10th - 13th March 2022

Sunday, 13th March: A fairly cool and dreary morning, with heavily overcast skies and intermittent drizzle in a fresh southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Black-throated Diver and 29 Red-throated Divers went east this morning, as did two Eider, 49 Red-breasted Mergansers, 30 Common Scoters and 29 Brent Geese. Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/IP/SR/AH/MO-W/RJS)

(0610-1000hrs) (SSE, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 39E

Black-throated Diver - 1E

diver sp - 11E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Brent Goose - 29E

Eider - 2E

Common Scoter - 30E, 1W, 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 49E, 2W, 9os

Peregrine - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 4os

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

Ferry Pool: Three Avocets and eight Tufted Ducks were on the pool this morning, along with c75 Shovelers, c25 Teal and five Shelducks, whilst a Spotted Redshank and six Redshank were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

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North Mundham: There were two Coal Tits on the feeders in the garden this morning. (MJ)

Church Norton: There was no sign of any Black Redstarts at Greenlease Farm, with just a Pied Wagtail, a pair of Mistle Thrushes and a pair of Stock Doves of note.

The harbour held plenty of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, plus a few Wigeon and Teal, but relatively few waders beyond c100 Dunlin and c20 Grey Plovers and Redshank, though at least 500 Golden Plovers flew up from somewhere along the west side. (AH/BI)

Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls (above), Wigeon & Stock Dove at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Breach - A male Black Redstart was along the beach at the start of the caravan park this morning, though elusive. (BI)

There was no sign of the Black Redstart later on, but there a few birds around the breach at low tide, including a Greenshank, c75 Brent Geese, c35 Ringed Plover and c50 Dunlin..

Also, a Pied Wagtail, three Stonechats, two Linnets, eight Meadow Pipits, a singing Corn Bunting that remained out of sight, and several Skylarks were about, too. (SR).

Greenshank (above), Stonechat & Pied Wagtail at Medmerry (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were still three Dartford Warblers along the banks today, together with a Yellowhammer and a Stonechat, with a total of six Buzzards seen overhead, whilst late in the afternoon one of the Barn Owls was out hunting..

At least one Little Ringed Plover was still on the Stilt Pool, along with seven Ringed Plovers, seven Avocets and five Black-tailed Godwits, whilst three Sanderlings were on the beach and a flock of ten flew west. (S&SaH/AW) A Short-eared Owl was also present in the area this evening. (D.Boon)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Sanderlings, Barn Owl (AW) & Short-eared Owl (D Boon)  at Medmerry 

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Green Sandpiper flew out of the puddles in the big maize stubble field and disappeared into the sewage works this evening.

Also, a Barn Owl was hunting over the fields west of the farm and at least five pairs of Yellowhammers had recolonised the hedges. (AH)

Barn Owl (above) & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AH)

Saturday, 12th March: A bright and breezy morning, a little warmer than of late, in a fresh southerly breeze....

A few more bits and pieces from the archives, to take us up to the mid-noughties......

The mixed emotions of sea-watching: May 2002 and (above) Eric Soden (nearest with specs) and Terry Rawlings can't hide their feelings on a slow day, wishing they'd visited yesterday, whilst (below) a happy gallery of locals are on the bench and in good form, sheltering from a fresh south-westerly. 

This grainy image is a copy of a copy of a mobile phone pic taken on the evening of 11th May 2002 and shows the victorious 'Selsey Scorchers' Birdrace Team at the end of an exhausting day, having just set a new County record of 138 species recorded in 24hrs. L-to-R are a jubilant OM, Adam Bowley, Paul Bowley and Richard Prior...and I think I'm right in saying the record still stands at the present time.

In other news, a certain Andrew House of this parish was on the Radio Four Today programme this morning talking briefly but authoritatively about the overwintering Swallows at Sidlesham, the link to the BBC website is HERE, segment is c.45 minutes in. (BI) And if I might say so, a good job he made of it too! (OM)

Selsey Bill: Over 400 Brent Geese went east this morning and a Slavonian Grebe was on the sea, but otherwise it was slow. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/MO-W/AH/AW)

(0615-0830hrs) (SSW, F5)

Red-throated Diver - 2E

diver - 2E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2W

Gannet - 4E, 3W

Brent Goose - 406E

Common Scoter - 13E

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Brent Geese at the Bill (AW)

Also, of note, a Firecrest was in a garden along Byways, jut inland from the beach. (B Richardson)

Firecrest at the Bill (B Richardson)

Ferry Pool: Five Black-tailed Godwits flew in, but otherwise it was just c75 Shovelers, c30 Teal and four Shelducks. 

