Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 28th

Saturday, 30th April: After an early morning frost, a progressively warm and sunny morning as the breeze shifted from the north-east towards the south.........

Selsey Bill: Another morning with a wide variety of species, but no volume, for a good crowd, including two Hobbies and 71 Swallows in off the sea, a Redstart and a Black Redstart in the same garden along the front, a Wheatear on the shingle bar offshore, whilst 24 Brent Geese, eight Arctic Skuas and three Bonxies went east.

This afternoon a Pomarine Skua and a flock of 17 Eider went east. Full log below.

(SH/JA/PB/AB/AGB/BI/IP/RW/SR/CN/AH/CRJ/LGRE/C&MMcK et al)

(0515-1800hrs) (NE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 1os

diver sp - 2E

Fulmar - 1E, 2W

Gannet - 148E, 12W

Shag - 1E, 1os

Brent Goose - 28E, 1os

Shelduck - 13E

Eider - 3E, then W, 17E

Common Scoter - 63E, 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Hobby - 2N

Oystercatcher - 3E, 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 50E

Curlew - 1

Whimbrel - 24E

Turnstone - 4E, 4 present

Great Skua - 3E, 3os

Pomarine Skua - 1E

Arctic Skua - 8E, 1os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Common Gull - 31E, 15os

Kittiwake - 11E

Sandwich Tern - 37E, 52os

Common Tern - 27E

'Commic' Tern - 4E

Little Tern - 19E, 20os

auk sp - 5E, 2W

Swallow - 75N

Sand Martin - 1N

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Wheatear - 1

Black Redstart - 1

Redstart - 1

Willow Warbler - 1

Chiffchaff - 1

Whitethroat - 1

Hobby (above), Redstart, Black Redstart, Eider, Little Tern, Great Northern Diver & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Eider at the Bill (SR)

Ferry Pool: At high tide, late this morning, a Little Stint was with a Dunlin on the pool, along with ten Avocets, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, two Lapwings, six Redshank, two Gadwall, eight Shovelers and c30 Shelducks, with a Reed Warbler singing at the front. (LGRE/BI/PB/AB/AH et al)

Early this morning a summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was on the pool, with at least two Whimbrels in the channel opposite. (AH)

Little Stint (above), Spotted Redshank, Avocet & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

Chichester GPs: Seven Swifts were over Ivy and Nunnery Lakes this morning. (AGB)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were a Wheatear and a Blackcap around the farm this morning, whilst overhead there were two Sand Martins, a House Martin and five Swallows. (IP/CN)

Church Norton: Around The Severals the usual warblers were all present, including a Lesser Whitethroat singing at the back of the horse field, five Reed Warblers seen in the 2nd Several and two male Reed Buntings were singing from the Hawthorn bush in the first Several.

In the harbour a flock of c15 Bar-tailed Godwits were roosting on the shoreline of Tern Island, a female Wheatear was on the spit, four Little Terns and at least 12 Common Terns were scattered around the roosting points in the full harbour, along with three Whimbrel, six Turnstone and three Dunlin, whilst a Brent Goose was sat on the sea close inshore off the first Several.

Also, a pair of Gadwall were in the harbour, whilst a male was sat in the Second Several. (IP/CN)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - A Common Sandpiper, two Ringed Plovers, a Black-tailed Godwit, 21 Avocets and the pair of Egyptian Geese, plus gosling, were on the Stilt Pool this morning.

A Cuckoo was on the reserve, whilst a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap and 13 Whitethroats were along the banks, with a Sparrowhawk, two Kestrels and four Buzzards overhead. (S&SaH)

Medmerry Trail and Porthole Farm: A Garden Warbler was singing in scrub at the southern end of the sewage works compound this morning, though there were no hirundines there, and there was little along the trail beyond a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, three Blackcaps and at least six Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats. (AH)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Whitethroat & Chiffchaff along the Medmerry Trail (AH)

This afternoon, further along the Trail towards Ham a Whinchat and a pair of Stonechats were along the path, together with a couple of Yellowhammers, and a Cuckoo was also heard calling thrice a long way to the north.

