Sunday, 27th April: The morning started cold and with an almost flat-calm, before warming up considerably in the light south-westerly breeze and more or less unbroken sun......
Selsey Bill: Remarkably, what was probably the third different Serin this spring - this time a male - flew in off the sea, along with a few Swallows, whilst a Reed Bunting was singing in the gardens, but it was slow offshore, with a fairly close Arctic Skua, 30 Brent Geese, a few Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits and a Black Swan going east the best on offer. Full log below. (JA/SH/IP/PA/MRe/AH/SR/M&LL et al)
(0530-1000hrs) (NE, F1-2)
Great Northern Diver - 7os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Fulmar - 7W
Gannet - 18E, 12W, 3os
Black Swan - 1E
Brent Goose - 30E
Shelduck - 2W
Common Scoter - 63E, 24W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2os
Oystercatcher - 6E, 3W
Whimbrel - 14E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 5E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Black-headed Gull - 137os
Kittiwake - 4E, 2os
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 36os
Common Tern - 6E, 4os
Little Tern - 14os
Swallow - 23N, 2 present
Serin - 1N (0743hrs)
Reed Bunting - 1
(1600-1700hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 2E, 1W
Brent Geese 10E
Oystercatcher - 2E
Mediterranean Gull - 11W
Sandwich Tern - 40os
Common Tern - 3os
Little Tern - 18os
Arctic Skua (above), Great Northern Diver, Fulmar, Little Tern & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The two Little Ringed Plovers were on the pool again this morning, along with six Redshanks, ten Avocets, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, six Shovelers and c25 Shelducks, whilst a Cuckoo was along the fence-line at the back of the field and a Lesser Whitethroat as in the hedge by the small Pool. (AH/NM/PD et al)
Little Ringed Plover and Redshank on the Ferry (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: Two Swifts went over the farm this evening. (SH)
North Wall: A female Cuckoo was in the bushes along the wall and later a male was along the hedgerow by Honer 1 this morning, while the reeds and bushes were full of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings, Whitethroats, and Cetti’s Warblers, as well as two Lesser Whitethroats and three Long-tailed Tits.
It was busy in Owl Copse, too, with Grey Herons, Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets all in attendance, and a Kingfisher flew through, while at Halsey’s Farm, 25 Cattle Egrets were around the cows and five Whimbrels flew out into the harbour.
On the Breech Pool there were two Tufted Ducks, two Shelducks, two Canada Geese, two Teal, two Little Grebes and a Great Crested Grebe, with the male Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard in the trees beyond the reeds. (LP/MRi/MJa)
Cuckoo (MJa) (above), Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cattle Egret and Little Egret, Buzzard & Tufted Ducks (LP) at the North Wall
Church Norton: The highlight this morning was a flock of 44 Bar-tailed Godwits out in the harbour, and there were also at least ten Whimbrel about, along with a Curlew, a Ringed Plover and lots of Oystercatcher, whilst three or four Sandwich Terns were roosting on the metalwork and at least 20 Little Terns were frequenting the shingle bar inside the harbour mouth.
Also, a Wheatear was by the concrete blocks and plenty of Whitethroats were about, but a couple of singing Reed and Sedge Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler and a dozen Linnets was all that could be found along the front. (AH/PD/GR et al)
Bar-tailed Godwits (above) & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)
West Itchenor: Highlights this afternoon were 31 Whimbrel in the harbour and a Red Kite over. (MRe)
Saturday, 25th April: The breeze was back in the north-east this morning, with a cool and hazy start, before slowly brightening and warming up...........
Selsey Bill: The first two Pomarine Skuas of the spring went through at 1226hrs before six happy observers, whilst earlier, what was presumably the female Serin seen earlier in the week popped up again, a Swift, a Hobby and 138 Swallows came in off the sea and a Common Sandpiper went along the beach, whilst offshore an Arctic Skua, two Bonxies, 28 Little Gulls and 251 Bar-tailed Godwits went east. Full log below.
