4th - 6th May 2022

Friday, 6th May: A fine and sunny morning, despite the ominous fog-bank lingering off the Isle of Wight, in a moderate westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Bonxie was lingering offshore, as were many terns, though a Black-throated Diver, a Red-throated Diver and 25 Common Scoters was about it for eastward activity, with a smart Yellow Wagtail in the gardens about the only other migrant seen. Full log below. (SR/TR/IP/JA/AH/RHa)

(0615-0900hrs) (WNW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1W, 1os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Fulmar - 2E, 1W

Gannet - 24E, 7os

Common Scoter - 25E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Peregrine - 1N

Oystercatcher - 2E, 3W

Sanderling - 2E, 1W

Whimbrel - 1E, 1W

Great Skua - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 60os

Common Tern - 17os

Little Tern - 10os

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 6N

Yellow Wagtail - 1N

Linnet - 3N

(1600-1730hrs) (SW, F4) (JA/SH/CRJ)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Gannet - 9E, 6W

Shag - 1W

Common Scoter - 4E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 27W, 49os

Common Tern - 2W, 6os

Little Tern - 3W, 8os

Razorbill - 1E

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 3E

Swallow - 5N

Sanderling (SR), Yellow Wagtail, Little Tern, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Common and Sandwich Terns (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: The drake Garganey was again on the pool today, along with a Snipe, four Avocets, 27 Back-tailed Godwits and 45 Shelducks. (AH)

Garganey at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Swallows were very active around the stables this morning and a Green Woodpecker emerged from its nest hole in Little Welbourne.

The lone Brent Goose was in White's Creek, along with two Whimbrels, a pair of Gadwall and three Black-tailed Godwits.

Both the Marsh Harriers were behind the Breech Pool but there was just the usual Coots and a Grey Heron on the pool itself, whilst along the wall there were plenty of singing, Reed and Sedge Warblers along with a couple of Whitethroats.

At Halsey’s Farm a Cuckoo was calling from the trees and there were a few Cattle Egrets around the cows, whilst the Rife contained four Tufted Ducks, a pair of Shelduck, a pair of Gadwall and two Little Egrets. (LP)

Sedge Warbler (above), Swallow & Tufted Ducks and Shelducks at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Cattle Egret in fine summer plumage was on the reserve, whilst the Stilt Pool there were nine Dunlin and a Greenshank, as well as the usuals.

Immediately on turning back I was very pleasantly surprised by a Short-eared Owl coming in off the reserve and briefly landing on a nearby fence post before heading off.

Also, on the fields were two Brown Hares. (GT)

Park Farm, Selsey: This evening a Raven went over the fields. (SH)

Church Norton: A summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was in the harbour this morning with half a dozen Dunlin, and there were still c20 Bar-tailed Godwits and a handful of Whimbrels scattered about the mud, whilst at least 30 Little Terns and a dozen Common Terns were among the Sandwich Terns.

A Whinchat and two Wheatears were on the beach opposite the second Several, a Cuckoo was around the edge of Priory Wood and two pairs of Swallows were around the hide, with, otherwise, just the usual spread of singing warblers present. (AH/IP/AHu et al)

Curlew Sandpiper (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Whinchat, Wheatear, Cuckoo & Swallow at Church Norton (AH)

There was no sign of the Curlew Sandpiper this evening, though a Greenshank, three Knot and c20 Dunlin were on the mud. (AH/BI)

Greenshank at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 5th May: A dry and mainly sunny day with periods of cloud, but feeling a tad warmer than of late, with a light-moderate west-north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Singles of Arctic Skua and Bonxie were offshore on a fairly slow morning given the date, with a Whinchat, a Yellow Wagtail, and a few Wheatears and Swallows being the only obvious signs of migration. Full log below...(HW/CN/IP/SR/AH/DS et al).

(0600-0930hrs) (NNW. F3)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3os

Gannet - 4E, 5W, 20os

Common Scoter - 24E

Oystercatcher - 7W

Whimbrel - 1E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 3W

Curlew - 1os

Turnstone - 4

Great Skua - 1os

Arctic Skua - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 50os

Common Tern - 7os

Little Tern - 12os

Swallow - 11N

Wheatear - 1N, 6 present

Whinchat - 1 present

Yellow Wagtail - 1N

Also two Bottle-nosed Dolphins offshore

(1620-1800hrs) (JA/SH/SR)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 11E, 19W

Mallard - 1W

Common Scoter - 17E

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 50os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 4os

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 3E, 3W

Swallow - 1N

Little Terns (above), Whinchat (AH) & Wheatear (top AH, lower GS) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: The drake Garganey was still present today, but there wasn't much else on there beyond five Avocets, 25 Black-tailed Godwits, two Gadwall and c40 Shelducks. (AH/IH/RP/GS)

Garganey (GS) (above) & Black-tailed Godwits (AH) on the Ferry Pool 

North Wall: Two Little Ringed Plovers were on the Breech Pool this afternoon, along with a pair of Gadwall, whilst a Marsh Harrier, two House Martins and a few Swallows went over, and later a Cuckoo was near the stables. (IH/RP/NM)

Little Ringed Plover (above) & Little Ringed Plovers and Shelduck at the North Wall (RP)

Long Pool: A Cuckoo flew from the Tramway area and up the west side, but otherwise it was the regular warblers, including at least eight Sedge Warblers and ten Reed Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat and several Whitethroats, along with at least three Reed Buntings and several Linnets.

