17th - 19th May 2024

Sunday, 19th May: After a cool start in a light northerly breeze, a very warm and sunny morning.............

Selsey Bill: A Pomarine Skua went east at 0730hrs, and there were a few other bits going east, too, including four Manx Shearwaters, seven Eider and seven Sanderlings. Full log below. (SH/JA/BI/IP/AH/SR)

(0530-0900hrs) (N, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Great Crested Grebe - 2W

Manx Shearwater - 4E

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 23E, 5W

Shelduck - 4E, 2W

Eider - 7E

Common Scoter - 10E, 2W

Kestrel - 1

Sanderling - 7E

Turnstone - 1E

Pomarine Skua - 1E (0730hrs)

Arctic Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 14E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 35os

Common Tern - 1os

auk sp - 8E, 1W

Swift - 10

Swallow - 3N

House Martin - 4

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Eider (above), Sanderlings, Turnstone, House Martins & Fox at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool remains very quiet, with just three Avocets, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Redshanks, the drake Teal and 22 Shelducks present. (AH)

This evening the Tawny Owl was at the entrance to her box by the Visitor Centre, but soon retreated when hassled by two Jays and a Magpie. (SR)

  

Avocet and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A family of Shelducks (nine ducklings) was in Ferry Channel and three argumentative Cuckoos flew over the Long Pool, where there was also a Lesser Whitethroat, two Whitethroats, a Jay, Cettis Warbler, Reed Warblers, four Chiffchaffs, two Little Grebes and the nesting Mute Swans. (SR)

Shelduck family in Ferry Channel (SR)

Selsey: A Common Frog-let was in our pond today. (S&SaH)

Common Frog-let in a Selsey garden (SH)

North Wall: There wasn't too much going on this morning, but the male and two female Marsh Harriers were seen, with the two females both appearing to be taking in food to broadly the same area, so either two nests or two sharing?

Otherwise, there were three Cuckoos again at the back, along with a couple of Buzzards, three Chiffchaffs and plenty of singing Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, plus Reed Buntings along the wall, whilst two Grey Heron chicks and a very young fluffball Little Egret chick could be seen in Owl Copse. (S&SaH/AH et al)

Marsh Harrier (AH) (above) & Grey Heron chicks (SH) at the North Wall 

Church Norton: There were a few waders on the mud this evening, comprising a Whimbrel, two Bar-tailed Godwits, 12 Sanderlings, c30 Dunlin and c180 Ringed Plovers, plus a few of the regular Oystercatchers and Shelducks. (AH)

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

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - There was no sign of any Corn Bunting in perfect conditions at Ham this morning, though two Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage were around the banks at the Viewpoint and two female Marsh Harriers were in the general vicinity, along with two Buzzards.

A Cuckoo was calling continuously from north of the Medmerry Trail towards Sidlesham village and the bushes were full of warblers and buntings, including c50 Common Whitethroats and at least 20 Reed Warblers, whilst the supporting cast included a Green Woodpecker and a Kestrel, but nothing out of the ordinary. (IP)

Pagham Spit: A flock of seven Eider - seen earlier passing the Bill, were between the Spit and the shingle bar this morning, feeding busily on crabs, but beyond a handful of Sandwich Terns and Linnets there was little else about, with no sign of any Little Tern activity on either of the islands or along the shingle bar.

Also, there were a few waders on the mud further across the harbour, including two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Turnstone, c30 Dunlin and c50 Ringed Plovers. (AH)

Eiders (above), Linnet, Sandwich Terns & Ringed Plovers and Dunlin at Pagham Spit (AH)

Saturday, 18th May: A very varied morning, starting muggy and very grey in a light north-westerly, before the breeze freshened and cooled as it went easterly, bringing drizzly rain, before brightening up as it shifted to the south-west........

Selsey Bill: A Spotted Flycatcher was in the gardens and two Arctic Skuas and eight Brent Geese went east, but the sea was generally quiet. Full log below. (JA/SH/I/IP/AH/SR)

(0500-0900hrs) (NW, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 29E, 12W, 2os

Brent Goose - 8E

Common Scoter - 19E, 12W

Tufted Duck - 5E

Oystercatcher - 7E, 1W

Sanderling - 10W

Turnstone - 4E, 2W

Arctic Skua - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Kittiwake - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 13E, 4W

Common Tern - 5E, 1W

Little Tern - 2E, 1W

Swallow - 4N

House Martin - 4

Spotted Flycatcher - 1

(1600-1730hrs) (SH/JA)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Gannet - 4E

Common Scoter - 12E

Great Skua - 1os

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Lesser Black-backed Gull -1os

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Common Tern - 3E, 6os

'Commic' Tern - 2E

Little Tern - 2E

Brent Geese  (AH) (above) & Spotted Flycatcher (BI) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were five Avocets on the pool this morning, along with a Black-tailed Godwit, two Lapwings, the drake Teal, a pair of Tufted Ducks and 16 Shelducks. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: The tidal flooding of a few weeks ago has finally receded enough to get past the small pool, but the Long Pool was looking a bit sad, with a lot of the waterside vegetation having died back and the reeds only just regrowing, and with just three or four Reed Warblers singing along its length.