(JA/SH/BI/PB/PA/IP/AH/SR/JFi et al)
(0530-1400hrs) (ENE, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Fulmar - 4E, 5W
Gannet - 63E, 14W, 15os
Canada Goose - 1W
Shelduck - 9E
Common Scoter - 64E, 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E
Hobby - 1N
Oystercatcher - 9E
Sanderling - 11E
Whimbrel - 22E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 251E
Common Sandpiper - 1E
Pomarine Skua - 2E (1226hrs)
Great Skua - 2E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Black-headed Gull - 26E
Common Gull - 9E
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os
Kittiwake - 14E, 2W
Little Gull - 28E
Sandwich Tern - 51E, 33os
Common Tern - 9E, 2os
Little Tern - 19os
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 4W
Swift - 1N
Swallow - 138N
House Martin - 6N
Yellow Wagtail - 1N
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Wheatear - 1
Serin - 1 (0555hrs)
Linnet - 4E
(1545-1800hrs) (SH/JA)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Gannet - 8E, 1W
Oystercatcher - 21E
Grey Plover - 1E
sanderling - 6E
Whimbrel - 9E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 109E
Arctic Skua - 1E
Common Gull - 1os
Herring Gull - 1657os
Common Tern - 2E
Little Gull - 6E
Sandwich Tern - 30E
Little Tern - 6E, 12os
Swallow - 2N
A video of some of the Little Gull in the gull flock is here: LITTLE GULLS
Common Sandpiper (above), Fulmar (AW), Bar-tailed Godwits (AW top, AH lower), Little Tern, Sandwich Terns, Red-throated Diver & Common Scoters (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There wasn't much to report, early on, with just six Avocets, a Lapwing and c30 Black-tailed Godwits present, along with six Shovelers - two pairs and two spare drakes, ten Mallards and 22 Shelducks. (AH)
Later on, a Common Sandpiper and a Common Gull wee also on the pool and a Red Kite went over the Visitor centre. (GW)
This evening the Common Sandpiper was still present, as were the two Little Ringed Plovers and c40 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)
Common Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plovers and Grey Heron & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: There were up o 35 Cattle Egrets around the cows at Halsey's Farm this morning, with probably another dozen in Owl Copse, whilst the the pair of Marsh Harriers were both about behind the Breech Pool and a Raven and a Red Kite went over Halsey's Farm.
A Wheatear was along the wall, but warblers were generally keeping low in the breeze, but did include a couple of Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats, three or four Cetti's Warblers and plenty of Reed and Sedge Warblers, along with two or three Reed Buntings and a dozen Swallows.
Also, at least 15 Whimbrel and 12 Bar-tailed Godwits were in the harbour, along with a handful of Curlews and two Greenshank, whilst a Common Sandpiper was in White's Creek early on and a Dunlin and two Knot were among c30 Grey Plovers, but the only wildfowl were a pair of Teal at Halsey's Farm, a pair of Tufted Ducks on the Breech Pool and a few Shelducks. (AH/LP/MJa et al)
Wheatear (above), Sedge Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Raven, Cattle Egret, Whimbrel & Grey Plovers at the North Wall (AH)
Church Norton: There were c30 Little Terns and c40 Sandwich Terns around the harbour mouth and islands this morning, whilst waders included four Whimbrel, nine Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Ringed Plovers and three Turnstones, but the only other thing of note was a Cattle Egret in the horse field. (IP)
This evening the harbour was very quiet, with just four Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a dozen Ringed Plovers and half a dozen Dunlin present, whilst a Mistle Thrush was along Rectory Lane. (AH)
Whimbrel (above), Ringed Plovers & Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was very quiet on the pool, with just the usual Canada Geese and Avocets., plus a couple of Ringed Plovers, present, though four Wheatears on the rocks at the beach end were the highlight.
Otherwise, four Yellowhammers, a dozen or so Whitethroats and numerous Linnets were in the bushes, the fields held a few Skylarks, a Buzzard flew over being hassled by two Lapwings and a Carrion Crow and a Green Woodpecker was about too. (MRi)
Chichester GPs: It would appear that the returning pair of Red-crested Pochards have finally had some success, with the mother and no less than ten ducklings on one of the private fishing lakes to the north of the A27. This would be the first confirmed breeding of the species on the Peninsula, and possibly the county, too. (GWh/K Heather per SM)
Red-crested Pochard family at Chichester GPs (top two GWh, lower K Heather)
Friday, 25th April: The breeze went to the south-east over night and was fairly light, giving a hazily sunny morning, cold early on, but warming up later.....