Also, a single Sand Martin and equal numbers (about fifty of each) of House Martins and Swallows were over the settling tanks..(IP/CN)

Whinchat at Medmerry (IP)

Friday, 29th April: A sunny and slightly warmer morning, but still with the nagging north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A total of six Pomarine Skuas went east early on, but generally eastward passage was slow, though a Black-throated Diver, three Eider and a good selection of regular species went through in small numbers and there was a good inward arrival, including two Redstarts, a Tree Pipit, 27 Yellow Wagtails, three Sand Martins and 343 Swallows. Full log below. (JA/PB/BI/IP/SR/JF/AH/AHu/RHa/AW et al)

(0540-1100hrs) (NE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 1E

diver sp - 2E

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 203E, 12W, 4os

Mallard - 1W

Eider - 3E

Common Scoter - 121E, 2W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 8E, 7W

Sanderling - 3E

Dunlin - 1E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 56E

Whimbrel - 16E

Curlew - 1W

Great Skua - 2E, 3os

Pomarine Skua - 6E

Arctic Skua - 3E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Black-headed Gull - 8E

Kittiwake - 14E

Sandwich Tern - 35E, 50os

Common Tern - 20E, 2os

Little Tern - 48E, 14os

auk sp - 4E, 1W

Tree Pipit - 1N

Yellow Wagtail - 27N

Swallow - 343N

Sand Martin - 3N

Wheatear - 1N

Redstart - 2

Whitethroat - 1

Willow Warbler - 2

Chiffchaff - 1

Linnet - 4E, 1N

Goldfinch - 2N

This afternoon another Pomarine Skua went east at 1600hrs, and six Manx Shearwaters went east, too. (JA/SH/SR)

(1550-1800hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

diver sp - 1E

Manx Shearwater - 6E

Gannet - 80E, 17W, 8os

Common Scoter - 27E

Whimbrel - 1E

Turnstone - 7E

Great Skua - 1os

Pomarine Skua - 1E

Arctic Skua - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 60os

Common Tern - 12os

Little Tern - 18os

Swallow - 1N

Redstart (AW) (above), Great Northern Diver, Sand Martin, Swallow, Sandwich Tern & Bar-tailed Godwits (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were 14 Avocet on the pool this morning, though not much else of note beyond half a dozen Redshank, eight Shovelers and c30 Shelducks, whilst just wo Whimbrel were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were four Swallows around the stables this morning and both Marsh Harriers were active over the reeds behind the paddock, whilst along the wall lots of Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats were singing along with a couple of Cetti’s Warbler.

A Whinchat was in the bushes near Owl Point, where there was also a Stonechat, three Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, a few Linnets, a Meadow Pipit and some Skylarks.

White's Creek held just a Greenshank, two Shelduck, two Great Crested Grebes and 11 Teal, whilst four Whimbrels were out in the harbour and a Red Kite flew over. (LP)

Whinchat (above) & Whitethroat at the North Wall (LP)

Fishbourne Creek: A Spotted Redshank and 12 or 13 Greenshanks were at the top of the creek this morning, with ten adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls among the many Herring Gulls. (PH)

Chichester GPs: Reed Warblers were singing loudly in the reeds this morning on Nunnery Lake, whilst over Ivy Lake there were up to ten Swifts among the Swallows. The lakes generally were quiet, though a pair of Egyptian Geese on the far side of Ivy Lake. (CEv/IP)

Reed Warbler at Chichester GPs (CEv)

Medmerry Trail: A Redstart was along the cycle way this afternoon, along with a Whitethroat. (AT)

Church Norton: At least ten Little Terns and six Common Terns were among the many Sandwich Terns in the harbour, but waders were restricted to a flock of c30 Bar-tailed Godwits and the odd Dunlin and Turnstone, and wildfowl comprised a pair of Gadwall and c30 Shelducks.

