22nd - 24th May 2015

Sunday, 24th May: Cloudy with periods of hazy sunshine this morning and a moderate breeze W/SW 3, but the increasing risk of showers later...

Selsey Bill (0600-0800hrs): Cloud/sun SSE3 (JA/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Gannet - 23E, 6W
Fulmar - 1E, 2W
Sandwich Tern - 21E, 4W
Common Tern - 2os
Kittiwake - 1W
House Martin - 4p
Swallow - 4p

Additional (1600-1800): (SH/J&PW) Amazingly, after last week's bird, another Nightjar seen feeding offshore from the Bill in daylight - this one was a female bird, without the white wing flashes, and went west a few hundred yards offshore, keeping low and making slow headway into the wind. 

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 15E, 8W

Common Scoter - 24E

Sandwich Tern - 14os including the winter-plumaged bird seen yesterday

Little Tern - 3os
Common Tern - 1os
Guillemot - 2W
auk sp - 1E, 2W

Swallow - 5W, 2N

Nightjar - 1W

Medmerry: Stilt Pool area - No sign of the Little Stint this morning, though there was a Ruff present - rather surprisingly the first for the year on the peninsula. There were also four Little Ringed Plovers, 20+ Avocets, a pair of Redshank and a couple of Gadwall on the pools, plus a dozen Black-tailed Godwits which went off north-east and re-appeared on the Ferry. There are possibly six nesting pairs of Little Ringed Plovers and as many as 18 of  Avocets around the reserve, which is pretty impressive considering both species were occasional breeders on the peninsula before the creation of the Medmerry Reserve. Also, it looks like a pair or two of Black-headed Gulls may be nesting, too.

Other birds around included the two summering Brent Geese, the usual Skylarks, Linnets and Meadow Pipits, and two Sandwich Terns and a Gannet offshore. (AH/PH/PLS)

Ruff (above), Little Ringed Plovers & a Black-headed Gull seeing off a juvenile Cormorant at Medmerry (AH)

The Little Stint was back on the pool early afternoon but disappeared again (S&SaH), though the Ruff was still present later on. Also there were 10+ Little Ringed Plovers around the pool and several displaying Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits. (AH/SR)

Little Stint (above), Ruff & Little Ringed Plover at Medmerry (SH)

Reed Bunting (above) & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

North Wall: There were two Little Ringed Plovers on the Breech Pool this morning, plus a Common Sandpiper in White's Creek and a Cuckoo near the stables. (PC)

Ferry Pool: The seven Sheduck-lings were still present along with the dozen Black-tailed Godwits, three Avocets, four Gadwall and a drake Teal. (AH)

Shelduck-lings (above) & Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: In the harbour there were four Curlew, about a dozen Grey Plover and about 20 each of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Just two Little and one Common Tern were present, and there was an ominous lack of activity around Tern Island. The Cuckoo was still around the back of the Severals, Linnets were nest-building at the back of the horse field and there were also 12 Tufted Ducks, five Sedge Warblers, four Reed Buntings, three Cetti's Warblers, three Whitethroats, a Buzzard and a Little Grebe, but not much else of note bar the odd Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff, none of which was singing very enthusiastically! Also there were two Lapwing pairs with chicks and two Red-legged Partridges along Rectory Lane. (AH/SR/RJS/A&YF)

Red-legged Partridge at Church Norton (AH)

Sidlesham: A Peregrine was over our garden at midday. (AH)

Peregrine over Sidlesham (AH)

Saturday, 23rd May: Dry, with sunshine and some cloud and lighter winds. A pleasant enough day that unusually found both editors birding away from the Peninsula, with AH and some of the regulars heading up to East Anglia whilst yours truly went west to the New Forest with the Hants contingent. I can only hope AH did better than I did, for the awful spring continued and not a single Wood Warbler was located at Acres Down in all the usual spots - quite amazing. However, enough of that, back to our patch.....(OM)

Selsey Bill (0530 - 0845hrs): Sunny with cloud, N2-3  (Obs: SH/JA)
Great Northern Diver - 3 os
Fulmar - 1E, 2W, 1os
Gannet - 41E, 6W
Shag - 1os
Common Scoter - 2E
Gadwall - 2W
Turnstone - 1E
Sanderling - 1E
Curlew - 2E
Arctic Skua - 1W (l/p)
Little Tern - 7os
Common Tern - 6os
Sandwich Tern - 28os
House Martin - 7p
Swallow - 1N
Additional:  1600 - 1715hrs: (SH/JA)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 1E
Gannet - 19E, 5W
Guillemot - 1W
Auk sp - 3W
Common Tern - 3 os
Sandwich Tern - 5 os
Kittiwake - 1W

Medmerry: A Little Stint was on the Stilt Pools this afternoon.  On the east side there were 4 Knot, 3 Grey Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 25 Black-tailed Godwits plus several Corn Buntings singing from around the seawall. (PH)

Ferry Pool: This morning there were 15 Avocets, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Redshank, 7 Shelduck ducklings and a Buzzard (CRJ).

