 20+ Black-tailed Godwits and half a dozen Whimbrels on the mud. Another of the latter was on the beach, and four Bar-tailed Godwits went east offshore, but migrants were restricted too a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers. (AH/IP/KJ/GWh et al)

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

North Wall: A Garden Warbler was along the hedge to the left of the Breech Pool today. (BI)

Bank Holiday Monday, 22nd April: It was slightly cooler and greyer early on, before the sun burnt through for another fine warm day in a light north-easterly breeze..........

Selsey Bill: Highlights were the first two Pomarine Skuas of the spring east at 7.08am and a Serin in off the sea at 10.00am. Otherwise there were five Bonxies and two Arctic Skuas, two Velvet Scoters and c600 Bar-tailed Godwits (including several flocks of 100+) heading east. Full log below........ 

(0530-1445hrs)  (JA/SH/PB/JF/BI/IP/CN/AH/C&ME/OM/CRJ et al)

Great Northern Diver - 7os

Red-throated Diver - 2E
Black-throated Diver - 1E

diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 4E

Fulmar - 2E, 7W

Gannet - 59E, 12W

Brent Goose - 185E

Shelduck - 3W

Common Scoter - 645E

Velvet Scoter - 2E

Eider - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 3os

Peregrine - 2os

Sanderling - 2E, 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 611E

Whimbrel - 49E

Pomarine Skua - 2E

Arctic Skua - 2E

Bonxie - 5E

Common Gull - 16E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 242E

Little Tern - 12E, 8os

Common Tern - 72E, 20os

Yellow Wagtail - 3N

Pied Wagtail - 1p

Swallow - 15N

Sand Martin - 1N
House Martin - 1N

Wheatear - 1p

Willow Warbler - 1p

Serin - 1N

(1545-1645hrs)  (JA/SH/CN)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 10E, 1os
Brent Goose - 14E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 25E
Whimbrel - 2E
Arctic Skua - 2E (d/p)
Common Gull - 4E
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 19E, 8os
Little Tern - 3E, 2os
Common Tern - 2os

Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Fulmar & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel past the Bill (C McKee)

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper was on the pool late morning, when a Red Kite went over heading southwards, and a Greenshank and a Whimbrel were in the channel opposite early on. Among the regular species there were two Little Ringed Plovers, 14 Avocets, c70 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Gadwall, a Shoveler and c30 Teal, plus a few Redshank and Lapwings.

A Cuckoo was calling towards Sidlesham Quay, but the Tramway held a couple of Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats, plus the usual Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. (AB/AH)

Greenshank (above), Whimbrel & Avocets around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Viewpoint - Two Spoonbills were out on the reserve this morning before flying off west and a distant Cuckoo was heard. (P&JW/AB)

 Spoonbills flying over Medmerry (AB)

Medmerry: Ham - Along the cycle track path route to Ham, a fine male Whinchat was present.(TG-P/IL) 

Whinchat along the path to Ham (IL)

Church Norton: A couple each of Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were the only migrant species seen in the bushes, with a few Linnets about, too, and a Mistle Thrush in Rectory Lane.

The harbour held half a dozen Whimbrel and c30 Black-tailed Godwits, along with c40 Sandwich Terns and c60 Mediterranean Gulls among the multitude of Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: On the rising tide this morning there were indications of wader passage with 17 Greenshank and 2 Whimbrel.  Also present were 4 Curlew and off Dell Quay there were 7 Turnstone and a few Wigeon and Teal, along with 4 Brent Geese.  

Migrant landbirds included a Reed Warbler intermittently singing in the reedbed at the Lavant outfall, and additionally at least 4 Whitethroats and 3 Blackcaps were present.  After an absence during the winter the Mute Swan herd seems to be back to full strength with 121 birds present. (RW)

Bramber Farm/Honer Farm: There were 6 Cattle Egrets amongst the cattle immediately north-west of Bramber Farm this morning, with several Mediterranean Gulls seen flying north, but there was no sign of the Little Ringed Plovers on the flooded field at Honer, which is now almost dried up. (JDW)

North Wall: In the Welbourne horse field were 2 Linnets gathering horse hair and a lone Green Woodpecker, but there were no waders along White's Creek and just 24 Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool. Duck-wise there were 24 Teal, 2 Gadwall and 7 Mallard on the Pool, with Reed and Sedge Warblers around the Pool and at least 3 Common Whitethroats along the Wall. Also, a Cuckoo was earlier reported. (JDW)