26th - 28th May 2021

Friday, 28th May: A much cooler and mostly grey day, with the breeze coming from the east..........

Selsey Bill: There were a few signs of the last bits of migration this morning, including a Wheatear briefly in the Bill House garden, a Great Northern Diver west and 61 Common Scoters east. (AH/BI/IP/SR/GSh)

(0640-0830hrs) (ENE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Fulmar - 1os

Gannet - 14E, 3W

Common Scoter - 61E, 1W, 5os

Oystercatcher - 5E

Curlew - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 30os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 1os

auk sp - 1W

Swift - 3

House Martin - 4

Wheatear - 1 (in Bill House garden)

(1630-1730hrs) (JA)

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Great Northern Diver (above), Fulmar & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A pair of Egyptian Geese were on the pool this morning, along with six Avocets, a Lapwing, four Black-tailed Godwit and the pair of Redshanks, 16 Shelducks and six Gadwall (with two more of the latter in the channel opposite), whilst a Reed Warbler, a Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting were around the adjacent hedges. (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - A Meadow Pipit and a Skylark were the only birds near the windmill, whilst along the banks towards the breach there were a pair of Stonechats with at least three fledged young, another pair of Meadow Pipits and a dozen Linnets.

A pair of Little Terns were fish passing on the tidal area, where there were also a Bar-tailed Godwit, four Grey Plovers and a Curlew, with eight Turnstones flying in from offshore, and two pairs of Ringed Plovers were along the beach. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Ringed Plovers, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt - There was no sign of the Long-eared Owl this evening, though a Barn Owl was showing very well again and two Cuckoos, a Sparrowhawk and the usual Whitethroats, Yellowhammers and Linnets, plus a few Stock Doves, ere in the area. (JA/AB/SR et al)

Thursday, 27th May: A complete change in the weather, with a warm and sunny morning in just a light breeze, starting due north and finishing due south..........

Selsey Bill: A total of 156 Common Scoters (including a flock of 105) going east was about the only thing of note this morning, though 12 Kittiwakes went west and plenty of terns were feeding offshore. Full log below. (SR/MO-W/AH)

(0700-0830hrs) (N, F2)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 2E, 3W

Common Scoter - 156E, 15W

Kittiwake - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 45os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 4os

Swift - 1N

House Martin - 8

Common Seal - 2os

Kittiwakes at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just four Avocets, a Lapwing, a Black-tailed Godwit and a pair of Redshanks on the pool this morning, along with six Gadwall and 25 Shelducks. (AH)

Long Pool: Two Cuckoos were calling this morning, though neither were very close, whilst half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls went over and a Yellowhammer was again at the far end.

Otherwise, it was the usual mix of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, half a dozen Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Buntings and Linnets. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Cuckoo, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting & Mediterranean Gull around the Long Pool (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Up to ten Cattle Egrets were tucked in among the cows north of the farm, and there were also a Cuckoo, a Lesser Whitethroat, a few Whitethroats, a couple of Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler in the vicinity, though most of the other hedges were quiet.

A handful of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Whitethroats, plus a couple of Blackcaps and Swallows was about it for Church Farm Lane. (AH)

Cattle Egret (above), Linnet & Whitethroat at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt - Four newly hatched Avocets were on the Stilt Pool this morning. (NR)
Also, a flock of 15 Common Scoter went east (passing the impressive Queen Mary 2 cruiser!) (AW)

Common Scoter at Medmerry (AW)

The Long-eared Owl well late this evening, whilst a Barn Owl was showing well in the vicinity, too, a Cuckoo was nearby and there were plenty of Whitethroats and Yellowhammers, plus a Jay along the banks.

There were also a dozen Grey Plovers, up to 20 Dunlin and similar of Shelducks on the mud around the poplars and a Little Ringed Plover was on the Stilt Pool. (AH/BI/PB/AB/AW/IP et al)

Long-eared Owl (above), Fox and cub (AB), Barn Owl & Cuckoo (AH) at Medmerry

Wednesday, 26th May: Another bright and breezy morning, though a little warmer and a little less blowy, despite the wind being from the north-west....

Selsey Bill: It was predictably very quiet this morning, with just the regular Gannets and terns offshore, plus a handful of Sanderling along the beach. Full log below. (SR/MO-W/AH/M Bravery)

(0530-0830hrs) (NWE, F4)

Gannet - 15E

Shelduck - 3W

Common Scoter - 2W

Sanderling 6W

Turnstone - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 30os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 14os

House Martin - 10

Swallow - 4

Common Tern (above) & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning but, otherwise, just a Lapwing, two Redshank, four Avocets, two Gadwall, two Tufted Ducks and 28 Shelducks, whilst three Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite.

Also, a Stonechat was in Ferry Field, whilst a few warblers popped their heads up around the Tramway circuit, including a Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, a Chiffchaff, two or three Blackcaps and up to ten Whitethroats. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Redshank, Lesser Whitethroat, Cetti's Warbler & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Cuckoo was at Halsey's Farm, along with a Jay, a Lesser Whitethroat and the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap, whilst the male Marsh Harrier was over the reeds behind the Breech Pool, along with c20 Swifts and a few Swallows.

There were plenty of Reed Warblers, pus the odd Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Whitethroat along the wall, but the Breech Pool held just a few Tufted Ducks and a pair of Gadwall and the harbour appeared completely bereft of waders. (AH)

Cuckoo (above), Marsh Harrier, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat around the North Wall (AH)

Chi GPs: At New Lake there were three Pochard (a female and two drakes), whilst at Copse lake there were three drakes and a female, plus a further drake Pochard at Ivy lake, where a Buzzard and a Black Swan were also noted. (MJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The unseasonal and unusually pale Long-eared Owl, first seen on Monday, re-appeared tonight near Marsh Barn.

Also, two Cuckoos, three Stonechats, a Reed Bunting, three Reed Warblers, four Swallows, 10+ Whitethroats and 20+ Yellowhammers were seen from the banks and a Little Ringed Plover and 29 Avocets, including two chicks and 13 on eggs - were on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

Long-eared Owl (above) & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (SH)