28th - 30th September 2015

Wednesday, 30th September: More of the same, with sunshine and clear skies, a brisk north-easterly wind and high pressure dominating..... all very pleasant, but currently there are diminishing returns on the birding front, for the crystal clear starlit nights have doubtless assisted with the clear-out of many lingering migrants, whilst not being conducive to the grounding of new arrivals!

Selsey Bill: (0745 - 1045hrs): Sunny, E/NE4-5  (Obs: C&ME)
Gannet  -15E, 7W
Fulmar - 1W
Brent Goose - 12W
Common Scoter - 14E
Wigeon - 7E, 40W
Sparrowhawk - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 8E                              
Mediterranean Gull - 8E 
Razorbill - 1E                                                                             
Grey Wagtail - 3E
Pied Wagtail - 30E, 7ob                             
Meadow Pipit - 182N  
Swallow - c.300
House Martin - c.170                      

Ferry Pool: The Curlew Sandpiper was still present this morning, along with five Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, c40 Dunlin, 36 Black-tailed Godwits and up to 80 Lapwing. A Kingfisher shot through and a Grey Wagtail and several Pied Wagtails were present, too. (AH)

 Curlew Sandpiper (above), with Dunlin, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper & Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Spoonbill was in the harbour this morning, along with what is hopefully going to be a wintering Whimbrel and 30+ Curlews. 

There was very little in the bushes bar a few unseen calling Goldcrests and a couple of Sparrowhawks over Priory Wood, but there was quite a bit of visible migration along the beach/Severals, with birds all heading eastwards, approximate totals thus - Yellow Wagtail - 4, Pied Wagtail - 8, Meadow Pipit - 250, Swallow - 180, House Martin - 2, Siskin - 85, Linnet - 60, Goldfinch - 120, Reed Bunting - 3. (AH)

Spoonbill (above), Siskin, Sparrowhawks & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 29th September: Another bright morning and - initially, at least - less breezy than yesterday....

Ferry Pool: An adult Curlew Sandpiper was on the pool this morning, among a good selection of waders, including a Knot, four Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and c40 Dunlin, along with the regular five Avocets, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c120 Lapwing. A Grey Wagtail came and went several times and there were 100+ Pied Wagtails in the adjacent ploughed field. (AH/DF/JD/DS/OM) Nearby, a Spotted Flycatcher was around the Discovery area and c.10 Chiffchaffs between there and the Visitor centre car parks (OM).
A Marsh Harrier flew across the back of the pool late this afternoon. (SH)

Two views of the Curlew Sandpiper (OM)

Curlew Sandpiper (below), Grey Wagtail & Knot on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were 30+ Reed Buntings again early this morning along the bushes, and there was a Reed Warbler and three or four Blackcaps in among 20+ Chiffchaffs and similar of Long-tailed Tit, whilst there were also 20+ Linnets and 50+ Goldfinches about, and at least 100 Teal in the channel. (AH)

Reed Warbler (above), Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff & Long-tailed Tit along Long Pool (AH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm to Chainbridge Field - There was a male Stonechat and a couple of Yellowhammers along Ham Lane, plus a big mixed Linnet and Goldfinch flock, whilst there were a couple of Chiffchaffs around the farm, but not much else.

There were 20+ Meadow Pipit and Skylarks along the banks, and three or four Sand Martins among the 80 or Swallows that went over. There was not much of note out on the reserve - a Common Sandpiper, two Grey Plovers and a dozen Dunlin being the only waders present, whilst there were around 25 Mediterranean Gulls in with the Black-headed Gulls. Also a Sparrowhawk went over, there were 60 Canada Geese on the stubble and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the last dead tree before the breach! (AH)

Stonechat and Yellowhammer (above), Great Spotted Woodpecker & Mediterranean Gull at Medmerry (AH)

Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - This evening there were four Stonechats and a Whinchat along the track, plus numerous Swallows and Meadow Pipits about, and a Peregrine went over. There was also a Kingfisher, a Greenshank and two Green Sandpipers near the poplars, but no sign of the Garganey - just four Gadwall and two Wigeon on the pool. (SH/AH)

