Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 10th -13th May 2023

Saturday, 13th May: The breeze was fresh and from the north-east again, cool and grey early on, but increasingly warm and sunny as the day progressed..........

Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua was offshore and two Manx Shearwaters went east early on, but there was, again, little on the move, though plenty of terns and Gannets were feeding offshore. Full logbelow. (SH/PB/BI/SR/AH/IP)

(0530-0830hrs) (NNE, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 3W

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Manx Shearwater - 2E

Fulmar - 1E, 3W

Gannet - 9E, 20W, c100os

Shelduck - 1W

Common Scoter - 18E, 4W

Oystercatcher - 4W

Turnstone - 3E

Arctic Skua - 1E

Kittiwake - 9W, 3os

Sandwich Tern - c50os

Common Tern - 9os

Little Tern - 14os

Razorbill - 6W

auk sp - 3E, 36W

Swift - 1

Swallow - 2N

Linnet - 4

Kittiwake (above), Common and Sandwich Terns & Linnet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c110 Black-tailed Godwits and five Avocets on the pool this morning, along with ten Mallards and eight Shelducks, whilst three Cattle Egrets were among the cows on the field. (AH)

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

Park Farm, Selsey: A Swift was over the farm late this morning, along with two House Martins, a few of Swallows and a Pied Wagtail., whilst two Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk were over the fields. (IP)

Church Norton: It was very quiet again in the harbour, with just two Little Terns present and the island empty again, whilst waders comprised of just two summer-plumaged Grey Plovers, a dozen Ringed Plovers, a Curlew and a few Oystercatchers, plus a couple of Little Egrets and c30 Shelducks. There was also a flock of 12 Turnstones on the shingle opposite the Park Lane cottages.
A Lesser Whitethroat was between the two Severals, a Cattle Egret flew into the horse field, two pairs of Tufted Duck were on the second Several and a few Cetti's, Sedge and Reed Warblers, along with a few Common Whitethroats and a male Reed Bunting were spread around, whilst 20 Swallows flew in off the sea and five House Martins flew over.
In Bluebell Wood a pair of Jays were chasing each other around, a small family of Long-tailed Tits were flitting about and another Lesser Whitethroat was on the outside edge. (IP)

It was very quiet in the harbour this evening, though, encouragingly c25 Little Terns were feeding right over on the far side, near Pagham Spit, but otherwise a similar number of (mostly non-breeding) Grey Plovers, a lone Dunlin and three Curlews, plus a dozen Shelducks was about it. (AH)

Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were just a couple of Little Egrets along White’s Creek this morning, and a pair of Linnets were by the sluice, and there was nothing on the Breech Pool beyond the nesting Mute Swans and a Coot family, but overhead there were 20 Swifts and two Swallows, with the female Marsh Harrier further back over the reeds.

Two Cuckoos flew into the hedgerow between the fields and there were lots of singing Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Whitethroats in the bushes and reeds. (LP/SP)

Cuckoo (above), Sedge Warbler, Linnet & Little Egret at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A smart male Blue-headed Wagtail was on the Stilt Pool this morning, with two Pied Wagtails, a Common Sandpiper, three Ringed Plover, a Little Ringed Plover and just one Avocet also present.

The banks were fairly quiet in the breeze, with seven Whitethroats, a Reed Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers, a Chiffchaff, two Reed Buntings and ten Yellowhammers the best, whilst c20 Swallows, two Buzzards and two Kestrels went over and two Cattle Egrets were out on the reserve. (S&SaH/PB/BI)

Later on, there was no sign of the Blue-headed Wagtail, though a Little Stint, two Little Ringed Plovers and two Cattle Egrets were on the Stilt Pool. (AB)

Blue-headed Wagtail at Medmerry (SH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - There were at least 50 Swifts, 50 House Martins and 100 Swallows over the settling tanks this morning, and eight Shelducks were sat on the roof of the from buildings, though generally birds were in short supply, with just a handful of Whitethroats and Yellowhammers, a couple of Reed Buntings and a few Linnets and Skylarks around Porthole Farm and the trail to Ham.

It was equally quiet at Ham, with just a pair of Stonechats and a few Skylarks along the banks, a couple of Whitethroats, Reed and Sedge Warblers around the ponds, and five Swifts and a few Swallows over the farm. (AH)

Swift (above), Stonechat, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Skylark & Shelduck at Medmerry (AH)

Chichester Canal: A Spotted Flycatcher was near Crosbie Bridge this morning, the same area as last year, whilst two fledgling Reed Warblers were seen, one being fed by a parent and others were calling.

