7th - 9th May 2022

Monday, 9th May: A morning of hazy sun, cool early on but warming up as the brisk breeze shifted from east towards south-east........ 

Selsey Bill: At long last - and for a decent turnout of observers - there were some Pomarine Skuas on the move, with 41 east by mid-afternoon, including a magnificent flock of 12, including two dark-phase birds, that went by close in.

There were also two Black Terns east early on, with over 850 Common/'Commic' Terns, six Little Gulls and 188 Common Scoters also going east, and a Black-throated Diver was lingering offshore. 

Later on, four Black Terns were lingering offshore, too, and the final total was 43 Pomarine Skuas east.. 

Full log below.. (JA/PB/PM/IP/CN/BI/SR/AH/PG/OM/B&MC/LGRE/CRJ/MJ/AW et al)

(0520-1900hrs) (E, F3, veering to SE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Black-throated Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 5E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Fulmar - 3E, 4W

Gannet - 231E, 9W

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 5E

Mallard - 2E

Common Scoter - 188E, 2W

Sparrowhawk - 1 (male took a Starling)

Oystercatcher - 4E, 6W

Sanderling - 31E

Dunlin - 1E, 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 3E, 5W

Whimbrel - 24E

Curlew - 3W

Turnstone - 15E

Pomarine Skua - 43E

Arctic Skua - 10E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 2W

Little Gull - 6E

Common Gull - 9E

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 6E

Sandwich Tern - 22E, 56os

Common Tern - 574E

'Commic' Tern - 306E

Little Tern - 10E

Black Tern - 6E

Razorbill - 1E, 3W

auk sp - 17E

Swallow - 18N

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 4os

A video of the flock of 12 Pomarine Skuas passing the Bill: "The full-on Pom experience!" 

is HERE

And some nicely-spooned individuals are HERE

And below, before the bird photos, this little cameo shows observer activity on a day when both regulars and visitors alike were all treated to views of their target species......

On the wall it's eyes right after a call of 'skua' and a scramble to find the approaching birds (OM) 

Mid-afternoon, the gallery of observers has reduced somewhat but the remaining observers dig in for a lengthy watch (OM)

Oh dear...the heat and the pressure of being the current leader in the Pom King challenge get to our log-keeper JA who suddenly wanders off to dip his toes in the briny! (OM)

......where he adopts an unexpected new style of sea-watching! (OM)

Pomarine Skuas (above), Black-throated Diver, Black Terns, Arctic Skua, Little Tern, Common Terns, Great Northern Diver & Sanderlings at the Bill (AH)

More images from today at the Bill - Pomarine Skuas, Black-throated Diver, Sanderlings, Little Tern (PM) & Black Terns (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were two just Avocets and five Redshank on the pool this morning, along with c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Shelducks, whilst three Whimbrel were in the channel opposite. (AH)

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

North Wall: Two Little Ringed Plovers were on the breech Pool this morning, but there was no sign of the Wood Sandpiper. (TG)

Church Norton: A quick look produced at least 30 Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Whimbrel and four Ringed Plovers in the harbour, along with the usual mix of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns, whilst the Swallows were active around the hide. (AH)

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

Sunday, 8th May: A bright and sunny morning, cold early on with the moderate breeze from the north-east, but warming as it swung to the south...... 

Selsey Bill: A couple of Hobbies and a few Swifts flew in, but the sea was quiet until early afternoon when four Pomarine Skuas went east.

An all day watch in the end yielded 13 Pomarine Skuas and eight Arctic Skuas east, plus a Black-throated Diver, a flock of 37 Brent Geese and a good selection of other migrants, including a Cuckoo - a very rare bird at the Bill - heard calling Full log later. (JA/SH/PB/PM/SR/HW/IP/BI/AH/OM/B&MC/RJS/HRa et al)

(0515-1900hrs) (E, F3, veering SSE)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 3W

diver sp - 1E

Fulmar - 1E, 3W

Gannet - 91E, 25W

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 37E

Shelduck - 2E

Mallard - 2E

Common Scoter - 35E

Hobby - 2N

Oystercatcher - 6E, 2W

Grey Plover - 27E

Sanderling - 7E, 2 present

Bar-tailed Godwit - 39E, 2W

Whimbrel - 39E

Curlew - 1E

Turnstone - 3E, 1 present

Pomarine Skua - 13E

Arctic Skua - 8E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 1W

Black-headed Gull - 4E

Common Gull - 7E

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 40os

Common Tern - 7E, 17os

'Commic' Tern - 25E

Little Tern - 8os

Razorbill - 1W, 3E

auk sp - 12E, 21W

Swift - 4N

Cuckoo - 1 (heard calling from gardens)

Swallow - 19N

Whitethroat - 2

Blackcap - 1

Garden Warbler - 1

Willow Warbler - 1

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - c9os

Little Tern (above), Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Hobby, Sanderlings, Gannet (AH)  & Bottle-nosed Dolphins (SR) at the Bill 

Ferry Pool: There was little to report here beyond c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Shelducks, all at the back. (AH)

Later on, a Grass Snake was showing well in the Discovery Area pond. (S&SaH)

Grass Snake in the Discovery Area pond. (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The regular Swallows and House Martins appear to be back in situ now, whilst a Blackcap was singing nearby, a Wheatear and two Pied Wagtails were in the fields and a Swift went over. (IP)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much to report this morning, though a Cuckoo was singing from Priory Wood for most of the morning and the regular warblers were along the Severals.

