Friday, 12th September: Yet another blustery morning, with a very fresh westerly blowing trough a few heavy showers, though it was mostly dry.....
Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on, though an arctic Skua was chasing terns in the distant feeding flock and there was just a little bit of visible migration. Full log below. (BI/IP/AH)
(0630-0800hrs) (W, F5-6)
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 8W
Shag - 5E, 10os
Oystercatcher - 3W
Turnstone - 40
Arctic Skua - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 20W
Sandwich Tern - 151os
Common Tern - 14os
Swallow - 14W
House Martin - 3W
Yellow Wagtail - 1W
Grey Wagtail - 8W
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Meadow Pipit - 10W
Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were just a Common Sandpiper and seven Teal present this morning. (AH)
Common Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: It was very quiet this morning, with just 14 Teal, 22 Mallards and eight Moorhens present. (AH)
Teal on Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Church Norton: A Wryneck was briefly sat out on a post behind the hide this morning, but it quickly vanished and could not be re-found by midday.
Otherwise, there were three Spotted Flycatchers, a Goldcrest, a Reed Warbler, a couple of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, half a dozen Blackcaps and c30 Chiffchaffs around the hide/churchyard area, with a dozen House Martins, half a dozen Swallows and a Sand Martin over, and a Redstart was along the severals.
Also, the Spoonbill was again in the harbour, along with two Curlew Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Whimbrel, a Black-tailed Godwit, a few Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, c20 Grey Plovers, three Pintail, a dozen Wigeon and a couple of Sandwich Terns. (AH/AHu/BI/AS/GR/MRe/IP/DHi/IH et al)
Tis afternoon there were a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, a Great Crested Grebe, three Little Egrets, three Curlews, 26 Black-tailed Godwits and 44 Redshanks in the harbour, plus six House Martins over. (MO-W)
Wryneck (AHu top two, AH lower) (above), Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Bar-tailed Godwit was with 28 Black-tailed Godwits along White’s Creek, as well as two Common Sandpipers, two Spotted Redshanks, 28 Lapwings, c100 Redshanks, 32 Teal and 12 Wigeon.
Also, a Wheatear was along the rocks and in the bushes, there were a Whinchat, a Redstart and a few Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Linnets. (TRH/LP/MJa/SP/DHi/CT)
Redstart (above), Whinchat, Wheatear, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits & Common Sandpiper at the North Wall (LP)
This afternoon, an Osprey was at Owl Pint and the over the harbour, carrying prey. (K Robinson)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This afternoon, despite the windy conditions, there were nine Whinchats, four Wheatears and a Stonechat along the banks, together with a Whitethroat, a Cetti's Warbler and a Yellowhammer, whilst half a dozen Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits were in the fields and 29 Sand Martins, 11 Swallows and three Kestrels went over. (S&SaH)
Thursday, 11th September: Another morning of heavy showers and sunny spells in a fresh and blustery westerly.....
Selsey Bill: Three Common Sandpipers and a Yellow Wagtail all dropped in briefly before moving off west this morning, and 21 Common Terns and four Wigeon went west offshore. Full log below. (AH/MO-W et al)
(0705-0905hrs) (W, F6)
Gannet - 5E, 55W, 20os
Shag - 12E, 6os
Wigeon - 4W
Common Sandpiper - 3W
Turnstone - 9 (inc the leucistic bird)
Sandwich Tern - 28E, 12W, 50os
Common Tern - 21W
auk sp - 1E, 1W
Yellow Wagtail - 1W
Common Sandpipers (above), Common Tern & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Early this morning, a Common Sandpiper was on the pool, along with four Teal (AH), and later on there was a Green Sandpiper present (BFF)
Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: The Greenshank was present again today on the flooded field, along with two Shovelers, two Gadwall, c25 Teal and c60 Mallards, whilst half a dozen Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were in the bushes. (AH)
Chiffchaff, Greenshank, Gadwall & Gadwall, Shovelers & Mallard at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
North Wall: There wasn't much to report this morning, with a Kingfisher, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Grey Plover, two wigeon and a Little Egret in White's Creek being about it. (P Gomersall)
Pagham Spit: There were just four Sandwich Terns, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a few Black-headed Gull about today. (P Gomersall)
Church Norton: The Spoonbill was still present this morning in the harbour, along with two Whimbrel, 14 Knot, 230 Ringed Plovers a Kingfisher and a dozen Wigeon.
Two Marsh Harriers were out hunting, too, whilst four Ravens flew north over the harbour together and a flock of c60 Sandwich Terns and c20 Common Terns flew in, circled about several times and flew back over the spit.
