20th - 22nd May 2022

Sunday, 22nd May: A lovely warm and sunny morning, after some early fog, in a light SW-SSE breeze.....

Please note - as previously advised our new email address is selseybirdblog@gmail.com  and it should now be used on all submissions to the blog editors. Hopefully all will go smoothly and we are grateful to our 'techy' Bart for setting up the new system. Don't worry however if you forget, for we will still be able to receive the information under the old system for some while, until everyone gets used to the new address.   (Eds)

Selsey Bill: A predictably quiet morning! Full log below. (SR/AH/JA/IP)

(0650-0830hrs) (E, F1-2)

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 3W, 1os

Oystercatcher - 3E

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 30os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 3os

Swallow - 2

House Martin - 6

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 33os

Swift - 8

Sandwich Tern (above) & Little Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two drake Gadwall and five Avocets were on the pool, along with the usual mix of c80 Black-tailed Godwits, 16 Shelducks and three Redshank, whilst three Cattle Egrets were with the cows, a Little Egret flew over and a Reed Bunting was in the hedge by the Small Pool. (AH)

Little Egret (above) & Reed Bunting at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon, a Raven flew over heading along the west side and a short while later reappeared, heading north carrying food. (AW)

Raven at the Ferry (AW)

Park Farm, Selsey: Two Shelduck flew over the building site, a Sparrowhawk coasted south and the male Kestrel was again on the roof of the barn, but that was about it. (IP)

Church Norton: A Cuckoo was present all morning, initially calling from Priory Wood and later calling from Bluebell Wood, whilst three Cattle Egrets were present around the horse field, with all three in flight at one point.

There were only twenty Little Terns around tern island, though at least forty more took flight from around the New Island at one point, and there were also seven Common Terns on the mud, whilst there was a bit of a variety of waders, but in small numbers, including five Dunlin, two summer-plumaged Sanderling, four Ringed Plovers, three Turnstones, two Curlews and a Grey Plover, plus the obligatory Oystercatchers.

Also, a pair of Gadwall were also present, initially flying south out of the harbour, but returning half an hour later landing on Tern Island. (IP)

North Wall: There were five Cuckoos being very active around Halsey's Farm this morning, including a mating pair and there were also three female and two juvenile Stonechats in the fields, with a Lesser Whitethroat, a dozen Whitethroats, similar of Reed and Sedge Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, eight Cetti's Warblers and four Reed Buntings along the hedges and pools.

At least ten Cattle Egrets and the young Grey Herons were in Owl Copse, the male Marsh Harrier was sitting out, a Little Ringed Plover and a Water Rail were on the Breech Pool, the Swallows were around the stables and 11 Grey Plovers, five Wigeon, two Gadwall and a Teal were in the harbour. (SH/PB/AH/GM)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Swallow & Teal, Wigeon and Gadwall at the North Wall (AH)

Pagham Spit: At least 40 Little Terns were around the two newer islands this morning, along with a pair of Ringed Plovers, with another on the spit.

Also, a Common Tern was feeding in the harbour, whilst a small group of waders out in the middle  comprised eight Bar-tailed Godwits, six Grey Plovers, a Knot, four Ringed Plovers and 15 Dunlin. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Ringed Plover and the ever-changing harbour mouth at Pagham Spit (AH)

Drayton Pits: A White-tailed Eagle went over the garden this afternoon, close to the pits. (SM)

It was earlier seen over the Ivy Lake complex. (S Corbett per SOS)

White-tailed Eagle at Drayton Pits (SM)

Saturday, 21st May: A much better day, with plenty of warm sun in a moderate westerly breeze.....

Editorial: Coming soon. As mentioned yesterday, we are looking to introduce an improvement to the email reporting of sightings for the blog. Soon, observers need only send their information to one new email address at all times. This alleviates the need for observers to send the information to multiple editorial addresses whilst also allowing us to retrieve the information this end if one or more editors is absent. Except that just at present a couple of technical issues are holding us up.

Our new email address will be........selseybirdblog@gmail.com   when we look forward to receiving your submissions once our 'techy' Bart finalises setting up the new system. Don't worry however if you forget, for we will still be able to receive the information under the old system for some while, until everyone gets used to the new address.   (Eds)

Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua chasing the Sandwich Terns offshore was the highlight this morning, whilst it was good to see the House Martins back gathering mud in Grafton Road again. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0635-0815hrs) (W, F2-3)

Gannet - 1E, 3W, 6os

Common Scoter - 4E

Turnstone - 4E

Arctic Skua - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 75os

Common Tern - 14os

Little Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 1W

House Martin - 12

(1615-1830hrs) (JA/SH)

Gannet - 4W

Common Scoter - 11E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Dunlin - 2E

Turnstone - 4E

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 2W

Black-headed Gull - 351W

Sandwich Tern - 22E, 263W

Common Tern - 23W

Little Tern -  1E, 8W

Arctic Skua (above), Common Tern, Gannet, Sandwich Tern & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were seven Avocets, two Redshanks, 102 Black-tailed Godwits and 14 Shelducks on the pool this morning, with a mother and four young of the latter in the channel opposite.

