7th - 9th April 2021

Friday, 9th April: After a cool and grey start, a pleasantly warm and sunny morning in just a moderate westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety again this morning, with 178 Common Scoters, 13 Red-throated Divers, a Whimbrel and a flock of 33 Bar-tailed Godwits going east, the Long-tailed Duck offshore again and a Bonxie lingering offshore, whilst a couple of Wheatears were along the beach. Full log below. (JA/BI/IP/PM/TR/AH/SR)

(0605-0900hrs) (W, F3) 
Great Northern Diver – 1os
Red-throated Diver – 13E
Great Crested Grebe – 1W
Fulmar – 1E, 2W
Gannet – 12E, 27W
Little Egret – S (heading out to sea)
Brent Goose – 4E
Shelduck – 1W
Shoveler – 1E
Long-tailed Duck – 1os
Common Scoter – 178E, 3W
Red-breasted Merganser – 1E, 5W
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher – 3E
Bar-tailed Godwit – 33E
Curlew – 1W
Whimbrel - 1E
Turnstone – 17W
Great Skua – 1E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull – 4W
Sandwich Tern – 14E, 13W, 2os
Common Tern – 1E, 1W
auk sp -1E, 1W
Meadow Pipit – 2N
Swallow – 4N
Wheatear – 2
Chiffchaff – 1
Linnet – 11W
Goldfinch – 4W

Wheatear (above), Fulmar (PM), Red-throated Diver & Common Scoters (AH) at the Bill

(1615-1745hrs) (SH/JA/AH)
diver sp – 2E
Gannet – 11E, 7W
Fulmar – 1E
Shoveler – 1E
Eider – 2os
Common Scoter – 39E, 2W, 4os
Red-bresated Merganser – 1E, 6os
Sanderling – 3E
Turnstone – 2W
Great Skua – 1E
Mediterranean Gull – 5E
Common Gull – 1E
Sandwich Tern – 6E, 17os
auk sp – 1E

Eider at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Six Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with c40 sShovelers and c20 Teal and Shelducks, plus half a dozen Redshank, whilst a Spotted Redshank and eight Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Black-tailed Godwit in Ferry Channel (AH)

Warner Lane Paddocks: A female Redstart (the first of the spring) was near the stables this afternoon, with three Wheatears, a calling Chiffchaff, eight Linnets and a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly in the paddocks. (SR)

Later the Redstart couldn't be found, but there were at least six Wheatears present. (AH)

Redstart (SR) & Wheatears (AH) at Warner Lane Paddocks

Long Pool: Two Spotted Redshanks were in Ferry Channel, along with a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, a drake Teal and a drake Gadwall, whilst along the hedges there were a handful of Linnets, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. (AH/MRo)

Spotted Redshank (above), Spotted Redshank and Redshank (AH), Willow Warbler & Linnet (MRo)

Church Norton: There were several Blackcaps and Chiffchaff around this morning, with three Sedge Warblers, four Willow Warblers and a lone Swallow along the beach also seen. (A&YF)

Honer Reservoir: There were two Common Sandpipers on the reservoir this morning, but no sign of yesterday's Ruff on the adjacent fields. (BI)

North Wall: There were a couple of singing Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs and a dozen more skittish 'Willow/Chiffs' around the edge of the Slipe Field and the Salthouse area, plus a couple of Blackcaps, with two or three Sedge Warblers and Cetti's Warblers along the reeds from the wall, but the only other migrant was a Swallow over.

Four Cattle Egrets were among the Little Egrets in Owl Copse, but the harbour was fairly quiet, with c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Redshank, a pair of Brent Geese, six Wigeon and c20 Teal mostly along White's Creek. (AH/IH/PC/CT/LP)

Willow Warbler (above), Wigeon, Brent Goose, Black-tailed Godwits & Little Egret at the North Wall (AH)

Thursday, 8th April: After a grey start, a typically English spring day of sunshine and cloud, being blown through on a brisk westerly.....

Selsey Bill: There was quite a good selection this morning, and a few hints of offshore movement, including 11 Red-throated Divers, six Brent Geese and 205 Common Scoters, whilst two Wheatears were on the beach, a Blackcap dropped in briefly and three Swallows flew in off the sea.

