This is the end?

There was a northeast wind this morning and migration at the Bill was reduced to a trickle HERE although a couple of Arctic Skuas and a few migrating Kittiwakes were nice to see. The forecast is for a northerly and northwesterly airflow to dominate over the next week with rain and some stormy conditions so it does indeed appear that the main Spring passage has come to an end. 

A clear sign that migration was slowing was how much sea watch conversations turned to politics. Even within our small birding group, opinions varied widely, reflecting a divided country. Gains in this week's local elections by the Greens and Reform mirror the wider rise of populism, driven largely by inequality and growing marginalisation. Populism feels less like a solution than a symptom of a system approaching major change, potentially involving AI-enhanced democratic models.

At the same time, markets are behaving erratically: AI speculation is inflating asset values while bonds, commodities, conflict and inflation are sending mixed signals. The Portland birding blog was talking about ecological breakdown yesterday being responsible for low migrants numbers year on year-another indicator signalling an alarm.  It feels like instability is building ahead of deeper economic and political reform. 

The key challenge now is anticipating what that reform might look like and preparing for its effects. I had to agree with Justin that growth that just leads to more house building and nature destruction must come to end, Ian maintains that we have to have growth of some kind, Sam told everyone to shut up and Andrew oftens asks what other system is there other than unsustainable growth?  Who knows?  A post-GDP system could include biodiversity and carbon metrics alongside economic measures, with AI helping set sustainable targets and incentives. That may create opportunities in areas like land and nature conservation, while also making personal resilience and self-sufficiency increasingly important as inequality grows. It does indeed appear we are heading towads some kind of tech-feudalism, although IMO a cure to affluenza/mass consumerism and a return to nature/ the wild is a good thing. 

Traditional party politics appears increasingly largely reactive. Major societal shifts — the internet, big data, AI, natural capital markets and cryptocurrency — were driven by technology, not governments struggling to keep pace. Democratic influence is increasingly moving into digital systems and networks rather than political parties alone, and future decision-making may evolve in that direction too. For now, party politics remains the dominant system, though one that feels increasingly strained and possibly just like Spring migration is also near the end?

Btw this post was also written/edited by AI.  

Eight Little Egrets on Ferry this morning was an increase but Shelducks have decreased to only 7 birds and today was the first day of no Shoveler. A Common Sandpiper was still present, also the LRP , 60 odd Blackwits and a further increase to about 30 Avocet. See below for Ebird graph of Avocets in the harbour this year showing the wintering population departing and then increasing numbers as summering birds arrive in recent days- unfortunately the zero data points are when I was away as not enough people use a single hotspot and instead Pagham Harbour Ebird has lots of hotspots that disperses data which makes it easier for traditional report writing but basically an entire report could be written automatically if a single Ebird spot is used. These birding computer systems have still got some way to go before they combine the important detail captured in traditional bird reports/ BTO surveys etc with the new technology but many in the new generation of birders don't even know what a bird report is and only know social media and apps so it's all heading in the way of automation. For the full '2026 Pagham Harbour live bird report' see HERE and HERE - could be so much better if everyone uploaded data and photos on one hotspot .  

 

Avocets in Pagham Harbour 2026 (zero points are unrecorded weeks)

Kittiwakes moving past the Bill- a species that heralds the end of Spring. 

There has been something slivering in our wild ditch so Jacob and I put down some reptile survey matts this morning to try and find out what it is. Also had Hobby over the garden today and Cuckoo singing. Also still Blackcap, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff singing. 

Even the moth trap was pretty dull last night with no NFYs and I can't imagine much happening in the predicted northerly airflow. It has been a good Spring for migrant Small Mottled Willows (above) with another last night with a Rusty-dot and a few Turnips being the only migrant interest. I do think the next week is going to be a struggle to get through! A good time to catch up with project work. 

A late wave

It was a southeast wind with frontal conditions and some rain this morning and looked perfect for migration at the Bill. My list HERE with highlights including a passage of Arctic and Common Terns, a few Kittiwakes moving, a light and dark phase Arctic Skua and a few Sanderlings and Common Scoters moving. A Shoveler was a late migrant. Full log from the full team HERE- they also had Great White Egret, Little Gulls and few more waders and terns.

News started coming in of a regional small influx of Temminck's Stints so I then went off to check Ferry but only a Common Sandpiper there with an influx of Avocet to 24 birds now. Seemed like Blackwits have settled at around 60 now. No sign of the Wood Sand or the Greenshanks this morning.

After getting some work done I then did Snowhill Marsh again hoping for Temminck's but again it was shockingly quiet but there were 3 Avocets (no sign of any recently), a couple of Barwits, the only Lapwing on the Peninsula! and the 2 retired Brents HERE.

It was cool again last night for the moth trap but a Cocksfoot Moth (in the Ni-lure) was a new for garden (now on 640) and NFYs were Large Yellow Underwing, Blood Vein and Mottled Rustic, now on 116 for the year. Migrants (and possible migrants) included 3 Silver-Y, 1 Rush Veneer, 1 White Point, 2 Turnips and 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Arctic and Common Terns (above and below). I made it 35 Arctics and 56 Common Terns today but the official log had 80 Common, 38 Arctics and 24 'Commics'. 

