Good Friday, 15th April: A very pleasant morning, with plenty of warm sun and just a light NE-SE breeze...........
Selsey Bill: There was little on the move, but an Arctic Tern and a couple of Common Terns were among large numbers of Sandwich Terns and gulls feeding offshore, and two Bonxies and at least three Great Northern Divers were sitting on the sea.
Also, a female Blackbird - presumably a migrant - dropped into the sea just offshore, but did manage to take off again and make it to shore. Full log later. (SH/JA/BI/IP/SR/RP/AH/AW)
(0545-0900hrs) (NE, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Gannet - 10E, 15W
Brent Goose - 2E
Shelduck - 2W
Mallard - 3E
Common Scoter - 18E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W
Sparrowhawk - 1
Curlew - 1E
Whimbrel - 5E
Turnstone - 4
Great Skua - 2os
Black-headed Gull - 575os
Mediterranean Gull - 51os
Common Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 43E, 28os
Arctic Tern - 1os
Common Tern - 7E, 3os
Pied Wagtail - 1E
Blackbird - 1N
Linnet - 8N
(1545-1730) (JA/SH)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Red-throated Diver - 1W, 1os
diver sp - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 2E
Gannet - 1E, 3W
Brent Goose - 3E
Common Scoter - 1E
Oystercatcher - 12E, 2W
Golden Plover - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 6E, 4os
Sandwich Tern - 16E, 20os
Common Tern - 4E, 11os
Little Tern - 2os
Arctic Tern (AW) (above), Whimbrel & Sparrowhawk (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: Two Avocets and two Oystercatchers were the only waders on the pool, with otherwise just ten Teal, six Shelducks and c50 Shovelers present, whilst a Spotted Redshank, a Whimbrel and half a dozen Back-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite. (AH)
Also, a Whitethroat was around the Tramway (RN) and later both Spotted Redshanks were in Ferry Channel. (MB)
Whimbrel (above), Shovelers (AH), Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Little Egret & Linnet (C Bowley) at the Ferry
Chichester GPs: The male Red-crested Pochard was asleep on Runcton Lake this morning, whilst three Common Terns and a family of six Egyptian Goose goslings were on Ivy Lake. (SM)
Drayton pits: My WeBS count of the three pits produced a surprise, with the bizarre discovery of what appears to be a Grey Heron nesting on the ground upon a stacked nest, just inside a reed-bed. I had noted a pair of Herons mating nearby in the reeds a couple of weeks ago, but such a nest is a new one on me. Prize for the first brood of the season went to a pair of Mallards with nine young, whilst a pair of Egyptian Geese and several pairs of Greylags and Canada Geese were also present, together with a few Pochard and Tufted Ducks.
Singing birds were very obvious today and joint totals from the three pits included at least 15 Reed Warblers, 12 Cetti's Warblers, eight Blackcaps and four Chiffchaffs. A single elusive Bullfinch was also noted in a suitable breeding area. (OM)
(above) Grey Heron on an apparent stacked nest on the ground, pair of Egyptian Geese and Mallard pair with young at Drayton House North pit (OM)
Park Farm, Selsey: Four Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were in the hedges and two Sparrowhawks and two Buzzards went over. (S&SaH)
Church Norton: A Cuckoo was calling early this morning, though not later on, a Yellow Wagtail came in off the sea, a couple of Wheatears were along the beach, a Reed Warbler and up to four Sedge Warblers and and a couple of Whitethroats were around the Severals and one or two Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were widely spread.