There was also a good bit of Gannet activity, with 116 birds going west, but more unusual was a total of 228 heading east, mainly very far out to sea and including flocks of 39, 28 and 24. Full log below. (PB/PM/MO-W/IP/SR/AH/PC)

(0615-1040hrs) (W, F3-4) 

Great Northern Diver – 2E, 2os

Red-throated Diver – 11E

diver sp – 1E

Great Crested Grebe – 2E, 5W, 1os

Fulmar – 5W

Gannet – 228E, 116W

Shag – 1E

Brent Goose – 6E

Tufted Duck – 1W

Common Scoter – 205E, 27W, 24os

Red-breasted Merganser – 6E, 6W

Oystercatcher – 4W

Curlew – 2W

Turnstone – 6

Mediterranean Gull – 5E

Sandwich Tern – 31E, 21os

Razorbill – 1W

auk sp – 1E, 5W

Green Woodpecker - 1

Meadow Pipit – 4N

Swallow – 3N

Wheatear – 2

Blackcap - 1

Wren – 1

Linnet – 4W

(1630-1800hs) (SH/JA)
diver sp – 1E
Gannet – 11E, 11W
Brent Goose – 6E
Common Scoter – 17E
Turnstone – 1E
Whimbrel – 2W
Great Skua – 1E
Arctic Skua – 1E (d/p)
Mediterranean Gull – 9W
Sandwich Tern – 4E, 5os
auk sp – 1E
Swallow – 1N

Wheatear (above), Red-throated Diver, Sandwich Tern, Gannets & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: About 80 Black-tailed Godwits were roosting at the back late this morning, whilst otherwise there were still eight Avocets, two Gadwall, c25 Teal and Shelducks and at least 50 Shovelers present. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets and Shelducks on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Reed Warbler was singing, along with the Sedge Warblers, this afternoon. (AW)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Windmill - Two Red-breasted Mergansers were off-shore this morning, with four others flying east, as were seven Common Scoters and two Brent Geese.

Also, two Wheatears were on the go-kart track before flying to the top of the fun-fair. (AW)

Wheatears (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at Medmerry (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - Skylarks, Linnets and Yellowhammers were plentiful but, not surprisingly, there wasn't much else about in the strong wind.

The Stilt Pool held two Snipe, two Ringed Plovers, 16 Avocet, eight Tufted Ducks, four Teal, two Canada Geese, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron and a mixed flock of c200 Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls. Apart from that, there was a Kestrel, a Green Woodpecker and a Buzzard. (SR)

Linnet (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at Medmerry (SR)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much about again this morning beyond a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Linnets along the front, plus a singing Sedge Warbler and a couple of Cetti's Warblers, whilst the harbour held plenty of Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, plus a few Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Shelduck. 

Also, a pair of Stock Doves were around Greenlease Farm and a Mistle Thrush was again in Rectory Lane.(AH)

Later, a Coot with two newly hatched chicks was on the second Several and.a Comma butterfly was nearby. (SaH)

Chiffchaff (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Stock Dove, Mistle Thrush (AH), Coots & Comma (SaH) at Church Norton

Honer Reservoir: A look early this evening produced the first Common Sandpiper of the year on the reservoir, along with a pair of Gadwall and six Tufted Ducks, whilst a Ruff was in the flooded field to the south-east, along with four Snipe, ten Curlews, four Shelducks and a Little Egret and a male Marsh Harrier flew over. (AH)

Ruff (above), Common Sandpiper, Marsh Harrier & Gadwall at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Wednesday, 7th April: Another cold morning after a sharp frost, bright early on before clouding over, and with the very fresh breeze continuing from the north-west.....

Selsey Bill: Another very quiet morning, with almost nothing on the move. Full log below. (MO-W/IP/AH/SR/A&YF)

(0710-0840hrs) (NW, F4-5)

Red-throated Diver – 1E

Gannet – 6E, 14W, 2os

Brent Goose – 3E

Common Scoter – 4E, 25os

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull – 3W

Common Gull – 1W

Sandwich Tern – 7E, 2W

Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Eight Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with a Snipe, a Lapwing, ten Redshanks, c20 Shelducks, a pair of Gadwall, c20 Teal and c40 Shovelers, whilst a Spotted Redshank and six Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe & Gadwall around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: It remains very quiet here at the moment, with just a pair of Great Crested Grebes and 30 Black-tailed Godwits along White's Creek and the Breech Pool holding just a pair of Great Crested and Little Grebes, plus four Tufted Ducks and a pair of Mute Swans.

A male Marsh Harrier was seen over the reeds and four Buzzards were overhead, with two Sedge Warblers were in the reeds and immature Mute Swans and seven Shelduck were in Honer 1 field, which is now passable. Also, a few Little Egrets were back renovating nests in Owl Copse. (JDW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were predictably quiet, with just a few Linnets, Skylarks and Stock Doves to be seen, though there were four Greenshanks with 25 Redshanks in the tidal area by the poplars.

The pair of Little Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool again, along with a Ringed Plover and 19 Avocets, but not much else beyond 20 Mediterranean Gulls, 50 Black-headed Gulls and half a dozen Canada Geese. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Avocets, Skylark, Linnet, Stock Dove & Mediterranean Gull at Medmerry (AH)

Donnington:  A Short-eared Owl was seen going over the road here this afternoon. (IL)

Chichester Canal: At least four House Martins were with a small group of Swallows over the canal between the Donnington and Birdham roads, over a reservoir tank in the field to the south of the canal.

House Martins over Chichester Canal (AW)