Dark phase Arctic Skua

Common Scoters moving still 

Avocet at Snowhill

Cocksfoot Moth

Spring's Tail

May 7th is 'Pom Day' round here, although according to some local birders that now has a historical/ traditional context with Pom migration peaking in late April in more recent times. There was a southeast wind in the forecast so there was a good crowd at the Bill this morning but it was very slow HERE with highlights being a few Kittiwakes, a few Whimbrels and Barwits still moving through, a few Scoters and a Willow Warbler singing in the gardens. An Arctic Skua was seen by the others so at least there was some skua action. 

It was polling day today so Isaac's nursery was cancalled so I decided to take him with me to check out Snowhill Marsh. The plan was to drop the latest potted moths to Mike for dissections but in the time Isaac was in the van and I opened the gates, Isaac had got into the moth pots opened half of them up, scattered them in the footwell and eaten two of them. I did my best to put the right moths into the right pots with the right labels and managed to get most of them to Mike.

Snowhill was very quiet with just a few Whimbrel (but the tide was low) and the two retired Brent Geese. 

After lunch with Holly and Isaac at Potters and a visit to the Selsey Lifeboat I did East side where the highlights was a surprising large gathering of Whimbrel, I counted/estimated 105. I was surprised as I assumed that peak Whimbrel passage had already past with very few now moving offshore but I had 50 at East Head at high tide on Sunday and now there were over 100 at high tide at Pagham too. Listen to the recordings below to a group of nearly 40 calling as they headed off east. There were very few other waders though with only 3 Barwits, 13 Grey Plover and 7 Dunlin. Also had 3 Red Kites circling with 14 Common Buzzard.  Full list HERE combined with an early visit to the Ferry Pool where the Wood Sandpiper is still present with 2 LRP, 1 Common Sand, 2 Greenshank in the Ferry Channel and a further increase to 63 Black-tailed Godwits.

So apart from Whimbrel that seem to be having a second wave everything else seems to be winding down in the tail end of the main Spring migrations. 

It was pretty cool last night so not too much in the moth trap but Dog's Tooth, Lychnis and Common Swift were NFYs so now on 112 for the year. 

Whimbrels still going strong (above and below). Check out the recordings below of the racket these were making. 

A few of the late shift Whimbrels and Barwits moving off the Bill

First-summer Kittiwake. Andrews says that Kittiwakes appearing is a sign of the end of Spring

Wood Sandpiper- still hanging around

Lychnis- NFY

Dog's Tooth- NFY

Whimbrels whimbrelling this evening 

Day at the Lodge

With a cold north wind forecast for today and southerlies for the rest of the week I decided to use today as a catch up day and get everything done round the Lodge and garden and get some paperwork out the way. Back in the field tomorrow. 

The moth trap was pretty lively over the last couple of nights with 20 new-for-year species (now on 108) and another garden tick (now on 639). In a similar theme to last early May the moth diversity exploded into action this week (I was only on 73 species this time last week).   On the same date last year I was on 130 moths for the year so a bit slower this year although I was on 166 birds for the local year on this date last year but I'm on 171 this year so a bit better on the birds.  

On the migrant front there was the years first Rush Veneer, 3 Diamond-backs, 3 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Turnips, 2 Angle Shades and 3 Silver Y last night.

Butterflies in the garden today and yesterday included Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Orange-tip, Peacock and Small White. 

37 bird species of over 100 individuals in and from the garden today, the majority now on territory HERE. Highlight was a Red Kite over with singing Whitethroat, Blackcaps and Chiffchaff and Barn Swallows collecting nesting material in the field opposite. There was a Cuckoo calling recently and a pair of Mallards walking round the garden too. 

Yesterday on the way to London I had a White Stork flying over the road near Knepp which was a world year tick so now on 842. 

Eyed and Privet Hawkmoth and Cream-spot Tiger 

Gold Spot

Waved Umber

Swan Feather Dwarf, Elachista argentella 

Dawn Flat-body, Semioscopsis steinkellneriana- a lifer 

Double-striped Knothorn, Crytoblabes bistriga

Heather Twist, Argyrotaenia ljungiana

Planted up Artichoke, Sweetcorns, Leeks, Runners, Peppers, Pumpkins and Tomatoes to add to the established fruit beds etc

Planted up Holly's Veg teepee with tomotaoes and runners

Our butterfly border one year on. See HERE for this time last year. 

The ditch is looking wild

The front garden is slowing getting a bit more interesting to liven up the rather bland architecture. The climbers on the front are growing too slowly though. 

The side and main view of the house is finally being covered in ivy and climbers (to soften the Socialist architecture). I planted up the airbnb with some bedding plants too. To book the airbnb use this link HEREand bring your moth trap and also we are offering guided bird and wildlife tours for visitors too. Holly has some more enticing blurb and five star reviews HERE. 

