16th - 18th September 2015

Friday, 18th September: A few showers in the early part of the morning, giving way to a brighter day with scattered cloud and sunny periods; wind light W/NW at first, increasing a bit later.

Selsey Bill (0710-0900hrs): wind W3 - mainly cloud cover, slight shower  0900  (Obs: PM/C&ME/JA).  Full log below...
Gannet - 13W 
Common Scoter - 9W
Sandwich Tern - 32W
Commic Tern - 18W
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Razorbill - 1W
Kestrel - 1 p
Swallow - 46N
Meadow Pipit  - 37N
Tree Pipit - 1N
Yellow Wagtail -  2W
Grey Wagtail - 1N
Pied Wagtail - 1ob
Chiffchaff - 1 garden
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens
Goldcrest - 2 gardens

A last check made on the Bill's House Martins and I was surprised to find one pair (at  Canadian Crescent) still feeding young this morning.(SR)

Ferry Pool: Both the Grey Phalarope and the Pectoral Sandpiper were present again this morning. A Kingfisher and three Whinchats were also seen nearby (BI).

Grey Phalarope (juv) on the Ferry pool ( above - BI, below two PM)

Church Norton: Lots of Chiffchaffs, they seemed to be in every bush; also a flock of Linnets, a dozen Reed Buntings, a few Willow Warblers, a Redstart, three Wheatears, two Blackcaps, two calling Cetti's Warblers and a Green Woodpecker along the beach path (but no sign of the Wryneck so far) Plenty of hirundines over, at least ten Spotted Flycatchers around the churchyard/ back of the hide, plus more Chiffchaffs, two female Blackcaps at the hide and a juv Pied Flycatcher in the churchyard. (BI).

This evening, two Stonechats on the beach with one Wheatear, 50+ Chiffchaff and a couple of Willow Warbler throughout the area, and singles of Redstart, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Blackcap, with 20+ Sandwich Terns and 2 Common Tern offshore (S&SaH)

Reed Bunting at Church Norton (BI)

North Wall/White's Creek/East side: The water level in the Breech Pool is still currently high and no waders were present, just a small selection of Teal/Mallard, plus eight Reed Buntings and three calling Cetti's Warblers, plus a stream of Swallows moving east.

Along the creek and east side there were three Spotted Redshanks, two Greenshank, a Grey Wagtail, eight Chiffchaffs, two Wheatears and a handful of Siskin moving east. A scan of all the Dunlin failed to produce anything more exciting (again!) but on the mudflats and saltmarsh were at least 34 Yellow-legged Gulls and 6 Lesser Black-backs, plus at least one individual amongst them that was surely a Scandinavian Herring Gull. Amongst the increasing numbers of Wigeon and Pintail there was a lone Brent Goose, until a Peregrine went over scattering the flocks. (OM).

Medmerry:

Stilt pools – usual group of Canada Geese, 2 Bar-headed Geese and the Black Swan. A few Dunlin and ca.20 Teal.

Beach and breach – 4 or 5 Wheatears and few Yellow Wagtails heard overhead. Large passage of Swallows and a few House Martins – seemingly going west. Around the breach were about 80 Med’ Gulls roosting/loafing.

Saltmarsh – ca.175 Teal, and 3 or 4 Greenshank. Also a large female Peregrine... it flushed some gulls and chased them (and perhaps waders?) right out to sea, stooping 3 or 4 times before being lost to view. (PH)

Eastons: The two Garganey were on the pool (near the poplars) on the way down but seemed to have gone on the way back (BI)

Wheatear at Medmerry (BI)

Runcton: A small fall of migrants today, the highlight being a Spotted Flycatcher, two Chiffchaffs, and a semi-resident Mistle Thrush feeding on Rowan berries. (CRJ)

Thursday, 17th September: A glorious early autumn day, with light winds and sunshine, and even a few birds about!

(I am away for the next three days, so please direct all news and photos to OM at the above e-mail address). Good birding! (AH)

Selsey Bill (0800 - 1030hrs): Dry, sun and cloud, wind NE3  (Obs: OM/C&ME et al) A little bit of variety over the sea and also some vis.mig, with a few migrants in the gardens...whilst Swallows seemed to be moving in all directions, some clearly arriving N from the sea.

Full log below...

Gannet - 5E, 10W, 40 os

Common Scoter - 8E

Wigeon - 5E

Oystercatcher - 11ob

Whimbrel - 1E

Arctic Skua - 1W (l/p)

Common Tern - 1W

Commic Tern - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 25os; most eventually drifting W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 3W

Pied Wagtail - 4W, 2ob

Yellow Wagtail - 1E

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 162N, 6ob

Wheatear - 5ob

Willow Warbler - 1 gardens

Chiffchaff - 12 gardens

Swallow - 45N, 50 generally E

House Martin - 2E

Siskin - 22E

Selsey (West): A look around Northcommon Farm was not very productive, with just a handful of Chiffchaffs in the trees and around 100 Swallows and some House Martins over the fields. By way of contrast however, the nearby Warner Lane paddocks were much better, with an obvious gathering of migrants in just this small area... there was no less than three Redstarts, whilst back-up birds included 2 Whinchats, a Wheatear, 6 Whitethroats, a Yellow Wagtail, a couple of Siskin, several Chiffchaffs and a handful of Meadow Pipits (OM).

