4th - 6th May 2023

Saturday, 6th May: After a murky, but dry start, a thoroughly wet and miserable morning of near continuous drizzly rain in a moderate southerly breeze..........

Selsey Bill: Two Pomarine Skuas and a Black-throated Diver east early on were the highlights this morning, with conditions and bird numbers deteriorating thereafter. Full log below.

(SH/JA/BI/PB/IP/RW/SR/CRJ/KT/AH)

(0530-1100hrs) (SSE, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Fulmar - 2E

Gannet - 20E, 7W

Shelduck - 2E

Mallard - 3

Sparrowhawk - 1

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 7W

Sanderling - 6E

Turnstone - 2E

Pomarine Skua - 2E (1 at 0555hrs & 1 at 0603hrs)

Arctic Skua - 2E

Common Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 1E, 12W

Sandwich Tern - 50E, 20os

Common Tern - 7E, 8os

Little Tern - 4E, 15os

Swallow - 1N

Arctic Skua (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

(1430-1730hrs) (SR/JA/AH/SH)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet - 71E, 7W, 30os

Brent Goose - 4E

Kestrel - 1

Arctic Skua - 1os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 20E, 20os

Common Tern - 6E, 2os

Little Tern - 6os

auk sp - 1W

Swift - 2 

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 75 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with five Avocets, four Redshanks, a pair of Shovelers, a pair of Tufted Ducks, a drake Gadwall and c25 Shelducks, with just a single Whimbrel in the channel opposite. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Shelduck and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still lots of Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls, plus a few Little and Common Terns, in the harbour this morning, along with up to ten Whimbrel, a couple of Grey Plovers, c100 Dunlin and c30 Shelducks, but a Chiffchaff and a Lesser Whitethroat, heard but not seen, was about it in the bushes. (AH)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Whimbrels at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 5th May: A fairly warm morning of hazy sunshine and white cloud in a moderate south-westerly breeze..........

Selsey Bill: It was quality over quantity this morning, with little on the move, but a Serin flew in at 0944hrs for two lucky observers, four more Pomarine Skuas, plus an Arctic Skua and 42 Brent Geese went east and a Manx Shearwater went west, plus a possible Balearic Shearwater went east, too. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/AH/ABi/KT/AW et al)

(0600-1100hrs) (SW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Manx Shearwater - 1W

shearwater sp - 1E

Fulmar - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 34E, 57W

Brent Goose - 42E

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 36E, 15

Oystercatcher - 3E, 3W

Whimbrel - 3E

Turnstone - 2

Pomarine Skua - 4E (1 at 0730hrs, 1 at 0745hrs, 1 at 0810hrs & 1 at 0845hrs)

Arctic Skua - 1E

Kittiwake - 1E, 7W

Sandwich Tern - 56os

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 11os

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 6N

House martin - 4

Serin - 1N

Linnet - 2E

There was also another Pomarine Skua east at 1105hrs, and a Bonxie went east, too, shortly afterwards. (RHa)

(1200-1730hrs) (PM/SR/PB/IP/AB/CRJ/KT/CS)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Gannet - 10E, 4W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Common Scoter - 25E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Kestrel -1

Oystercatcher - 5E

Arctic Skua - 1os

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 57os

Little Tern - 8os

Swallow - 5N

House Martin - 9

Common Seal - 1os

Pomarine Skua (AW) (above), Brent Geese, Little Tern & Gannets (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper was the only thing beyond the regulars on the pool, which included five Avocets, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank, a pair of Tufted Ducks, two drake Gadwall, five Shovelers and c25 Shelducks, whilst the Greenshank and the long-staying drake Wigeon were again in the channel opposite. (AH/ABi)

Common Sandpiper and Redshank (above), Greenshank & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

A quick walk this evening produced very little on the pool, beyond a few Black-tailed Godwits, Shelducks and Avocets, whilst the channel held a Great Crested Grebe, a Greenshank, a Coot, a Moorhen and some Black-headed Gulls.

Also, along the path to Red Barn Ditch, there was an unexpected encounter with an inquisitive Roe Deer buck. (CBo)

Greenshank (above), Great Crested Grebe & Roe Deer at the Ferry (CBo)

Long Pool: A walk along the pool produced two Little Grebes, two Mute Swans, with one on a nest, and some Tufted Ducks. Cetti's Warblers were heard, as were Skylarks overhead and a Buzzard from the trees at the back of the field.

Further along the path there was a Linnet, a Lesser Whitethroat and some Whitethroats in the hedges, with two Oystercatchers, three Little Egrets, 13 Whimbrel and three Redshanks. (CBo)

Lesser Whitethroat (above) & Little Grebe along the Long Pool (CBo)

Church Norton: At least 30 Little Terns were around the harbour mouth and 100+ Sandwich Terns and a handful of Common Terns , plus huge numbers of Black-headed Gulls, but almost no Mediterranean Gulls, were around the island this morning, but c30 Bar-tailed Godwits spread along the main channel were about the only waders noted, and a singing Chiffchaff, plus a couple of Swallows were the only migrant species noted. (AH/ABi et al)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Common Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Late this afternoon there were up to ten Whimbrels out on the mud, along with similar of Bar-tailed Godwits and c200 Dunlin, with another 25 Whimbrel flying up high over the east side of the harbour, but there wasn't too much else about beyond a few Little Terns and plenty of Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Little Tern (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham Spit: There was a lot of activity around the new island with 80 Little Terns, 60 Sandwich Terns and four Common Terns fishing in the channel on the rising tide, and then resting on the shale where there were also 170 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, 16 Turnstone and eight Bar-tailed Godwits.