To sets of Little Grebes had small chicks and a pair of Mute Swans guarded their eight cygnets, with another pair sitting, whilst a Buzzard flew overhead, three Cetti's Warblers and several Skylarks sang and four Chiffchaffs, two Green Woodpeckers, two Whitethroats, a Blackcap, a Sedge Warbler, a Long-tailed Tit and a Grey Heron were along the banks, and there were also 15 Coot nests. (SR)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Reed Warbler & Little Grebe family along Chichester Canal (SR)

Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - There were combined totals of five pairs of Greylags and five pairs of Canada Geese with broods of young on the pits, plus a few other adults, whilst a pair of Egyptian Geese on the North pit showed no signs of breeding as yet. The low-nesting pair of Grey Herons at South pit now have two fast-growing young however, and a pair of Mute Swans on North pit now have seven cygnets. Wildfowl are few, but 16 Pochard (four pairs and eight additional drakes) were in the majority, with a few Tufted and Mallard present plus a single Gadwall. Six pairs of Great Crested Grebes - some with young - were also noted, with similar numbers of Little Grebes.

At least 22 singing Reed Warblers were counted, plus at least six Cetti's Warblers and a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, whilst a Kingfisher and a single Common Sandpiper were on North pit. (OM)

Pair of Egyptian Geese (showing no signs of breeding) and nestling Grey Herons at Drayton House pits this morning (OM)

Friday, 12th May: The breeze had shifted round to the north-east overnight, and continued freshening through the morning, though it was relatively mild under mostly heavy cloud cover..........

Selsey Bill: A Hobby that flew in from a long way out and 19 Common Scoters east were the only hints of migration on another quiet morning. (BI/SR/IP/AH)

(0645-0900hrs) (NE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Gannet - 14E, 12W

Mallard - 2

Common Scoter - 19E

Hobby - 1N

Oystercatcher - 5E

Kittiwake - 9W

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Common Tern - 6os

Little Tern - 12os

Razorbill - 5W

Swallow - 1N

House Martin - 4

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

Ferry Pool: There were 88 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, but, otherwise, there were just two Avocets, six Mallards and 14 Shelducks present, whilst there were six Cattle Egrets feeding among the cows in the field.

A look round the Tramway just produced two or three Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and up to five Whitethroats. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Black-tailed Godwit & Chiffchaff at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Porthole Farm- There was a good selection of warblers along the trail path this morning, including four Lesser Whitethroats, at least six Whitethroats, four Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, two or three Reed and Sedge Warblers and at least half a dozen Cetti's Warblers, as well as half a dozen Long-tailed Tits.

Beyond that, though, there were just 50 or so Swallows and House Martins over the settling tanks and a handful of Linnets at Porthole Farm. (AH)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, House Martin & Long-tailed Tit at Medmerry (AH)

Pagham Spit: There was little about in the blustery conditions, though a Common Seal was hauled out in the harbour, a Whitethroat and half a dozen Linnets were along the path, but an Oystercatcher was all that could be seen on Tern Island, and the only birdsong was a few Skylarks along Norton Spit.

Five Dunlin, six Ringed Plovers, a few more Oystercatchers, a couple of Little Egrets and half a dozen Shelduck alongside a few Herring Gulls were all that was on the mudflats. (SR)

Common Seal at Pagham Spit (SR)

Thursday, 11th May: After a slow start, eventually a morning of quite warm sunshine and white cloud in a fairly light south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: There was absolutely nothing on the move this morning, with just a selection of the regular species seen, including a Great Northern Diver. Full log below. (SR/AH/MO-W)

(0700-0830hrs) (NW > SW, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Gannet - 17E, 19W

Oystercatcher - 3

Sandwich Tern - 40os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 14os

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 9

Common Seal - 1os

Great Northern Diver (above), Little Terns, Sandwich Tern & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c120 Black-tailed Godwits at the back of the pool this morning, but otherwise there were just two Avocets, two Redshanks, six Mallard and 15 Shelducks present, with a Reed Warbler singing at the front. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The harbour was extremely quiet this morning, with no terns at all and just c300 Black-headed Gulls sitting well away from the island, with the only waders seen being a couple of Curlews and half a dozen Oystercatchers.

A pair of Cuckoos were active around the Severals, where just a couple each of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroats, Swallows and Reed Buntings were noted, plus a dozen or so Linnets, but beyond a Cattle Egret in the horse field and a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat by the hide, it all seemed very subdued for the time of year, with even the resident species few and far beyond. (AH)

Cuckoo (above), Cattle Egret, Whitethroat, Linnet & Grey Heron at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon the churchyard held a Whitethroat and a singing Chiffchaff and a Small Copper butterfly was in the unmown section, whilst a pair of Long-tailed Tits were near the hide, where the Lesser Whitethroat could be heard..