 

Ferry Pool: The Grey Phalarope and the Pectoral Sandpiper were again present, and showing quite well at times to a growing crowd of admirers. There were also a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, nine Avocets, four Dunlin and the usual Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits present. (AH/TR/OM et al)

The juv Grey Phalarope with the juv Pectoral Sandpiper, Ferry Pool (D. Sadler)

Grey Phalarope (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Another view of the Grey Phalarope (JDW)

Church Norton: Most of the action was in the area from the path between the Severals to the Bluebell wood. A visiting birder reported a Wryneck in the brambles just west of the path, and there were a lot of common migrants in the area, including a Redstart, a Sedge Warbler, two Whinchats, a Spotted Flycatcher, around 30 Wheatears along the beach, 20+ Whitethroats, a few Blackcaps and at least 50 and probably double that of Willow/Chiffs, of which a few were definitely Willow Warblers.

Around 50 Siskins came out of the wood and flew around a couple of times, and a Grey Wagtail, four Yellow Wagtails and c40 Meadow Pipits went over (with as many again of the latter feeding on the beach), and there was a steady stream of House Martins and Swallows moving east. 

Half a dozen Sandwich Terns were offshore, a Greenshank and a Whimbrel flew around the harbour and a Raven went over west, but the rest of the area was fairly quiet bar a Tree Pipit by the concrete wall, a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Warblers among the Willow/Chiffs and Whitethroats along the west side and a single Siskin in the churchyard. (AH)

 Wryneck at Church Norton (D. Sadler)

Whinchat (above), Wheatear, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Tree Pipit, Raven & Siskins at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A quiet start.... 2 Spotted Redshanks on White's Creek and along the Wall were 2 Wheatears, a mixed tit flock of some 18 birds and 3 Blackcaps at the western end. Thereafter migrants were to be seen at most scrubby/woody areas. The end total was 20 plus of Blackcaps, Common Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Common Redstarts and 1 Whinchat. The Buzzards near Bremere bridge took exception to my presence and did their best to move me on. (JDW)

 Long-tailed Tit at the North wall and Buzzard at nearby Bremere bridge (JDW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The two Garganey were still present but much concealed in peripheral vegetation as they busied themselves up-ending in the first pool from the car-park. Many small birds about, including Linnet, Meadow pipit and Swallow in three figures, and 16 Whinchats, 12 Wheatears and 10 Yellow Wagtails.

While at the Breach everything got up and an Osprey, with catch flew SE at 13.30. Besides Sandwich Terns there was one Little Tern over the sea, many Mediterranean Gulls, with first-years prevalent, and a single Golden Plover put up from the beach. (ARK per SOS)

Wednesday, 16th September: A gloomy, grey day with a strong easterly wind, though not (so far!) as wet as predicted, the Met Office 'yellow warning' forecast of gales and torrential rain all morning being well wide of the mark, although rain had certainly arrived by early afternoon......

Ferry Pool: Both the Grey Phalarope and the Pectoral Sandpiper were present again this morning, though the former had retreated to the far end and the latter had mostly retreated back into the reeds! Other birds about included two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a dozen Dunlin, seven Avocets, 40 Lapwing and 30 Black-tailed Godwits. Also a Hobby went over and around 50 Yellow Wagtails were in with the cattle in the adjacent fields. (AH/ARK/A&YF)

Grey Phalarope (above), Green Sandpipers & Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

The Grey Phalarope was still at the back with a Green Sandpiper and four Dunlin this evening, and there were seven Spotted Redshanks roosting together  on the pool. (AH)

Seven Spotted Redshanks in the rain on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a bit of visible migration this morning, with a Grey Wagtail, around 60 Siskins, 50 Linnets, 25 Meadow Pipits and four Reed Buntings going east along the beach, and another flock of 50+ Siskins over the churchyard.

There were at least four Spotted Flycatchers, 20+ Blackcaps and a few Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs tucked into the hedges by the Mound, but very little was on view elsewhere, though a Peregrine did upset the Wood Pigeons in Priory Wood. (AH)

Spotted Flycatcher (above) & Blackcaps at Church Norton (AH)

There was a lot of activity early this evening during a break in the weather, including a Short-eared Owl along the beach and into harbour, 30+ Siskins in one flock over the back of the Severals, 40+ House Martins, two Sand Martins and 20+ Swallows over, and a Redstart, two Wheatears, two Yellow Wagtails,10+ Whitethroats, 20+ Chiffchaffs, four Willow Warblers, and six Blackcaps around the bushes at the front of the Severals.

An Arctic Tern was feeding close offshore and two Common Terns were still taking food into harbour, whilst there were also 10+ Sandwich terns about. A Peregrine was over Park Farm and there were also two Sparrowhawks, two Buzzards and three Kestrels making the most in the break in the weather. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane - The two Garganey looked quite happy at Easton Pool in the driving rain this afternoon, along with about 6 Gadwall. (SR)