Thursday, 27th April: A slightly less cold morning, but remaining very grey overhead, though dry, with the breeze again fresh and from the south-east......
Selsey Bill: It was a more interesting morning today, with a good selection of species moving east, including two Black-throated Divers, seven Red-throated Divers, a Velvet Scoter, 14 Arctic Skuas, 18 Sanderlings, 200+ Common Scoters and Sandwich Terns and reasonable numbers of Common and Little Terns, Whimbrels and Bar-tailed Godwits. Full log later. (PB/CN/BL/JF/OM/RHa/PD/AH/SR/MO-W/GSh)
(0530-1330hrs) (SE, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 3os
Black-throated Diver - 2E
Red-throated Diver - 4E, 2os
Fulmar - 5E, 1W
Gannet - 31E, 12W
Shelduck - 2E
Mallard - 1E
Velvet Scoter - 1E
Common Scoter - 264E
Oystercatcher - 5E, 3W
Grey Plover - 1E
Knot - 4E
Sanderling - 18E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 142E (including a flock of 42)
Whimbrel - 89E
Turnstone - 4E
Arctic Skua - 14E (8 dark-phase, 6 light-phase)
Little Gull - 1E
Common Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 353E
Common Tern - 119E
'Commic' Tern - 131E
Little Tern - 67E
auk sp - 1E, 1W
Swallow - 11N
Sand Martin - 1N
Meadow Pipit - 1N
Yellow Wagtail - 1N
Linnet - 6E
(1650-1805hrs) (SH/AH)
Fulmar - 3E
Gannet - 17E
Sandwich Tern - 63E
Common Tern - 25E
Little Tern - 5E
Black-throated Divers (above), Arctic Skua, Velvet Scoter and Common Scoters, Sanderlings, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits, Little Terns, Sandwich Terns, Common Terns, Kittiwake & Fulmar at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and a handful of Teal, Shelducks and Shovelers on the pool this morning, with nothing in the channel opposite, though a Lesser Whitethroat was singing from the pushes by the lay-by. (AH)
This evening there were 22 Whimbrels, mostly together, in the harbour, just off the Tramway. (AH)
Whimbrels at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There ere good numbers of waders on the mud this morning, including at lest a dozen Whimbrel, c30 Ringed Plovers, 40 Grey Plovers and at least 250 Dunlin, but otherwise there were just a dozen Shelducks about, with a pair of Mediterranean Gulls over the only gulls seen.
The bushes were very quiet save a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap.(AH/GSh)
Whimbrel (above), Grey Plovers and Dunlin & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - At least four Swifts were over the lakes at lunchtime today. (PJ)
Chichester GPs: Westhampnett Lake - There were ten Common Terns, ten House Martins and c50 Swallows over the lake this afternoon. (CRJ)
North Wall: A Swift flew over the paddock this morning, a few Swallows were about, and a Jay was by the stables, while around the sluice there was a Cetti’s Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, a Long-tailed Tit and a Greenfinch.
In White's Creek there were 12 Black-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel, and the regular Greenshank, while three Great Crested Grebes were on the Breech Pool before one was chased off by the resident pair and both Marsh Harriers were up over the reeds.
At Halsey’s Farm another Greenshank was by the sluice and a couple of Skylarks were around the fields. (LP/SP/CT)
Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits (above), Great Crested Grebes & Skylark at the North Wall (LP)
Wednesday, 26th April: An overcast and unseasonably cold morning in a fresh south-easterly breeze......
Selsey Bill: The promise of some interesting movements on a south-easterly breeze saw a good turn-out of watchers, but the morning failed to live up to its billing, though there was a steady eastward stream of Sandwich, Common and Little Terns, especially early on, plus a Long-tailed Duck and a few Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits, but just a single Bonxie and two Arctic Skuas were logged, and not too much else. The wait goes on.... Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/JF/OM/CRJ/PM/RHa/AH/KT/SR/M-OW/BFF et al)
(0530-1230hrs) (SE, F5)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 3W, 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2os
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 25E, 10os
Shelduck - 2W
Eider - 3os
Long-tailed Duck - 1E
Common Scoter - 48E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 4W
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher - 4E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 33E
Whimbrel - 32E
Grey Plover - 1E
Turnstone - 2E
Great Skua - 1E
Arctic Skua - 1E, 2os
Kittiwake - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 253E, 20os
Common Tern - 26E, 35os (later drifted E)
'Commic' Tern - 70E
Little Tern - 88E, 18os (later drifted E)
auk sp - 1W
Swallow - 14N
Meadow Pipit - 1E
Linnet - 6E
(1315-1615hrs) (SH/CN)
Red-throated Diver - 3E
Gannet - 5E, 1W
Common Scoter - 21E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 17E
Whimbrel - 15E
Turnstone - 4E
Sandwich Tern - 35E
Common Tern - 16E
Little Tern - 16E
Swallow - 12N
(1655-1810hrs) (SR)
Red-throated Diver - 3E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Common Scoter - 3W
Arctic Skua - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 21E
Common Tern - 2E
Common Seal - 1os
Bonxie (above), Whimbrel, Little Tern, Sandwich Terns (AH) & a hopeful gathering (SR) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: The pool was very quiet this morning, with just three Avocets, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Gadwall and half a dozen or so Shelducks, Teal and Shovelers, whilst the channel opposite held a Greenshank, two Whimbrel and half a dozen Redshanks. (AH)
Greenshank (above), Whimbrel & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were just a couple of Whimbrel and Curlews, three Grey Plovers, c25 Dunlin and c30 Shelducks in a wind--swept harbour this morning, with the only passerines of note were a Whitethroat, a couple of Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Blackcaps in the bushes by the Mound. (AH)
Blackcap (above), Whitethroat & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: It was quiet in the harbour this morning, with just the regular Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Whimbrel along White’s Creek and another Whimbrel out in the grass, whilst on the Breech Pool there were just the nesting pairs of Mute Swans and Great Crested Grebes and a single Gadwall, while both Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard were further back over the reeds.
