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