7th - 9th September 2015

Wednesday, 8th September: An altogether more autumnal feel, with a lot of cloud and a brisk north-easterly breeze.....then becoming brighter later.

Selsey BIll: A late Little Tern was feeding offshore this morning with around 30 Sandwich Terns and 10 Common Terns, whilst four Arctic Skuas went east, along with 20 Common Scoter and four Wigeon. Also four Teal went east then west, at least 50 Gannets were moving in both directions offshore, but there was very little passerine migration bar a few Swallows and a Pied Wagtail  east. (AH/C&ME)

Little Tern (above) and Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Pectoral Sandpiper was present again this morning before flying into the ditch to the north of the pool. Also the juvenile bird was among six Spotted Redshanks that were present until 9.20am when they flew off across the harbour, along with six Green Sandpipers and two Common Sandpipers. There were also 120 Teal, 20 Shovelers, 30 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Avocets and a few Lapwing present. (AH)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were six Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, two Chiffchaffs and two Long-tailed Tits along the hedges and six Red-legged Partridge were in the fields. A Golden Plover over went over east, and c100 Canada Geese went west, with one group containing the two Bar-headed Geese. (CRJ)

Church Norton: There were a dozen or more Siskins feeding on the thistles in the small field by the Mound this morning, and at least 60 more went through overhead. A Garden Warbler was in with a dozen Blackcaps and a couple of Chiffchaffs in the hedges, but generally it was quiet for migrants. A Hobby went over the harbour, a Kingfisher was on the old entrance metalwork, with it - or another - in the creek by the horse field, and there were 5 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, but otherwise it was quiet on the high tide. (AH/A&YF)

Siskins (above), Garden Warbler, Blackcap & Hobby at Church Norton (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Totals today included 8 Willow Warblers, 9 Pied Wagtails, 9 Black-tailed Godwits, 17 Curlew, 3 Buzzards, 3 Kestrels, c20 Swallows and a mixed martin flock of c50. (SR)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake Complex - Totals today included

East Lake - 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Blackcaps, 15 Long-tailed Tits, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 12 Willow Warblers, 9 Great Crested Grebes including 4 juveniles, 4 Greylag Geese, 4 Pochard, c20 Gadwall. 

Copse Lake - 2 Black Swans, c30 Tufted Duck, 3 Great Crested Grebes. 

Ivy Lake - Kingfisher, Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Pochard, c25 Tufted Ducks, c30 Gadwall, Cettis Warbler, a calling Chiffchaff, c20 Willow Warblers, 2 Goldcrests, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 8 Swallows. 

There was distinctive lack of hirundines until I cycled back through North Mundham and had a mixed flock of c100 overhead. (SR)

Goldcrest (above) & Black Swans at Chichester GPs (SR)

North Wall: On the Breech Pool at 09.30 and at 14.30 there were six adult winter-plumage Spotted Redshanks and in the harbour there was one Avocet. (ARK per SOS)
The last few evenings up to 300 Yellow Wagtails have been coming into the North Wall and the adjoining pony paddocks. (IB)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool - There was one juvenile Little Stint running along the furthest shore, and a dozen Dunlin and one juvenile male Ruff were on the Pool (with another four fly-overs), along with about six Common Sandpipers, the pair of Bar-headed Geese and one Black Swan. A juvenile Hobby put on quite a display and two Whinchats were also present. (ARK per SOS).

Tuesday, 7th September: A brisk northerly wind added a bit of chill to the otherwise glorious, unbroken sunshine this morning....

Meanwhile, just a short note to say that another milestone was quietly reached today when our little blog's page views passed the 300,000 mark. Many thanks to all those that continue to contribute and/or use these pages, and the editors hope we can continue to be of service. I should also add our grateful thanks to our long-suffering wives who are by now well used to the phrase, "Won't be long, I'm just doing the blog!" (OM/AH).