I left the door open briefly in the garden office when doing the moths and this Great Tit was straight in and downed a Small Mottled Willow which I was about to pot 

Bank Holiday Weekend

A return to prevailing conditions and an Atlantic airflow has more or less closed the portal round here. On Saturday morning the Bill was very quiet HERE and a walk round Ferry, Long Pool and the Tramway was mainly about breeding birds HERE although a Wood Sandpiper was still present on the pool, there were a few waders in the harbour and the summering Black-tailed Godwits arrived this weekend to Ferry with 44 birds there by this morning HERE.

A family walk round East Head yesterday produced 52 Whimbrel, 3 Wheatear and an LRP HERE.

As it basically felt like the doldrums of summer I decided to twitch the Red-crested Pochards at Chichester Gravel Pits which have miracously walked their young across the A27 from Quarry Road to New Lake. Four chicks were still alive and well this morning.

With some cloud cover at night and some thunder storms from the south too the moth trap has been more lively with some migrants and also there has been a small arrival of Painted Ladies on the Peninsula. The year list is now on 88 and the all time list on 636 (with 3 new ones but not sure what as irecord difficult to work that out) . 

Red Crested Pochards New Lake- a Peninsula tick. Now on 212 and 171 for the year. 

Wood Sandpiper

Whimbrels at East Head

Mainly first-summer/ non-breeding Black-tailed Godwits. Arrived this weekend

Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank 

Egyptian Goose young Chichester Gravel Pits 

Lobster moth

Pinion-streaked Snout 

Painted lady- a few of these on the move this weekend. On the moth migrant front there has been a few Diamond-back moths and Silver-Y, single Small Mottled Willow and Rusty-dot and a few Turnips and Angle Shades. NFYs over the last few days have included Rustic Shoulder Knot, Knotgrass, White Ermine, Rough-winged Conch, Treble Lines, Clouded Border and Buff-tip and there is still the odd Early Grey and Common Quaker. 

It was a busy bank holiday to fit birding round with BBQs in the camervan at West Wittering (above), Andrew's 50th birthday party (and some pretty bad karaoke), church with the kids and somehow Jacob sneaked into the Bank Holiday Church Choir Concert (below). 

An even better day

We've been looking forward to today all week with an accurately predicted south east lighter wind and warmer air. After yesterday's great day it was going to be tough to beat. 

It was perfect 'Pom conditions' on a perfect 'Pom date' and quite a crowd had gathered from far and wide (including LGRE who was nice to see). Between 5am and 930am it was basically very dissappointing and the day was set to become an epic flop. However salvation arrived at 0938 with a close pale phase Pomarine Skua flying past followed by some close Arctic Skuas , (and three more distant Poms) and then at 1035 two absolute stunning Bee-eaters flew over our heads calling and spent the next 45 minutes flying around Selsey and back over our heads several times. They were around long enough for Marc and Justin to twitch them and Ian was happy as it was his Peninsula bogey bird.  Thrown into the punch was a total of 5 Arctic Skuas,  a nice flock of 13 Kittiwakes, a bit of Scoter and wader passage, some late Brents, three Diver species and Hobby and Peregrine and I also whipped up egg, bacon and sausage baps from the campervan kitchen for the gang. My list HERE. Full log HERE. 

I then decided to do some wader hunting. Ferry is still performing with one Little Stint, 2 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Black--tailed Godwit, 5 Dunlin and also Cuckoo and Lesser Whitethroat singing from the Discovery area. HERE

Next stop was Medmerry where I used the bike to get down to the Breach and checked out Stilt Pool HERE. Highlights included 13 Whimbrel, 8 Barwits, 1 Greenshank, 9 Sanderling, 8 Dunlin, 1 Lapwing (the only one around) and 9 Ringed Plover. 

The Bee-eaters were a Peninsula tick so now on 211 and 170 for the year and 840 for the world year list. In the last couple of weeks I've had Bee-eater, Hoopoe and Woodchat Shrike with supporting cast of Wood and Curlew Sands, Little Stints, full summer Spotted Reds,  14 Poms, Black Terns, Little Gulls, Manx Shearwater, Eiders, Garganeys, Arctic Terns, good wader passage, good Wheatear passage, Ring Ouzel, Nightingale, a Caspian Gull and in early Spring there was Serin and Whooper Swans. I effing love it here. As Adam and I agreed today, nobody in history has ever spoken the words 'I miss living in Croydon'. 

Bee-eaters

Pom (above and below). LGRE was saying that there are now about 100 Poms that migrate up the Channel each Spring , sadly down from a population of 400 a few decades ago. They breed in Western Russia and are a distinct population from the birds that move up the west coast of the UK. We counted all the Poms past Dungeness this year from their blog and there's been around 100 through there this Spring so assuming that most birds have now gone through already- will see.  We also had an interesting discussion about the dark phase Pom from yesterday HERE, a morph which is supposedly rare in the Channel population. On the same date and time last year we also had a dark morph HERE so it's possible it's the same bird doing it's annual routine. Who knows? 

Arctic Skuas (above and below)

Kittiwakes

Black-throated Diver

Brents still on the go 

Summer plumage Bar-tailed (left) and Black-tailed Godwit 

Sanderling

Whimbrels at Medmerry 

Selsey Birders