28th - 30th April 2021

Friday, 30th April: Initially, another cold bright morning with the brisk breeze from the north, but by midday it had swung south-east with heavy cloud cover........

Selsey Bill: A fairly slow morning, though three Bonxies, a few Common Scoters, Brent Geese and terns went east and three Yellow Wagtails came in off the sea. Full log later. (JA/PB/PM/BI/IP/TR/SR/A&YF/AH)

(0530-1000hrs) (NE, F4)
Great Northern Diver – 4os
Fulmar – 2E, 6W
Gannet – 101E, 28W
Brent Goose -5E, 1W
Shelduck – 2E
Common Scoter – 131E
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher – 12E, 3W
Grey Plover – 1E
Sanderling – 4W
Whimbrel – 15E, 2W
Turnstone – 20E
Great Skua – 3E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull – 6E
Sandwich Tern – 70os
‘Commic’ Tern – 29os
Little Tern – 14os
auk – 3E
Meadow Pipit – 1N
Yellow Wagtail – 3N
Pied/alba Wagtail – 2N
Swallow – 12N

Later, at around 1300hrs, two Arctic Skuas passed east, close in, from Highfield Rd car park. (TC) 

(1645-1800hrs) (SH/JA)
Gannet – 9E, 3W
Common Scoter – 41E
Great Skua – 1os
Sandwich Tern – 50os
Common Tern – 25os
Little Tern – 10os

Sandwich Terns (above), Fulmar & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The first Spotted Flycatcher of the year was seen along the cycleway (AW), but otherwise it was just the usual mix of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, mostly heard only. (AH)

There were just 12 Avocets, a pair of Redshank, five Gadwall and six Shelducks on the pool, with a Stonechat at the back of the fields, whilst a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, four Whimbrel and ten Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite.(AH)

Greenshank (above), Spotted Redshank, Whimbrel, Blackcap & Song Thrush around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Garganey was still present in the fields behind the wall this morning along with two Greenshanks. (IH)

Later, the Ruff and Wood Sandpiper had gone missing again, but a total of 11 Greenshank were round the area, along with both Marsh Harriers, a Cuckoo and the summer-plumaged Grey Plover. (CS/IP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An Osprey caught a fish in the breach and flew to eat it in the poplars this morning, whilst two Wheatears were near the breach and the White-fronted Goose was again on the Stilt Pool, where there was also a single Brent Goose, a Stonechat on the fence, a Common Sandpiper and 20+ Avocets.

Also, the first Tree Pipit of the year went over early on, whilst four Cuckoos were spread around the reserve, along with a pair of Grey Partridges, two Corn Buntings, six Stonechats and Yellowhammers, a Lesser Whitethroat and numerous Whitethroats, Linnets and Skylarks. (AT/IL/SR)

Osprey (above) & Cuckoo at Medmerry (IL)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report from here, though half a dozen Little Terns and at least 150 Sandwich Terns were in the harbour, along with a handful of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits, but there was little in the way of passerines beyond the regular Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Linnets. (AH)

Little Tern (above), Sandwich Terns, Whitethroat & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - There were at least 100 Sand Martins and 50 House Martins among 200+ Swallows over the fields this evening, whilst a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and at least a dozen Whitethroats were along the hedges and a smart male Wheatear was at Ham.

Of the resident birds, there were a couple of pairs of Stonechats and Reed Buntings at Ham, with a couple of Yellowhammers at Porthole Farm, with plenty of Linnets and Skylarks all round. (AH)

Wheatear (above), Sand Martin, House Martin, Stonechat & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 29th April: A mostly sunny morning after a grey start, but still with a cool and brisk northerly breeze.........

Selsey Bill: Three Hobbies in early on was the highlight of a fairly slow morning, though a Bonxie was offshore along with large numbers of feeding terns. Full log below. (CRJ/MO-W/AH/SR/A&YF)

(0605-0920hrs) (N, F4)
Red-throated Diver – 1E
Gannet – 28E
Brent Goose – 3E
Common Scoter – 37E
Red-breasted Merganser – 2E
Hobby – 3N
Oystercatcher – 2E
Grey Plover – 2E
Sanderling – 1W
Dunlin – 1E
Bar-tailed Godwit – 2E
Whimbrel – 1E
Bonxie – 1os
Mediterranean Gull – 1E
Sandwich Tern – 40E, 35os
Common Tern – 12E, 120os
Little Tern – 11E, 10os
auk sp – 1E
Swift – 3N

