Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 22nd

Thursday, 24th September: A grey and wet start, before slowly brightening up from the west....

Selsey Bill: (0730-0830) Nothing really moving - just c50 Gannets and a Mediterranean Gull west offshore, and 12 Meadow Pipits and c100 Swallows west overhead. (AH/GH)

Gannet past the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were four Spotted Redshank and eight Redshanks on the pool first thing, along with a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Snipe, six Avocets and five Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Snipe on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Sandwich Tern and a Whimbrel were in the harbour on the high tide, but otherwise it was quiet. A Spotted Flycatcher and a big mixed flock containing plenty of Chiffchaffs was around the hide, along with up to four Green Woodpeckers. A couple of Whitethroats and up to ten Blackcaps were by the concrete wall, with a few of the former, a Wheatear and a pair of Stonechats were along the beach/Severals area and a Buzzard was in the horse field. Around 20 Meadow Pipits, 50 Goldfinches, 40 Linnets and 200 Swallows all went west along the beach. (AH)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Wheatear, Stonechat, Whitethroat, Buzzard & Green Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Eastons to Stilt Pool: The two Garganey were still present along with a Little Grebe, a Little Egret and a Grey Heron, whilst opposite at the sluice, sat the Kingfisher. Along the route to the Pools were 8 Whinchat, 3 Wheatears, 4 Stonechats, 4 Kestrels, a Buzzard, 35 Goldfinches, 7 Skylarks, 40 Meadow Pipits, 2 Whitethroats, c30 Swallows, 35 Black-tailed Godwits and 25 Teal.
It was very windy at the Stilt Pool and the water level was high, with just a Little Ringed Plover, a Sandwich Tern and17 Dunlin present, and little else of note. The two Bar-headed Geese were amongst the Canadas, and there were 3 or 4 Wheatears and good sized flocks of Meadow Pipit and Goldfinch about the banks. (SR)

This evening along Easton Lane, there was just one Garganey on show, along with two Green Sandpipers, there were 20 or so Yellow Wagtails in with 100+ Meadow Pipits, and there was a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and three Kestrels around. (S&SaH)

Wednesday, 23rd September: A beautiful bright and still start, with a bit of cloud and a breeze picking up through the morning.....and freshening to a WSW5-6 later....

Selsey Bill (0745-1100hrs): (Obs: C&ME/GH).
Gannet - 3E, 85W

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Brent Goose - 13W

Common Scoter - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 4W

Pied Wagtail - 19N

Grey Wagtail - 4W

Meadow Pipit - 131W
Wheatear - 1 ob
Linnet - 5W
Siskin - 32W

CE attempts to fly like a bird....too long sea-watching in the sun perhaps...? (OM)

Ferry Pool: There were four Spotted Redshank at the back this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper, a Dunlin, four Black-tailed Godwits, six Avocets and c40 Lapwing, plus the usual Teal and Shoveler. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above) & Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A lot of waders along White's Creek, mainly Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwing, a few Curlew and one Spotted Redshank, whilst Swallows, House and Sand Martins were passing through in small numbers and there were two Wheatears along the Wall. The only migrants in any numbers were at the Macracarpa copse where there was a mixed feeding group of some 40 birds comprising up to 20 Chiffchaffs, nine Long-tailed Tits, three Blackcap, three Goldcrests and a few Blue and Great Tits. Also in that vicinity were three Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, one Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Also a good morning for dragonflies. (JDW)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - The juvenile Black Tern was still present this morning at the back of the lake, (SH) and it was also still there this afternoon (SR). At 6pm it was still sat on a buoy and there were 30+ Sand Martins and a few Swallows over the water. (AH)

Black Tern on Ivy Lake (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The two Garganey were still on the first pool, though mostly lurking in the reeds, and there was also a Green Sandpiper and six Gadwall there. On the tidal area there were six Curlew and 15 Redshank but it was pretty quiet along the banks until Marsh Farm, bar a Corn Bunting by the barn.

There were up to eight Wheatears spread out from the farm to the beach, a couple of Stonechats and 50+ Linnets and Goldfinches were on the rough ground and about ten Skylarks got up intermittently, but the most striking feature was Meadow Pipits. All along the banks, the pool, the beach and the cattle-fields there were many hundreds - some flitting about and feeding, some going off westwards, but too many to count. Also, among the cattle there were still around a dozen Yellow Wagtails and the odd Pied Wagtail, plus several hundred Swallows and the occasional House and Sand Martin.

The pool itself was pretty quiet, with just three Common Sandpipers and c100 Teal of note, and just six Canada Geese. Also a Peregrine was over the reserve and a Hobby briefly appeared near Marsh Barn. (AH)

Yellow Wagtail (above), Wheatear, Swallows, Corn Bunting, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper & Meadow Pipit and Goldfinch at Medmerry (AH)

A reminder of how low-lying Medmerry is! (AH)

Church Norton: A quick look this evening at the rising tide produced a Kingfisher fly-by, a Whimbrel and plenty of Curlew and Redshanks, and there were two Sandwich Terns, two Common Terns, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull amongst the gul roost. (AH/RHa)

Whimbrel (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 22nd September: Cloudy with rain/showers and a brisk W/NW wind, but also some drier, brighter spells through the morning. It's easy to be put off sometimes by the weather forecast, but once again the gloomy prediction does not appear to match the reality so far.......

Selsey Bill: (0730-1000hrs) (JD/DS/DF/AH)

Gannet - c80W, c20E

Brent Goose - 1W

Grey Plover - c50W

Knot - c20W

Common Tern - 2W

Swallow - c50W

Meadow Pipit - c50N

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - A juvenile Black Tern and a juvenile Common Tern were present this morning, plus a steady movement of Swallows. (JD/DS/DF)
Both terns were still present at 6pm. (AH)

Black Tern at Ivy Lake (BI)

Black Tern (above) & Common Tern on Ivy Lake (AH)

Ferry Pool: Not many waders now that the water level has risen again - just a Common Sandpiper, two Dunlin, five Avocets and c40 :Lapwing present this morning. There were also 12 Shelduck, c30 Shoveler and c80 Teal. (AH)

Teal (above) & Shoveler on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: An Osprey appeared along the beach by the second Several from the west and went over Priory Wood into the harbour at 8.55am.

There was a huge roaming flock of c50 Chiffchaffs, c50 Long-tailed Tits, c30 Goldcrests and similar of Blue Tits around the churchyard/Mound area, along with a couple of Jays and Green Woodpeckers. A Whimbrel was in the harbour, though not much else of note, and along the front there were half a dozen Whitethroats but not many other migrants, though c150 House Martins went over west.

There was a Knot in with eight Dunlin on the beach, and offshore there were two Common Terns and a few Gannets. (AH)
This evening there were 75+ House Martins, 2 Sand Martins, 20+ Swallows and a Swift over the Severals, 3 Stonechats on the beach, 10+ Chiffchaffs in the second Several and a Wheatear on the beach. (S&SaH)