Saturday, 31st May: The morning started with lingering mist in just a very light westerly breeze, which slowly picked up leaving a warm and sunny day......
Selsey Bill: Inevitably, there was little to see this morning, though a few terns were about, including a pair fish-passing on the beach, and there were c100 Mediterranean Gulls on the bar. Full log below. (AH/P&LH)
(0710-0810hrs) (W, F1-2)
Mediterranean Gull - c100os
Sandwich Tern - 12os
Common Tern - 1os
Little Tern - 4os
House Martin - 1
Little Terns (above), Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: What looked like the the Curlew Sandpiper flew off early on and was then reported again at 0800hrs (per Birdguides), but was not present later.
Otherwise, there were just two Little Ringed Plovers, two Avocets, a Redshank, 49 Black-tailed Godwits, two Shelducks, two Mallards and a Kestrel. (JC/AH et al).
This afternoon, a Grey Wagtail dropped in on the pool and a Cuckoo went over the Discovery Area. (RP)
Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and cows on the Ferry (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: House Martin numbers were considerable around the new estate, with c20 seen, whilst a couple of Swallows were around the stables, a handful of Swifts were over the north of the village and out of context a pair of Gadwall flew over the fields. (IP)
Selsey: What were presumably the pair of Ring-necked Parakeets seen over Church Norton went over my garden to the north of the village mid-afternoon, heading south-west. (AW)
Long Pool: There were a lot more birds visible in the light winds, but nothing beyond the regulars, including half a dozen Reed and Sedge Warblers, a couple of Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Cetti's Warblers and Reed Buntings and a dozen Linnets, whilst a pair of Great Crested Grebes had at least one chick on the water and several Redshanks were flying about. (AH)
Sedge Warblers (above), Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Linnet & Great Crested Grebe and chick at the Long Pool (AH)
Runcton: A pair of Ring-necked Parakeets have been around the village for a couple of weeks, and flew over again today. (A Wells)
Church Norton: At least 20 Little Terns were sat out on the mud, with others fishing and, encouragingly, some seen taking food to their island, and there were also c50 Sandwich Terns present along with a single Common Tern and a few Mediterranean Gulls.
There were relatively few waders about, with just: 17 Black-tailed Godwits, five Bar-tailed Godwits, a pair of Ringed Plovers, a Curlew, a Whimbrel and the ever present Oystercatchers noted.
Most surprisingly, a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets flew north over Bluebell Wood, before returning five minutes later and heading back south.
There were a number of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs carrying food there, whilst a pair of Cuckoos at the Severals, with several Cetti's and Reed Warblers, numerous Whitethroats, a Jay and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the vicinity, too.
Also, a Cattle Egret was in the horse field, and a Buzzard and a Kestrel went over. (IP/P&LH/AH)
Little Terns (above), Bar-tailed Godwit & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)
Friday, 30th May: The westerly breeze eased a little overnight, leaving it grey and murky early on, before slowly brightening up through the morning......
Selsey Bill: It was fairly quiet this morning, though seven Common Terns and three Gannets went through between 0545 and 0600hrs (BI), and later a flock of nine Cattle Egrets traversed the horizon at least a mile offshore, and there were also an Arctic Skua east and a Great Northern Diver and three Fulmars west. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)
(0700-0830hrs) (WSW, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 2W
Cattle Egret - 9W
Little Egret - 1W
Oystercatcher - 2E, 4W
Sanderling - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 4E, 26W, 5os
Common Tern - 1W
Little Tern - 3W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 2W
Swift - 3
Swallow - 2
House Martin - 6
(1230-1315hrs) (PB)
Gannet - 1E, 1W
Sanderling - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 8os
Sandwich Tern -12W
Common Tern - 2os
Fulmar (above), Little Tern & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The Curlew Sandpiper was present again early, but went missing for much of the morning, returning briefly in the early afternoon, whilst there was an increase to ten Avocets present, along with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and half a dozen Shelducks. (BI/AH/JMo/NM/PB)
Curlew Sandpiper (above) & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
Also, in the harbour there were c40 Little Terns and 56 Sandwich Terns present, along with seven Bar-tailed Godwits, five Knot and a couple of Ringed Plovers, with a calling Cuckoo, a couple of Whitethroats, a Chiffchaff, a Swallow, a Green Woodpecker and the leucistic Blackbird the only other things noted. (AH/AW/MRe/BI/IP/PB et al)
Little Tern (above), Sandwich Terns, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Whitethroat (AH) & leucistic Blackbird (AW) at Church Norton
A fairly elusive Spotted Flycatcher was near the concrete wall late this afternoon, whilst in the harbour there were a Whimbrel, eight Bar-tailed Godwits and a handful of Dunlin and Turnstones.
