Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 17th

Thursday, 19th May: After overnight rain lingering into the early part of the morning, a bright and sunny day in a fairly light westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A Hobby flew in from well out to sea, catching something on the way and eating it as it went, but otherwise it was very quiet. Full log later. (SR/AH/IP)

(0705-0835hrs) (WNW, F3-4)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 18E, 7W

Common Scoter - 3E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Hobby - 1N

Mediterranean Gull - 10W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 50os

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 14os

Swift - 4

House Martin - 8

Fulmar (above), Little Tern & Sparrowhawk at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Dunlin, six Avocets, four Redshanks, c80 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Shelducks were on the pool, whilst two Cattle Egrets were with the cows, but a couple each of Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat was about it round the Tramway circuit. (AH)

Cattle Egret (above) & Dunlin at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The Kestrels now appear to have young, whilst two Pied Wagtails were on the fields and a mix of c30 Swallows and House Martins were around the buildings. (IP)

Church Norton: There were a minimum of 60 Little Terns in the harbour, and probably quite a few more, along with a dozen Common Terns, but again waders were few beyond four Whimbrel, five Curlews, four Ringed Plovers and seven Turnstones, with four Sanderling going over.

The Swallows were around the hide, but otherwise there were just the regular Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats. (AH/IP/PD)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern, Little and Sandwich Terns & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was very quiet along the wall this morning with a pair of House Sparrows by the sluice and four Canada Geese in the harbour being the only unusual sightings, whilst a Jay was around the paddock along with the regular Swallows, and the Breech Pool held just a Grey Heron and a Moorhen.

In the bushes by Owl Copse, a Blackcap and a Lesser Whitethroat were singing and there were a couple of Long-tailed Tits and a few Goldfinches around, whilst at Halsey’s Farm there was a pair of Gadwall and a Cattle Egret along the rife, with a Skylark and a few Swallows in the fields. (LP)

Gadwall (above) & Cattle Egret at the North Wall (LP)

Honer Reservoir: There was just a pair of Gadwall, a Great Crested Grebe, six Tufted Ducks and a few Mallards on the reservoir, while along Honer Lane, there were a Chiffchaff, a couple of Yellowhammers, three Greenfinches, half a dozen Whitethroats, a Chaffinch and a few Goldfinches.

Also, seven Cattle Egrets were with the cows at Honer Farm and there were loads of Painted Ladies around (LP)

Yellowhammer (above), Whitethroat, Chiffchaff & Painted Lady at Honer Reservoir (LP)

Fishbourne Creek: A Blackcap was in Apuldram car park, with four more singing along the hedges, and a Cuckoo was active around the sewage farm, where Whitethroats and Cetti's Warblers were calling.

In the creek itself were 126 Mute Swans, a Black Swan, eight Shelducks and five Great Crested Grebes, along with a juvenile. Two Swallows flew overhead, a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker were about, too, as were one or two Sedge Warblers. (SR)

Blackcap (above) & Kestrel at Fishbourne Creek (SR)

Wednesday, 18th May: Another warm and bright morning, after overnight rain, in a modest south-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Spring passage would appear to be about done, with little on the move beyond a few Common Scoters, though there were large numbers of terns feeding offshore. Full log below. (SR/P/AH/IP)

(0615-0830hrs) (WSW, F2-3)

Gannet - 3E, 2W, 2os

Mallard - 2E

Common Scoter - 11E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 4W

Whimbrel - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Kittiwake - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 115os

Common Tern - 7os

Little Tern - 12os

auk sp - 1E, 1W

House Martin - 14

Sparrowhawk (SR) (above), Little Tern, Common Scoters, House Martin & Fox (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: The pool held six Avocets, four Redshanks, c80 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Shelducks this morning, whilst there were at least six Cattle Egrets among the cows. (AH)

Cattle Egrets at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Cattle Egret was feeding along the bank of the pool this morning, whilst another flew up Ferry Channel, but otherwise it was quiet, with just two or three Reed Buntings, Linnets and Whitethroats seen and the Reed and Sedge Warblers keeping low. Also, a Painted Lady was along the path. (AH)

Cattle Egret (above), Whitethroat, Reed Bunting & Painted Lady along the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: A Song Thrush was down Church Lane this morning and the Swallows were busy around the stables, but White's Creek held just a pair of Gadwall and a few Shelduck, and the Breech Pool just a Coot and a Moorhen, though a Marsh Harrier was seen briefly over the fields behind.
A pair of Linnets were along the wall with a few Goldfinches and there were a few Sedge and Reed Warblers, along with a couple of Reed Buntings and a Lesser Whitethroat. At Halsey’s Farm the Cuckoo was again calling from its regular tree and there were a dozen Cattle Egrets in the fields along with a few Skylarks, three Swallows, a Jay, a Stock Dove and a Common Whitethroat.
There was plenty of activity from the Grey Herons, Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets around Owl Copse and out in the Harbour there was a single Redshank. (LP)

This evening the pair of Marsh Harriers were seen food-passing, and a Hobby went over, with three Buzzards, two Kestrels, a Swift and 20 Swallows also seen overhead.