Also, four Cattle Egrets and a Stock Dove were on the field, four Swifts went over and a distant Cuckoo was calling to the west. (AH)

Shelduck family (above), Stock Dove & Cattle Egrets at the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon near Red Barn Ditch a few Sedge Warblers were heard and a Reed Warbler sat out on a branch briefly, whilst wo Swifts and two Little Egrets went over.

The pool held eight Shelducks, two Redshanks, a lot of Black-tailed Godwits at the back of the pool and two Kestrels flew over. (CBo)

Reed Warbler (above), Redshank, Little Egret & Mute Swan around the Ferry (CBo)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Little Grebe was very unexpected in the small balancing pool along Manor Road this morning.

Also, an adult Kestrel was sat above the nesting site and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were present, along with a distantly heard Cuckoo and Skylarks that continue to display over the fields. (IP)

Little Grebe at Park Farm, Selsey (IP)

Pagham Spit: A Whinchat and a Cuckoo were between the lagoon and the spit this evening. (TG)

North Wall: There was very little in the harbour around low tide, just a Great Crested Grebe and a few Shelducks, whilst a Little Ringed Plover was on the Breech Pool and the male Marsh Harrier was over the fields behind.

At Owl Copse the young Grey Herons could be seen in their nest and in the nearby bushes there was a Chiffchaff, a Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Cetti’s Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Bunting and a few Goldfinches.

At Halsey’s Farm a Cuckoo was in the bushes with another calling from further back and a Jay, a Green Woodpecker and a few Skylarks were around the fields while a Peregrine and a Kestrel flew over, and the Rife there contained a Gadwall, a pair of Oystercatchers and a few Mallards. (LP/PC/CT)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Oystercatcher and Grey Heron chicks at he North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A female Redstart briefly near the concrete wall and a singing Willow Warbler in the churchyard were both surprisingly late migrants, whilst the usual Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Swallows were all about, too, along with two Swifts, and at least two Cattle Egrets were in the horse field.

A summer-plumaged Knot, a Sanderling, a Redshank  and 50 Dunlin were in the harbour, along with a couple of Curlews and a handful of Ringed Plovers, and later a flock of 15 Sanderling and 18 Turnstones flew around before settling.

A male Marsh Harrier was out briefly and there were still lots of Little and Sandwich Terns, plus just a couple of Common Terns around the islands. 

Also, a Water Rail was on the second Several, with young possibly nearby. (H Knott/AH/AHu/IP/TB/NR et al)

Water Rail (H Knott) (above), Cattle Egret (IP), Little Tern, Ringed Plover & Dunlin (AH) at Church Norton

This evening a Whimbrel, a Sanderling and three Turnstones were the only waders seen, whilst a Common Tern and c50 Sandwich Terns were roosting by the concrete blocks and a Chiffchaff was singing by the Mound. (AH)

Common and Sandwich Terns (above) & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Cuckoo was on the reserve, whilst a pair of Stonechats were along the banks, together with four Yellowhammers, two Reed Buntings, a Reed Warbler and eight Whitethroats, and 20 Swifts, eight Swallows, ten House Martins, two Buzzards and two Kestrels went over.

Among the 16 Avocets seen on the Stilt Pool were two pairs with a chick each, unfortunately being harassed by a Carrion Crow. Also, the pair of Egyptian Geese with their well grown gosling, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Cattle Egret and the long-staying pair of Wigeon were on the pool, too. (S&SaH)

Hunston Church to Fisher, via Golf Course: Five House Martins and four Swallows were around the farmhouse, whilst three Buzzards, a Kestrel, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a family of Long-tailed Tits, two Yellowhammers, three Blackcaps and numerous calling Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats were along the hedges.

A Little Grebe could be heard calling from the direction of the reservoir, and the golf course pond held a good population of Sedge and Reed Warblers and a pair of Mute Swans, whilst a distant Cuckoo could be heard. (SR)

Swallows at Hunston (SR)

Friday, 20th May: After a drizzly, grey start, a very wet morning of prolonged heavy rain in a light north-westerly breeze.....

Editorial note: This is to inform all observers who currently forward reports of their sightings to the blog editors via email that we are looking at ways to improve the procedure. This follows on from a suggestion received and we anticipate having just one email address for all reports/editors - thus removing the need to send the info separately to two editors or the deputy editor as is the case at present. This should streamline things for all and remove any confusion, so watch this space for an update in the very near future. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: There were plenty of terns offshore, but absolutely nothing moving. Full log below. (AH)

(0720-0820hrs) (NW, F2)

Gannet - 2E

Turnstone - 12

Kittiwake- 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 140os

Common Tern - 10os

Little Tern - 6os

(1630-1800hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 1E

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 14E, 183W

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 1E, 1W

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were six Avocets, two Redshanks, c80 Black-tailed Godwits and 14 Shelducks on the pool this morning, whilst two Cattle Egrets were among the cows. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Whimbrel, three Curlews, four Oystercatchers and two Ringed Plovers were the only waders present, whilst there were just a few Little and Common Terns visible among the Sandwich Terns, and a steady stream of Mediterranean Gulls were coming and going. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Mediterranean Gulls & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

There wasn't much else to report this evening, though four Sanderlings flew along the beach and one or two Swallows were about, with Common and Sandwich Terns bringing fish into the island. (AH)

Common Tern (above) & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)