23rd - 25th October 2016

Tuesday, 25th October: A very pleasant autumn's day, with light winds and feeling mild, and with a bit of sunshine among the clouds....

Selsey Bill: Not too much early on, though there was a Great Northern Diver offshore, whilst a few Swallows moved through and some Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were around the gardens and the Dartford Warbler showed well for a brief period. Full log below....
0745-1115hrs:  light NE . (Obs: OM/DF/BFF/DM/C&ME et al)
Great Northern Diver - 1os

Gannet - 5os
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 3E, 10W
Common Scoter - 2os
Swallow - 27E
Pied/alba Wagtail - 10E
Grey Wagtail - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 39E
Dartford Warbler - 1 Bill House garden
Chiffchaff - 8 gardens
Goldcrest - 6 gardens

 Dartford Warbler at Bill House garden (DM)

Selsey, East beach pond: Just a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest or two and not really much else worth a mention..... (OM)

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: There was one Green Sandpiper, six Snipe, c40 Wigeon and Teal and c120 Lapwings on the pool this morning, and a Cetti's Warbler calling by the pumping station.
There was not too much along the Long Pool, though there a couple of Cetti's Warblers, half a dozen Goldcrests and Song Thrushes and at least a dozen Reed Buntings, whilst there were also14 Avocets at the far end of the channel. (AH)

Cetti's Warbler (above) & Goldcrest along Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: A pair of Bearded Tits were showing well at the very eastern end of the Breech Pool first thing, though they flew off into the reeds and could not be refound. (PC)
Later on there were up to three Water Rails commuting between the reedbeds, four Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank, 20+ Snipe, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Pintail and c80 Teal on the Breech Pool, and along the reeds and hedges there were several Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers, at least a dozen Reed Buntings, a Rock Pipit, a Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail, plus half a dozen Swallows over.
There was also a pair Egyptian Geese in White's Creek and 100+ Brent Geese in the harbour. (AH/PC/JDW et al)

Water Rails (above), Egyptian Geese, Snipe and Teal, Greenshanks, Grey Wagtail, Pintails & Black-tailed Godwit from North Wall (AH, except last two JDW)

Pagham Lagoon: There were c80 Brent Geese and c120 Wigeon on the lagoon, plus the usual 20+ Little Grebes this morning, and at least a dozen Swallows were feeding overhead. (AH)

Little Grebe (above) & Brent Geese on Pagham Lagoon (AH)

Church Norton; The Whimbrel was in the harbour but otherwise only three Chiffchaffs between the car park and the oak wood, plus three Stonechats along the beach and single squealing Water Rail in the Severals were of note (BDD/DM)

Fishbourne Creek; The numbers of Brent Geese and Wigeon are building up and 11 Greenshank, a single Rock Pipit and 10 Yellowhammer in the hedgerows were also noted. (BFF/DM)

Pagham churchyard: I gave the site a good working over, feeling sure there would be a migrant of interest, but there was nothing special despite my best efforts. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers actually drumming to each other was perhaps unusual at this time of year and there were at least 30 Blackbirds (but no Ouzels!), but otherwise just a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest were about it! (OM)

Runcton: A walk along the lane this morning near his new home produced a surprise for MJ in the form of a Ring Ouzel in the adjoining field/hedge (MJ/CRJ)

Monday, 24th October: A very grey and cool start, with a strong NE wind 5-6, but improving considerably as the breeze eased down through the day...