The inland side was mostly okay, with three Lesser Whitethroats, up to five Whitethroats and  Sedge Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler, half a dozen Linnets and Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer along the path.

There were also a few waders off the end of Ferry Channel, including a couple of Knot, four Whimbrel, c20 Bar-tailed Godwits and five Grey Plovers. (AH)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting & Whimbrel and Grey Plover along the Long Pool (AH)

Selsey: A Cuckoo flew over our garden, to the north of the village this morning - a long overdue garden tick! (S&SaH)

Later, a Cuckoo was heard from our garden, a little further north in the village - also a garden tick! (JA)

North Wall: It was just the regular birds along the wall this morning with a Cuckoo in the trees beyond the paddock, a few Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings along the hedges and the Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Great Crested Grebes, the Wigeon and a pair of Gadwall on the Breech Pool.

The fields are drying out and a drake Shoveler, a Lapwing and a few Black-headed Gulls were the only birds present, while at Owl Copse, there was lots of activity from the Grey Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, with a few young birds now visible in the trees. (LP)

Cattle Egret (above), Sedge Warbler, Shoveler & Gadwall at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Corn Bunting was singing along the banks this morning, whilst a Marsh Harrier was over the ponds, but there wasn't much else about. (BI)

Corn Bunting at Medmerry (BI)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Little Stint was still on the Stilt Pool early this morning (BI), but not later on, when there were four Little Ringed Plovers, a couple of Ringed Plovers, a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Turnstones, 26 Avocets, a Lapwing and two pairs of Little Terns present, with a Greenshank, two Grey Plovers and two more Avocets out on the reserve, along with a couple of Cattle Egrets.

The banks were full of birdsong, with two Dartford Warblers, a Chiffchaff, c20 Whitethroats and Yellowhammers, half a dozen Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, two pairs of Stonechats and numerous Linnets and Skylarks seen and heard, with up to 20 Swallows overhead. (IP/SR/AH et al)

It was much the same this afternoon, though two Marsh Harriers were about, three Cattle Egrets were seen and as many as ten singing Reed Warblers were counted. (S&SaH)

Little Terns (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plovers, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Skylark (AH) & Little Stint (BI) at Medmerry 

Friday, 17th May: A lovely late spring morning, with some warm sun and light cloud in just a light south-easterly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: A Hobby flew in off the sea, a total of 88 Common Scoters went east and four Great Northern Divers were on the sea this morning. Full log below. (BI/IP/SR/AH)

(0500-0830hrs) (SSE, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 3E, 5W, 16os

Common Scoter - 88E, 1W
Hobby - 1N (0619hrs)

Oystercatcher - 12E, 2W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 2W, 10os

Common Tern - 2E

Little Tern - 4os

Razorbill - 2E

auk sp - 1E

Swift - 2

House Martin - 9

Common Scoters (above) & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just four Avocets, four Redshanks, two drake Shovelers, the drake Teal and 16 Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Also, a Wheatear was along the Tramway, near Red Barn Ditch. (AW)

Wheatear along the Tramway (AW)

North Wall: A Cuckoo and a Kestrel were around the stables this morning, and there were six Dunlin, four Ringed Plovers and a Redshank along White’s Creek, with two Whimbrels further out on the mud, but it was just the regular birds elsewhere with plenty of Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and a couple of Reed Buntings along the wall.

A drake Shoveler and a pair of Gadwall were on the Breech Pool, along with six Tufted Ducks, the Wigeon, the Mute Swans and the pair of Great Crested Grebes who appear to have just one chick, who was being fed while riding on its mothers back.

There was the usual activity from the Grey Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets around Owl Copse and a Little Grebe was on the water there, but it was quiet at Halsey’s Farm with just a single Swallow over the fields. (LP/TRH)

Reed Warbler (above), Sedge Warbler, Cattle Egret, Shoveler, Ringed Plovers and Dunlin & Great Crested Grebes at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Little Stint was on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with a pair of Little Ringed Plovers, two pairs of Oystercatchers and 22 Avocets, with at least half a dozen sitting, whilst a pair of Little Terns were seen displaying and mating.

The banks were quite busy, too, including a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, half a dozen Reed Warblers, up to 20 Whitethroats and Yellowhammers, two male Stonechats and half a dozen Reed Buntings, with a handful of Swallows over. (AH)

Little Stint (above), Little Ringed Plover, Little Terns, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer & Cattle Egret at Medmerry (AH)

Sidlesham: A look around our garden and adjacent fields this morning, after an enforced late start, produced a garden tick in the form of a calling Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat carrying food, two singing Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff  a pair of Linnets and two Swallows and five Shelducks over, with two distant Cuckoos heard calling. (AH)

Later, a Red Kite was over the B2145, just north of the garage. (IP/AE)