The harbour just held a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit, nine Dunlin, two Ringed Plovers, a whimbrel and a Curlew, whilst a Gadwall flew in and at least 40 Little Terns were sat out on the mud. (IP)

Honer Reservoir: A Common Sandpiper was at Honer reservoir along with eight Tufted Ducks and a pair of Gadwall, whilst a Lesser Whitethroat was in the lane and Cetti's, Sedge and Reed Warblers were along Pagham Rife, plus a pair of Jays and Green Woodpeckers. (JDW/SP)

Reed Warbler in Pagham Rife (JDW)

North Wall: A Wood Sandpiper dropped into the Breech Pool mid-morning, remaining until early afternoon at least, and the pair of Little Ringed plovers were still there, too, with a Whimbrel about the only wader in White's Creek.

Otherwise there were a couple of Swallows around the stables and plenty of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers along the wall, with a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff and nest-building Long-tailed Tits around Owl Copse, where the Cattle and Little Egrets were active, and a few Reed Buntings and Goldfinches were in the vicinity, too. (AH/JDW/BI/SP/PC/S&SAH/PB/GM/CBo et al)

The Wood Sandpiper remained around the Breech Pool all day and into the evening. (BFF/IP/SP et al)

Wood Sandpiper (top three AH, lower GM), (above), Little Ringed Plover, Cattle Egret (AH), Sedge Warbler (GM). Swallow (AH) & Goldfinch (CBo) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Stilt Pool and breach area - The two Little Egrets, two Common Terns and four Cattle Egrets were around the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst a summer-plumaged Grey Plover, a handful of Sanderling and a few Ringed Plovers and Dunlin were around the breach area. (AHu)

Grey Plover (above) & Sanderlings at Medmerry (AHu)

Saturday, 7th May: Another pleasant morning of sunshine and cloud in a fairly light northerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A quiet morning, with a few Great Northern Divers and terns offshore and three Wheatears along the beach, but nothing much moving. Full log below. (SH/JA/HW/AH/IP)

(0530-0900hrs) (NW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 57E, 17W

Shelduck - 2E

Common Scoter - 32E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 3E, 6W

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 46os

Common Tern - 10os

Little Tern - 16os

auk sp - 12E, 1W

Swallow - 8N

Wheatear - 3

(1340-1700hrs) (JA/SH/SR)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 13E, 7W

Shag - 1W, 2os

Brent Goose - 4E

Common Scoter - 10E

Whimbrel - 21E

Turnstone - 3E

skua sp - 1E

Little Gull - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 57os

Common Tern - 37os

Little Tern - 6os

Swallow - 2N

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

Ferry Pool: There were 27 Black-tailed Godwits and 56 Shelducks on the pool, along with a drake Shoveler, 12 Mallard and five Redshanks, but that was it, beyond a Whimbrel in the channel opposite. (AH)

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

Park Farm, Selsey: A male Redstart was in the hedge behind the buildings this morning, and a White Wagtail was on the balancing pond in Manor Lane, but otherwise there were just a few Swallows and House Martins about. (IP)

North Wall: It was quiet along the wall this morning, with just a couple of Whimbrel and a pair of Gadwall in Whites Creek and a Little Ringed Plover on the Breech Pool, with 19 Black-tailed Godwits flying in later, too, whilst two Cattle Egrets were in the field behind..

Also, a Cuckoo was calling from the trees at Halsey’s Farm and there were a few Reed and Sedge Warblers around, with a Green Woodpecker in the horse paddock and the Swallows were  active around the stables. (LP)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Green Woodpecker & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (LP)

It was pretty quiet this afternoon with four Mute Swans in White's Creek and the Marsh Harriers displaying well, whilst several Sedge and Reed Warblers could be heard along the wall.

A flock of 13 Whimbrel flew over Owl Copse, whilst in it there were two Grey Herons one on a nest with what looked to be two chicks and one standing at the top. In the bushes below, there where three Reed Buntings and a Long-tailed Tit, with a few Goldfinches flit in and out, whilst in the reeds along the stream below there were several more Sedge Warblers heard and seen. (CBo)

Marsh Harrier (above), Reed Bunting & Long-tailed tit a the North Wall (CBo)

Chichester Gravel Pits: The drake Red-crested Pochard re-appeared today, this time on Vinnetrow Lake, whilst a few Swifts were overhead and one or two Common Terns were about, too. (SM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was a bit of a selection long the banks today, including four Wheatears, a Stonechat, a Sedge Warbler, six Reed Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, 20 Whitethroats, five Yellowhammers and a Reed Bunting, whilst a Peregrine and a Kestrel went over.

The two Little Ringed Plovers were again on the Stilt Pool, along with two Dunlin, 21 Avocets and the pair of Egyptian Geese and their gosling. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: At least 20 Bar-tailed Godwits, up to five Whimbrel, c30 Dunlin, a dozen Ringed Plovers and three Turnstones were out across the mud this morning, with at least 30 Little Terns and a few Common Terns among the many Sandwich Terns present.

A Swift went over high and two Wheatears were along the beach, but there were no other suggestions of migration, though a Cuckoo was calling distantly and plenty of Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus a few Whitethroats were along the Severals. (AH/IP et al)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above) Ringed Plovers and Dunlin & Little, Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)