There were three Common Terns among 200+ Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour, but beyond a few Back-tailed Godwits and Shelducks there wasn't much else to report, though two Greylag Geese - unusual here - flew over the Severals.. (PH/S&SaH/AH/PD et al)
Sedge Warbler (SH) (above), Greylag Geese & Mediterranean Gulls (AH) at Church Norton
Honer Reservoir: There were at least three Whitethroats in the lane, but the reservoir just held Tufted Ducks and Coots, plus a coupe of drake Gadwall, whilst 100+ Mediterranean Gulls were among those following the drill on the adjacent fields. (AH)
Whitethroat at Honer Reservoir (AH)
North Wall: The short-billed Greenshank was back in White's Creek this morning, along with a few Redshank, three Grey Plovers, two Bar-tailed Godwits, six Black-tailed Godwits and a Dunlin, while a Whimbrel was heard passing overhead, and there were still a handful of Wigeon around, along with a few Teal, a single Brent Goose and plenty of Shelduck.
The Cetti’s Warbler was once again showing very well by the sluice, and in the reeds by the Breech Pool there were a few Sedge Warblers. Four Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were seen over the reeds behind the pool, while at Owl Copse there was the now usual activity from the Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets, and two Grey Herons were seen sitting on nests.
At Halsey’s Farm there were a pair of Shelduck, a pair of Gadwall and a few Teal while in the field by Owl Point there were two Wheatears and a pair of Stonechats, along with a few Linnets and Skylarks. (LP/SP/TG et al)
Greenshank (above), Sedge Warbler & Cetti's Warbler at the North Wal (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - At least ten Whitethroats were along the banks, together with four Chiffchaffs, six Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting and three Stonechats, with a Swallow, four Kestrels and three Buzzards over.
Also, a pair of Egyptian Geese were on the Stilt Pool, along with 24 Avocets and seven Black-tailed Godwits. (S&SaH)
Whitethroat (above) & Egyptian Geese at Medmerry (SH)
Thursday, 14th April: Eventually, a pleasant morning of sunshine and white cloud in a light westerly breeze, but not until a prolonged period of fairly dense sea-fog persisted over the coast......
Selsey Bill: It was a complete white-out early on in the dense fog(SR/AH), but a bit off passage occurred after, including a close Pomarine Skua east and a Sand Martin and a couple of Swallows in off the sea (P&LH) Full logs below.
(0715-0815hrs) (W, F3)
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 8os
Turnstone - 8
(1000-1140hrs) (P&LH/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 2E
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 2os
Gannet - 6E, 3W
Brent Goose - 1E
Common Scoter - 24E
Pomarine Skua - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 40os
Common Tern - 2E
Sand Martin - 1N
Swallow - 2N
(1600-1800hrs) (SH/JA)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2os
Gannet - 10E, 7W, 3os
Shag - 1os
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 3os
Sandwich Tern - 21E, 52os
Common Tern - 1E, 2os
Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A Spotted Redshank, four Avocets and eight Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool at high tide today, along with three Gadwall, eight Teal, 12 Shelducks and c50 Shovelers, whist a Reed Warblers was in the reed-beds. (AH/BFF et al)
Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Shovelers (above) & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)
Chichester GPs: The drake Red-crested Pochard was still on Ivy Lake, along with a Common Tern and two Egyptian Geese, whilst a Sedge Warbler was singing from Nunnery Lake. (BI)
Church Norton: There was little evidence of migration today beyond a Swallow in off the sea, with a Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a couple of Sedge Warblers and Chiffchaffs being birds that have already settled in.
There were a couple of Little Terns offshore and a couple of Common Terns in the harbour, along with at last 200 Sandwich Terns, but the only waders about were a few Redshank and 20 Back-tailed Godwits in the creek by the horse field. (P&LH/AH/BFF/PC et al)
Common and Sandwich Terns (above), Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, Linnet & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)
Warner Lane and Northcommon Farm: It was very quiet again here, with a Swallow, a Snipe and a handful of Linnets the only birds of note at the former site and a Mistle Thrush and a Blackcap at the latter. (AH)
Swallow at Warner Lane (above) & Mistle Thrush at Northcommon Farm (AH)
Wednesday, 13th April: After a murky start in a light southerly breeze, a brighter and breezier morning as the the wind veered west......
