Friday, 9th May: Another bright, but cool and blustery morning, in the persisting fresh north-easterly........though it did shift more to the south-east later.
Selsey Bill: There was a surprisingly long list for what felt a slow morning, with one or two interesting birds among them, including the first Arctic Skua this week, a Siskin in off the sea, along with 67 Swallows and five Swifts and a total of 106 Whimbrel going east Full log below. (JA/MRe/AH/IP/OM/SR)
(0515-1300hrs) (NE, F4 - SE, 3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 12E, 13W, 2os
Shelduck - 5E
Mallard - 2
Shoveler - 1E
Common Scoter - 7E
Oystercatcher - 2E, 5W
Grey Plover - 5E
Ringed Plover - 3E, 1W
Sanderling - 2E
Curlew - 1E
Whimbrel - 106E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 3E
Common Sandpiper - 1E
Kestrel - 1
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 40E, 3W
Black-headed Gull - 75E
Common Gull - 7E
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 12E, 2W
Sandwich Tern - 35E, 8os
Common Tern - 6E, 9os
'Commic' Tern - 5E
Little Tern - 1os
auk sp - 2E, 2W
Swift - 5N, 1 present
Swallow - 67N
House Martin - 4
Siskin - 1N
Mediterranean Gull (OM) (above), Swallow, Sandwich Tern & Whimbrel (AH) at the Bill
At 1320hrs this afternoon, a Honey Buzzard flew in off the sea. (M&CMcK)
Later on, six Pomarine Skuas and two Arctic Skuas went east, as did 191 Kittiwakes, whilst a Black Terns was lingering offshore among the gull and tern feeding flock. Full log below. (JA/IP/MRe/AH)
(1350-2000hrs) (SE, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Gannet - 25E, 5W, 2os
Common Scoter - 8E
Oystercatcher - 1E
Whimbrel - 1E
Turnstone - 11
Pomarine Skua - 6E (2 @ !416, 1 @ 1431hrs & 3 @ 1950hrs)
Arctic Skua - 4E
Mediterranean Gull - 54E, 2W, 25os
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 191E, 40os
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 15os
Common Tern - 9E, 15os
'Commic' Tern - 30E
Little Tern - 15os
Black Tern - 1os
Swallow - 3N, 1 present
Honey Buzzard at the Bill (CMcK)
Ferry Pool: It was quiet on the pool this morning, with just eight Avocets, a Black-tailed Godwit, five Redshanks, two drake Shovelers and c20 Shelducks present. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: A Cuckoo was calling at Halsey's Farm this morning, with at least one, and possibly two other birds about, two, whilst a handful of Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and plenty of Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warblers were along the wall, with half a dozen Swifts and Swallows going over.
Also, a dozen Cattle Egrets were at Halsey's Farm the visible Grey Heron's nest in Owl Copse had three fast-growing chicks in it, a Gadwall and a Great Crested Grebe were on the Breech Pool and two Wigeon were in White's Creek, but two or three Whimbrel, a flock of 22 Grey Plovers and c30 Shelducks was about it in the harbour.
(AH/RS/LP/TRH/MJa/GHi et al)
Cuckoo (above), Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Whimbrel & Cattle Egret at the North Wall (AH)
Medmerry: A Hobby went over the reserve early this morning (AS), and later a Whinchat was on the bank opposite Easton Lane car-park (RHa).
Chichester Canal: The Nightingale was still singing near the bridge this morning, two Bullfinches were near the lily-pads at the Birdham end and two Cuckoos were calling from the opposite bank. Also of interest was a daylight flying Daubenton's Bat which put on a good display of insect catching by the willows near the Donnington bridge. (BI)
Thursday, 8th May: After the breeze died down overnight, it quickly picked up again from the north-east, leaving a cool and blustery morning in a mix of sun and white cloud....
Selsey Bill: It was slow-going again, but there was still just a light passage of Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel and terns, and 20 Swallows came in off the sea. Full log below. (PB/PM/AH)
(0530-0900hrs) (NE, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Gannet - 6E, 3W
Little Egret - 1E
Common Scoter - 20E
Oystercatcher - 2E, 3W
Sanderling - 2E, 4W
Whimbrel - 13E, 6W
Bar-tailed Godwit - 26E
Mediterranean Gull - 7E, 1W
Common Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 6E, 2W
Sandwich Tern - 42E, 5W
Common Tern - 11E
'Commic' Tern - 5E
Little Tern - 11E
auk sp - 6W
Swallow - 20N
(1640-1755hrs) (JA)
Gannet - 4E, 1W
Shag - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 11os
Common Tern - 2os
Little Tern - 3os
Sandwich Terns (above) & Whimbrel at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 30 Avocets on the pool this morning, but not much else, with just four Redshanks, a drake Shoveler and 22 Shelducks present, whilst six Whimbrel and a drake Gadwall were in the channel opposite.
