19th - 21st April 2021

Wednesday, 21st April: Bright early on, and no frost, but clouding up later in the freshening north-easterly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: It was very quiet this morning in a fairly short watch, with a Bar-tailed Godwit and 31 Sandwich Terns east the only hint of migration. Full log below. (MO-W/IP/AH/A&YF)

(0600-0800hrs) (NE, F2) 

Gannet – 9E, 5W, 5os

Mallard – 5W

Bar-tailed Godwit – 1E

Turnstone – 7W, 6 present

Sandwich Tern – 31E, 5W

Meadow Pipit – 2N

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three almost summer-plumaged Spotted Redshanks in the channel this morning, along with six Whimbrel and c20 Black-tailed Godwits.

Also, there were a pair of Avocets, a pair of Lapwings, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Redshank, eight Shoveler, a pair of Teal and 16 Shelducks on the pool. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Whimbrel & Black-tailed Godwit in Ferry Channel (AH)

Honer Reservoir: The drake Ring-necked Duck was showing well among the Tufted Ducks this morning and being a bit more active, whilst there were also a pair of Gadwall on the reservoir, a Cuckoo could be heard calling, the Marsh Harrier was hunting over the trees and a Little Ringed Plover was on the last damp area of the adjacent grass field.

There was a Wheatear in one of the fields and there were plenty of Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and the odd Yellowhammer in the hedges. (CRJ/OM/AH/IP/PB/TG et al)

Ring-necked Duck (top 3 AH), (above, with drake Tufted Ducks for comparison (OM & CRJ), Little Ringed Plover & Gadwall at Honer Reservoir (AH)

The Ring-necked Duck remained on the reservoir all day, whilst later on there were lots of Swallows over the nearby water treatment works, along with a couple of House Martins and a Sand Martin. (KJ/GJ/NM/PB et al)

Ring-necked Duck at Honer Reservoir (J Barfoot)

Halsey's Farm: There were plenty of Whitethroats about, plus the odd Blackcap and Chiffchaff, with a Reed Warbler in the rife, a Reed Bunting in the bushes and plenty of Linnets along the gorse. (AH/IP)

Reed Bunting (above), Whitethroat & Linnet and Greenfinch at Halsey's Farm (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There were at least 100 Swallows over the tanks and fields this evening, along with at least 20 Sand Martins and ten House Martins, but not much else beyond a Blackcap and couple of Whitethroats in the hedges. (AH)

Swallows (above), Sand Martin, House Martin & Sand Martin and House Martin at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 20th April: The prolonged spell of settled weather continues, with more overnight frost followed by a warm and sunny day in light easterly breezes...........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on again this morning, though a lone White-fronted Goose going east was a surprise bonus, with otherwise there were two Arctic Skuas, a few Sandwich Terns and Common Scoters going east, the Long-tailed Duck and a couple of Bonxies offshore and a few Gannets and the odd Fulmar drifting both ways. Full log later. (PB/PM/JF/OM/MO-W/SR/AH et al)

(0600-1230hrs) (E, veering S, F2-3) (PB/PM/JF/OM/MO-W/SR/AH et al)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver – 4E
Great Crested Grebe – 1E
Fulmar – 1E, 1W
Gannet – 95E, 4W
Shag – 2E
Little Egret – 1N

White-fronted Goose – 1E
Brent Goose – 11E
Shelduck – 2E
Long-tailed Duck – 1os
Common Scoter – 147E, 10W
Red-breasted Merganser – 1E
Grey Plover – 2E
Oystercatcher – 2W
Bar-tailed Godwit – 11E
Whimbrel – 14E
Curlew – 1E
Turnstone – 19W
Great Skua – 2W
Arctic Skua – 2E (d/p)
Mediterranean Gull – 9E
Sandwich Tern – 101E, 8os
Common Tern – 3E
Meadow Pipit – 5N
Swallow – 14N
Little Tern – 2W, 1os
Sand Martin – 6N
Chiffchaff - 1
Grey Seal – 1os

(1645-1800hrs) (SH)
Gannet – 3E, 2W
Long-tailed Duck – 1os
Peregrine – 1os
Mediterranean Gull – 1os
Common Gull – 1E
Sandwich Tern – 20E, 8os
Common Tern – 1os

White-fronted Goose (above), Shags, Fulmar (AH), Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel & Brent Geese (PM) at the Bill

Honer Reservoir: A surprise turn-up this evening was a drake Ring-necked Duck roosting among half a dozen Tufted Duck on the reservoir, mostly asleep, though late in the evening it flew off, back again and then off towards the North Wall.

This is only the second record for the Peninsula after one on Ivy Lake in 1982.

Among other birds of interest in the vicinity were a rather distantly calling Cuckoo, a Grey Partridge in the maize stubble field, the male Marsh Harrier, a pair of big and long-legged potential ' Greenland' Wheatears and several Willow Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler and a couple of Blackcaps in the hedges. (AH/BI/MB et al)

For anyone going to look tomorrow, access is either to head west via Summer Lane in Pagham village  or from the North Wall, where you can cross Honer 1 field on the footpath to Honer Farm and it is a fairly short walk up Honer Lane to the reservoir. 

