Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 28th

Tuesday, 30th April: Another bright and breezy morning, with the wind initially from the south before backing to the south-east, and with a bit of warmth in the sun..............

Selsey Bill: The morning didn't quite live up to its billing for the very large crowd of watchers - a possibly record count of 36! -, but, after a very distant Pomarine Skua, only seen by a few, a fairly close one went east, having been tracked along the Hampshire coast.

There were also a Bonxie and a few Arctic Skuas about, but a few Red-throated Divers, Brent Geese and Common Scoters were about the only things heading east. Full log below.

(JA/SH/PB/PM/BI/IP/AB/RHa/AH/JF/OM/SR/CRJ/JDW/JDa/MRe et al)

(0515-1115hrs) (SSE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 2os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 10E

diver sp - 1E, 1W

Fulmar - 2E, 1W

Gannet - 42E, 36W

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 16E

Shelduck - 1E

Common Scoter - 92E, 3W, 6os

Oystercatcher - 3E, 1W

Ringed Plover - 1E

Sanderling - 3E

Whimbrel - 16E

Turnstone - 6E

Great Skua - 1os

Pomarine Skua - 2E (1011 and 1030hrs)

Arctic Skua - 3E, 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 5E

Common Gull - 5E

Kittiwake - 2E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 122E

Arctic Tern - 7E

'Commic' Tern - 64E

Little Tern - 9E

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 13E, 11W

Swallow - 4N, 1 present

House Martin - 1N, 6 present

Yellow Wagtail - 1N

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Wheatear - 1N

Stonechat - 1N

Pomarine Skua (JDa) (above), Red-throated Divers, Common Scoters, Shags, Whimbrel, Brent Geese, House Martin (AH) & this morning's good turn-out (AH above, CRJ below) at the Bill

A flock of five Black Terns east was the highlight of the remainder of the day, which, otherwise, was quite slow. Full log below. (PB/PM/SH/JA/RHa/AH/SR/AW/MRe)

(1115-1830hrs)
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1W
Gannet - 30E, 7W
Brent Goose - 13E
Common Scoter - 29E, 6W, 6os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E
Kestrel - 1
Bar-tailed Godwit - 13E
Whimbrel - 14E, 1W
Great Skua - 1os
Arctic Skua - 1E, 1os
Sandwich Tern - 27E, 10os
'Commic' Tern - 7E
Little Tern - 5E
Black Tern - 5E
Swallow - 3N

Also, this afternoon, a Yellow-legged Gull was off Hillfield Road before flying off inland. (SM)

Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were just ten Avocets, 22 Shelducks and a drake Teal on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: There was good news this afternoon, with 24 Little Terns sat out on the shingle around the new island and c50 Sandwich Terns feeding in and around the harbour entrance , whilst a few Turnstones and Ringed Plover were along the spit and a Whimbrel was in the harbour, but the only other birds of note were a couple of Linnets along the gorse. (LP)

Little Terns at Pagham Spit (LP)

Sidlesham: A flock of five Cattle Egrets went over our garden, heading east at 1300hrs today. (AH)

Warner Lane paddocks and Northcommon Farm: The pair of Swallows were back around the stables at Warner Lane this morning, but there was nothing else of note beyond a pair of Whitethroats and a pair of Linnets, with nothing at all at Northcommon Farm. (AH)

Swallow (above) & Linnet at Warner Lane paddocks (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A Whitethroat and a pair of Meadow Pipits were all that could be found this morning. (AH)

Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 29th April: A bright and blustery morning, milder than of late in the sunshine, with the brisk breeze slowly backing from south-west to south.........

Selsey Bill: The first two Pomarine Skuas of the year went east at 0725hrs, with four Arctic Skuas, up to 200 Sandwich Terns and a few Brent Geese east, 18 Manx Shearwaters going west and an Arctic Tern among those feeding offshore. Full log later. (PM/JF/OM/SR/LP/ABi/TR/AH/BFF/AW/MRe et al)

(0540-1300hrs) (SW, F5, backing S, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 3E

diver sp - 2W

Manx Shearwater - 18W

Fulmar - 1E, 4W

Gannet - 39E, 62W

Brent Goose - 51E

Common Scoter - 85E

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 1W

Sanderling - 9E

Whimbrel - 1E

Turnstone - 7E

Great Skua - 1E, 1W

Pomarine Skua - 2E (0725hrs)

Arctic Skua - 8E

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 12E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 208E

Common Tern - 13E

Arctic Tern - 1E

'Commic' Tern - 19E

Little Tern - 18E 15os

auk sp - 4E

Swallow - 5N

House Martin - 4

Wheatear - 1N

Arctic Skuas (top two AW, middle two PM, lower AH), Little Tern & Brent Geese (AH) at the Bill

(1300-1945hrs) (PB/JA/SH/AH/SR)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Great Crested Grebe - 3E, 2W

Manx Shearwater - 2W

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 25E, 5W

Brent Goose - 21E

Shelduck - 1E

Common Scoter - 1E, 1W

Great Skua - 1os

Arctic Skua - 8E, 3os

Mediterranean Gull - 5W

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 39E, 8W, 24os

Common Tern - 6E

'Commic' Tern - 8E

Little Tern - 7E

auk sp - 6W

Arctic Skua (above) & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was quiet again this morning, with just ten Avocets, four Redshanks, a drake Teal and 18 Shovelers present, though the harbour along the Tramway held a least 25 Whimbrel.

