19th - 21st September 2015

Monday, 21st September: A real contrast to yesterday - grey and breezy with the threat of heavy rain hanging in the air.....which duly arrived by afternoon!
The morning was dominated with reports of Osprey sightings and it seems there are/were at least three birds involved.....

Selsey Bill (0750-1030hrs): Cloudy, dull, wind WSW4-5  (Obs: OM/C&ME/SR)
Gannet - 33E, 9W, 12os
Fulmar - 1W
Brent Goose - 5W
Common Scoter - 22E
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 15W
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Kittiwake - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 3os loitering, 5W
Auk sp - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 3W
Grey Wagtail - 1W
Swallow - 35 mainly E/SE
Chiffchaff - 4 gardens
Siskin - 3W

Additional: 1700 - 1800hrs   (SH)
Gannet  - 11E, 6W
Brent Goose - 13W
Dunlin - 1W
Hobby - 1 flushed a Turnstone off the beach, chased it high off over housing estate
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p)
Common Tern - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 6W, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 1 os
 

Ferry Pool: An Osprey went over westwards at 7.30am this morning upsetting all the waders, which had included a total of ten Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, three Redshank, seven Avocets, four Black-tailed Godwits and 40 Lapwing. Also a Grey Wagtail landed briefly by the sluice and 30+ Swallows went over. (AH) Later a Green Sandpiper appeared, but it was lean pickings as most of the above waders had gone. The path and Visitor centre area held 20+ Chiffchaffs and c.10 Blackcaps but nothing unusual. (OM)

Spotted Redshank and Lapwing (above), Osprey & Grey Wagtail at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane - Stilt Pools: The two Garganey were still present in the small pool, along with three Wigeon and nine Gadwall this morning, with a flighty Green Sandpiper also present and two Greenshank were in the tidal area. There were also quite a few Swallows and Meadow Pipits about. (AH)

On the walk to the pools 0830-12.00 there was an Osprey sitting on a post in the centre of the reserve, later it was fishing near the Selsey side; at one time I thought there were two fishing there, but very distantly. On and around the pools were 550 Canada Geese, 2 Bar-headed Geese, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 5 Stock Dove, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Avocet, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank,  Green Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin,1 Water Rail, 6 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Stonechat, 2 Whinchat, 20 Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipit,120 Starling and 120 Linnet. The 2 Garganey were also still present on my return walk (CRJ).

Garganey at Medmerry (AH)

Breach area - An Osprey was fishing over the east of the reserve late this morning; it took about eight dives before it caught a fish and headed off NW. It or another reappeared from the N at about 13.00, caught a fish first time in one of the lagoons and then headed off again NW. Also 2 Kingfishers on the creeks on the east side.(PH) 
There was no sign of any Ospreys by the time I arrived, but with the rain starting and the wind increasing, the only thing of any note was a gathering of 125 Mediterranean Gulls on the mudflats by the lagoons, two Bar-headed Geese plus a few each of Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Grey Plover (OM).

 

Church Norton: Another Osprey flew westwards along the main channel at 9.00am until lost from view. Fairly quiet in the harbour with just a Greenshank and Whimbrel of note, whilst  there were eight Common Terns and three Sandwich Terns, plus a few first-year Mediterranean Gulls among the flock feeding offshore.

There were two or three Spotted Flycatchers and plenty of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrests around the hide/churchyard area, whilst along the Severals there were up to four Stonechats, a Lesser Whitethroat and at least ten Whitethroats, plus a steady flow of Swallows overhead and a number of noisy Jays in the trees. (AH)

Osprey (above), Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Greenshank and Redshank & Common Tern at Church Norton (AH)

 

 

 

Sunday, 20th September: A beautifully calm and sunny autumn morning, with a hint of crispness in the air early on before the sun powered through...

Selsey Bill (0630 - 0945hrs):  (Obs: SH/JA/C&ME/SR/IP/CN)
Gannet - 4E, 1W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 12W
Common Scoter - 2W
Teal - 3W
Wigeon - 3W
Gadwall - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 19E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W
Meadow Pipit - 4N, 14W
Pied Wagtail - 4W
Yellow  Wagtail - 6E, 13W   
Grey Wagtail - 4W          
Stonechat - 1ob
Sand Martin - 4 present
House Martin - 200+ p
Swallow - 400+ p
Chiffchaff - 17 gardens
Willow Warbler - 1 gardens
Siskin - 2E, 3W

After the sea-watch this morning I took another look at the House Martin nests and found the Canadian Crescent young still being fed (one youngster looking almost ready to fledge) and another active nest (Coxswain Way). Also a Kestrel was hunting the edge of Oval Field.(SR)

Active House Martin nest, Canadian Crescent, Selsey Bill (SR)

Ferry Pool: No reports of the Pectoral Sandpiper by early afternoon, but an Osprey flew over N (10.05) with a fish in its talons. Also three Spotted Redshanks, three Green Sandpipers and an Avocet (RAI).

