17th - 19th May 2023

Friday, 19th May: A slightly cooler morning of hazy sun and white cloud, with the fairly light breeze from the south-east......

Selsey Bill: A dark-phase Arctic Skua and a few Common Scoter went east, but there wasn't much else going on. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/AH)

(0645-0830hrs) (SE, F3)

Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Gannet - 11E, 5W

Shelduck - 3E

Common Scoter - 23E, 20W

Oystercatcher - 3E, 12W

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 11E, 4os

Little Tern - 2os

Swift - 5

Swallow - 5

House Martin - 6

Arctic Skua (above), Sandwich Terns, House Martin & Oystercatchers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just four Avocets and four Black-tailed Godwits on the pool again this morning, along with a handful of Mallards and c20 Shelducks. (AH)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

This evening, the brooding Tawny Owl was just visible, sitting in her box in the Discovery Area. (SR)

Tawny Owl at the Discovery Area (SR)

Long Pool: There were around half a dozen Reed and Sedge Warblers along the pool this morning, with a couple of Cetti's Warblers, four Whitethroats, three Reed Buntings and six Linnets also about, whilst five Swallows went over.

One of the Little Grebe pairs had two well-grown chicks with them and there were still three Tufted Ducks on the pool, but Ferry Channel just held the long-staying drake Wigeon, two Lapwings and a Redshank. (AH) 

Reed Warbler (above), Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Swallow and Little Grebe chicks along the Long Pool (AH)

Birdham Pool: A Cuckoo was heard in fields beyond the pool but couldn't be found. (SR)

West Itchenor: Five of the artificial House Martin nests are being used at Chichester Harbour Office and there were four Swallows around, too, whilst nearby a Buzzard was mobbed by crows, and there were also a Jay, two Chiffchaffs and a Reed Warbler present, but on the high tide little else could be seen. (SR)

House Martin at West Itchenor (SR)

Church Norton: The very slightly encouraging news this afternoon was that half a dozen Sandwich Terns and c40 Black-headed Gulls were sitting out on the mud near the island, whilst more encouragingly, at least 40 Little Terns were spread between their island, the harbour and the beach.

A Cuckoo calling continuously from the edge of Priory Wood was the only interest on land, whilst the harbour also held a Bar-tailed Godwit, five Grey Plovers, three Curlews, a Turnstone and a mixed and mobile flock of c50 Ringed Plovers and c80Dunlin. (AH)

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

Thursday, 18th May: Another warm and mostly sunny morning, with the fairly light breeze from the east, moving towards the south later......

Selsey Bill: A female Eider was on the sea and three Sanderling and two Dunlin dropped in on the beach, but there wasn't too much going on. Full log below. (IP/AH)

(0705-0850hrs) (E, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 1W

Eider - 1os

Common Scoter - 6E

Sanderling - 3W

Dunlin - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Little Tern - 3os

House Martin - 4

Later in the morning, a good movement of 132 Common Scoters went east, but nothing else was moving. Full log below. (SR)

(1005-1205) (SE, F3)

Common Scoter - 132E

Sandwich Tern - 1E

Swallow - 1E

House Martin - 4

Eider (above), Little Tern, Fulmar, Sanderlings & Sanderling and Dunlin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just four Avocets, four Black-tailed Godwits, ten Mallards and 22 Shelducks on the pool, with an unseasonal drake Shoveler the only vaguely unusual bird present. (AH)

Shoveler and Shelducks (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The male Marsh Harrier headed out over the harbour before returning with a small rodent which he passed to the female high over the reeds and further back there was a Red Kite, five Buzzards and six Swifts up high.

A Cetti’s Warbler and a Linnet were by the sluice this morning, but there was just a single Mallard along White’s Creek and a couple of Shelduck further out in the harbour, whilst on the Breech Pool there were six Tufted Ducks, along with the pairs of Great Crested Grebes and Mute Swans, and a female Mallard with five ducklings.

