Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 19th

Thursday, 21st September: A mild, if mostly grey, morning with a brisk almost due southerly breeze....but becoming duller with rain by mid-afternoon.

Selsey Bill: Two Bonxies and two Arctic Skuas went west, along with a steady stream of Gannets, with a few Sandwich Terns and a probable Arctic Tern lingering offshore.
Also, a rather tame (tired?) juvenile 'Ringed Plover' was found loitering amongst vegetation next to the footpath at the top of the beach....initially it looked a tad small, and for a second I pondered...did the white colouring intrude at the bill base into the dark gape line? (see top photo) .....but no, dream on and any hopes of a waif 'Semi-p Plover' were soon dashed following a proper look, when reality set in and its true Ringed Plover ID was quickly established. (OM)
Full log below.....
0735-1135hrs: (C&ME/AH/OM/PC et al)

Gannet - 14E, 256W
Brent Goose - 5W
Common Scoter - 63E
Ringed Plover - 1 ob (juv)
Great Skua - 2W
Arctic Skua - 1E (d/p), 1W (l/p)
Commic Tern (probable Arctic) - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 19E, 8W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Swallow - 38E, 65W

Chiffchaff - 6 gardens

Juvenile Ringed Plover on the beach footpath at the Bill (OM)

Bonxie (above) & Gannets past the Bill (AH)

(1640-1800hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 4E, 2W, 25os
Common Scooter - 3E
Bonxie - 1os
Arctic Skua - 2os (1l/p, 1d/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 13os
auk sp - 1W
Chiffchaff - 2p

Selsey (West): At Warner Lane paddocks the Redstart was still present, plus a Whinchat, a Whitethroat and a couple of Chiffchaffs. Nearby at Northcommon Farm were two Goldcrests, several Chiffchaffs, a Great Spotted and a Green Woodpecker - before a helicopter landed in the adjacent Bunn's leisure field (earmarked for more caravans!) and scared everything off in a cloud of dust and grass. (OM)

Ferry Pool/Visitor Centre: There was no sign of the Turtle Dove outside the centre (and no sign that it met an untoward end, either!) so hopefully it has moved on, heading south.
On the pool there were just a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Teal, along with c80 Lapwings, whilst in the channel opposite there were a Kingfisher and two Spotted Redshanks, along with c50 Teal and Redshank. (AH)

Kingfisher (above) & Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Medmerry: Toe End - A Bonxie went west past here this morning, along with a few Gannets, and there were still two Wheatears on the waste-ground. (SH)

Church Norton: A Spotted Flycatcher was near the hide and there were a scattering of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs along the sheltered hedges, with at least 50 Swallows and a handful of Meadow Pipits over.
There were two Sandwich Terns and a Greenshank in the harbour, but not too much else of note, whilst offshore there were at least half a dozen lingering Gannets. (AH et al)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Chiffchaff, Sandwich Tern & Greenshank and Redshank at Church Norton (AH)

This evening a Whimbrel was by the bench - possibly our regular wintering bird, two Sandwich Terns were in the harbour before flying out and a Bar-tailed Godwit flew in. (AH)

Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 20th September: A very gloomy morning, with persistent heavy cloud, though the rain stayed away, and with a modest south-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A few more Brent Geese went west this morning, as did a couple of Arctic and a few Sandwich Terns, whilst a Bonxie went east, but there was very little overhead migration save a Yellow Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipits. Full log below. (AH/C&ME/SR)
(0745-1100hrs)
Gannet - 10E, 82W
Brent Goose - 29W
Wigeon - 3W
Common Scoter - 11W
Oystercatcher - 15p
Turnstone - 9p
Bonxie - 1E
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 20W
Arctic Tern - 2W
Sandwich Tern - .24os
Swallow - 18E
House Martin - 15E
Yellow Wagtail - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 12W

Arctic Tern (above), Sandwich Tern, Gannet & Mediterranean Gull past the Bill (AH)

(1700-1800hrs) (SH)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 3E, 2W
Sanderling - 2W
Kittiwake - 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W
Sandwich Tern - 6W, 11os
Chiffchaff - 1p

Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre: The juvenile Turtle Dove continues its stay for another day, sat in the trees by the pond this morning. (AH et al)

Turtle Dove at the Visitor Centre (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 18 Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Lapwing and 25 Teal on the pool this morning, and there were three Spotted Redshank, six Dunlin, c70 Teal and c40 Redshank in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Spotted Redshanks and Teal, Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Toe End - Quiet again this morning, with just one Wheatear on the waste ground and a Brent Goose offshore. Also a substantial flock of c.250 Brent Geese later dropped in to harbour (SH)

Church Norton: It was extremely quiet this morning, with the bushes yielding just a couple of Blackcaps and a handful of Chiffchaffs, about 50 Swallows and half a dozen Meadow Pipits went over, and the harbour held plenty of Redshanks, plus a few Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers, but that was about it. (AH)

Blackcap (above) & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Highlight this morning was a Cattle Egret in amongst the cows in the field due east of Halsey's Farm, found by Nicky and Tracy, RSPB volunteers, who were both celebrating a lifer! Also there were a few Yellow Wagtails in attendance.

