10th - 12th April 2020

Easter Sunday, 12th April: A warm and hazy morning, after a cold start, with just a light northerly breeze .......

Selsey Bill: Very little was seen in poor visibility, with 10 Brent Geese and 14 Mediterranean Gulls east and three Red-breasted Mergansers offshore from the Coastguard Station being it.
(0645-0730hrs) (NNE, F2)
Brent Goose - 10E
Red-breasted Merganser - 3os
Mediterranean Gull - 14E

Ferry Pool: Two Avocets and a Little Ringed Plover were on the pool, along with half a dozen Redshank and Gadwall, c20 Teal and Shoveler and c40 Shelducks.

The adjacent bushes held plenty of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, but no other migrants.

Chiffchaff (above) & Mallard around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach Viewpoint to Ham - A flock of 17 Brent Geese and four Great Crested Grebes were just about visible on the pools, whilst between the breach and Ham Viewpoint four Corn Buntings were singing along with good numbers of Skylarks and there were also seven Stonechats, eight Reed Buntings, four Whitethroats, a Buzzard and two Swallows noted, but strangely no Yellowhammers.

Corn Bunting (above) & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were two Swallows back around the stables today, with a Grey Wagtail, a Chiffchaff and two Blackcaps also seen, with another four of the latter and a singing Willow Warbler and Whitethroat nearby on the northern edge of the village.

Swallow (above) & Blackcap at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Amazingly, another (or just possibly the same) Large Tortoiseshell turned up in another garden in  the north of Selsey, perhaps a mile from the previous location. It, too, was a bit battered and it is possibly more likely that it over-wintered rather than it being a fresh migrant.

Large Tortoiseshell in a Selsey garden (SH)

Church Norton: There was no suggestion of migration this morning beyond the pair of Swallows back prospecting the hide and a couple more along the beach and at Greenlease Farm, with at least two Sedge Warblers, along with several Cetti's Warblers and two Reed Buntings, on the first Several and a wide scattering of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps all singing from territories. 
Also, the Raven was again along Rectory Lane, calling from the big pines by Pagham House and a Mistle Thrush and a Lapwing were nearby.
There were still over 100 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, with large numbers of Mediterranean Gulls flying about in pairs, calling incessantly, but the only waders of note were 40+ Black-tailed Godwits and a few Curlews and Ringed Plovers.

Raven (above), Mistle Thrush, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Black-tailed Godwit & Sedge Warblers at Church Norton (AH)

Saturday, 11th April: After a murky start, another warm and sunny morning, with the breeze still from the east.......

Selsey Bill: A lot more was on the move this morning, including the first Bonxie of the year, five Arctic Skuas, six Little Gulls, 124 Common Scoters, 177 Sandwich Terns and 247 Brent Geese.
(0600-0930hrs) (E, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 3 os
Fulmar – 1E, 1W
Gannet – 59E, 3W
Shag – 1W
Little Egret - 1
Brent Goose – 247E
Common Scoter – 124E
Red-breasted Merganser - 5 os
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher - 15
Whimbrel – 3E
Turnstone – 9
Bonxie – 1E
Arctic Skua – 4E (3d/p), 1os (d/p)
Black-headed Gull – 19
Mediterranean Gull – 34E, 2os
Common Gull – 51E
Little Gull – 6E
Kittiwake – 1E
Sandwich Tern – 177E
Common Tern – 28E
‘Commic’ Tern – 34E
Meadow Pipit – 7N
Pied Wagtail – 3E, 1 on field
House Martin - 3
Wheatear – 1
Goldfinch – 7E
Linnet - 3

Arctic Skua (above), Sandwich Tern, Red-breasted Mergansers, Brent Geese (AH) & Magpies (SR) at the Bill

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: A Nightingale was singing early on at the start of the Medmerry Trail, with a couple of Whitethroats nearby, and another pair in Yeoman's Field, whilst Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were singing in good numbers around the Tramway.
Around 55 Shelducks were spread between the pool and the field, and there were also still six Gadwall and c20 Teal and Shoveler present.
The Spotted Redshank and a few Black-tailed Godwits were in Ferry Channel, along with four Gadwall, whilst at least one Reed Warbler, half a dozen Sedge Warblers and a couple of Reed Buntings were along the Long Pool.

Whitethroat (above), Blackcap, Linnet, Spotted Redshank & Gadwall around the Ferry (AH)

Birdham: The long-staying - but highly elusive! - Ring-necked Parakeet popped up again this morning, this time at Lock Lane, near Birdham Pool.

Northcommon Farm: A Yellow Wagtail and a couple of Whitethroats were in the paddocks this morning.