Selsey Bill: A predictably much quieter morning, though a Bonxie and a couple of Arctic Skuas were about, with a few Brent Geese, Red-throated Divers and Common Scoters going east, two drake Eiders west and a Wheatear and a few Swallows in off the sea. Full log below. (SR/AH/HR/DMe/KJ/SM/NR/TB/TG-P et al)
(0650-0920hrs) (S, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 3E, 6os
Red-throated Diver - 11E
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Gannet - 14E, 8W
Brent Goose - 39E, 1W
Eider - 2W
Common Scoter - 82E
Sparrowhawk - 1
Dunlin - 3E
Curlew - 2W
Turnstone - 33
Great Skua - 1os
Arctic Skua - 2os
Kittiwake - 2os, then E
Sandwich Tern - 19E, 1W, 10os
auk sp - 1E
Swallow - 3N
Wheatear - 1N
This evening, the first Manx Shearwater of the year was seen, initially lingering offshore before heading west and a Garganey went east. Full log below. (SH)
(1640-1820hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Manx Shearwater - 1os, then W
Gannet - 9E, 3W
Garganey - 1E
Common Scoter - 2E
Great Skua - 1E, 1os
Arctic Skua - 1E, 2os
Sandwich Tern - 12E, 37os
Common Tern - 3E
Swallow - 1N
Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets and a dozen or so Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with two Tufted Ducks, 12 Shelducks and c50 Shovelers, whilst the two Spotted Redshanks were again in the channel opposite. (AH)
Early this afternoon, two White-tailed Eagles were seen over the harbour from the Tramway (RP), whilst later on a Little Ringed Plover was on the pool (AT).
Park Farm, Selsey: A male Redstart was in the hedges this evening. (SH)
Honer Reservoir: The Common Sandpiper was still on the reservoir this morning, with a Reed Warbler along the rife and a few Whitethroats along Honer Lane. (BI)
Warner Lane paddocks: A male Redstart was in the paddocks this morning. (JWo)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A lone Yellowhammer was in Church Farm Lane, whilst a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the churchyard.(GHi)
Pagham Spit: The two Glossy Ibises were feeding out in the harbour this morning, see from the spit. (TG)
Long Pool and West side: A Sedge Warbler was singing from the Long Pool and a Whitethroat was singing along the west side this morning. (TB/NR)
Church Norton: A couple of Little Terns were among the multitude of Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls in the harbour, with another feeding offshore, but waders were few beyond a couple of dozen Black-tailed Godwits, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit and a handful of Ringed Plovers and Turnstones.
A Wheatear was on the concrete blocks, Sedge Warblers were singing from both Severals and the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap was about, but that was it for migrants. (AH/P&JW/HR/DMe/SM et al)
North Wall: Two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were in the lane by the stables, while in the paddock there were five Little Egrets and a Kestrel, with a Cetti's Warbler showing well by the sluice gates.
The Goosander was again in White's Creek, along with six Wigeon, a Pintail, a few Teal and lots of Shelduck, while further out on the mud there was a mixed group of waders including Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Curlew.
There were at least three Sedge Warblers by the Breech Pool which otherwise held just a few Teal and Mallards, behind the pool two Marsh Harriers were about and a Buzzard was sat in one of the trees.
Owl Copse had the now usual activity from the Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets and Grey Herons, together with two Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff in the bushes and two Little Grebes on the water below, whilst at Halsey’s Farm there were two Gadwall, and in the fields, a Kestrel, afew Skylarks and a pair of Linnets. (LP,CT)
Goosander (above), Blackcap, Kestrel (LP), Cetti's Warbler & Cattle Egrets (GHi) at the North Wall
This evening the Short-eared Owl was gain out hunting over the back of the Breech Pool, briefly putting up both Marsh Harriers, whilst the Pintail and a Sedge Warbler were both around the pool itself and three Swallows went over. (AH/LP/SP/TH/IH)
Later, at 1936hrs, the two Glossy Ibises came in to roost in Owl Copse. (SP et al)
Short-eared Owl (above) & Pintail at the North Wall (AH)
No comments:
Post a Comment