At least 50 Swallows flew north during the morning, but passerines were otherwise restricted to the odd Blackcap, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Blackcap, Little and Common Terns & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 28th April: Another cool morning, mostly overcast with a bit of hazy sun, and still with a fresh and decidedly chilly north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A generally slow morning for the time of year, but as usual there were a few bits and pieces of interest. A drake Eider went west, whilst a few Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits, an Arctic Skua and five Bonxies went east, with at least another two of the latter lingering offshore.

Also, the first decent arrival of Swallows (200+) flew in off the sea in a steady trickle and a Garden Warbler was again singing in the small park in Hillfield Road. Full log below... (SR/TR/AH/OM/JDW/PC)

(0625-1225hrs) (NE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1 os

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet - 25E, 5W, 22 os

Eider - 1W

Common Scoter - 4E

Oystercatcher - 6E

Whimbrel - 5E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 12E

Turnstone - 14 ob

Great Skua - 5E, 2 os

Arctic Skua - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 96E, 25 os

'Commic' Tern - 10E

Little Tern - 3E, 4 os

auk sp - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Yellow Wagtail - 2N

House Martin - 3N

Swallow - 207N

Willow Warbler - 1

Blackcap - 1

Garden Warbler - 1

Whitethroat - 2

Eider (above), Bonxie, Gannet & Bar-tailed Godwits at the Bill (AH)

There was a bit of activity this afternoon, including two Manx Shearwaters, four Bonxies and 33 Bar-tailed Godwits east and both a Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk along the beach. Full log below. (JA/SR/SH/AH)

(1555-1830hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Manx Shearwater - 2E

Fulmar - 2E, 1W

Gannet - 54E, 5W, 1os

Sparrowhawk - 1

Peregrine - 1

Oystercatcher - 1E

Knot - 6E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 33E

Turnstone - 37E

Great Skua - 4E, 1os

Arctic Skua - 1E

Common Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 11E

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 46os

Common Tern - 15E, 12os

Little Tern - 6E, 5os

Swallow - 8N

Peregrine (above), Sparrowhawk, Common Terns and Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 11 Avocets and three Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, but otherwise just a couple of Shovelers and c30 Shelducks, whilst four Whimbrel were still in the channel opposite. (AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool and West Side: The reeds were noisy with newly arrived Sedge and the occasional Reed Warbler, whilst along the hedgerow there were three Reed Buntings, a Lesser Whitethroat, five Linnets, a Blackcap, a family of Long-tailed Tits and a dozen Whitethroats.

Two small but independent Lapwing chicks were alone in the stubble field by Reedy Marsh, dashing around picking up insects. (SR)

Lapwing chick along the west side (SR)

Ivy Lake: Two Swifts were feeding over the lake at lunchtime today - the first of the year and the latest first date this century by two days. (RHa)

Medmerry: Stilt Pools - A Short-eared Owl was hunting on the reserve opposite the Stilt Pools this evening, whils a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits were feeding long the beach on the low tide.

Also a Grey Seal was seen offshore earlier. (IC)

North Wall: Three Little Ringed Plovers were the only birds on the Breech Pool, with what appeared to be a pair seeing off the third bird which settle along the channel at the back. Otherwise, it was quiet along the wall, with a brief appearance by the male Marsh Harrier, a distantly calling Cuckoo, and some half-hearted singing by the Reed and Sedge Warblers being about it.

There were, however, plenty of waders in White's Creek, including a Greenshank, up to ten Whimbrel, five Curlews, half a dozen Knot, c25 Dunlin and c40 Grey Plovers and Bar-tailed Godwits, whilst at least ten Wigeon and six Great Crested Grebes were on the water, c40 Sandwich Terns were feeding towards the harbour mouth and at least a dozen Swallows flew north. (AH)

This evening the Short-eared Owl was once again hunting behind the Breech Pool. (LP)