Blackcap - 1
Linnet – 6N

(1545-1710hrs) (JA)
Fulmar – 1W
Gannet – 21E, 3W
Red-breasted Merganser – 1W
Oystercatcher – 1E
Great Skua – 1E
Kittiwake – 2E
Sandwich Tern – 28os
Common Tern – 8E, 6os
Little Tern – 8os
auk sp – 2E, 1W
Swallow – 2N

Sandwich Terns (above), Red-breasted Mergansers & Blackcap at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocets on the pool this morning, but not much else beyond ten Shelducks, a pair of Gadwall and a pair of Teal, whilst a Bar-tailed Godwit, six Black-tailed Godwits and three Whimbrel were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Whimbrel & Black-tailed Godwits in Ferry Channel (AH)

Honer Reservoir: There were two Little Ringed Plovers present this morning, with lots of Swallows and the odd Sand and House Martin over the adjacent sewage works. (DM/DIS)

North Wall: The Wood Sandpiper and Ruff were both present in Honer 1 field early on, though not later, whilst a drake Garganey was also on the floods, along with the Grey Plover, three Greenshanks (one of which was later in the harbour), a few Teal and a drake Wigeon, but the harbour was quiet beyond a few Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits. 

The fields to the north also held four Grey Partridges and 15 Cattle Egrets, with a Cuckoo also seen and heard, whilst the male Marsh Harrier was around too. There were plenty of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers along the all, plus a Lesser Whitethroat and a few Whitethroats, Reed Buntings and Linnets, whilst a Swift, a House Martin and three Sand Martins went over. (OM/LP/TG/AT/AH/CRJ et al)

Garganey (above), Garganey and Teal (LP), Marsh Harrier, Greenshank & Swift (AH) at North Wall

Ivy Lake: A quick look this afternoon found three Common Terns, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and half a dozen Pochard of note, with c50 Sand Martins and c100 Swallows feeding over the water. (AH)

Common Tern (above) & Sand Martin at Ivy Lake (AH)

Church Norton: At high tide this evening there were a few waders on the concrete spit, including four Bar-tailed Godwits, two Knot, a Whimbrel, a Ringed Plover and eight Grey Plovers, whilst at least 100 Sandwich Terns and 50 Mediterranean Gulls were also about. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 28th April: A decidedly cool and grey morning, with a fresh north-easterly breeze bringing the threat (promise?) of rain later.....

Selsey Bill: There were a few bits on the move this morning, including 70+ Little Terns, 260 Brent Geese and a few Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel, with five of the latter dropping in on the beach, whilst a Hobby came in off the sea, as did a steady stream of Swallows, plus the odd Sand and House Martin. Full log below..... 

(0625-1230hrs): (wind NE - E 3/4) (CRJ/MO-W/OM/SR/AH/A&YF/C&ME)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Northern Diver - 3 os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 20E, 6W

Brent Goose - 263E

Common Scoter - 58E

Hobby - 1N

Oystercatcher - 8E

Whimbrel - 18E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1E

Kittiwake - 2E

Little Tern - 79E

Common Tern - 50E

'Commic Tern' - 92E

Sandwich Tern - 51E

auk sp - 3E, 2W

Swift - 3N

Swallow - 171N

Sand Martin - 3N

House Martin - 5N

Pied/alba Wagtail - 2N

Linnet - 3N

Whitethroat - 1 gardens

(1615-1830hrs) (AB/SH/AH)
Great Northern Diver – 1os
Gannet – 24E, 3W
Long-tailed Duck – 1os
Dunlin – 10E
Turnstone – 1E
Mediterranean Gull – 1os
Sandwich Tern – 30os
Common Tern – 6E
Little Tern – 4E, 25os
Swallow – 1N

Little Terns (above), Whimbrel, Whitethroat & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, four Black-tailed Godwits, 14 Avocet, two Teal and 15 Shelducks were on the pool this morning, whilst early on two Spotted Redshanks, two Greenshank, two Whimbrel and four Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite. (AH/AB/TG-P)

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

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report from here in the brisk breeze, though half a dozen Common Terns, 100+ Sandwich Terns and 50+ Mediterranean Gulls were among the throng in the harbour, though the only waders of note were a couple of Bar-tailed and five Black-tailed Godwits.

A Cuckoo was calling again, but generally the small birds were keeping low, though Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler were all heard around the Severals. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Black-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The first Wood Sandpiper of the year and a Ruff turned up on the now re-flooded Honer 1 field this afternoon, whilst among a selection of other birds present there were a summer-plumaged Grey Plover, a Little Ringed Plover, three Greenshank, a pair of Teal and a pair of Shovelers, whilst a few Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits were in the harbour. (LP/SR/AH/NM e al)

Wood Sandpiper (above) & Ruff at the North Wall (LP)