The harbour remains oddly silent and deserted apart from a few Oystercatchers and Shelducks, though Skylarks could be heard from the fields, along with a distant Cuckoo, (SR)

Small Copper at Church Norton (SR)

North Wall: A Cuckoo in the paddock was followed by sightings of two behind the Breech Pool and three at Halsey’s Farm, possibly the same birds, and constant calling throughout the morning.
The hedgerows and reeds held plenty of singing Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings along with a couple of Whitethroats and a Cetti’s Warbler, while in the fields there were 70+ Black-tailed Godwits, along with a few Shelduck and Mallards.
A Lesser Whitethroat and two Linnets were by Owl Copse, where the juvenile Grey Herons were stretching their wings and a few Swallows and Swifts were overhead, whilst on the Breech Pool there were six Tufted Ducks, along with the pairs of Great Crested Grebes and Mute Swans, and both Marsh Harriers were seen further back, but it was quiet along White’s Creek with just three Little Egrets along the banks. (LP/IH/SP)

Cuckoos (above), Marsh Harrier, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting & Grey Heron at the North Wall (LP)

Wednesday, 10th May: After a cool and fairly grey start, a pleasant morning of sunshine and white cloud in a moderate north-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: It was predictably quiet, though a few Swifts flew in, a Brent Goose and 18 Common Scoters went east, 30 Mediterranean Gulls went west and plenty of terns were feeding offshore. Full log below. (AH/MO-W/MAB/OM)

(0600-0930hrs) (NW F4 > WSW, F3-4)

Great Crested Grebe - 3W

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 5W, 20os

Brent Goose - 1E

Shelduck - 2 over gardens

Eider - 1os

Common Scoter - 18E, 7W

Oystercatcher - 4E, 2W

Kittiwake - 2W

Common Gull - 2os

Mediterranean Gull - 30os drifted W

Little Tern - 12os

Common Tern - 20os

Sandwich Tern - 75os

auk sp - 1E

Swift - 12N, 3 area

Swallow - 5N

House Martin - 6 (local, collecting mud)

Brent Goose (above) & Gannet and Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The two Little Ringed Plovers were on the concealed pool at the front again, and three Cattle Egrets were among the cows on the fields, but otherwise it was quiet, with just four Avocets, five Black-tailed Godwits, a single drake Shoveler and a dozen Shelducks on the pool, and just another dozen Black-tailed Godwits in the channel opposite. (MO-W/AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above) & Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There was a good selection of the regular species this morning, including at least half a dozen Reed and Sedge Warblers and a couple of Cetti's Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats, along with four Reed Buntings and up to a dozen Linnets.

Two pairs of Little Grebes were competing noisily with each other on the pool, where there were also a drake Shoveler and four Tufted Ducks, but Ferry Channel just held five Whimbrel and a couple of Redshanks. (AH)

Sedge Warblers (above), Reed Bunting, Whimbrel & Little Grebes at he Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: Although Tern island was the source of most action this morning, it was probably for the wrong reasons, as something unseen was clearly spooking the several hundred resident Black-headed Gulls present. The gulls attempted to land at apparent nest sites on the island time and time again, only to take to the air en masse almost immediately thereafter, with something clearly alarming them. Concerningly, only a few Sandwich Terns - perhaps c.20 birds - were present, although 15+ Little Terns were on the mudflats, apparently unconcerned by it all. A couple of Whimbrel were on the mudflats, but at low tide there was nothing else of note, whilst the bushes were largely quiet, with just the regular Whitethroats and Blackcaps singing occasionally, and a Cuckoo calling at some distance. (OM)

North Wall: A Lesser Whitethroat was in the bushes by the sluice and a Cetti’s Warbler, two Reed Warblers, and two Linnets were nearby, whilst the Swallows were around the stables and a Marsh Harrier was over the reeds behind. On the Breech Pool there were four Tufted Ducks and the pair of Great Crested Grebes, overhead were six Swifts and a Sand Martin, and in the adjacent hedgerow there was a Sedge Warbler and a Reed Bunting.

In the fields, 87 Black-tailed Godwits were with a pair of Gadwall and six Shelducks, and around Owl Copse there were eight Grey Herons, including four juveniles, along with a few Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets. At Halsey’s farm a Cuckoo was calling from the trees and a Redshank was on the mud, but it was quiet out in the harbour with just the lone Wigeon, a Whimbrel and 16 Shelducks seen (LP/CT/GHi)

This evening the pair of Marsh Harriers were seen passing food, which is an encouraging sign! (S&SaH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Grey Herons, Cattle Egret, Swallow, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (LP)

Honer Reservoir: It was very quiet here, with barely a bird seen in the hedges, and just a drake Gadwall and eight Tufted Ducks on a very full reservoir, though six Swifts and two Swallows went over. (AH)

Gadwall on Honer Reservoir (AH)

Sidlesham: Two Swallows were back, prospecting our sheds early this morning. (AH)

Swallow in a Sidlesham garden (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There were a least 50 Swifts, 100 House Martins and 300 Swallows over the settling tanks this evening, but there was not much else about beyond a handful of Yellowhammers and Whitethroats in the bushes and a pair of Shelducks and four Pied Wagtails on the fields, along with five Lesser Black-backed Gulls among the Herring and Black-headed Gulls. (AH)