Thursday, 28th March: After a fairly bright and very breezy start, the morning went downhill quickly, as the wind freshened to gale force as its shifted from south-westerly to the south, bringing with it frequent bands of showery rain........
Selsey Bill: A fairly distant Bonxie going west was the first of the spring, along with three Fulmars, whilst a few Common Scoters and Brent Geese went east, but it remains generally quiet. Full log below. (SH/MO-W/AH/SR/LP/SP)
(0600-0915hrs) (SW, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 2E, 22W
Brent Goose - 125E
Teal - 1E
Common Scoter - 48E, 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 4W
Turnstone - 17
Great Skua - 1W
Common Gull - 8E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 13E, 7W
Fulmars (above), Gannets & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)
(1200-1400hrs) (SH/AW)
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 5W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Turnstone - 2
Kittiwake - 1E, 5W
Kittiwakes at the Bill (AW)
Ferry Pool: A total of 32 Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with c125 Black-tailed Godwits, c30 Teal and c50 Shovelers, with six Shelducks on the field. (AH)
Avocets (above), Teal & Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There really was very little to see in the poor conditions today, with nothing in the hedges and a bleak harbour just holding c50 Dunlin, c30 Redshanks, a dozen or so Curlews and Oystercatchers and a couple of Little Egrets, but that really was it. (AH)
Little Egret at Church Norton (AH)
Wednesday, 27th March: A better day than forecast, with less rain and more sunshine, although very breezy in a brisk south-south-westerly.......
I received an unexpected phone call this evening from Dave Sneller, one of the old regulars at the Bill in earlier times, who sadly informed me of the recent passing of his friend and another of the regulars, Dave Francis, at the age of 90 years. The two Daves will be well known to all of us older observers at the Bill, being frequent visitors during the 'golden years' and usually seen together with one or two other visitors of the time. My memory has faded somewhat since those halcyon days, but I seem to recall that, in particular, they always appeared on a Tuesday at least and were always ready with a comical verbal riposte if approached by inquisitive by-standers. Dave (Francis) always looked remarkably fit and sprightly for his years, but in more recent times his birding activity was curtailed as his wife became increasingly dependent due to her failing health and dementia.
It is some while now since his last Bill appearance, but his passing is another loss of a real character and our condolences go to his family....rest in peace Dave, with our other absent friends. I am informed his funeral is at Worthing crematorium at 1100 on 16th April. (OM/Eds)
The late Dave Francis 'on the wall' in May 2001
Selsey Bill: Three Velvet Scoters going east were the highlight, with a few Brent Geese also passing through, but not much else was on the move. Full log below. (SR/MO-W/AH/AW)
(0700-0830hrs) (SSW, F6)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 2E
diver sp - 2E
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 12E, 19W
Brent Goose - 41E
Common Scoter - 3E, 6os
Velvet Scoter - 3E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E
Turnstone - 21
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 5W
Great Northern Diver (above), Gannet (AH) & Brent Geese (AW) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: An adult Yellow-legged Gull was tucked away at the back right-hand corner of the pool and other birds seen included 36 Avocets, 72 Teal, 22 Shovelers, two Gadwall and 144 Black-tailed Godwits, plus a pair of Lapwings and a Curlew on the field.
There were also two calling Cetti's Warblers in the nearby hedges, with one or two singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the Discovery Area..(SR/TG-P/AH))
Lapwing (above) & Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)
East Head: At Snowhill Creek this morning there were 16 Avocets (including one that looked like it might be thinking of nesting), 40 Teal and 30 Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, with a Greenshank feeding in the channel to the harbour.
Also, in the bushes were an abundance of Chiffchaffs, six Cetti's Warblers and two Blackcaps. (GM)
Greenshank (above), Avocet, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls & Teal at East Head (GM)
Tuesday, 26th March: A very overcast morning, though slightly milder than of late, in a fairly light easterly breeze...
Selsey Bill: The first Arctic Skua of the spring - a dark-phase bird - went east this morning, along with a Slavonian Grebe, a steady trickle of 67 Sandwich Terns, over 500 Common Scoters and a few Red-throated Divers and Brent Geese. Full log below. (PB/PM/IP/AH/SR)
(0600-1000hrs) (ESE, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver - 19E, 4os
Slavonian Grebe - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 7E, 2W
Brent Goose - 33E
Shelduck - 2W
Tufted Duck - 1E
Common Scoter - 526E, 12os
Red-breasted Merganser - 21E, 5W, 4os
Kestrel - 1
Oystercatcher - 1E, 2W
Turnstone - 5W
Common Gull - 5E
Kittiwake - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 67E, 2W
auk sp - 1W
Skylark - 1N
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Rook - 1E
Long-tailed Tit - 1
Linnet - 12E
(1515-1615hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Shag - 1W
Common Scoter - 97E (inc a flock 71)
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E
Oystercatcher - 1E
Grey Plover - 2E
Turnstone - 4
Arctic Skua (above), Red-throated Diver, Sandwich Terns, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Scoters & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was present again this morning, and there were 24 Avocets on the pool, along with c175 Black-tailed Godwits, a Snipe, four Lapwings, six Redshank, a Little Egret, two Gadwall, c60 Teal and c80 Shovelers, plus two Buzzards over.
There were also still the Willow Warbler, a couple of Blackcaps and three or four Chiffchaffs around the Discovery Area. (AH/PB/PM)
Willow Warbler (above), Blackcap & Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)
West Itchenor: A Long-tailed Duck was between West Itchenor and Westlands, in among s a flock of c20 Red-breasted Mergansers. (PH)
Church Norton: It was very quiet here this morning, with just a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs around the Mound/hide area and a couple of Linnets along the beach, with just two Red-breasted Mergansers and two Great Crested Grebes offshore.
A group of seven Sandwich Terns and four Mediterranean Gulls were the most notable birds in the harbour, with otherwise just a Bar-tailed Godwit, a dozen or so Ringed Plovers and Turnstones and c50 Dunlin of note. (AH)
Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
No comments:
Post a Comment