Also, a Chiffchaff was singing in the car-park and a Water Rail was briefly showing in Red Barn Ditch. (AH/SR)

Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool and Breach - Two Little Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with 24 Avocets and a Lesser Black-backed Gull, whilst the three Purple Sandpipers were on exposed rocks at the eastern end of the beach, near the breach. (AHu/BI/AW)

Little Ringed Plovers (BI) (above) & Purple Sandpipers (AHu) at Medmerry

Park Farm, Selsey: There were lots of singing Skylarks over the fields this morning, along with two Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel. (IP)

Church Norton and West side: A female Black Redstart was briefly on the beach by the second Several this morning, whilst a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were in the churchyard.

Two Sandwich Terns and c50 Mediterranean Gulls were among 500 Black-headed Gulls on the mud in front of Tern Island, whilst there were also c200 Brent Geese, two Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Wigeon and Teal about, with four Bar-tailed Godwits among the few waders present.

A handful of Linnets and Skylarks were along the west side and half a dozen Lapwings and Redshanks were displaying over the fields, whilst a Spotted Redshank, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, four Pintail and a few dozen Wigeon and Teal were at the end of Ferry Channel. (IP/A&YF/AH/TB/NR et al) 

Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Linnet, Mediterranean Gull, Wigeon & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Later, three Black Redstarts were around the airstrip at Greenlease Farm .(AW)

At least two of them - a male and a female - were still present late this afternoon. (KT)

Pagham Spit:  A vocal Rock Pipit was at the end of the Spit and a Red-breasted Merganser was in the channel but it was generally quiet in the strong breeze. (BI)

Rock Pipit (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at the Spit (BI)

North Wall: The Short-eared Owl was out behind the North Wall again this evening. (LP)

Short-eared Owl at the North Wall (LP)

Friday, 11th March: A cool and grey morning in a blustery south-easterly, with rain coming in later on.......

A few more requests received prompt me to add a few more archive photo's here....this batch concerning the first few years of the new century. To those readers and visitors who are unaware of these regulars from earlier times and want to move on, please be patient, as the year 2000 seems like yesterday to me and some more current items will follow with this feature......(OM)

Spring 2000 and an impromptu meeting of the three members '25 Club' - namely the lucky trio who saw the single flock of 25 Pom Skuas the previous year - teasing other regulars at the Bill...."count those fingers!" This is the largest single flock seen at the Bill, though it has since been equalled. L-to-R are yours truly, Chris Janman and the late John Brame. Note my camping stove which fitted nicely in the old grass box and served many a fresh cuppa around this time. 

April 2001 sees a young Andy House displaying his diabolical optics to a gallery of the regulars.

Early May 2001 and John Faithfull (left) and the late Ron (Chunky) King receive lusty birthday cards from a highly amused Richard Prior. John and Chunky had birthdays on 1st and 2nd May respectively and these Hampshire boys were the subject of much mirth at this time each year.

May 2002 and the legend that was Peter LeBrocq. Here is is allowing me to try out his enormous binoculars (dubbed Le Brocqulars) whilst holding the stick needed to support them!

Spring 2002 at the Bill and Women's lib to the fore! A nice portrait of the late and much missed Beryl James as we all remember her, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Bridget.

I've steered away in this feature from including much material from the various Pom parties that have been held as it's probably all been done before, but for those that are unaware it was/is traditional for the winner of the Pom King trophy each year to hold some sort of function or party to facilitate the trophy presentation.

I include this presentation though, from 2002, to highlight the sheer joy and relief it can bring to actually win it and get your name on the trophy. Here outgoing winner Mervyn Jones has just handed it over and I've never seen anyone happier to get his hands on the said trophy than Bob Marchant in 2002 (though perhaps John Faithfull later ran him close!)