There were a few showy Sedge Warblers along the wall, along with a few Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings, a couple of Whitethroats, and a Greenfinch. The almost fully grown young Grey Herons were still on their nest in Owl Copse,and a few Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets were also present, while at Halsey’s Farm there was just a pair of Gadwall and a pair of Shelduck on the rife, with a few Skylarks in the fields. (LP)

This evening just the female Marsh Harrier showed, whilst a Sand Martin was an unusual sighting for this date, and there was also a Barn Owl at Halsey's Farm. (SH)

Sedge Warbler (above), Greenfinch, Cattle Egret, Shelduck, Tufted Duck & Great Crested Grebes at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks still seem quite quiet, with just a handful of Yellowhammers and Whitethroats about, along with one Dartford Warbler, a pair of Stonechats near Marsh Farm, a few Reed and Sedge Warblers along the pools and relatively few Linnets and Skylarks.

The pair of Little Ringed Plovers were displaying on the Stilt Pool, but a solitary Avocet and a Lapwing were the only other waders seen, though a Marsh Harrier went along the beach and a dozen Swallows were active, and a Whimbrel and a couple of Cattle Egrets were all that could be found on the reserve. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Cattle Egret, Marsh Harrier, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Stonechat & Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

Wednesday, 17th May: A warm and sunny morning, with the breeze still from the north-east, but much lighter than of late....

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, though 22 Common Scoters went east, four Turnstones flew in from way out and a first-winter drake Eider was on the sea. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)

(0700-0830hrs) (NNE, F2-3)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 2E, 4W

Eider - 1os

Common Scoter - 22E

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 4E

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 2os

Swift - 2N, 2 present

Swallow - 10

House Martin - 4

(1700-1800hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 3E, 3W

Brent Goose - 4E

Common Scoter - 11E

Whimbrel - 1E

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 22os

Common Tern - 1os

Little Tern - 7os

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

Ferry Pool: Two Egyptian Geese and the drake Wigeon were on the pool early this morning, but otherwise it was the usual mix of two Avocets, c140 Black-tailed Godwits, the drake Gadwall, eight Mallards and c25 Shelducks. (AH)

Early this afternoon, two White Storks went over the Visitor Centre - presumably wanderers from Knepp. (RN)

Egyptian Geese and Shelducks (above), Wigeon and Mallards, Avocet & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

North Selsey: A Spotted Flycatcher was in our garden, to the north of the village, this morning. (AW)

Spotted Flycatcher in a Selsey garden (AW)

East Beach Pond: It was generally quiet here, but a short burst of song came from a Reed Warbler, the Mute Swans had seven new cygnets, there were two Moorhen and one Coot families, and it was good to see that the Long-tailed Tits, on their second attempt at nesting, have managed to fledge a large family. Also curious to see the resident Muscovy Duck had transformed from a large grey and white bird to a sleek glossy black one. (SR)

Mute Swan cygnets (above) & Muscovy Duck at East Beach Pond (SR)

Long Pool: The male Marsh Harrier was hunting over the fields this evening, whilst two Lapwings were displaying over the last uncropped field, but nothing was singing along the pool and just a handful of Black-tailed Godwits and redshanks, plus an Avocet, were in Ferry Channel. (AH)

Marsh Harrier along the Long Pool (AH)

Birdham Pool: The pool was covered in a thick green algae and held just a pair of Tufted Ducks, two Little Grebes, a Grey Heron, and a pair of mating Great Crested Grebes.

Nesting birds included Mute Swan, three Coots and a Moorhen, plus three families of Mallard. Also, a Chiffchaff was singing, three Swallows were overhead and a Sedge Warbler was in the bushes.

At the roadside, along the canal, true to habit sat a pair of Swans with their seven cygnets, guarded by a traffic cone. (SR)

Church Norton: It was very quiet this morning, with the main island still deserted, though about 20 Little Terns were still around there island, and otherwise just half a dozen Grey Plovers, a dozen Dunlin and a couple of Curlews on the mud, along with a few scattered Shelducks.

The bushes were very quiet, too, with just a couple of Whitethroats and Blackcaps about, plus a dozen Linnets along the beach and a couple of Swallows over. (AH)

Whitethroat (above), Linnet & a very empty Tern Island at Church Norton (AH)