Also, a Whimbrel and a drake Gadwall were in Ferry Channel. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above), Reed Bunting, Whimbrel & Gadwall around the Long Pool (AH)

Chichester canal: A Little Ringed Plover was on the not so flooded field at Donnington and along the canal one Mute San cygnet had just hatched. 

There was plenty of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warbler song, with a couple of Blackcaps and several Whitethroats along the hedgerow and two Swallows overhead. (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt pool - A Dartford Warbler was seen in gorse near Marsh Barn, whilst also present on the banks were three male Reed Buntings, a lone female Yellowhammer, numerous Whitethroats and a few Reed Warblers, plus three Green Woodpeckers. A Cuckoo also flew south into the reserve, but was not heard and a Swift flew north, whilst around the reserve there were c20 Swallows and at least four Whimbrel were on the exposed mud.

Two pairs of Stonechat were around the Stilt Pool along with the pair of Egyptian Geese and their lone gosling. On the Pool were a minimum of 31 Avocets, three Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover, two Dunlin, two Lapwings, a pair of Wigeon and a Greenshank, plus a pair of Little Grebes ingeniously building a nest in the wire surrounding the Avocet island. 

Also, an Adder was sunning itself on the rocks by the beach. (IP/CN/GWh)

Linnet (above) & Adder at Medmerry (GWh)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Whinchat was along the Medmerry Trail south of the farm this evening, with a pair of Stonechats nearby behaving as though they had young in the vicinity, whilst there were also several Yellowhammers and Whitethroats about, too.

There were roughly 50 House Martins and similar of Swallows over the settling tanks, whilst a flock of 56 Stock Doves were on the newly drilled fields nearby. (AH)

Whinchat (above), Stonechat, Yellowhammer, House Martin & Stock Dove at Medmerry (AH)

Wednesday, 4th May: A shift to south-west for the moderate breeze brought a mild, if hazily overcast, morning, with the forecast rain failing to materialise and just a little misty dampness.....

Selsey Bill: A Pomarine Skua sneaked east at 1010hrs, evading most watchers, but otherwise it was predictably quiet, though with a few surprises like a close Arctic Skua west and a Lesser Whitethroat in off the sea, whilst a large feeding flock of terns was close inshore. 

As the offshore mist cleared for a while, a check of the gardens at and around the Bill-tip was quite productive, producing seven species of warbler, mostly in the trees and vegetation in the private gardens just behind the Bill (Seal Road - Ursula Avenue). The vast majority of such gardens are of course inaccessible to birders, so we can only speculate as to the true number of such birds that pass through and are missed!

Full log below. (SR/IP/CN/OM/AH et al)

(0610-1210hrs) (SW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os (s/plum)

Fulmar - 1E, 2W

Gannet - 20E, 54W, 3os

Brent Goose - 8E

Gadwall - 1E

Common Scoter - 29E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 3W

Whimbrel - 3E, 5W

Ringed Plover - 8E

Turnstone - 11

Great Skua - 1E

Pomarine Skua - 1E

Arctic Skua - 2E, 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Black-headed Gull - 9E

Kittiwake - 6E, 7W

Sandwich Tern - 80os

Common Tern - 28E, 30os

Little Tern - 6E, 6os

Guillemot - 2W

auk sp - 16W

Swallow - 2N

House Martin - 4

Wheatear - 2

Lesser Whitethroat - 1N, 1 gardens

Whitethroat - 2

Garden Warbler - 2

Blackcap - 1, 

Reed Warbler - 3

Chiffchaff - 1

Willow Warbler - 4

Linnet - 2N

(1615-1715hrs) (SR)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 6E, 6W
Arctic Skua - 1E
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 31os
Common Tern - 1os
Little Tern - 2os
Guillemot - 3W

(1815-1900hrs) (CN)

Gannet - 6E

Brent Goose - 28E (in one flock)

Arctic Skua (above), Little Tern, Common Terns & Wheatear at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The drake Garganey was present again this morning, along with two pairs of Shovelers, eight Avocets, c25 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Shelducks, whilst two Whimbrel were in the channel opposite. (AH/IH)

Garganey at the Ferry Pool (AH)

North Wall: Two Little Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin were on the Breech Pool this morning, whist two Wheatears were along he wall. (JDW/LP)

This evening a Barn Owl was out hunting behind the Breech Pool and a Wheatear was still along the wall. (TH/SP)

Wheatear (above), Little Ringed Plover & Dunlin at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A female Whinchat was along the Severals this morning, where there were also one or two Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers, whilst a Cuckoo was calling distantly, a few Swallows went over and the usual Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing well.

A minimum of 42 Little Terns and 16 Common Terns were counted among the Sandwich Terns in the harbour but, again, the only waders of note were c20 Bar-tailed Godwit and six Whimbrel. (M&LH/AH et al)

Little Tern (above), Sandwich Tern, Little, Common & Sandwich Terns, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Whitethroat & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

There wasn't much different in the harbour this evening, but several pairs of Little Terns were displaying and fish-passing, and at least ten Whimbrel were present. (AH)

Little Terns (above), Bar-tailed Godwit & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Short-eared Owl was over the Stilt Pool this evening, and there were a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, two Black-tailed Godwits, 12 Dunlin and 28 Avocets on the pool, along with the pair of Egyptian Geese and there gosling.

Offshore, a flock of c30 Brent Geese went east and 19 Little Terns were feeding, though the banks were fairly quiet, with a Lesser Whitethroat, ten Whitethroats, a Reed Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a pair of Stonechats seen, plus 15 Swallows over. (S&SaH)