On White's Creek there were the usual Black-tailed Godwits and Common Redshanks plus a lone Greenshank, with at least 30 Mediterranean Gulls roosting with some 250 Black-headed Gulls nearby, an two Cetti's Warblers were calling along the Wall, with a Kingfisher on a post in the Breech Pool.

At Honer cottages there were at least eight Chiffchaffs and a Whitethroat, whilst at Honer reservoir there was a mixed flock of Black-headed and Herring Gulls totalling some 380 birds plus 21 Tufted Ducks, 11 Coot, two Little Grebes, two Mute Swans and a Common Sandpiper.

The Mute Swans were finding it hard to find open water along Pagham Rife as the pennywort weed is now almost bank to bank from the pumping station to Honer. (JDW)

Cattle Egret (above), Kingfisher, & Mute Swans amongst pennywort around the North Wall (JDW)

Also, a Short-eared Owl flew over from the North Wall towards the harbour. (AB)

A White Stork, presumably one of the escapes, was in the ploughed field at Lagness at 445pm this afternoon. (G.Whitehead)

Short-eared Owl over North Wall (AB)

Tuesday, 19th September: Very still and sunny early on, though the NW breeze and the cloud picked up slowly over the morning..........

Late news for yesterday: Late yesterday afternoon a Grey Phalarope was located out in the centre of Medmerry....... the location was inaccessible to the public, but as it is a notable bird for the peninsula I'm just letting you know it was present. Unfortunately the bird is not present today, but it would be worth keeping your eyes open around the two harbours. Sorry we could not release the news earlier. (IL/TG-P) (Understandable in the circumstances and fair enough. Thanks for the info. Eds)

Grey Phalarope at Medmerry yesterday (IL/TG-P)

Selsey Bill: The first fifteen Brent Geese of the autumn moved west, along with a few Common Scoter, and there were at least 50 Chiffchaffs around the gardens - a good count here - plus two Sanderlings on the beach. Full log below......

0740-1100hrs: (C&ME/OM/MJ)

Diver sp - 1W

Shag - 1E

Gannet - 5E, 75W

Brent Goose - 15W

Common Scoter - 4E, 64W

Pintail - 5W

Sanderling - 2ob

Turnstone - 28 ob

Oystercatcher - 4W

Razorbill - 1os

auk sp - 8W

Sandwich Tern - 16W

Pied Wagtail - 1E

Yellow Wagtail - 5E

Grey Wagtail - 1E

Meadow Pipit - 31NW

Swallow - 120E

House Martin - c.200E

Chiffchaff - 55 gardens/Oval field

Willow Warbler - 2 gardens

Goldcrest - 2 Oval field

Blackcap - 2 gardens

Goldfinch - 25 p

Female Blackcap and Sanderling at the Bill (OM)

Selsey (West): Northcommon Farm produced two Spotted Flycatchers, a Blackcap and a small number of Chiffchaffs, whilst nearby at Warner Lane paddocks a female Redstart was showing occasionally in the bushes with a few more Chiffchaffs for company.

Chainbridge field was disappointingly quiet, save for another Spotted Flycatcher, a Blackcap, a singing Cetti's Warbler and yet more Chiffchaffs. (OM)

Spotted Flycatcher at Northcommon Farm (OM)

Selsey (East): There were three Wheatears along the beach east of the Lifeboat station, plus several Chiffchaffs in the bushes on the 'Common,' and a roost of 80 Turnstones on the beach near the fishing huts. (MJ)

Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre: The juvenile Turtle Dove continues to look very settled around the small pond. (AH et al)

Turtle Dove at the Visitor Centre (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were a Green Sandpiper, three Dunlin, an Avocet, eight Black-tailed Godwits and 75 Lapwing on the pool this morning. (AH)

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

Church Norton: There were three Spotted Flycatchers behind the hide and another two by the concrete wall, two Stonechats around the horse field, a Wheatear on the beach, several Goldcrests in the churchyard, one or two Whitethroats and Blackcaps and 30+ scattered Chiffchaffs. Also two Ravens were in the car-park area, and 500+ Swallows and House Martins, plus a few Sand Martins, a Grey Wagtail and c50 Meadow Pipits and Linnets went over.

What was probably the juvenile Arctic Tern was fishing out in the middle channel, a flock of 16 Wigeon flew in from well offshore, a Greenshank was with a few Redshank in the creek by the horse field and 20+ Grey Plover were in the harbour. (AH/A&YF et al)

The first three Brent Geese were also reported from the harbour this morning, and a Guillemot was present on the rising tide. (IL)
And there were three Stonechats along the Severals this evening. (AW)

Spotted Flycatcher(s) at Church Norton (J-PC)

Stonechat, Greenshank & Wigeon at Church Norton (AH)

Stonechats at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Toe End - Very quiet this morning, with just five Wheatears of note. (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were just a couple of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs along the hedges this morning, though there was a Tree Pipit, and three Whinchats about, plus 100 or more Meadow Pipits, 50 Swallows and a few House Martins, and up to five Corn Buntings were again in the Yellowhammers' favourite bush.

There were a Little Stint, two Common Sandpipers and 20 Lapwings on the Stilt Pool and three widely spread Greenshank, a Whimbrel and 20+ Black-tailed Godwits on the reserve.

A flock of 40 Wigeon went over high to the south-west, and there were also around 25 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 20 Gadwall and three Shoveler on the Stilt Pool. (AH)