Selsey Bill: The south-easterly breeze produced a bit of eastward passage, but not in any great volume, though including a Garganey among 122 Common Scoter, three Arctic Skuas, 163 Bar-tailed Godwits and 51 Whimbrel, whilst the first Ring Ouzel of the year flew over Grafton Road. Full log below. (JA/SH/PB/PM/BI/PA/IP/TR/AH/ABi/SR/CRJ et al)
(0530-1030hrs) (SE. F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 7os
Red-throated Diver - 5E
Great Crested Grebe - 2E
Fulmar - 2E, 5W
Gannet - 36E, 13W, 26os
Garganey - 1E
Common Scoter - 122E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1os
Oystercatcher - 13E, 10W
Curlew - 1W
Whimbrel - 51E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 163E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1os
Black-headed Gull - 120os
Common Gull - 7E
Herring Gull - 800os
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2E
Kittiwake - 7E, 8W, 3os
Sandwich Tern - 39E, 40os
Common Tern - 13E, 4os
'Commic' Tern - 32E
Little Tern - 3E, 24os
Guillemot - 1E
Razorbill - 3W
auk sp - 1E, 17W
Swallow - 34N
House Martin - 2
Yellow Wagtail - 2N
Pied Wagtail - 2E
Ring Ouzel - 1
Wheatear - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
This afternoon there was a big movement of 280 Bar-tailed Godwits east, and there were also 53 Common Terns east. Full log below. (PB/JA/SR/SH/AH)
(1400-1830hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Gannet - 35E, 9W
Common Scoter - 12E
Oystercatcher - 1E
Whimbrel - 14E, 1W
Bar-tailed Godwit - 280E
Kittiwake - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 12E, 23os
Common Tern - 53E
Little Tern - 4E, 10os
auk sp - 1W
Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Whimbrel, Arctic Skua, Little Tern, Kittiwake, Red-throated Diver, Gannet & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was still present, along with ten Avocets and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Shovelers, eight Mallards and c32 Shelducks. (AH et al)
Green Sandpiper (above) & Shovelers and Mallard at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: A Wheatear was along the wall this morning, and out in the harbour there were two Greenshanks, five Whimbrels, an Avocet, a Snipe, an Oystercatcher, a Wigeon and 27 Shelducks, and 19 Swallows flew over heading north.
There were also lots of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Cetti’s Warblers in the reeds, and three Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats, two Chiffchaffs and eight Reed Buntings were in the bushes, whilst a Sparrowhawk was high over Owl Copse and both the Marsh Harriers were over the reeds, with a Kestrel and four Buzzards about, too, and 16 Cattle Egrets were in the fields at Halsey’s Farm, with another ten in Owl Copse. (LP/CT/TRH/GHi/SP/SH/PB)
Wheatear (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Greenshank, Greenshanks and Oystercatcher, Whimbrel & Marsh Harrier at the North Wall (LP)
Church Norton: There really was very little to report here, with a dozen Sandwich Terns, c30 Mediterranean Gulls, c100 Black-headed Gulls and c25 Oystercatchers about it in the harbour at high tide and just the odd, bot very vocal, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the bushes and a couple of Reed Warblers, plus a dozen Linnets, around the Severals. (CRJ/AH)
Earnley: Two Red Kites were over the road to Birdham this morning. (NHo)
Chichester GPs: Two Common Terns were on Ivy Lake this afternoon - the first of the year here. (AB)
Medmerry: Coastguards - A distant Arctic Skua, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Whimbrel went east this morning, while two Great Northern Divers were offshore, a Fulmar went west and four Swallows were seen coming in off the sea. (AW)
Great Northern Diver (above), Arctic Skua, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel, Fulmar & Swallow at Medmerry (AW)
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