North Fields area...on my ride down through the farms today I logged the following;

Fisher: singing male Lesser Whitethroat and 3 Common Whitethroats

Bramber Farm: 2  singing and nest gathering Reed Warblers

Marsh Farm: concrete road, 4 singing Reed Warblers

Mill Pond Marsh: 2 singing Reed Warblers

On the return ride, 2 prs Lapwing on Chalder Farm. (CRJ).

Church Norton: A summer plumage Knot with a Turnstone was the highlight (SH)

Birds seen during the RSPB walk included several Spotted Flycatchers, Sedge and Reed Warblers, Whitethroats, a late Wheatear, Cuckoo, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Red-legged Partridges and two Mediterranean Gulls. (G Whitehead per SOS)

Friday, 22nd May: Dry with sunshine and cloud, but still with that nagging W wind keeping the temperature down, though feeling pleasant in sheltered spots.... and unfortunately it looks as if the W/NW airstream will dominate until the month's end!

Selsey Bill (0545 - 0815hrs): Unsurprisingly quiet, though seven Brent Geese came in from the east and settled on the sea. The tern flock was beginning to build up again with Sandwich and Common Terns drifting from east and west. Full log below.. (JA/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 12E, 2W
Fulmar - 1E, 1W
Brent Goose - 7os
Common Scoter - 7E
Oystercatcher - 2 ob
Kittiwake - 1E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Common Tern - 2os
Auk sp - 2W
Meadow Pipit - 1N
Swallow - 2N
House Martin - 6 p
Chiffchaff - 1 gardens

Later, a light phase Arctic Skua flew W @ 14:15 (BJ/PJ)

Common Tern at Selsey Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Short-eared Owl appeared over Ferry Farm (the buildings south of the Ferry), upsetting the local Wood Pigeons before drifting off eastwards. On the pool there was a family of Shelduck with seven ducklings, and five Avocets and four Gadwall were also present. (AH)  There were 16 Avocets by afternoon (IL).

Shelduck family on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There was a pair of Little Ringed Plovers mating on the mud of the Breech Pool this morning, and a Cuckoo was in the trees by the stables. (PC)

Church Norton: A Raven calling and a Marsh Harrier south down the spit heading over the Severals (IL).  

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool and the Breach - A Cuckoo was calling from the poplars, but the northern end was otherwise quiet. A pair of Little Ringed Plovers were in the pool by Marsh Barn, with further singles on the Stilt Pool and another right down near the breach, and there were at least twenty Avocets scattered about and, though youngsters were hard to find, the parents' behaviour indicated there were a few.

Most surprising bird was a male Wheatear along the fence by the beach, but it was the only indicator of migration, bar a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, plus a Grey Plover, near the breach. Skylarks were everywhere, as were Linnets and Meadow Pipits, and a Corn Bunting and a couple of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings were also present. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Wheatear, Corn Bunting, Skylark & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

19th - 21st May 2015

Thursday, 21st May: At last a bit less wind, although still from the west, and a bit of warmth in the sun as the morning progressed.... 

Selsey Bill: Nothing moving, bar seven Common Scoter east, but the terns were still feasting along the bar - slightly fewer than yesterday, but still c200 Common Terns and 20 or so Little and Sandwich Terns. Also a first-summer Kittiwake flew through the tern flock, a Great Northern Diver was offshore and a Little Egret was feeding along the strand-line. (AH)

Kittiwake (above), Common Terns, Little Terns & Little Egret and Herring Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Around a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were present early on, plus four Avocets and a Redshank. (AH)

Church Norton: On Tern Island, a Little Stint was feeding along the strand line at high tide (IL).

There was no sign later, with just a dozen Dunlin and Ringed Plover in the harbour, plus a rather pale Curlew that has been around for a week or more. Also a second Cuckoo flew across the harbour into the Priory Wood as the first one called away, but then they both fell silent. (AH)

Cuckoo (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Breach - There were six Knot, two Dunlin and 25 Grey Plover around the breach this morning, plus a singing Meadow Pipit and a fish-passing pair of Common Terns. (AH/GH)

Knot and Grey Plover (above) & Common Tern at Medmerry (AH)

Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - There were c50 Swifts and a few Swallows over the sewage works this morning, and a few Whitethroats and Yellowhammers around the hedges, plus at least half a dozen Stock Doves at Porthole Farm. 

A Cuckoo was calling around Ham Farm, as was a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff, and around the banks there was a Corn Bunting and plenty of Linnets and Skylarks. A few Redshank and Lapwing could be seen out on the reserve, along with 20 Shelduck and two Brent Geese, but overall it seemed pretty quiet. (AH/GH)

Skylark (above) & Chiffchaff at Medmerry (AH)

Wednesday, 20th May: A bit of sunshine this morning, with slightly lighter winds - but still from the W/NW and notably chilly....