Selsey Bill: There was just a small amount of eastward movement this morning, including four Pintail, seven Teal,  a Tufted Duck and a few Red-throated Divers, a close Black-throated Diver  and Brent Geese, whilst a Rock Pipit went over, too. Full log below. (BI/IP/SR/AH/RHa)

(0615-1000hrs) (SE, F5-7)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 9E, 1W, 2os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 24E, 5W

Brent Goose - 19E

Pintail - 4E

Teal - 7E

Tufted Duck - 1E

Common Scoter - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 11E, 3W, 7os

Curlew - 1E

Redshank - 6E

Dunlin - 4E
Turnstone - 6E

Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 1W, 4os

Black-headed Gull - 16E

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Rock Pipit - 1E

Meadow Pipit - 3E

Pied Wagtail - 1E

Red-throated Divers (above), Common Scoters and Tufted Duck, Sandwich Tern & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just c75 Wigeon and similar of Shovelers on the pool this morning. (AH)

Shovelers (above) & Wigeon on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Spotted Redshank was at the end of Ferry Channel, and there were also c40 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Grey Plovers, c50 Redshank, six Pintail and c80 Teal and Wigeon about, whilst the big flock of up to 800 Golden Plovers and 100 Lapwing were commuting between the harbour and the west side. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Golden Plovers, Pintail & Wigeon from the Long Pool (AH)

North Mundham: A Coal Tit was in the garden today. (MJ)

North Wall: There was a Greenshank in White's Creek this morning - the first of the year here, along with eight Black-tailed Godwits and lots of Redshank, whilst there were still a few Teal, Wigeon and Pintail around, and lots of Brent Geese further out.

A Rock Pipit, a Cetti’s Warbler and eight Greenfinches were along the wall, whilst at Halsey’s Farm there were six Gadwall, and the male Marsh Harrier was seen briefly over the fields. (LP)

Greenshank at the North Wall (LP)

Thursday, 10th March: Another fairly bright and breezy morning, still cool early on and still with the wind coming from the south-east.....

Selsey Bill: The spoils for the first Wheatear of spring went to Andy Wilkes, with one dropping in briefly at the Bill tip before flying off into the houses.

Otherwise, there was a Slavonian Grebe on the sea and a few more Red-throated Divers going east, along with few Brent Geese, but it was generally quite slow. Full log below. (AW/IP/SR/MO-W/AH/OM/PC)

(0705-1245hrs) (SE, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 24E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Shag - 2E, 1W

Brent Goose - 77E

Common Scoter - 22E

Red-breasted Merganser - 15E, 4W, 11os

Grey Plover - 1E

Turnstone - 1E, 5W

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Common Gull - 8E

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Meadow Pipit - 1E

Wheatear - 1

(1615-1720hrs) (JA/S&SaH)

Shag - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4os

Wheatear (above), Fulmar (AW), Red-throated Diver, Shag, Red-breasted Merganser & Brent Geese (AH) at the Bill 

Ferry Pool: It was mostly Shovelers again this morning - at least 100, of which three-quarters were drakes, along with four Gadwall, four Shelducks, ten Tufted Ducks and c20 Teal, whilst the Kingfisher was in its usual spot in the channel opposite. (AH/OM)

Kingfisher (above) & Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Green Woodpecker and a Song Thrush was about it this morning. (IP)

North Wall: In White's Creek this morning there were four Pintail and twenty Teal, along with just a single Grey Plover, twenty Black Tailed Godwits and numerous Redshank.

A pair of Stonechats and a Reed Bunting were in the bushes and a couple of Chiffchaffs were singing by Owl Copse, where the Grey Herons were busy nest building, whilst along the wall there was a small flock of Goldfinches and a few Greenfinches and Chaffinches.

In the Breech Pool there was a Water Rail, a Snipe and two Black Tailed Godwits, whilst in the fields behind the pool there were two Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and a Kestrel. (LP)

Snipe and Water Rail (above) & Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A Firecrest, a Dartford Warbler and a Stonechat were along the front this morning, but the only thing offshore was a flock of Brent Geese going east.

The harbour held large numbers of Brent Geese still, along with c30 Pintail, c30 Lapwing, the Whimbrel,, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, nine Mediterranean Gull and two Ringed Plovers, along with a Peregrine. (IP/P&LH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool - This afternoon there were six Avocets, 15 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Ringed Plovers and three Dunlin on the pool, along with a pair of Brent Geese. (P&LH)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Breach - There were no migrants about this morning, with a handful of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, plus a pair of Linnets, being the only passerines seen, whilst the only birds offshore were a flock of 32 Brent Geese going east.

Two Greenshank were in the tidal area, along with c30 Ringed Plovers, ten Grey Plovers, c50 Dunlin, three Red-breasted Mergansers and c30 Shelducks and c20 Wigeon. (AH)

Greenshanks (above), Red-breasted Merganser & Ringed Plover at Medmerry (AH)