Friday, 1st May: As the wind eased, a warm and sunny morning in a moderate breeze, initially from the east before veering to the south-east.....
Selsey Bill: Highlight by a distance for a big gathering of observers were the two Bee-eaters that flew in from the south-east at 1035hrs and lingered around the area for a good 45 minutes before drifting off south.
Otherwise, there was some activity offshore, though not as much as anticipated, including a close Pomarine Skua and three distant ones, five Arctic Skuas, a Velvet Scoter, a Black-throated Diver and a few waders, plus a Hobby in off. Full log below.(JA/SH/PB/PM/BI/IP/AB/JF/RHa/AH/OM/AHu//MRe/LP/SP/JFi/JDa/KT/LGRE et al)
(0500-1200hrs) (ESE, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 5os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 2E
diver sp - 1E
Fulmar - 3E
Gannet - 52E, 13W
Brent Goose - 14E
Shelduck - 2E, 2W
Velvet Scoter - 1E
Common Scoter - 190E, 18os
Hobby - 1N
Peregrine - 1E
Oystercatcher - 3E, 2W
Sanderling - 1W
Whimbrel - 23E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 47E
Common Sandpiper - 1
Turnstone - 1W
Pomarine Skua - 4E (1 at 0938hrs & 3 at 0950hrs)
Arctic Skua - 5E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 3W
Common Gull - 20E, 1W
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2E
Great Black-backed Gull - 38E, 1W, 6os
Kittiwake - 14E
Sandwich Tern - 123E, 90os
Common Tern - 38E
'Commic' Tern - 50E
Little Tern - 4E, 32os
Razorbill - 1E
Bee-eater - 2 (1035-1120hrs)
Swallow - 9N, 2 present
House Martin - 6
Pied Wagtail - 1N, 1 present
Bee-eaters (AH top 3, PM lower 4) (above), Pomarine Skua (PM), Arctic Skua, Black-throated Diver, Kittiwakes & Little Tern (AH) at the Bill
(1200-1900hrs) (PB/AHu/SH/OM/I{P/JA/AH/JFi et al)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Gannet - 5E, 4W
Brent Goose - 16E
Eider - 2E
Common Scoter - 16E
Oystercatcher - 3W
Whimbrel - 4E
Common Sandpiper - 1
Arctic Skua - 6E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 10W, 2os
Black-headed Gull - 19W
Great Black-backed Gull - 7W, 8os
Sandwich Tern - 9E, 100os
Little Tern - 3E, 36os
Razorbill - 2os
Swallow - 15N
House Martin - 1
Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 2os
Arctic Skua at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were still one Little Stint and two Wood sandpipers on the pool this morning, along with three Common Sandpipers, three Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Ringed Plover, 14 Avocets, two Redshanks, six Shovelers, eight Gadwall and 28 Shelducks. (AH/AB/OM/KT et al)
Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Little Ringed Plover & Wood Sandpiper and Avocet at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was in the harbour this evening, along with eight Whimbrel, a Curlew and 44 Bar-tailed Godwits, plus c20 Little Terns and c250 Sandwich Terns. (AH)
Curlew Sandpiper (above), Curlew Sandpiper and Bar-tailed Godwit & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
West Itchenor: Two Grey Partridges were in fields just south of Chalkdock Copse this morning. (GM)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Along the banks today were 22 Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, four Dartford Warblers, nine Reed Warblers, five Sedge Warblers,, four Chiffchaffs, three Cetti's Warblers, five Reed Buntings and six Yellowhammers, plus Swallow over, whilst the Stilt Pool held a Greenshank, eight B ar-tailed Godwits and three Common Terns.
Also, a Slow-worm was seen and a Buzzard was seen carrying off an Adder. (S&SaH)
Buzzard with an Adder at Medmerry (SaH)