Two - presumably a pair of - Peregrines went west over the Tramway, but the bushes just held the usual mix of four or five Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats, at least three Lesser Whitethroats and a Blackcap. (AH)

Peregrines (above), Whimbrel, Avocet, Chiffchaff & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Hunston: There was a credible report received this morning from a non-birder of a male Golden Oriole in the trees around the playing fields in the village (per SH), but there was no sign later, though the first Garden Warbler of the year was heard near the Church (BI/SR).

Pagham Spit: Three Little Terns were along the spit this afternoon. LP)

Church Norton; There wasn't too much going on this morning, with three Wheatears and a singing Willow Warbler the only indication of migration, though a Cuckoo was calling well along the west side, with a couple of Swallows over, but otherwise there were just a couple of singing Chiffchaff and Blackcaps and a handful of Linnets.

The harbour was very quiet again, with just a dozen Whimbrel, two Bar-tailed Godwits, five Knot and a couple of Ringed Plovers of note. (AH/BFF/LP et al)

Whimbrel (above) & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A Whinchat and a Wheatear were around the old crazy golf course this morning. (AW)

Whinchat (above) & Wheatear at Medmerry (AW)

Sunday, 28th April: A real four seasons in a day sort of a day, with a bitingly cold northerly, with heavy rain early this morning, slowly improving towards a warm and sunny afternoon, albeit still with a fairly fresh south-westerly....

Selsey Bill: There was a surprising amount of activity this morning, given the dismal conditions, including a reeling Grasshopper Warbler in the Bill House garden, a male Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat and several Whitethroats along the front and at least 50 Wheatears, including a loose flock of 22 flying west along the beach.

There were also a couple of Bonxies, eight Arctic Skuas, the first (flock of 14) Arctic Terns and 77 Common Terns east offshore. Full log below. (JA/SH/PB/MRB/IP/AH/SR/ML)

(0530-0930hrs) (NNW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 4os

Gannet - 122E, 18W, 30os

Brent Goose - 9E

Common Scoter - 22W

Oystercatcher - 2E

Dunlin - 2

Common Sandpiper - 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 5W, 1 present

Whimbrel - 5E, 1W

Turnstone - 1W

Great Skua - 2E, 1os

Arctic Skua - 8E 2os

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 72E, 30os

Common Tern - 77E, 6os

Arctic Tern - 14E

Little Tern - 1E, 20os

auk sp - 2E

Swift - 1N

Yellow Wagtail - 2N

Wheatear - 51

Redstart - 1

Grasshopper Warbler - 1

Willow Warbler - 6

Whitethroat - 4

Lesser Whitethroat - 1

(1230-1400hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 1E, 26W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 15E

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 16W

Common Tern - 4os

Litttle Tern - 1E

Swallow - 7N

House Martin - 1N

Wheatear - 5

Greenfinch - 1

Late this afternoon, two Bonxies and a Red-throated Diver went east. (AB)

Wheatears (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Arctic Skua & Bar-tailed Godwits at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were few birds on here today - just ten Avocets, two Redshanks, 22 Shelducks, a drake Gadwall and two drake Shovelers. (AH)

North Wall: A Common Sandpiper was along White’s Creek along with three Whimbrels, 18 Bar-tailed Godwits and 12 Grey Plovers, whilst on the Breech Pool the regular Wigeon and Mute Swans were present, along with four Tufted Ducks and a Great Crested Grebe.

The pair of Marsh Harriers were over the reeds, seen food-passing again, and a Green Woodpecker was around the Paddock, and along the Wall there were three Wheatears, two Linnets, four Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, half a dozen Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers, and a few Long-tailed Tits, Reed Buntings, Goldfinches and Greenfinches.

Also, around 50 Swallows, six Sand Martins, two House Martins and five Swifts were over the wet fields with 12 Gadwall, two Canada Geese, a White Wagtail, 26 Shelducks and 100+ Black-headed Gulls on the ground, and there was the usual activity around Owl Copse with the Grey Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets. (LP/PB/MRB/DH et al)

Marsh Harriers (above), Wheatear, Whitethroat, Common Sandpiper & Whimbrel at the North Wall (LP)

Chichester GPs: There were at least 50 Swifts over the pits this morning, but just a dozen or so Swallows and a handful of House Martins and Sand Martins were with them. (PB/MRB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Common Sandpiper was on the Stilt Pool today, along with a Ringed Plover, eight Dunlin and 18 Avocets, whilst five Whimbrel went east offshore and a female Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel were on the reserve.

The banks were quite busy, despite the breeze, with two Wheatears, a Stonechat, a Dartford Warbler, seven Whitethroats, six Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, four Cetti's Warblers, four Chiffchaffs and a Yellowhammer noted, plus 22 Swallows over. (SH)

Church Norton: It was very quiet this morning, though a Cuckoo was heard calling, a Peregrine was on Tern Island, a Wheatear was briefly on the metalwork and up to 15 Whimbrel were along the sheltered side of the harbour, but that really was about it. (AH/PB/MRB)

Later on, there were at least 20 Whimbrel present, along with six Bar-tailed Godwits, a dozen Turnstones and a flock of c40 Dunlin, plus a lone Common Tern, but nothing else beyond the Cuckoo, calling again from Priory Wood, a Stock Dove and a single Swallow. (AH/PD)