A look round the Tramway circuit just produced around five Whitethroats and two or three Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus a Swallow over.(AH)
Avocet (above), Whimbrel, Gadwall, Chiffchaff & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There was very little in the harbour at high tide this morning, with just eight Whimbrel, three Bar-tailed Godwits and a dozen or so Shelducks and Oystercatchers to be found, with a couple of Blackcaps and a Whitethroat heard in the bushes about it on the land-side.
Oddly, the most interesting things seen were a Muntjac Deer that ran across the bottom of the path to the harbour and then started 'barking' from the trees there, and a Roe Deer out in the middle of the harbour, waiting for the tide to drop. (AH)
Whimbrel (above), Bar-tailed Godwits & Roe Deer at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A look from Halsey's Fam to Honer Farm this morning produced a calling Cuckoo, a Garden Warbler and lots of singing Blackcaps, plus three Cattle Egret with the cows. (CRJ)
Cattle Egret at the North Wall (CRJ)
Chichester GPs: The pair of Red-crested Pochards were flying around Whyke Lake today, but there was no sign of any ducklings, unfortunately.
More encouragingly, a Tree-creeper was seen feeding a recently fledged chick along Peckhams Copse Lane. (MRe)
Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - A look along the Trail this morning produced lots of Whitethroats, a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and half a dozen Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, whilst at Porthole Farm there were c20 Swifts, two Sand Martins ten Swallows and 26 House Martins over the settling tanks.
Up to six corn buntings were seen at Ham, with similar of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers about, along with three Stonechats, whilst a good selection of raptors included a Hobby, a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier and a Red Kite. (PA)
Corn Bunting (above) & Peregrine at Medmerry (PA)
.JPG)
Wednesday, 7th May: A warmer and fairly sunny day, after a cool start, but with the north-easterly breeze picking up again through the morning....
Selsey Bill: It was again quiet, but with a few bits of interest, including the Serin flying around calling again, a Hobby in off the sea and a Ruff going east among four Whimbrel. Full log below. (MRe/AH/SR)
(0550-0805hrs) (NNE, F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Great crested Grebe - 2W
Gannet - 15os
Shelduck - 2E
Gadwall - 1W
Common Scoter - 2E
Hobby - 1N
Oystercatcher - 1E
Ruff - 1E
Whimbrel - 14E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2E
Turnstone - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 10os
Common Gull - 1os
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 4E, 8W, 20os
Common Tern - 2E
Swift - 3N
Swallow - 3
House Martin - 3
Jay - 4E
Serin - 1
(1555-1730hrs) (CRJ)
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 2W
Common Tern - 3E
Hobby (above) & Jay at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: It was just the regulars this morning, including a Little Ringed Plover,, a Snipe, two Black-tailed Godwits, five Redshanks and 11 Avocets, with a drake Shoveler and 14 Shelducks also present. (MRe/AH)
This afternoon, a Spotted Flycatcher was in the Visitor Centre car-park. (MRe/AB/CRJ)
Little Ringed Plover (above), Avocet, Black-tailed Godwits & Shoveler at the Bill (AH)
East Head: Three Bee-eaters were heard and seen over Snowhill Marsh for several minutes from 1000hrs this morning before drifting off north. (PH)
North Wall: Two Kingfishers were by the sluice early on, and a Wigeon was along White’s Creek, with five Greenshanks and a Bar-tailed Godwit further out on the mud. The male Marsh Harrier was up briefly and a Red Kite flew over the wall but it was quiet on the Breech Pool with just a Great Crested Grebe and the pair of Shelducks.
At Owl Copse, the young Grey Herons are growing rapidly, and the first Cattle Egret chicks were seen in the visible nests at the front of the copse, while along the reeds and the bushes there was the usual mix of Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Cetti’s Warblers.
A Lapwing and a pair of Gadwall were along the rife at Halsey’s Farm, and a Teal was in the channel opposite, with a Whimbrel out on the mud, and a couple of Skylarks in the fields, but the only other birds of note were a pair of Swallows, who appear to be attempting to nest in the stables. (LP/SP/MJa/MRe/JDW)
Swallow (LP top, SR lower) (above), Gadwall & Lapwing (LP) at the North Wall
Chichester Canal: The Nightingale was still singing by the old Tramway crossing this morning, and there was also a Kingfisher in the vicinity. (MRe/SR/CRJ)
Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Whinchat was along the banks today, along with two Corn Buntings and a calling Cuckoo. (MRe/LL)
Medmerry: Earnley car-park to the Stilt Pool - A Marsh Harrier was over the fields west of the car-park this morning, along with two Buzzards, whilst on the Stilt Pool there were 23 Avocets, six Oystercatchers, a pair of Ringed Plovers, a Lapwing, an Egyptian Goose, six Canada Geese and four Tufted Ducks.
The banks and fields were fairly slow in the fresh breeze, but at least 20 Whitethroats were present, along with a Blackcap, a couple of Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers, a dozen Reed Warblers, a couple of Reed Buntings and a dozen or so Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks, plus a Meadow Pipit carrying food and a Jay. (AH)
Marsh Harrier (above), Whitethroat, Jay, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover & Avocets at Medmerry (AH)
No comments:
Post a Comment