7th - 9th May 2021

Sunday, 9th May: A fairly grey, if mild, morning in a moderate southerly breeze...

Selsey Bill: Four Arctic Skuas went east, with two lingering offshore, though it was generally slow, with a Hobby chasing insects and a Peregrine chasing a Turnstone livening things up. 

Full log below.  (JA/SH/PB/PM/IP/OM/AH/CN/CRJ et al)
(0515-1415hrs) (S-SSW, F 4-5)

Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 2 os
diver sp - 1E, 1W
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 39E, 17W
Brent Goose - 13E
Shelduck – 1W, 2 present
Common Scoter - 174E
Hobby - 1 area, (chasing insects)
Peregrine - 1 area (chasing wader)
Oystercatcher - 5E
Whimbrel - 1E, 4W
Knot - 1 ob
Sanderling - 1E, 8 ob
Turnstone - 17E, 9ob
Arctic Skua - 4E, 2 os
Kittiwake - 1E, 3W
Little Tern - 7 os
Common Tern - 20E
'Commic' Tern - 18E
Sandwich Tern - c.20 os
Razorbill - 1E
Guillemot - 1E
auk sp - 5E, 3W
Swift - 4N
Swallow - 18N
House Martin - 3
Wheatear - 1 ob

Hobby (above), Arctic Skua, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern (AH) & Knot (AW) at the Bill

Late this afternoon four Black Terns, two Pomarine Skuas, two Arctic Skuas, a Bonxie and a Hobby went east, with another Pomarine Skua going west. Full log below. (JA/IP/AH)

(1600-1830hrs) 
Great Northern Diver – 2os
Gannet – 6E, 3W
Common Scoter – 32E
Sparrowhawk - 1
Hobby – 1E
Grey Heron – 1E
Oystercatcher – 3E
Sanderling – 12E
Great Skua – 1E
Pomarine Skua – 2E (1750 & 1810hrs), 1W (1825hrs)

Arctic Skua - 2E (l/p)
Sandwich Tern – 40os
Common Tern – 45os
Little Tern – 6os
Black Tern – 4E
Swallow – 4N

Pomarine Skua (M McKee) (above), Arctic Skua, Sparrowhawk & Sanderlings (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much to report this morning, with just a dozen Avocets, three Black-tailed Godwits and 20 Shelducks on the pool, with a Marsh Harrier hunting over the adjacent harbour and a Greenshank in the channel opposite. (AH/NM)

Greenshank at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The star bird of a quiet morning was a stunning male Golden Oriole that was found by Liz Hunter, sitting right out in the open in the Severals. Predictably it disappeared into cover, but less predictably it finally flew out and settled briefly in a bare tree towards Greenlease Farm, giving those that got there swiftly enough a chance to see it before it once more dropped down.

Otherwise it was a quiet morning, with a Hobby over the Severals the other notable bird, whilst there was the usual scattering of warblers including several Lesser Whitethroats, lots of Whitethroats and plenty of Linnets.

There were still 200+ Sandwich Terns, along with a few Little and Common Terns, in the harbour, plus a Peregrine, but waders were restricted o a handful of Whimbrel and a couple of Dunlin. (P&LH/AH/SH/OM/PM/AB et al)

Golden Oriole (above), Whimbrel, Linnet & Little, Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

After having having been absent for several hours, the Golden Oriole resurfaced early this afternoon showing well, albeit briefly (AB), though there were no further sightings  from mid-afternoon on, though a female Redstart was in the vicinity, whilst up to 20 Little Common Terns were among the Sandwich Terns in the harbour and there was a lot of fish-passing, displaying and mating going on. (AH et al)

Also, one of the Pomarine Skuas seen passing the Bill was seen from the beach. (MB)

Golden Oriole (AB) (above), Little Terns & Sandwich Terns (AH) at Church Norton

Park Farm, Selsey: Two Wheatears and a Grey Wagtail were in the fields, whilst ten Swallows and ten House Martins were overhead. (SH)

Northcommon Farm: A female Redstart was at Flycatcher Corner this morning. (SR)

North Wall: A Common Sandpiper was by the sluice gates this morning. (IH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool - A Little Gull was onn the pool at lunchtime today. (HB)

Saturday, 8th May: A fairly dismal morning's weather, particularly early on, with heavy drizzly rain being pushed through on a near gale-force southerly, though brightening up slowly as the wind shifted from south-east to south-west and it was fairly mild compared to recent days.........

