Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 18th

Wednesday, 20th August: A beautiful late summer's morning with the breeze picking up during the day. It was one of those frustrating days when the weather is nice but the bushes are quiet, not helped by OM reporting from Climping that there had been quite a fall of migrants there....!

Church Norton: Pretty quiet despite the sunshine, the predominant bird being Whitethroat - with at least 40 seen from the hide to the second Several. Otherwise, there was a Redstart by the concrete wall, half a dozen Blackcaps in the hide area, two or three Reed Warblers in the bushes, a juvenile Reed Bunting and about 20 widely scattered Willow Warblers. Also up to ten Gannets and a couple of Common Terns offshore, and a very young Great Crested Grebe in the harbour, along with a couple of Whimbrel, 8 Grey Plover and 40 Dunlin. (AH)

This evening there were 16 Wheatears along the beach, including 10 together on the spit, and a Lesser Whitethroat amongst the Willow Warblers and Whitethroats.

Offshore there were 20 Common Terns and 3 Sandwich Terns. (S&SaH)
In the harbour there were 1 Knot, 3 Whimbrel and about 200 Ringed Plovers amongst the wader flocks. (AH)

Whitethroat (above) & Reed Bunting at Church Norton (AH)

Selsey Bill: A quick look at high tide produced one Sandwich Tern on the green triangle and four more going west, six Turnstones on the beach and two Willow Warblers in the Bill House garden. (AH) A Swift over Manor Road again this evening. (S&SaH)

Sandwich Tern (above) & Turnstone at Selsey Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Still very little on the mud - this morning there were just 3 juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Avocet, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and 25 Lapwing.

In the bushes around the hide and discovery area there were at least 12 Blackcaps, 5 Whitethroats, 10 Willow Warblers and about 150 Greenfinches. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Blackcap, Wren & Greenfinches around the Ferry (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Regrettably no sign of the Cattle Egret around the farm this morning but some consolation in the form of a showy male Redstart, followed by a Whinchat eating thistle seeds. Too many Whitethroats to count, 4 Willow Warblers, 3 Sedge Warblers, 5+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, and c30 Swallows over (SR).

Tuesday, 19th August: The brisk W/NW wind and cooler airstream continues and looks set to dominate for some days yet. Changeable conditions with cloud, some sunshine and heavy showers can also be expected; overall not the most promising of conditions then for birding the south coast!

Medmerry: West Sands to the breach - At least five Wheatears around the rubble piles this morning, along with 40 Linnets and one very young and lost-looking Willow Warbler sheltering from the wind amongst the rocks. Not much around the breach - just 40 Ringed Plover and 20 Dunlin, plus a Sandwich Tern, with another two going east offshore. (AH)

West side: Eastons Lane to beach: (18.00hrs, SH)
4 Buzzards
2 Green Sandpipers
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Avocets (1 ad, 1 juv)
2 Sandwich Terns
45 Med Gulls
15 Wheatear
1 Sand Martin
1 Yellow Wagtail
4 Yellowhammer
1 Corn Bunting

Willow Warbler and Wheatear at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton: There were 5 Tree Pipits around the churchyard early on - reminiscent of last year's August influx (per TR/RS). The first Whinchat of the autumn was in the horse's field, and there was also what was probably another Tree Pipit there. Along the Severals there were 10+ Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler, with 2 or 3 each of Lesser Whitethroat and Reed Warbler. There were just a few Blackcaps and Whitethroats around the hide area, and in the harbour not much new to report - a couple of Whimbrel and twenty Black-tailed Godwits being the pick. There were also several Holly Blues along the hedgerows. (AH/DF/JD/TR/RS)

Whinchat (above) probable Tree Pipit & Holly Blue at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was present early on (per DF), along with 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Avocets, 8 Black-tailed Godwits and 25 Lapwing. (AH)

North wall area: I didn't see much but there was a Brown Argus near Halsey's Farm and a juv Black-tailed Godwit with adults on Breach Pool (ARK).

Brown Argus at Halsey's Farm and Black-tailed Godwits (with juv centre) on Breach Pool (ARK).

Monday, 18th August: Another gusty day, westerly 4-5, very chilly early on, but slowly warming up.... though perhaps becoming showery later. Regular readers will note the change of the blog title page photo again.... well what else could it be! May I take the opportunity to thank all those who have sent photos to AH and I for us to freely use on the blog. We endeavour to use photos taken on or as near as possible to the day of the event, however we are also always on the lookout for a potential future title page pic..... preferably not cropped too tightly, especially above the image, to allow the title header/text to fit neatly above it (OM/AH).

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: The Cattle Egret was present again in the cattle fields just north of the farm at 1115hrs, though reported as mobile (per RBA). It can disappear for periods of time, often depending on where the cattle are (before they go for milking etc).

Ferry Pool: A juvenile Little Ringed Plover present this morning, along with 2 juvenile Avocets, 12 Black-tailed Godwits and 35 Lapwing. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were two Redstarts - a male and a female - behind the hide this morning, along with a Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat and several Whitethroats, with several more of the latter and a few Willow Warblers along the sheltered hedges by the harbour.

In the harbour itself there were 3 Whimbrel, 20 Black-tailed Godwits, 40+ Redshank and 80+ Dunlin. (AH)

This evening, as the wind dropped, and despite the dark grey cloud, there was a mass of activity around the first Several, including 20+ Sedge Warblers and 3 or 4 Reed Warblers in the reeds and a dozen or more Whitethroats, with a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and Reed Buntings, in the row of bushes. There were also 3 Wheatears at the near end of the spit, and 20+ Common Terns, 2 or 3 Sandwich Terns and Gannets, plus 5 Great Crested Grebes offshore. (S&SaH/AH)