Church Norton: A single Little Tern was among the many Sandwich Terns in the harbour this morning.

North Wall: Two Swallows were back at the stables today and a pair of Stonechats were nearby.

Medmerry: Ham Farm area - A male Whinchat was in the big field east of the farm, with two Corn Buntings on the fences and a couple of House Martins, a Swallow and a Sand Martin were overhead.
Also seen were half a dozen Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler, four Chiffchaffs, two Stonechats, four Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer, whilst 100+ Mediterranean Gulls were towards the breach and three flocks of Eider, and 50+ Brent Geese went east close offshore.

Corn Bunting (above) & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (SH)

Chi GPs - Drayton House pits: Reed Warblers were back at the north pit today with up to four heard/seen. There were also seven Cetti’s Warblers, six Sedge Warblers and four Chiffchaffs, two Buzzards were overhead and a mix of the usual wildfowl was on the water. In the scrubland/copse opposite were a Whitethroat, a further seven Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, two Reed Buntings, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Green Woodpeckers plus three Swallows going over.

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - What was presumably the same male Whinchat seen earlier was working its way along the hedges by the sewage farm this evening, whilst there were also a couple of Whitethroats and three or four Swallows about, too.

Whinchat at Medmerry (AH)

Good Friday, 10th April: Another warm and sunny morning, with a moderate easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: It remains quiet, with a couple of Great Northern Divers and a feeding flock of c25 Sandwich and five Common Terns offshore the only item of note.
(0645-0830hrs) (ENE, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 2 os
Gannet - 3W, 1 os
Grey Heron – 1
Shelduck - 1 os
Shoveler - 2E
Common Scoter - 5E
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 2 os
Oystercathcher 7W, 3os
Turnstone – 10
Sandwich Tern – c25os
Common Tern – c5os
Meadow Pipit – 4N
Pied Wagtail – 2N
Chiffchaff - 1
Linnet – 18E

Ferry Pool and Long Pool: Two Little Ringed Plovers and two Avocets were on the pool, along with six Gadwall, c30 Teal, c20 Shoveler and c40 Shelducks, whilst the Spotted Redshank and a Knot were in the channel opposite.
A Lesser Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler were in Yeoman's Field, but the Tramway circuit just held the usual handful of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
At least two Reed Warblers and a handful of Sedge Warblers were on the Long Pool, as well as a pair of Gadwall and plenty of Linnets.

Later, a Whitethroat and a Wheatear were seen along the Medmerry Trail and a Red Kite flew over.

Little Ringed Plover (above), Sedge Warbler, Gadwall, Whitethroat, Wheatear, Red Kite, Spotted Redshank & Knot  around the Ferry/Long Pools (AH)

Birdham: Another Large Tortoiseshell butterfly was seen today, this time in a Birdham garden.

Northcommon Farm: There was a Black Redstart in the paddocks this morning and a Swallow went over.

Black Redstart (above) & Swallow at Northcommon Farm (AW)

North Selsey: A Sand Martin went over the garden and there were also Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler all singing. Also, a Wheatear was at the beach end of Park Lane.

Drayton Pits: The Marsh Harriers were still about, along with a Buzzard and two Kestrels over, with two Red Kites over drifting east. There were also a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, two Sedge Warblers and plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps about. 

Ivy Lake: Two Common Terns were over the water and a singing Willow Warbler was along the path. The lakes along Peckhams Copse were all quiet except for c20 Pochard.

North Wall: There were still a dozen Cattle Egrets around Owl Copse this morning, whilst along the wall three a pair of Stonechats, a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs, three Sedge warblers and several Cetti's Warblers.

Also, a pair of Gadwall and a few Teal and Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool and a single Brent Goose and a few Redshank were in White's Creek.

East Head: Early this morning there were lots of Linnets, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits about, whilst a group of three Wheatears was a nice surprise. 

Also, there are a pair of Shelducks nesting at the far end of the spit and five Canada Geese went over.

Wheatears (above), Skylark, Meadow Pipit & Shelduck at East Head (MR)

Church Norton: There was little evidence of migration again today, though half a dozen Swallows went over, whilst the Sedge warblers on the Several and a scattering of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Linnets were all singing and a Mistle Thrush was at Greenlease Farm.
Three Whimbrels went over there, too, but waders were few in the harbour beyond the odd Grey and Ringed Plover and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, though Tern Island was teeming with life, including at least 100 Sandwich terns and Mediterranean Gulls among 500+ Black-headed Gulls.

Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks (above), Mediterranean Gull & a busy Tern Island at Church Norton (AH)