Selsey Bill: A dark morph Pomarine Skua went east at 1250hrs, two Manx Shearwaters went west and there were plenty of Fulmars and Gannets moving about, along with a couple of Kittiwakes, but beyond a Great Northern Diver and some Brent Geese and Common Scoters, plus the usual terns, that was about it. 

This afternoon a further three Pomarine Skuas, plus a Bonxie and an Arctic Skua all went east, plus another Pomarine Skua west. Full log below. (SH/JA/IP/OM/AH/AW/NSk/PG/PB)

(0515-1800hrs) (SSE6 - SW7) 

Great Northern Diver - 2os
Manx Shearwater - 2W
Fulmar - 14E, 19W
Gannet - 113E, 170W
Brent Goose - 60E
Common Scoter - 139E, 6W
Oystercatcher – 3E
Grey Plover - 2E, 1W
Dunlin - 8E
Sanderling - 30W
Turnstone – 9W
Whimbrel - 4E
Bar-tailed Godwit -1W
Common Sandpiper - 1W
Great Skua - 1E
Pomarine Skua - 4E (d/p 1250hrs, l/p 1443hrs, d/p 1525hrs & d/p 1730hrs), 1W (l/p 1640hrs)
Arctic Skua – 1E (l/p)
Kittiwake - 5E, 11W
Little Tern - 11os
Common Tern - 3E, 12os
Sandwich Tern - 46 os
Razorbill – 1E, 21W
auk sp – 4E, 16W
Swift - 9N
Skylark - 1N
Swallow - 76N
House Martin - 16N

Great Northern Diver (above), Common Scoters, Kittiwake, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Fulmar (AH), Fulmar, Sanderling & Brent Geese (AW) at the Bill

Park Farm: A Hobby and a Sparrowhawk were present today, whilst migrants included a Yellow Wagtail, two Lesser Whitethroats and four Whitethroats. (SH)

Ferry Pool: A Whimbrel was on the pool early on, with a Greenshank and 11 Black-tailed Godwits present later, along with a total of 26 Avocets, 18 Shelducks and two drake Gadwall. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane - The two Grey Partridges were again in the fields by the car-park, and there were also a Stonechat and a few Linnets, Skylarks and Yellowhammers about. (IP)

Church Norton: There were just a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Whitethroats about the sheltered hedges this morning.

The harbour was very quiet on the full tide, with a handful of Whimbrels and ten Sanderling the only waders evident, whilst half a dozen Common and Little Terns were among the many Sandwich Terns and four Mediterranean Gulls went over. Two Swifts arrived N from the sea and a few House Martins and Swallows were also present. (AH/IP/AB/SH)

Whimbrel (above), Sandwich Terns & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There was little to be seen seen along the Wall because of the strong southerly wind, but in Honer 3 field there was a family party of 28 Jackdaws feeding and Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were singing in Owl Copse. 

Swifts and Swallows were feeding at Honer reservoir where there were 24 Tufted Ducks and a pair of Gadwall, whilst Common Whitethroats and Blackcaps seemed to be singing from every sheltered piece of scrubland. (JDW)

Marsh Farm area: There were 20 Cattle Egrets in the large field east of Marsh Farm and another two behind Honer Farm, whilst a flock of 23 Whimbrel was in the adjacent fields. At least 20 Swallows were drinking from a large puddle south of the farm in company with a pair of Pied Wagtails.  (JDW) 

Cattle Egrets at Marsh Farm (JDW)

Ivy Lake: A fairly brief look this afternoon produced 16 Common Terns feeding over the water, along with c50 Swifts, c200 Sand Martins and c300 Swallows. (AH)

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

Friday,7th May: A bright and fairly breezy morning, warming up after yet another overnight frost, but with the breeze freshening from the west.....