A Blackcap, ten Cattle Egrets and a Grey Heron feeding a youngster were seen around Owl Copse, too. (S&SaH)

Drayton PIts: A Hobby went over my house, near the pits, this afternoon. (SM)

Church Norton: There was a Cattle Egret here, too, with one in the horse field, whilst the male Marsh Harrier with missing primaries was hunting over the Severals.

Otherwise, though, it was quiet, with just a couple of Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats along the front, two Whimbrels, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Curlew in the harbour and the usual mass of terns, including at least 30 Little Terns. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Cattle Egret, Little Tern & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham Spit: There were two Cuckoos around the lagoon and along the spit today, and a Wheatear was in the car park.

Out on the visible side of New Island there were 24 Little Terns, with many of them appearing to be sitting on nests, with more seen dropping onto the far side and there were another four on Peregrine Island.

Also on New Island were a pair of Oystercatchers, 15 Dunlin and a few Ringed Plover, while out on the spit there were 12 Turnstones and a few more Ringed Plovers.

In the Harbour there were a few Sandwich Terns fishing and a couple of Great Crested Grebes along with two Grey Plovers and lots more Oystercatchers. (LP)

Wheatear on Pagham Spit (LP)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - The pair of Stonechats along the Medmerry Trail were out with at least three fledged juveniles this evening, with a couple of Yellowhammers and a Reed Bunting nearby, and a flock of c50 Linnets, plus c20 Mediterranean Gulls were on the newly on fields.

Also, at least 60 Swifts were over the settling tanks and the adjacent rye field, along with 100+ Swallows and House Martins. (AH)

Stonechat (above), Yellowhammer, Swift & Swallow at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 17th May: A warm and sunny morning in a south-easterly breeze, light early on but freshening through the day.....

Selsey Bill: Apart from a steady movement of over 200 Common Scoters east, there was little to hint at migration, though three Siskins that flew high out to sea, calling, was unusual, and it was good to see 19 House Martins collecting sand from the beach. Full log below. (PB/PM/SR/IP/CN/OM/AH et al)

(0515-1100hrs) (SE, F2-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3E

Gannet - 54E, 4W

Shelduck - 7E

Common Scoter - 228E, 5W

Oystercatcher - 5W

Sanderling - 5

Dunlin - 1

Whimbrel - 2W

Turnstone - 3

Arctic Skua - 1E

Black-headed Gull - 33E

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 41E, c70os

Common Tern - 16os

'Commic' Tern - 4E

Little Tern - 5E

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 6E, 1W

Swift - 3

Swallow - 5

House Martin - 19

Siskin - 3S

Linnet - 2N

(1645-1800hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 21E, 2W

Turnstone - 3E

Great Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 12E, 3W, 11os

Sandwich Tern - 89os

Common Tern - 5os

Common Scoters (above), Kittiwake, Sandwich Terns & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just 65 Black-tailed Godwits, five Redshank and 14 Shelducks on the pool this morning, along with a few Mallards and Coots. (AH)

Late this afternoon a Common Sandpiper was on the pool and three Cattle Egrets had quickly found the newly arrived cows in the field. (AW)

Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There was a Common Sandpiper in White's Creek this morning, and a Little Ringed Plover flew out from the Breech Pool across the harbour, whilst a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were over the fields behind the pool.

The reeds had the usual mix of Sedge and Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings and there was also a Lesser Whitethroat in the bushes by Owl Copse, with a Cuckoo calling from the trees at Halsey’s Farm and seven Cattle Egrets in the fields there. (LP/CT)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Sedge Warbler at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham - There were plenty of Whitethroats and Linnets around the Chainbridge field area, but not much else, whilst the tidal area just held a Curlew and a couple of Oystercatchers, plus a few big gulls and Shelducks.

A Corn Bunting, a Reed Bunting and two or three Yellowhammers were at Ham, along with two pairs of Stonechats, one with a fledged juvenile, a Blackcap, several Reed Warblers and plenty of Skylarks and Linnets, and there were also at least a dozen Swifts and a few Swallows and House Martins over the fields. (AH)