Ferry Pool: The Pectoral Sandpiper had relocated here this morning, but was very flighty and had not re-appeared after flying off for the second time at around 9am. Otherwise at various times there were up to nine Green Sandpipers, a Greenshank, five Spotted Redshank, four Common Sandpipers, three Redshank, a Snipe, a Dunlin and six Avocets, plus the usual Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings. (BFF/DM/DF/AH)
The Pec Sand had reappeared in the top left corner at 1400 at least; 5 Green Sands still there too (AB)

Pectoral Sandpiper (above) & Green Sandpipers on the Ferry (AH)

Selsey Bill: (0745-1015) (C&ME/GH/JD/DF/DS)
Gannet - 22E, 6W
Wigeon - 4E
Common Scoter - 4W
Arctic Skua - 1E (light-phase)
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W
Sandwich Tern - 9W
Swift - 3 over
Siskin- 85 over

Medmerry: Stilt Pool area - Unsurprisingly, no sign of the Pectoral Sandpiper, but still two Little Stints, two Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover and a Ringed Plover, six Common Sandpipers and a dozen Dunlin present. 

There were still huge numbers of hirundines - 1000+ plus of which two thirds were Swallows -feeding over the pools and there were up to forty Yellow Wagtails around the edges, but few other migrants were noted, though it was early in the morning.

Also, a Short-eared Owl was sitting in the sun along the bank of the first pool, and a Hobby went over. 

There was a huge flock of mostly House Martins with quite a few Sand Martins but relatively few Swallows initially sitting on the tarmac track from Marsh Farm back to Earnley, but then settling on the slate roof of the big barn conversion, just north of the farm. Difficult to estimate, but probably 2000+ birds were around the building, with 500 or more sitting at any one time. Quite a spectacular sight! (AH)
Also a Corn Bunting and 5 Wheatears on the walk up and 2 Whimbrel in the reserve (AB) 

Short-eared Owl (above), Hobby, Yellow Wagtails, Ruff, Swallow, House and Sand Martins & House Martins at Medmerry(AH)

The Medmerry fine feral wildfowl selection... (above) Bar-headed Geese (with Canada), (centre upper) hybrid Barnacle Goose, (centre lower) Greylag Goose with another Canada (DM) and (bottom) Black Swan (with Bar-headed and Canada Geese) (AB)

 Wheatear (above), Grey Heron & Linnet at Medmerry (AB)

Church Norton: Very quiet in the bushes - just a few Willow/Chiffs, Blackcaps and Whitethroats about in the breezy conditions, but c80 Siskins went over and there were four Sandwich Terns in the harbour. (AH/A&YF)

At Norton had c3 Spotted Flycatchers in the churchyard and an imm Pied Flycatcher & c30 Siskin behind the hide, with a Redstart in the moat too and loads of Blackcaps (AB).

Spotted Flycatcher at Church Norton (AB)

North Wall: On the Breech Pool there were four Spotted Redshank, 90 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, 80 Teal and four Gadwall, plus a Kingfisher which whizzed through. Two Cetti's Warblers were noisily making their presence felt, whilst several Reed and Sedge Warblers gave brief views and at least three Yellow Wagtails passed overhead (with others unseen heard). (OM)

Snipe at the Breech pool (DM)

White's Creek/East side: There was an obvious influx of wildfowl today, including the first two Brent Geese of the autumn, 120 Wigeon and 30 Pintail. Three Greenshank and 20+ Grey Plover were present, but a careful check of the Dunlin failed to produce anything more exciting than four Knot. A single Yellow-legged Gull was on the mudflats, a Sandwich Tern flew up and down the creek and a Kingfisher was present at the sluice. Another two Cetti's Warblers were singing from the tamarisk bushes, four Chiffchaffs were flitting and calling and a steady movement of hirundines was moving overhead. (OM)

East side this morning; above - two Greenshank in White's creek, below - Grey Plover and Knot roosting and snoozing, flock of Pintail in flight, and lower - two distant Brent Geese - the first of the autumn - just about discernible in the harbour! (OM)

Monday, 7th September: Another beautiful Indian summer morning with sunshine and almost no breeze.....though what wind there was coming from the N/NE, and there's a whiff of an easterly airflow promised for later this week; mmm, promising indeed..!

Late news this afternoon of a Pectoral Sandpiper on the Medmerry Stilt Pool, but also mention must be made of the huge gatherings of hirundines this evening over the whole of the south of the peninsula, with estimates of 15000 birds at Medmerry, 2-300 at Church Norton, but an uncountable total spread right the way between the two, over Selsey and Sidlesham and intervening countryside to the point that members of the public were commenting and asking about it.