Selsey Bill: A very quiet morning offshore was enlivened by a remarkable arrival off the sea of passerines, including two different Serins, a Whinchat, five Wheatears, three Yellow Wagtails and half a dozen Willow Warblers, many tracked from way out to making landfall. Full log below. (JA/BI/IP/AH/A&YF/JDW/N Skilbeck)

(0515-0900hrs) (WNW, F3)

Gannet – 10E, 23W

Common Scoter – 62E, 37os

Sanderling – 8E

Turnstone - 2

Sandwich Tern – 22os

Common Tern – 8os

Little Tern – 4os

auk sp – 9E, 5W

Swift – 20N

Yellow Wagtail – 3N

House Martin - 4

Wheatear – 5N

Whinchat – 1N

Blackcap – 1N, 1 present

Whitethroat - 2

Willow Warbler – 6N, 1 present

Serin – 2N (0620 & 0702hrs)

Bottle-nosed Dolphin – 1os

(1530-1645hrs) (JA)
Gannet – 3E, 1os
Common Scoter – 5E
Arctic Skua – 2E (l/p)
Sandwich Tern – 95os
Common Tern – 30os
Little Tern – 8os

(1705-1820hrs) (AH/SH)
Gannet – 1E, 1W
Common Scoter – 30E
Turnstone – 1W
Sandwich Tern – 113os
Common Tern – 11os
Little Tern – 8os

(1905-1735hrs) (JA)
Gannet – 1W
Kittiwake – 2os
Sandwich Tern – 25os
Common Tern – 6os
Little Tern – 4os

Wheatear (above), Turnstone & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper was behind the sluice late this morning (KJ), whist earlier there were just 14 Avocets, with two each of Lapwing, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit on the pool, with a Greenshank and two Whimbrel in the channel opposite.

A male Bullfinch was an unexpected bird in the Discovery Area, which was otherwise quiet, save a couple of Whitethroats. (AH)

Bullfinch (above),Avocet & Greenshank around the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were an impressive seven Whinchats in the fields this evening, along with four Wheatears, with a Lesser Whitethroat in the hedges and a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)

Warner Lane Paddocks: There were three Whinchats and three Wheatears around the paddocks this morning (BI), and they were all still present late this afternoon (AH).

Whinchat (above) & Wheatears at Warner Lane paddocks (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill area - There was just a single Wheatear of note here. (AH)

Wheatear at Medmerry (AH)

West Itchenor: A Short-eared Owl went high over the harbour, heading west this morning. (PH)

North Wall: Two Whinchats and two Wheatears were in Owl Point field this morning, whilst a female Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher were at Bremere Bridge a male Pied Flycatcher was briefly in the layby by Halsey's Farm. (IL)

Later, the highlight was three Whinchats and three Wheatears on the fences in the field south of the western end of the Wall.

It was otherwise all very predictable along the Wall with Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers all calling plus Reed Buntings and Common Whitethroats, whilst at one point there were seven Little Egrets feeding close to the Wall.

Also, there were Whitethroats, Greenfinches, Long-tailed Tits and a Stock Dove at Macracapra Copse, whilst at Bremere Bridge copse there were Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers, and there were Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterflies on the wing. (JDW)

Church Norton: A noisy pair of Cuckoos were looking like they were up to no good in the Severals this morning, but beyond a few Blackcaps and Whitethroats there weren't any other migrants, though the Swallows were active around the hide.

Four Whimbrels were in the harbour, along with a handful of Little Terns and hundreds and Sandwich Terns, but there wasn't too much else. (AH/AW)

Cuckoo (above), Little Tern, Dunlin (AW), Swallow, Whimbrel & Blackcaps (AH) at Church Norton

This evening there were two Spotted Flycatchers, along with up to five Willow Warblers in the hedges by the Mound and a Cuckoo was calling nearby, and a Whinchat, two Wheatears and a singing Garden Warbler were along the Severals.

Also, a Curlew, a Brent Goose and a Grey Plover were in the harbour and the two Peregrines were on their island.. (AW/AH/SR/AB/N Skilbeck).

Spotted Flycatcher (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AW)

Long Pool: Two Little Grebe chicks were on the pool, along with a pair of Gadwall this evening, with three more of the latter flying around the harbour, whilst a selection of Warblers were singing, including a Lesser Whitethroat, a couple of Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers and half a dozen Reed Warblers, pus a Reed Bunting. (AH)

Little Grebe chick (above) & Gadwall at the Long Pool (AH)