SELSEY BILL

Selsey is one of the most important seawatching sites on the south coast, and is also attractive to passerine migrants in spring and autumn. The area has large vegetated gardens and a small playing field, attractive to migrants, and the shingle beach to the west is bounded by grassland. In winter, Red-throated Diver, Great Crested and Slavonian Grebes, Red-breasted Merganser, Eider and auks are regular offshore. Wintering Great Northern Divers stay until early May. Black Redstarts can be found feeding among the breakwaters. Wintering Mediterranean Gull is very common and Glaucous Gull occasional. Freezing weather may stimulate a westerly passage of Lapwing, Golden Plover, Sky Lark and thrushes. In spring, large numbers of Common Scoter migrate east, the majority in late April, with Velvet Scoter much less frequent. Other regulars with peak numbers in spring are divers, Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, Bar-tailed Godwit, terns and auks. A few Pomarine Skuas show annually in early May, while Arctic Skua is not uncommon in spring and autumn. Wheatears arrive in significant numbers during March, with a steady movement of other migrants passing through. Manx Shearwater sightings are more likely in May and June. Autumn witnesses regular arrivals of passerines. Warblers, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher frequent the scrub, while Whinchat and Wheatear prefer the fields to the west. Easterlies might produce something unusual, with Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and Tawny Pipit possible. In October/november, the bushes may harbour Firecrest and perhaps Ring Ouzel. Strong south-westerly winds may produce Sooty Shearwater. Arctic, Pomarine and Great Skuas are also frequent in autumn.