Church Norton: A mid-morning visit produced the following...... (S&SaH)
Buzzard - 8 around the harbour
Sparrowhawk - 2
Common Tern - 12 os

Sandwich Tern - 1 os

Kingfisher - 1 around the old metalwork
Swift - 1 over Greenlease farm
Stonechat - 4
Whinchat - 1
Wheatear - 1
Whitethroat - 4 along beach path
Also nearby, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Blackcap (Park farm) (S&SaH)
Later there were 15 Siskin over,  6 Yellow Wagtails, a Stonechat and the Kingfisher, plus unusually high late September counts of 35 Whitethroats and 40 Robins. (RAI)

North Wall: Early on there was a steady eastward movement of House Martins, Sand Martins and Swallows plus a late Swift, many were using Honer reservoir as a drinks stop. On the Breech Pool were 56 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Common Snipe. There were 2 Greenshank along White's Creek, whilst a few migrants were to be seen; several Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs, 4 Stonechats and 1 Lesser Whitethroat, plus 4 Stock Doves at Honer. (JDW).

Medmerry: Eastons Lane to Stilt pools: 16.00 (S&SaH)
There were three Ospreys present late afternoon; one fishing the channels and pools, one perched on a post and a third bird that drifted in from the north east but was mobbed by gulls and corvids before drifting away north east.  Also logged were...
a Hobby, two Kestrels, two Buzzards, two Greenshank, one Green Sandpiper, one Common Sandpiper, two Garganey, 60+ Mediterranean Gulls, nine Stonechat, six Whinchat, six Wheatears and 10 Yellow Wagtails. 

 Wheatear at Medmerry, and below, two record shots of Ospreys (SH)

Saturday, 19th September: Cloudy at first, soon clearing to give a fine and sunny day with a moderate NE breeze....
First news today (0830) is of a Honey Buzzard heading S out to sea at the Bill......

Selsey Bill (0630 to 0930hrs):  (Obs: SH/JA/PB/SR/C&ME)
Gannet - 3E, 21W
Common Scoter - 1E
Brent Goose - 2W
Curlew - 1W
Sanderling - 3W
Sparrowhawk - 1N]
Kestrel - 1 p
Honey Buzzard - 1S (0820)
Commic Tern - 5W
Common Tern - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 12E
Mediterranean Gull - 6E, 3W
Pied Wagtail - 4N
Grey Wagtail - 1E, 1N
Yellow Wagtail - 4W
Meadow Pipit - 12E, 202N
Wheatear - 3ob
Swallow - 6000+E
House Martin - 639E
Sand Martin - 4E
Stonechat - 1 gardens
Chiffchaff - 34 gardens
Goldfinch - 21E
Siskin - 2E

Medmerry: Eastons to Stilt pools: Two Garganey still present, also six Gadwall near the poplars. Ten Whinchat, eight Stonechat, two Wheatear and one Spotted Flycatcher were seen on the way down, and around the pools were two Bar-headed Geese, the Barnacle hybrid, the Canada Geese flock, a few Dunlin and hundreds of hirundines. (BI)

 Garganey, Wheatear and Whinchat at Medmerry (BI)

Ferry Pool: The Pectoral Sandpiper was reported as being present though generally elusive this morning (per RBA)  but there was no sign of the Grey Phalarope. The usual wildfowl were present including eight Shoveler, plus a few Teal, 30 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Lapwing and a Green Sandpiper (BI). 
  

Shoveler on the Ferry Pool (BI)

Church Norton: An Osprey was reported late morning (per RBA).
A Spotted Flycatcher was around Park farm and the following were present around Norton.... (S&SaH/PB)
Common Buzzard - 4
Sparrowhawk - 3
Sandwich Tern - 20+ os
Common Tern - 3os
Swallow - 1000+
House Martin - 50+
Sand Martin - 4
Meadow Pipit - 50+
Stonechat - 3
Whinchat - 3
Wheatear - 6
Blackcap - 4
Chiffchaff - 20+
Whitethroat - 10+
Siskin - 14