Selsey Bill: (0745-0915hrs) Nothing really moving offshore or overhead early on, though there were a few Chiffchaffs about. However once again movement increased later on...Full log below.....
Brent Goose - 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Swallow - 2E
Pied/alba Wagtail - 6E
Chiffchaff - 8 gardens
Linnet - 20E
Goldfinch - 30E

1115-1245hrs: (C&ME)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 3E 

Brent Goose - 1E, 2W

Wigeon - 15E

Short-eared Owl - 1N (1207hrs)

Swallow - 6E

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Meadow Pipit - 13N

Chiffchaff - 2 gardens 

Starling - 5N

Selsey: East Beach Pond/Selsey Common - A late afternoon visit produced a Stonechat, 2 Swallows, 2 Pied Wagtails, 5 Chiffchaffs and 2+ Goldcrests. (SR)

Medmerry: Breach area - There were three Black Redstarts at the very western end of the West Sands caravan park this morning, whilst on the adjoining waste ground and rubble piles that remain around 'Toe-end' were 60+ Linnets, 40 Meadow Pipits, 25+ Pied Wagtails and a Skylark, plus a couple of Stonechats and a single Swallow. (OM/SR) The three Black Redstarts were still present this afternoon although two had retreated to the safety of the sea defence rocks. (BI)

At what remains of Medmerry cliffs at West beach, there were 22 Pied Wagtails, 7 Meadow Pipits and 12 Linnets (SR).

Black Redstarts around the last caravans at 'Toe-end' Medmerry (east side)....(upper two OM, lower two SR) 

Stonechat and Swallow at Medmerry east side (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool- The Merlin was showing nicely around the poplars early afternoon as was a Sparrowhawk. A few Stonechats, Yellowhammers & Skylarks and plenty of Meadow Pipits along the paths on the way down to the pools. On the Stilt Pools were the two Bar-headed Geese and a Common Sandpiper with the usual Canada Geese, Teal & Wigeon. Little along the beach towards the breach except Linnets and more Meadow Pipits. (BI)

Ferry Pool: There were three Green Sandpipers on the pool, plus 25 Lapwing and 70 Wigeon this morning, and seven Pintail went over into the harbour. (AH)

A Great White Egret was reported as flying over Yeoman's Field and into the harbour at 11.15am.(per IL) (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Pintail at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A female Marsh Harrier went west over the pool mid-morning, a couple of Water Rails were squealing in the reeds and along the hedges there were a handful of Goldcrests and Reed Buntings, plus a noisy Cetti's Warbler, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a couple of Song Thrushes. There were several hundred Wigeon and Teal in the channel, plus a few Redshank, Curlew and Grey Plover. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Goldcrest & Reed Bunting along Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: Very quiet in the bushes, with just the odd Goldcrest or Chiffchaff calling and a few Jays toing and froing. The Peregrine was out hunting over the spit, and in the harbour there were three or four Bar-tailed Godwits among the commoner waders and c40 Brent Geese towards the harbour mouth. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Redshank & Jay at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 23rd October: A dry and bright morning with plenty of sunshine and some cloud, but cool with a brisk E/NE wind keeping the temperature down.... though pleasant in sheltered spots.

Selsey Bill: (0715-0930hrs) (SH/SR/CN/RJS/A&YF/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 8E, 4W
Brent Goose - 4E
Common Scoter - 6E, 2W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Ringed Plover - 5E
Common Gull - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 1E, 1W
Stock Dove - 3E
Woodlark - 1E
Skylark - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 10N
Pied Wagtail - 13E, 5p
Swallow - 35E
House Martin - 8E
Goldfinch - 121E
Siskin - 27E
Linnet - 90E
Reed Bunting - 1E

Swallow (above) & Linnets over the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: This morning there was a Geren Sandpiper, a Snipe, c60 Lapwing, ten Teal and 16 Wigeon around the pool and four Skylarks in the field. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Not much to report in the strong wind - a few birds over the beach included 12 Swallows, 40 Linnets, 65 Goldfinches, six Meadow Pipits, three Pied Wagtails and a Reed Bunting, but there was nothing around the churchyard/hide area beyond a Mistle Thrush, a Jay and a couple of calling Goldcrests.

There was a Peregrine and a few Brent Geese were in the harbour, plus a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits among plenty of Dunlin, Grey Plover and Curlew, but everything disappeared up to the other end of the harbour when a low-flying air-balloon came over. (AH et al)

Mistle Thrush (above), Bar-tailed Godwit and Grey Plover & air-balloon at Church Norton (AH)