Greenshank at Medmerry (AH)

Honer Farm: A look early this evening produced 5 Buzzards, a pair of Stonechats and a Chiffchaff, whilst there were c100 Rooks and 30 Stock Dove in the fields, and 4 Little Grebe, 6 Tufted Ducks and 4 Coots on the reservoir. (CRJ)

Monday, 28th September: A bright but breezy morning, with a strong north-easterly taking the edge off the sunshine....and certainly hindering my attempts at digging out something of interest from the trees and bushes! However, with persistent easterly-based winds, and lots of eastern gems being found way up north, it may only be a matter of time before it's our turn as stuff filters down south. Let's hope so; meanwhile, whilst I was searching without success, I came across a certain Mr Janman doing much the same thing as me at Church Norton.... now he knows a thing or two about rarity finding and his radar had clearly been activated....watch this space. (OM)

Selsey Bill (0745-1000hrs): Sunny, NE5 (Obs: OM/C&ME/SR/AH) Over a dozen Sandwich Terns  moved through and there was just a little movement offshore, plus a steady inward arrival of Meadow Pipits. Swallows and House Martins were also steadily drifting through... full log below: 

Gannet - 23E, 5W, 15os

Shag - 7E

Brent Goose - 7W

Common Scoter - 11E, 4W

Teal - 8W

Pintail - 3W

Wigeon - 4E, 18W

Razorbill - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 14E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 6W

Pied Wagtail - 23E

Meadow Pipit - 76N

Swallow - 450E

House Martin - 60E

Chiffchaff - 5 gardens

Goldfinch - 60E

Linnet - 3E

Sandwich Tern past the Bill (AH)

Selsey (Northcommon Farm): The strong north-easterly was blasting through the trees and few birds were on offer, but in the more sheltered spots there were several Chiffchaffs and a few Goldcrests, but otherwise nothing worth a mention. (OM)

Selsey East Beach pool: Much the same as above...six Chiffchaffs and several Goldcrests in the sheltered spots. (OM)

Ferry Pool: There were three Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper present early on, along with a Snipe, five Avocets, 24 Dunlin, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Lapwing. Dunlin numbers had increased to at least forty by mid-morning and Avocets to eight, and there was a huge number - 700+ - of Black-headed Gulls on the pool with 30 Mediterranean Gulls among them. (AH/OM/C&ME)

Dunlins (above), Common Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gulls on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Spoonbill in the harbour near Tern Island was notable, but there was little else to report in the strong north-easterly. A couple of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were around the mound/churchyard area, 80+ Meadow Pipits with three Pied Wagtails among them went east along the beach and there were 50+ Swallows and the occasional House Martin feeding overhead. A walk round Greenlease Farm was more or less devoid of birds! (AH)

Spoonbill (above) & Meadow Pipit at Church Norton (AH)

A walk up to the oak copse and back produced very little, just a couple of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, 14 Meadow Pipits in the horse field and 50 Great Black-backed Gulls in the harbour. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Breach area - From the viewpoint on the east side  in a gusty easterly wind there were a few Grey Plover, twelve or so Dunlin, a Spoonbill associating with plenty of Cormorants, and a Gannet which nearly flew into the intertidal area but not quite and decided to fish offshore instead. Around the rubble there were four Wheatears and several flocks of Meadow Pipits, with a few Linnets & Pied Wagtails about, too (BI)

In addition to the above, a Kingfisher was heard but not seen, three Kestrels were about, a distant flock of c40 Lapwing were out on the reserve and there were 53 Mediterranean Gulls among a large mixed gull flock on the water. (SR)

Wheatear at Medmerry (BI)

Coastguard Field: - 1 Stonechat, 17 Swallows, 9 Meadow Pipits. (SR)

Chainbridge Field: 2 Buzzards hunting at the sheltered end, 1 calling Cetti's Warbler, 5 Chiffchaffs. (SR)

Ham Viewpoint: Very windy and few birds - 6 Tufted Duck, 3 Kestrels, 20 Goldfinch, 2 Wheatears. (SR)