Selsey Bill (0700-1000hrs): Dry, sunny, cool NW3-4.

No sea passage at all, but the terns were impressive - with approximately 250 Common Terns, 40 Sandwich Terns and as many as 30 Little Terns feeding offshore on the low tide, including a group of 50 or more Common and a couple of Little Terns right along the shoreline in front of the bar. Later two Arctic Skuas were attracted by this gathering; the duo spent an hour successfully harassing the terns and feeding. Also the half a dozen House Martins continued to gather mud from the contracting puddle in the car parking area. Full log below.. (Obs: OM/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 2 os (s/plum)

Great Crested Grebe - 1 os later flew E

Gannet - 4E, 2W

Arctic Skua - 2 os (d/p + l/p)

Little Tern - c.30 os

Common Tern - c.250 os

Sandwich Tern - c.40 os

Swift - 3N

Swallow - 2N

House Martin - 6 p (gathering mud)

Common Terns, Little Terns and House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Below: more pics of the (mainly) Common Terns just offshore from Hillfield Road, a fine sight..... and the chief blog photographer in action.... (OM)

Selsey: Five Swifts were screaming around their traditional nest site in East Street this morning (SR)

Ferry Pool: The first two Shelduck ducklings had appeared, along with c30 adults, 12 Black-tailed Godwits and just two Avocet and Gadwall, whilst nearby a Lesser Whitethroat was rattling through its song (AH/OM)

Shelduck family on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Cuckoo continued to call vigorously and there were a few Reed and Sedge Warblers along the Severals, half a dozen Shelduck and a Lapwing were in the marsh by the horse field, but a single Curlew was the only wader in evidence in the harbour. (AH)

Shelducks at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall:  Forty Mute Swans loafing around the White's Creek area, whilst on the Breech Puddle were 8 Tufted Ducks, 1 Teal, 2 Lapwing and 1 Black-tailed Godwit. The Wall and fields were very quiet the only highlight being a Cuckoo at Honer. Fields north of Honer were being prepared for planting and had attracted some 600 Gulls; the vast majority were Black-headed but I did manage to count 12 Med Gulls amongst them. Many of the Gulls were using the reservoir to wash and brush up and apart from them there were only 4 Tufted Ducks. Most of the fields north of the reservoir are now covered in polythene. The Tamarisk tree by the sluice gates is now in full flower. (JDW) 

Tamarisk in full flower at the North Wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Breach area: Two Great Crested Grebes were on the main pool and a lone Brent Goose was on the mud flats looking very fed-up with itself, whilst a singing Corn Bunting and a displaying Meadow Pipit were in the fields adjoining the fence line. There were no waders around the pools but a gathering of over 50 along the beach... consisting of 30 Dunlin, 12 Ringed Plover, 7 Grey Plover and 5 Knot. The latter two species then broke off from the flock and settled some distance away on the west side of the Breach. (OM)

Dunlin and Ringed Plovers at Medmerry beach near the Breach (OM) 

 below - the Grey Plover and Knot promptly flew off to the other side of the Breach! (OM)

Chichester Marina: Predictably quiet around the marsh, with just a couple of Gadwall and Canada Geese, 2 Shelduck and a drake Teal, plus several pairs of Reed Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler and a singing Lesser Whitethroat. Nearby at Birdham Pool a Cuckoo was the only bird of note (OM).

Tuesday, 19th May: Yet another very windy day, with a gusty and strong westerly and some heavy showers, limiting options and birds.....will we get a warm southerly breeze before the month's end? The odds are not looking great at the moment....!

Selsey Bill (0700-1030hrs): Sunny with cloud/showers, wind W5-6.  (OM/AH/DF et al)

Nothing moving east, though there were three Great Northern Divers offshore and the usual feeding flock of Little, Sandwich and Common Terns over the bar on the rising tide. Also some Swifts came in off the sea and the House Martins provided some diversion dodging the dog-walkers to gather mud from the only puddle. Full log below...
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 27E, 5W
Common Scoter - 5E
Turnstone - 7W
Sanderling - 9W
Guillemot - 2E
Auk sp - 2E
Swift - 13N
Swallow - 10N
House Martin - 6 p (gathering nest material)
Little Tern - c.15 os
Common Tern - c.120 os
Sandwich Tern - c.30 os
Additional (1730-1830hrs):  (SH)
Gannet - 11E, 3W  
Guillemot - 1W
Common Tern - 23os
Sandwich Tern - 7os
Kittiwake - 3W

Great Northern Diver (above), Swift & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Church Norton: Quiet in the harbour, with the Terns providing most of the interest, with Common, Little and Sandwich all present. A couple of Curlews and a little mixed flock of Dunlin, Turnstone and Ringed Plover were the only waders showing, whilst the Cuckoo was calling well from Priory Wood. (AH/BFF/DM)

Little Tern (above) & Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just three Avocets, four Gadwall and 20 Shelduck this morning. (OM/AH)