Along the wall there were a few Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Cetti’s Warblers, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings, but most were well hidden in the reeds and brambles in the cold wind. There was the usual activity from the nesting Grey Herons, Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets in Owl Copse and a Coot was busy feeding young on Owl water, whilst a Green Woodpecker was in the paddock with two Linnets, four Greenfinches and a few Goldfinches, and the Jackdaws were collecting hair from the horse's back. (LP)
Whimbrel (above), Greenshank, Green Woodpecker, Jackdaw & Coot family at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There were c200 House Martins and c100 Swallows over the settling tanks this evening, with a couple of Whitethroats in the hedges and a couple of Pied Wagtails on the fields. (AH)
House Martin (above) & Swallow at Medmerry (AH)
Selsey Bill: There was nothing on the move at all this morning, though a gathering of terns feeding offshore was nice to see. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)
(0700-0830hrs) (NNE, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Gannet - 9E, 2os
Shelduck - 6W
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher - 1W
Whimbrel - 1 (on bar)
Sandwich Tern - 10os
Common Tern - 35os
Little Tern - 12os
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Linnet - 1W
Late in the morning, off of Hillfield Road, there were even more terns feeding offshore, comprising 14 Sandwich Terns, 75 Common Terns and 22 Little Terns. (AH)
(1640-1800hrs) (SH/AH)
Gannet - 2E, 1W
Little Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 21E
Common Tern - 12E, 2os
'Commic' Tern - 4E
Little Tern - 4E, 5os
Little Terns (above) & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Both the Spotted Redshanks, plus a Whimbrel and two Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel early on, but the pool just held six Avocets, six Teal and 15 Shovelers. (AH)
Spotted Redshank (above) & Whimbrel in Ferry Channel (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: A lone Swallow was flying about, but sadly the stable doors are all closed preventing the birds from accessing their nesting site, with three Buzzards a Common Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler the only other birds noted. (IP)
Church Norton: There were still no gulls or terns around the island, with the few waders comprising 35 Dunlin, 6 Grey Plovers, three Redshank, a Curlew, a Whimbrel and reasonable numbers of Oystercatchers, with a few Shelducks and Mallards also about, though c15 Knot and Dunlin were on the beach and offshore there was a single Sandwich Tern.
Also, two female Wheatears were at the start of the spit, a few Swallows came in off the sea, a Reed Warbler, a couple of Sedge Warblers and a Reed Bunting, plus several calling Cetti's Warblers, were along the Severals, where there were still the nesting pair of Mute Swans and a pair of Tufted Ducks, with another Reed Bunting and a Green Woodpecker all hat was seen at Greenlease Farm. (IP)
Long Pool: This evening a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Whimbrels, a Grey Plover, a Curlew and c20 Redshanks were at the far end of Ferry Channel, with a handful of Lapwings around the fields, but the pol itself just held a couple of sporadically singing Sedge Warblers and a couple of Reed buntings. (AH)
Whimbrel (above) & Grey Plover in Ferry Channel (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - At least a dozen Whitethroats were along the banks this morning, but it was otherwise slow, with just a dozen Yellowhammers, a couple of Reed Buntings, two female Stonechats, a Sedge Warbler, maybe ten Skylarks and 50 or so Linnets seen, whilst four Buzzards and a Kestrel went over and 200+ Mediterranean and.Black-headed Gulls were around the reservoirs.
There were 20 Avocets on the Stilt Pool - mainly paired up, but otherwise there were just a Gadwall, four Teal, a dozen Tufted Ducks and a few Canada Geese and large gulls present, though up to a ten Swallows and a single House Martin were feeding over the water. (AH)
Whitethroat (above), Reed Bunting,Swallow, Avocets, Gadwall & Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham viewpoint - Within the space of a week there has been a marked increase in the number of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Sedge Warblers along the rail, but the banks were distinctly lacking in birdlife. Overall I counted 19 Whitethroats, six Blackcaps, three Sedge Warblers, eight Cetti's Warblers, four Yellowhammers, five Chiffchaffs, seven Skylarks, two Long-tailed Tits and three Kestrels.
The banks at Ham held a pair of Stonechats, c20 Linnets and six Skylarks with a Hare, two Shelducks and some Mallard out in the fields. (SR)
Linnet at Medmerry (SR)
North Wall: The pair of Great Crested Grebes on the Breech Pool were busy displaying this morning. (EB)
Great Crested Grebes at the North Wall (EB)
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