Please don't drive to Honer Lane as it is a narrow private road that is always busy with large farm vehicles and has no parking sites. (Eds)

Ring-necked Duck with Tufted Ducks (above), Grey Partridge, Marsh Harrier & possible 'Greenland type' Wheatears at Honer Reservoir (AH/BI)

Ferry Pool: An Avocet, three Lapwings and c20 Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool, along with four Shovelers, ten Shelducks and a pair of Teal this morning, whilst there were three Spotted Redshank in the channel opposite, along with three Whimbrel and a Peregrine went over. (AH)

This afternoon an elusive male Redstart was in Yeoman's Field. (SR)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Shelduck and Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were three Wheatears in the fields this evening. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: This morning there was one each of Little and Common Terns in the harbour, as well as three Bar-tailed Godwits.

A number of Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats were singing from the Severals, with four Swallows and three Sand Martins over heading east and a Kestrel hunting overhead. (AW)

Later on, the Little Tern count had risen to eight. (DIS)

Sand Martin (above), Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat & Kestrel at Church Norton (AW)

This evening there were two Wheatears along the beach, with a Whitethroat, two Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, three Willow Warblers, five Blackcaps and two Chiffchaffs along the Severals. (S&SaH)

Wheatear (above) & Blackcap at Church Norton (SH)

Sidlesham: A Orange-tip butterfly was in the garden today. (A&YF)

Fishbourne Creek: There were a Spotted Redshank, a Grey Plover and 12 Greenshanks along the creek late this morning. (BFF/DM/DIS)

Chichester Canal: The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year at least four Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler were along the canal this afternoon. 

Also, a Terrapin was seen on a Coot's nest. (AW)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler & Terrapin along Chichester Canal (AW)

North Wall: The Marsh Harriers made brief appearances this morning, whilst a Red Kite came in over Owl Copse before drifting away again and there were plenty of Little Egrets and Grey Herons in evidence in the copse.

There were at least a dozen Whitethroats and Willow Warblers scattered around the hedges of Halsey's Farm, the wall and the East side, along with a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, plus a Jay, with at least five Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers along the reeds from the wall, but beyond a couple of Sand Martins over there wasn't much else in the way of migrants.

A couple of Whimbrel and a few Redshank were the only birds of note in White's Creek, whilst a drake Wigeon was in the harbour, three Shovelers were on the Breech Pool and a lone Brent Goose was on the fields, along with a few Shelducks. (AH/TG/LP et al)

Later a Garden Warbler was along the wall. (GK)

Red Kite (above), Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Jay, Whimbrel & Little Egret around the North Wall (AH)

Monday, 19th April: Another warm and sunny day, after yet another frost, with the wind very light and moving from the north-east to south-east then south.....

Selsey Bill: There was a steady movement of Common Scoters east, plus an Arctic Skua and 100+ Sandwich Terns, whilst a couple of Bonxies, the Long-tailed Duck, three Great Northern Divers, both Red and Black-throated Divers and a few Fulmars were about, but it remains fairly slow. Full log below..... (PB/BI/JF/OM/AH/MO-W/SR/IP/CB&MaC et al)

(0600-1400hrs):  (wind NE-SE-S 2)

Red-throated Diver - 11E

Black-throated Diver - 2E (close in, CBC/MaC)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3 os

Fulmar - 1E, 3W

Gannet - 34E, 37W

Brent Goose - 3E

Shelduck - 2E, 2 ob

Common Scoter - 232E, 4W

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Oystercatcher - 10E, 5W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 12E

Turnstone - 3 ob

Great Skua - 1E, 1os 

Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)

Mediterranean Gull - 11E, 1W

Little Tern - 7 os

Sandwich Tern - 145E, 10os

Meadow Pipit - 5N

Sand Martin - 1N

Swallow - 6N

Whitethroat - 2 gardens

Common Scoters (above), Sandwich Tern & Fulmars at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Spotted Redshank was on the pool again this morning, along with 50 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Redshank, eight Shoveler, the pair of Gadwall and 20 Shelducks, whilst the other Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite, with a couple of Whimbrel and another half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits.

There were a couple of Willow Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats around the Tramway circuit and Visitor centre, along with plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. (AH/A&YF/CRJ)

This evening four or five Willow Warblers were in the hedges by the small pool. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Three Willow Warblers were in the hedges at the north of the village, with three more in the hedges at the far, and four Wheatears, a Pied Wagail and two Buzzards were around the fields. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: A Great White Egret flew over towards Selsey early this morning, and there were several Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Sedge Warblers along the front, plus a Gadwall in the channel by the horse field. (A&YF)

Later, a male and female Redstart were near the piles of rubble by Greenlease Farm, and there were more Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps around there and the churchyard/hide area, whilst the pair of Mistle Thrushes were along Rectory Lane.

Three Common Terns were among the many Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls in the harbour, but there were few waders about beyond a Whimbrel and a few Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank. Also, a pair of Buzzards were in the dead tree at the end of the churchyard. (AH/TG-P)

This evening there were Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Sedge Warblers singing around the Severals and four Little Terns were offshore. (S&SAH)

Redstart (above), Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap & Buzzard at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This morning there was a single Brent Goose on the pools along with 21 Avocets but no other waders, save five Whimbrels that flew over, though there was a Wheatear on the rocks and quite a few Whitethroats, Linnets and Yellowhammers among the gorse. (AW)

Wheatear, Whitethroat, Whimbrels & Brent Goose at Medmerry (AW)

Linnets (above) & Chaffinch at Medmerry (EB)

Fisher  area:  This morning there were ten Mallard, two Shelduck, two Swallows and six singing Whitethroats. (CRJ)

Marsh Farm area: Ten Cattle Egrets were present plus two Swallows, whilst two Ravens were predating something - either a wader chick or a baby rabbit - but I couldn’t be sure at distance. (CRJ)

Cattle Egret at Marsh Farm (CRJ)