Selsey Bill (0945-1100hrs): A flat calm sea produced just Gannets 4W and Sandwich Tern 2E and 8W, though I must admit to keeping just one eye on the sea whilst walking along checking gardens. I managed just 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs and a Whitethroat, but the most notable feature was the pulses of hirundines passing through, though I confess to not making a meaningful count of them here today! (OM)
Seeing the large mixed flock of hirundines gathered at the east side of the Bill this morning I took a walk toward East Beach and back through the housing estate.  Not the most inspirational walk but there was a steady flow of Swallows over the sea heading east, a dozen Turnstones on the beach and a couple of Sandwich Terns on the rocks.  The vegetative shingle was attracting Clouded Yellow, Red Admiral and Large White butterflies, large numbers of the latter.  The estate was alive with House Martins, 200 - 300 of them with many flying around the nest sites.  Three couples are certainly feeding young, a couple more might be. (SR)  

 House Martins and Clouded Yellow at the Bill this morning (SR)

Ferry Pool: There were four Spotted Redshanks on the pool this morning, including an unusual-looking heavily barred juvenile bird. There were also two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, three Avocets, 40 Black-tailed Godwits, 30 Teal and a few Shoveler. (AH)

Juvenile Spotted Redshank (above) & Spotted Redshanks and Green Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: behind the hide in a quick visit yielded a Chiffchaff, a female Blackcap and eight Spotted Flycatchers. (BI)

This evening there was a huge movement of hirundines over the harbour (nearly all Swallows), estimated at 2-3000 birds, feeding up in spiralling groups. also there were the Common Tern family, 20 Grey Plover, four Knot and 300+ Dunlin present. (AH)

Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall/East side: A nice selection this morning, and the water level is just starting to drop on the Breech Pool, where there were two Spotted Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, up to six Snipe and c80 Black-tailed Godwits on the water, and a few Reed and Sedge Warblers, plus the odd Whitethroat and Blackcap along the edges. Also single Grey and Yellow Wagtails went over.

In White's Creek there were up to four Greenshank, similar of Common Sandpiper, plus 30 Black-tailed Godwit and 100 Lapwing. There were also a couple of hundred Swallows, with a few House and Sand Martins among them, which were also getting along the wires in Church Lane.

Out in the harbour there were 40+ Knot and similar of Grey and Ringed Plover, along with a couple of hundred Dunlin, and there were 50+ Teal, five Shoveler and a few Pintail. (AH/PC/TG/JDW)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Snipe, Grey Plover, Knot, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Sand Martin, House Martin & Swallows around the North Wall (AH)

Snipe at the North wall (JDW)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool area - On the pool early this morning there was still one, and possibly two, Little Stints and the Wood Sandpiper, along with six Common Sandpipers, juvenile Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, three Greenshank, 14 Dunlin and 3 Shoveler in with the hordes of Canadas and feral geese. A Raven flew over, then a Sparrowhawk which caused a panic, but things soon settled. Along the banks there were three Whinchats, four Wheatears, 20+ Yellow Wagtails, plus a Grey Wagtail, 50 Goldfinch, 5 Siskin and good numbers of mixed hirundines over, including several hundred Swallows and perhaps 100 House Martins. (TR/OM)

Later at least 1 Little Stint, 10 Dunlin, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Avocet and 2 Hobbies overhead. (PH)

Easton viewpoint: 1 Greenshank and a couple of Yellow Wagtails overhead.

Ham viewpoint to Chainbridge: 3 or 4 Wheatears, 1 of which only just evaded a Sparrowhawk (PH)

 Gathering of hirundines, mainly Swallows, at the Stilt pool and a Yellow Wagtail (OM)

Late this afternoon a Pectoral Sandpiper was found on the Stilt Pool. (IL)

It was still there early this evening, but the most notable this was the huge movement of hirundines - mostly Swallows, but a few hundred Sand Martins and a few House Martins, and conservatively estimated at 15000+ birds, with birds covering the whole horizon.

Other species noted included a Little Ringed Plover, three Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, five Greenshank, 20+ Dunlin, four Whinchat, three Wheatear, 26 Yellow Wagtails and five Kestrels. (S&SaH)

Pectoral Sandpiper at Medmerry (SH)

Fishbourne Creek: A low-tide visit was surprisingly disappointing, as virtually no small waders seemed to be present, but larger waders included 2 Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, two Bar-tailed and 60 Black-tailed Godwits. Amongst the roosting gulls were 220+ Mediterranean and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, but apart from the many hirundines overhead the only other bird of interest was a Wheatear (OM).