There were still lots of Little and Sandwich Terns, plus a couple of Common Terns, about, with some definite fish-passing and synchronised flying going on, hopefully suggesting they may settle to breed. (MRe/AH et al)
Spotted Flycatcher (above), Bar-tailed Godwits & Little Terns at Church Norton (AH)
East Side: A Cuckoo was in the paddocks this morning, whilst a pair of Mute Swans and four cygnets were in White's Creek, whist there were good numbers of waders along the east side, including a very flighty flock of c50 Sanderlings, as well as c80 Dunlin, c36 Ringed Plovers, four Grey Plovers, five Curlew, a Whimbrel, three Turnstones and four Lapwing. (ARK/LP/TRH/IH)
Sanderlings (above), Dunlin, Ringed Plover & Dunlin and Ringed Plover along the East side (LP)
North Wall: Two Grey Herons chicks were still in the nest at Owl Cope, stretching their wings out, with the other close by, whilst in Whites Creek there were four Lapwings, and at Halsey's Farm there were a pair of Shelducks with two ducklings. (GHi)
Grey Heron chicks at the North Wall (GHi)
Mill Pond Marsh: This morning on the Mill Pond there were 16 Tufted Ducks a Little Grebe with two chicks, a Coot chick and a Cuckoo at the rear, whilst at Mill Pond Marsh there were just a few Mallards, two Grey Herons and two Long-tailed Tits. (GHi)
Cuckoo (above) & Little Grebes at Mill Pond Marsh (GHi)
Chichester Gravel Pits: Ivy Lake Complex - The lakes seem to be affected by an algal bloom with very few wildfowl about, though Ivy Lake held four Pochards, a family of Gadwall, a Common Tern, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 14 Tufted Ducks, 16 Greylags, and eight Canada Geese, whilst Black-headed and Herring Gulls were nesting and there were a few Black-headed Gull chicks to be seen.
New Lake is now almost impossible to look into, the undergrowth is too high but I did see the raft covered in nesting Black-headed Gulls with small chicks, whilst a Tree-creeper and half a dozen Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits and Chiffchaffs were in the bushes. (SR)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This morning there were quite a few Whitethroats, Yellowhammers and Linnets around, along with a Reed Bunting and loads of Skylarks, but just two Ringed Plovers, couple of Avocets and Oystercatchers and a few Canada Geese on the Stilt Pool. Sadly, it doesn't look like any Avocets are nesting there this year. (EB)
Reed Bunting (above), Skylark, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer & Ringed Plovers at Medmerrry (EB)
Thursday, 29th May: A fairly cool, very grey and intermittently drizzly morning in a fresh and blustery westerly......
Selsey Bill: There was a bit of interest again this morning, including a Great Northern Diver (a different bird to the one of two days ago), four Fulmars, 15 Sanderlings and 30 Kittiwakes, all going west. Full log below. (AW/AH/SR/IP)
(0630-0915hrs) (WSW, F5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Fulmar - 4W
Gannet - 19W
Common Scoter - 2W
Sanderling - 15W
Mediterranean Gull - 7W, 4os
Kittiwake - 30W
Sandwich Tern - 4E, 19W
Common Tern - 1E
Little Tern - 1W
Razorbill - 5W
Swift - 2
Swallow - 6
(1630-1730hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 4W
Common Scoter - 2E
Turnstone - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 7os
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 21os
Common Tern - 1os
Little Tern - 2os
Razorbill - 2W
Great Northern Diver (AH) (above), Fulmars (AW top, AH lower), Little Tern, Sanderlings (AW) & Kittiwakes (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There were just two Avocets, a Redshank, c60 Black-tailed godwits and eight Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)
This afternoon, a Curlew Sandpiper was at the back, and there were also six Avocets present. (PA/IP/SR/AH)
Curlew Sandpiper (AH top, PA lower) (above) & Avocets (AH) at the Ferry
Mill Pond Marsh: A drake Shoveler, a pair of Gadwall, a pair of Tufted Ducks and c20 Mallard were on the flooded field this morning, whilst a Cuckoo flew over and a Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting were in the bushes. (AH)
Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Church Norton: There were at least 20 Little Terns, four Common Terns and 50 Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls sat out on the mud this morning - none suggesting that they were breeding, unfortunately.
There weren't too many waders about, with just a Whimbrel, six Bar-tailed Godwits, four Grey Plovers and two Ringed Plovers on the mud, though two Great crested Grebes flew in from offshore, and the bushes were very quiet. (AH/JDa)
Common Terns (above), Little Terns, Sandwich Terns, Great Crested Grebe, Bar-tailed Godwits & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)
This afternoon there were still plenty of terns in the harbour, whist waders comprised eight Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel, a Curlew and a couple of Ringed Plovers.
There was also a possible 2nd-year Yellow-legged Gull present, though the barring on the rump suggested it might not be pure. (PA/AH)
Little Terns, Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls (above), Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover (AH) & possible Yellow-legged Gull (PA) at Church Norton