Also, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Sedge Warbler, a Blackcap, a Whitethroat and up to a dozen Chiffchaffs were around the hide/churchyard area and half a dozen House Martins went over. (AH/BFF)
Later, a Swift went over, along with eight Swallows and 11 House Martins, and a Wheatear was about, whilst there were three Common Sandpipers in the harbour, along with a Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Curlews , 34 Redshanks and 14 Wigeon, with c50 Sandwich Terns sat out on the far side. (MO-W)
This evening three Marsh Harriers - the subadult male and two females - went in to roost at the Several, with a Buzzard, c20 Swallows and a calling Cetti's Warbler also about. (S&SaH)
Sedge Warbler (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Ravens, Whimbrel & Common and Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)
Wednesday, 10th September: A very unsettled morning in a brisk southerly breeze, with heavy rain early on, and then some pleasant spells interspersed with more squally showers.....
The Selsey Pioneers: A good day for catching up with paperwork, given the inclement weather, so herewith I include two photos, which will be the last on this main blog. These were supplied courtesy of Richard Porter (RFP) and they date from 1960-61. I shall be updating the separate page 'The History of Selsey Bill' in due course, thus it will be temporarily removed from the pages section for the time being. (OM/Eds)
A line-up of the youthful and keen observers of the day. I won't list all the observers here, although they will appear on the updated 'History' in due course. This dates to c.1961 and it very interesting to note how open and undeveloped the area was. The old hut is in the background, whilst the observers' equipment and dress style is a long way off from today's style. Note the lack of scopes and tripods - except for a 'brass and glass' drawtube bottom left!
Sea-watching in a blanket...I have actually tried that at the Bill in the early days but let's just say it was impractical. This dates to April 1960; the two under the blanket are Robin Jolliffe and Richard Porter, who have supplied the images for this article. The one thing that strikes me is that there is clearly a comradery amongst the group, which has an air of familiarity, for it is a feature that has fortunately continued at the Bill to this day. (both courtesy of RF Porter)
Selsey Bill: Terns were the most conspicuous birds this morning, with a constant movement of 300+ Sandwich Terns and 100+ Common Terns going east, taking a Black Tern and a Little Tern with them, and there were also 19 Shags and 124 Swallows east, too. Full log below. (AH/P&LH)
(0700-0900hrs) (SSW, F6)
Gannet - 42E, 11W
Shag - 19E, 6os
Common Scoter - 17E
Turnstone - 21
Mediterranean Gull - 22E
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os
Kittiwake - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 344E, 20os
Common Tern - 128E, 24W
Little Tern - 1E
Black Tern - 1E
Swallow - 124E
House Martin - 1E
(1300-1400hrs) (P&LH)
Gannet - 4W
Grey Plover - 18E
Dunlin - 4E
Turnstone -
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 20W
Common Tern - 3E
This afternoon a Storm Petrel went west close in to the beach in the very poor weather, and a Balearic Shearwater went west, too, further out, a bit later, along with a Little Tern. Full log below. (SH)
(1530-1700hrs)
Balearic shearwater - 1W (1600hrs)
Storm Petrel - 1w (1535hrs)
Gannet - 1E, 4W
Shag - 1W
Common Scoter - 2E
Turnstone - 4
Arctic Skua - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W
Kittiwake - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 15W, 75os
Common Tern - 17W, 20os
Little Tern - 1W
Sandwich Tern and Common Tern (above), Shags, Common Scoters & the end of the double triangle at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were just eight Black-headed Gulls on the pool this morning. (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: A Greenshank, nine Black-tailed Godwits, a Shoveler and c40 Teal were on the flooded field this morning, whilst a dozen Chiffchaffs and a couple of Reed Buntings were in the bushes. (AH)
Chiffchaffs (above) & Reed Bunting at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Pagham Spit: On the lagoon this morning, there were four Great Crested Grebes, a pair of Mute Swans and four juveniles, whilst on the tidal lagoons there were ten Ringed Plovers, six Turnstones and four Dunlin and on the spit at least 60 juvenile Sandwich Terns were roosting and also feeding offshore.
Also, there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees by the Pagham Beach Cafe. (P Gomersall)
North Wall: There were plenty of waders - mainly Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank, plus a lone Grey Plover and a few Teal - in the harbour this morning. (P Gomersall)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Whinchat was on the fields this evening, with c25 Yellow Wagtails, c30 House Martins and a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)
Church Norton: The Spoonbill was feeding off the benches again this morning, along with at least ten Little Egrets, whilst waders included a Whimbrel, a dozen Curlew, two Black-tailed Godwits, half a dozen or so Knot and Grey Plovers and a dozen or so Ringed Plovers and Dunlin.
Also, a Kingfisher flew through the harbour and a Wheatear and c20 Swallows and House Martins were about, but the hedges were quiet beyond three Whitethroats, a Cetti's Warbler and two or three Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus an even more piebald Blackbird that is presumably a descendant of last year's bird. (AH/P&LH/T Allen et al)
This evening an immature male and a female Marsh Harrier were over the Severals, but not much else was about beyond a calling Cetti's Warbler and two Sandwich Terns offshore. (S7SaH)
Whitethroat (above), Blackcap, leucistic Blackbird, Spoonbill, Grey Plover & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
