Tuesday, 22 April 2025

22nd - 24th April 2025

Thursday, 24th April: Another cool and mostly hazily grey morning in a light breeze, veering slowly round from north-east to south-west......

Selsey Bill: A Wheatear and a Swallow came in, but there was nothing that looked like it was migrating offshore this morning, with all the interest centred on the very large mixed feeding flock that slowly drifted west. Full log below. (RHa/PA/AH)
(0630-0830hrs) ( (NE, F1-2)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 2os
Fulmar - 2E
Gannet - 2E, 3W, 60os
Common Scoter - 2W
Oystercatcher - 3W
Curlew - 1E
Kittiwake - 1E, 15os
Sandwich Tern - 40os
Common Tern - 6os
'Commic' Tern - 5E
Little Tern - 7os
Razorbill - 4W
auk sp - 2E, 1W
Swallow - 1N
Wheatear - 1

(1630-1800hrs) (SH/JA)
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Gannet - 3W, 1os
Kittiwake - 4W, 1os
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 23W
Little Tern - 2E, 18os
auk sp - 3W

Wheatear (above), Fulmar, Kittiwake & a mixed feeding flock at the Bill (AH)



Ferry Pool: There was just one Avocet on the pool this morning, but otherwise it was very similar to recent days, with the Green Sandpiper, three Little Ringed Plovers, a Redshank and c50 Black-tailed Godwits present, along with three drake Shovelers, a dozen Teal andc20 Shelducks. (PA/AH/RHa)

Green Sandpiper (above), Shovelers & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)


Church Norton: There was very little to report this morning beyond a Blackcap near the Mound and a few Sandwich Terns in the harbour. (RHa)

Later on, a Cuckoo was also present. (GR)

North Wall: A Kingfisher flew out from the sluice and along White’s Creek this morning, where there were also 22 Black-tailed Godwits, two Teal and two Wigeon, whist further out on the mud were 16 Grey Plovers and eight Bar-tailed Godwits.
A Wigeon and the Shelduck pair were on the Breech Pool, and there was plenty of activity along the reeds and hedgerows with Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Cetti’s Warblers, Whitethroats, Linnets, Reed Buntings, seen and heard, as well as three Lesser Whitethroats around Halsey’s Farm.
Also, two Whimbrels were by the Halsey’s outfall and a Meadow Pipit was in the fields and 18 Swallows flew over the fields, whilst at Owl Copse, the first baby Grey Heron had hatched in the visible nest, and there were eight Cattle Egrets in the adjacent field. (LP/SP/MJa)
This evening a Short-eared Owl was at Owl Point. (LP)

Lesser Whitethroat (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (LP)

Honer Reservoir: A drake Red-breasted Merganser was an unusual sigh on the reservoir this afternoon. (RHa)

Red-breasted Merganser on Honer Reservoir (RHa)

Birdham: Four Mistle Thrushes went over together today. (SH)

Sidlesham: A Red Kite, a Marsh Harrier and three Buzzards went over Cow Lane at lunchtime today. (PA)

Medmerry: The Short-eared Owl was out hunting again this evening. (SR)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A male Wheatear was on the beach, with a Whitethroat, a pair of Meadow Pipits and half a dozen Linnets around the rough ground, whilst three Great Northern Divers were sat on the sea together offshore. (AH)


Wheatear (above), Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit & Great Northern Divers at Medmerry (AH)




Chichester Canal: A look along from the Birdham Road end didn't produce much this morning beyond half a dozen Chiffchaffs, a couple of Blackcaps and Cetti's Warblers and a Reed Warbler, with just a pair of Little Grebes, a pair of Tufted Ducks and a family of Coots on the water. (AH)

Chiffchaff at Chichester Canal (AH)





Wednesday, 23rd April: A mix of sun and cloud, with the odd heavy shower, too, but quite mild in the brisk westerly breeze..... becoming more variable later.

Selsey Bill: A Hobby came in off the sea, and over ten Fulmars and a few Kittiwakes were heading west, but eastbound passage remains very slow. Full log below. (PA/JF/AH/LP/SP/OM/SR/MRe)
(0630-1200hrs) (W F3-4 - variable)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Fulmar - 1E, 13W
Gannet - 57E, 28W
Brent Goose - 7E
Shelduck - 2E
Teal - 2E
Common Scoter - 102E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E 
Hobby - 1N 
Oystercatcher - 4E, 7W
Whimbrel - 1W 
Kittiwake - 2E, 24W 
Sandwich Tern - 24E 
Common Tern - 2E 
Little Tern - 6os
Guillemot - 2W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 7E, 8W
Swallow - 12N
House Martin - 2
Wheatear - 1

This evening an Arctic Skua was about, with at least four Little Terns and a few Common and Sandwich Terns among the big feeding flock off Hillfield Road. (LL)


Hobby (above), Fulmar & Kittiwake at the Bill (AH)


Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper flew out from near the sluice in the channel opposite this morning, whilst the Green Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were still present, along with eight Avocets, 83 Black-tailed Godwits, and c20 Teal and Shelducks, and there was also a Wheatear along the fences. (AH/TG-P/SM et al)

Common Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plover & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)


Long Pool: There were at least half a dozen Sedge Warblers and two or three Red Warblers about this morning, along with two Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats, a Chiffchaff, two Cetti's Warblers and Reed Buntings, plus at least 20 Linnets and two fly-0ver Swallows. (AH)


Sedge Warbler (above), Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting & Linnet along the Long Pool (AH)



North Wall: A Lesser Whitethroat was in the hedges in Honer 1 field. (JDW)

