Wednesday, 2nd September: A fairly cool and grey start, in a moderate south-westerly breeze, though it steadily freshened bringing squally rain and drizzle with it.........
Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on this morning, with a close Kittiwake and a few terns and Swallows west, too, being the best. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0650-0805hrs) SW, F3-4)
Gannet - 11W
Turnstone - 8
Mediterranean Gull - 95W
Great Black-backed Gull - 12os
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 17W
Common Tern - 14W
Swallow - 59W
House Martin - 1
This evening a good count of 197 Sandwich Terns and 62 Common Terns went west. Full log below. (SH)
(1645-1800hrs)
Gannet - 13W
Sanderling - 1
Redshank - 1W
Turnstone - 32
Mediterranean Gull - 23W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2W, 1os
Sandwich Tern - 197W
Common Tern - 62W
Kittiwake (above), Sandwich Tern & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: An adult and a juvenile Avocet were on the pool early on, with just a couple of Black-tailed Godwits and a handful of Redshanks and Teal in the channel opposite. (AH)
Later, a Wood Sandpiper was on the pool briefly (JS), whilst the channel opposite and adjacent harbour held, a Kingfisher, a Little Egret, a Whimbrel, two Greenshanks, two Avocets, two Black-tailed Godwits and a few Redshanks, plus a Clouded Yellow. (LL/CRJ)
Avocet at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: The Osprey was around the harbour again this morning, even sitting on the post near the benches at one point, whilst two Common Sandpipers were on the concrete blocks and 15 Pintail, a couple of Whimbrel and a dozen Curlews and Redshank were out on the mud.
Also, a Redstart was along the Severals and a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus a Jay were behind the hide. (AH/NR/TG-P/MW/IH et al)
Osprey (above), Blackcap, Jay & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)
Tuesday, 1st September: A pleasant, early autumn morning of sun and white cloud, cool early on but warming up as the westerly breeze steadily freshened.......
Selsey Bill: Nothing was really moving offshore, but a bit of visible migration included three Tree Pipits, one of which dropped in briefly in Bill House garden, 17 Yellow Wagtails, six Grey Wagtails and good numbers of hirundines, and there were also two Peregrines chasing each other along the beach. Full log below. (PM/AH/IP/P&LH)
(0600-0830hrs) (W, F2-3)
Little Egret - 1E
Common Scoter - 1W
Peregrine - 2W
Oystercatcher - 3
Turnstone - 17
Mediterranean Gull - 28os
Sandwich Tern - 76os
Common Tern - 8os
Swallow - 164E
Sand Martin - 67E
House Martin - 283E
Yellow Wagtail - 17E
Grey Wagtail - 6E
Pied Wagtail - 1E
Tree Pipit - 3E
Wheatear - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Tree Pipit (LH top, PM Lower two) (above), Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, Peregrines (PM), House Martin, Sand Martin & Swallows, Sand and House Martins (AH) at the Bill
(1300-1400hrs) (P&LH)
Dunlin - 60W, 17 present
Turnstone - 7
Mediterranean Gull - 22W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 31W, 40os
Common Tern - 4W
Swallow - 7E
House Martin - 2E
Dunlin (above) & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (LH)
Ferry Pool: There was nothing on the pool, and just a handful of Redshanks in the channel opposite, with a couple of Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs in a roaming tit flock. (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: There were just a Kingfisher and two Teal about this morning, and a Raven went over this afternoon, whilst the trees overhanging the Mill Pond there were six Willow Emerald damselflies, two Common Darters and two Migrant Hawkers. (LL)
Church Norton: There was a good selection of migrants this morning, including at least 14 Wheatears, six Yellow Wagtails and two Whinchats along the beach and spit, with two more of the latter in the horse field, a Spotted Flycatcher was along the Severals, with another by the concrete wall and two more near the hide, with a Lesser Whitethroats a Garden Warbler, three Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a Redstart - chased off by a Robin, were around the churchyard, and a few Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps around, too,
Also, an Osprey dropped in to catch a fish before heading off south and a juvenile Peregrine was chasing a Wood Pigeon around the harbour, whilst on the mud there were a Bar-tailed Godwit, ten Knot, eight Grey Plover, 20 Dunlin, c80 Ringed Plovers and three Whimbrel. with a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk going over, along with c300 Swallows and c25 House Martins and Sand Martins. (AW/PM/P&LH)
Osprey (above), Whinchat, Spotted Flycatchers, Sand Martin (PM), Redstart, Redstart and Robin, Spotted Flycatcher and Whitethroat, Whinchat, Wheatears , Peregrine (AW), Whinchat, Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher & Whimbrel (LH) at Church Norton
North Wall: An Osprey flew over Halsey’s Farm before heading out over the harbour late this morning, and around the fields and bushes there were at least seven Whinchats, three Wheatears, a Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Yellowhammers, 14 Linnets, 18 Whitethroats, a Blackcap, a Jay a Green Woodpecker, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, whilst a Yellow Wagtail flew over, and two Common Sandpipers, a Water Rail, a Snipe, a Reed Bunting and a few Sedge Warblers, and Reed Warblers were around the reeds by the rife.
Along the wall, two more Wheatears were on the rocks, a Kingfisher flew along Owl Water, and a good selection of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, and Sedge Warblers were along the bushes, as well as, unusually for here, a Coal Tit.
The two Spotted Redshanks were still along White’s Creek along with a Whimbrel, two Black-tailed Godwits and numerous Redshanks, with two Wigeon on the water, and a few Swallows and Sand Martins overhead. (DHo/TRH/LP)
This evening there were c50 Yellow Wagtails, c50 Sand Martins around the wall, along with a Meadow Pipit, a Chiffchaff, four Wheatears, a Kingfisher, a Greenshank and a Kestrel. (S&SaH)
Osprey (above), Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Wheatears, Spotted Redshank, Snipe & Whimbrel at the North Wall (DHo)
Honer Reservoir: Most of yesterday's birds were still on the reservoir this morning, including two Ruff, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper, whilst the adjacent hedges and fields held two Wheatears, six Yellow Wagtails, three Spotted Flycatchers and half a dozen Whitethroats and Reed Warblers, with a Sparrowhawk and c50 Swallows going over. (AH)
Ruff (above), Green Sandpiper, Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Warbler, Wheatear & Yellow Wagtails at Honer Reservoir (AH)
Chichester GPs: Two Spotted Flycatchers and a Whitethroat were around Deep Lake this morning. (CRJ)
East Head: A Greenshank was in Snowhill Creek this morning and 20+ Yellow Wagtails and four Pied Wagtails were among the cattle in the fields by the car-park. (RWi)