Out in the harbour, two Common Seals were hauled out on the mud and along the spit there were 12 Linnets, ten House Sparrows, four Dunnocks, two Skylarks and a Whimbrel. (LP)

Little Terns (above), Common Terns, Sandwich Terns, Turnstones, Dunlin, Linnet & Great Black-backed Gulls and Common Seals at Pagham Spit (LP)

Thursday, 4th May: The easterly breeze was even fresher this morning, though shifting slowly towards the south and due to ease later, with, otherwise, another fairly cool morning in hazy sunshine and cloud.....

Selsey Bill: Three Pomarine Skuas went east together at 0757hrs, with 11 Arctic Skuas, three Velvet Scoters, a steady flow of Common Scoters and just a few Whimbrels, Bar-tailed Godwits, Sanderlings and terns also going east, with a Hobby, half a dozen Swifts and a couple of Yellow Wagtails coming in off the sea. 

Also, later on, the first Black Tern of the spring went east. Full log later. (PB/CN/JF/IP/SR/MO-W/AH/SHo et al)

(0600-1300hrs) (ENE, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2os

Red-throated Diver 3E

Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Fulmar - 3E, 1W

Gannet - 74E, 10W

Gadwall - 2E

Mallard - 3E

Eider - 3os

Velvet Scoter - 3E

Common Scoter - 186E, 1W

Hobby - 1N

Oystercatcher - 3E

Ringed Plover - 1E

Sanderling - 50E

Dunlin - 1E

Whimbrel - 1E

Bar-tailed Godwit 2E

Turnstone - 2E

Pomarine Skua - 3E (0755hrs)

Arctic Skua - 11E, 2os

Black-headed Gull - 17E

Kittiwake 8E 2W

Sandwich Tern - 108E

Common Tern - 26E

'Commic' Tern - 18E

Little Tern - 2E

Black Tern - 1E (1220hrs)

Razorbill - 7E

auk sp - 8E, 3W

Swift - 10N

Swallow - 28N

House Martin - 5N

Yellow Wagtail - 4N

Whitethroat - 1

Linnet - 2E

Pomarine Skuas (above), Arctic Skuas, Velvet and Common Scoters, Common Terns, Sandwich Tern, Whimbrel, Sanderlings, Fulmar & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

This afternoon there were a further nine Pomarine Skuas heading east, including a flock of six, with five more Arctic Skuas and reasonable numbers of Common Scoters moving, too. Full log below. 

(BI/CRJ/CN/IP/ABi/AH/RHa/SR/SH/AW)

(1400-1800hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

diver sp - 1E

Gannet - 6E, 1W

Brent Goose - 54E

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 119E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 3E

Sanderling - 20

Whimbrel - 1E

Turnstone - 1

Pomarine Skua - 9E (1at 1437hrs, 6 at 1558hrs, 1 at1622hrs & 1 at 1750hrs)

Arctic Skua - 5E, 1os

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 17E, 60os

Common ern - 30os

Little Tern - 3E, 14os

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 9N

Sand Martin - 1N

House Martin - 10

Wheatear - 1N

Arctic Skuas (AW) (above), Pomarine Skua , Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Scoters & Brent Geese (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much out of the ordinary here this morning, with five Avocets and 16 Black-tailed Godwits being the only waders, with wildfowl comprising two drake Gadwall, five Shovelers, nine Mallards and 25 Shelducks, with a Little Egret and a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls also present, whilst the channel opposite just held the Greenshank and two Redshanks. (AH)

Late this afternoon, there was a Little Ringed Plover on the pool. (AB)

Gadwall (above) & Avocet, Little Egret and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There really wasn't much to see on the high tide, though a handful of Whimbrel were scattered about and around 25 Bar-tailed Godwits and a dozen Grey Plovers were tucked in along the main channel, though Tern Island continues to look increasingly busy. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were five Greenshanks spread around the wet Honer fields this morning, along with 12 Shelduck, and four Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, along with the pairs of Mute Swans and Great Crested Grebes, whilst the male Marsh harrier was up briefly, and a Buzzard and a Kestrel were about, too.

A Wheatear was along the wall and out in the harbour there were 14 Mute Swans, a Whimbrel, 30 Ringed Plovers, 16 Dunlin, eight Grey Plovers and three Black-tailed Godwits. The young Grey Herons were very active on their nest, and along the hedgerows there was a Blackcap, two Chiffchaffs, two Reed Warblers, a Reed Bunting, two Linnets and three Whitethroats, but at Halsey’s Farm there was just a Gadwall on the rife and a couple of Skylarks along the fence. (LP/CT)

Greenshanks (above), Grey Herons, Linnet & Buzzard at the North Wall (LP)