Church Norton: A look along the front of the Severals this morning produced a Cuckoo, a Water Rail, a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier, and a couple of Swallows, together  with a Sedge Warbler, eight Reed Warblers, three Cetti's Warblers, a dozen Whitethroats, two Reed Buntings and nine Linnets. (MRe) Two male Bullfinches were also present. (B.Stuart)

Later, in the harbour, there were 13 Little Terns, three Common Terns, four Bar-tailed Godwits and two Whimbrel amongst the regular species. (SM et al)

Chichester GPs: A look around produced little of note today, though the pair of Egyptian Geese and their nine goslings were still going strong. (AB)

West Itchenor: A Swift flew up the channel past Chalkdock this morning, and there were also a few House Martins about. (PH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Farm - The Short-eared Owl was out hunting near Marsh Farm this evening, whilst the pair of Egyptian Geese were still near the car-park.
Also, a Dartford Warbler, a couple of Whitethroats, half a dozen Yellowhammers and c20 Linnets were along the banks and two Swallows went over. (AH/AB/CD)


Short-eared Owl (above) & Egyptian Geese at Medmerry (AH)






Tuesday, 22nd April: A cold, if fairly bright start, in a light north-westerly, warming up as the breeze freshened considerably from the south-west.....

Selsey Bill: A female Serin flew into the trees at the back of the Oval Field three times between 0600 and 0700hrs, before disappearing off over the houses this morning.
Otherwise, it was painfully slow, with a few Swallows and Sand Martins in off the sea the only hint at migration. Full log below. (MRe/IP/AH/SR/HR/DMe e al)
(0600-0830hrs) (NW, F2-3)
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Gannet - 10E, 7W, 30os
Brent Goose - 1E
Shelduck - 2E
Common Scoter - 30E
Oystercatcher - 5W
Whimbrel - 1E, 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Sandwich Tern - 28E, 4W, 20os
Common Tern - 3W
Little Tern - 5W, 1os
Swallow - 14N
Sand Martin - 8N
House Martin - 1
Meadow Pipit - 1N
Jay - 2W
Rook - 5E
Linnet - 6E
Serin - 1

Serin (MRe) (above), Jay & Common Scoters (AH) at the Bill


Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper and the two Little Ringed Plovers were still present this morning, along with eight Avocets and 15 Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Teal, c25 Shelducks and a Mediterranean Gull among c150 Black-headed Gulls. (AH/HR/DMe)

Green Sandpiper and Teal (above) & Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gulls at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Marsh Harrier was over the reeds late this morning, but there were just eight Teal, 14 Mallards, a Mute Swan and a pair of Little Grebes on the flooded field, whilst a Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were all that could be found in the adjacent Yeoman's field. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above) & Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: There were c40 Sandwich Terns, two Little Terns, 100 Mediterranean Gulls and c200 Black-headed Gulls on the mud this morning, but a couple of Whimbrel and Ringed Plovers were the only waders beyond a dozen Redshanks and Oystercatchers, whilst there were also half adozen Teal and a dozen Shelducks about.
It was slow going along the hedges, with just half a dozen Whitethroats, two or three Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs and c20 Linnets about, plus a Reed Bunting and a couple of singing Reed and Sedge Warblers in the Severals.
Also, half a dozen Swallows went over, and  a Red Kite went over Rectory Lane.. (AH/RS)


Little Terns and Sandwich Terns (above), Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)




This evening there were a Greenshank, eight Whimbrel, six Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit and dozen Dunlin in the harbour, along with four Little Terns, c30 Sandwich Terns and 200+ Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, all put up by a low-flying Peregrine. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrels, Little Terns & Mediterranean and Back-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)





North Wall: At least half a dozen Reed and Sedge Warblers ere singing along the wall and at Halsey's Farm this morning, along with a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats and three or four Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers, with a couple of Reed Buntings and half a dozen Linnets, plus a Swallow also about.
The Brent Goose was still in the fields, with two Gadwall at Halsey's Farm and a Wigeon on the Breech Pool, whilst in the harbour there were 28 Whimbrel, 30 Mediterranean Gulls and 14 Shelducks. Also, a male Marsh Harrier was about and 14 Cattle Egrets were around Owl Copse. (MRe)
This evening  there were two Wheatears along the wall. (LP)

Wheatears at the North Wall (LP)

East side and Pagham Lagoon: Another Brent Goose, a female Wigeon, four Whimbrel, a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits, two Ringed Plovers, six Dunlin, 35 Mediterranean Gulls, a Common Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull wee along the side of the harbour this morning.
Also, along the hedges there were a singing Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, three Blackcaps and a Cetti's Warbler,, along with with three Meadow Pipits, five Linnets and two Swallows. (MRe)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Short-eared Owl was hunting near the Stilt Pool early this morning. (MT)

The Short-eared Owl was present this evening, hunting over the reserve, and there were also a Cuckoo and four Egyptian Geese on the reserve, whilst a Sedge Warble, a Reed Warbler, four Chiffchaffs, five Cetti's Warblers, eight Whitethroats, a Reed Bunting and a dozen Yellowhammers were along the banks and six Swallows went over. (S&SaH)

Fishbourne Creek: Highlights this morning were 14 Greenshank, six Whimbrel and a Wheatear at the top of the creek, whilst a Reed Warbler was singing in the River Lavant reedbeds. (RW)
There was also a Garden Warbler singing in the field below Fishbourne Church Hall. (HR/DMe)

Birdham: There were eight Buzzards up together over the village this afternoon. (SH)

Chichester Canal: A male Bullfinch was calling from a tall willow near one end of the canal this morning before flying off into the woodland and there was also a good number of newly arrived Reed Warblers singing, along with four Blackcaps, two Whitethroats, two Cetti's Warblers, a few Sedge Warblers, a Song Thrush, a Swallow and two Buzzards. (SR)

Reed Warbler at Chichester Canal (SR)







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