22nd - 24th September 2017

Sunday, 24th September: Another fine day, with lots of sunshine and a moderate south-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There were 3000+ Swallows and many hundreds of House Martins moving east this morning, plus reasonable numbers of Meadow Pipits and a few Yellow Wagtails, but not too much on the sea, though a couple of Arctic Skuas went west. Full log below. (SH/JA/SR/AH/IP/PM/RP)

(0630-1030hrs)

Gannet - 8E, 13W
Brent Goose - 37W
Wigeon - 2E

Common Scoter - 11E

Kestrel - 1p

Curlew - 2W

Sanderling - 1p

Turnstone - 21p

Arctic Skua - 2os (d/p)

Common Gull - 10E

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 14E, 1W

Skylark - 2N

Swallow - 3684E

House Martin - 617E

Meadow Pipit - 170E

Yellow Wagtail - 6E

Grey Wagtail - 5E

Pied Wagtail - 52E

Chiffchaff - 3p

Goldcrest - 2p

Linnet - 17E

Brent Geese (above) & Swallows at the Bill (AH)

Former stalwart sea-watcher and Selsey resident, Richard Prior, dropped in for a fleeting visit from his new home in Switzerland - and even managed to see a skua! (AH)

Ferry Pool/Visitor centre: The usual half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Teal and c100 Lapwing were on the pool, whilst a Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite. (AH/IP/PM)

Following an unconfirmed report  of a Wryneck near the Visitor centre late yesterday, there was a small turn-out of hopeful locals this morning. There was no sign of the bird however, despite a thorough search of the area, but at least 10 Blackcaps were counted, plus a dozen Chiffchaffs. (OM et al)

Runcton: This morning a Hobby was over the fields south of Runcton and two Firecrests were in Brookside, A beautiful Pale Tussock Moth caterpillar was on the road on the way home. In the last week a Stonechat has been around locally, and a Common Buzzard swooped into our garden after an injured Brown Rat. (CRJ)

Park Farm, Selsey: The Grey Partridge was with four Red-legged Partridges this morning, a pair of Stonechats were along the ditches, and there were several Chiffchaffs and lots of Long-tailed Tits in the hedges, lots of Meadow Pipits and Linnets in the field waiting for development, a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and three Pied Wagtails on the cultivated fields and a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and a few Swallows and House Martins over. (AH/IP/S&SaH))

Linnet (above), Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Stonechats & Sparrowhawk at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

We had a new moth - a Delicate in the trap in the north of the village this morning. (SH)

Delicate moth in a Selsey garden (SH)

Selsey, Northcommon Farm: A small selection of migrants this morning included a Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher in the hedgerows and 6 Yellow Wagtails in the horse paddocks. Also present were 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests, 65 Goldfinch, 20 Meadow Pipits, and a Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, plus a couple of hundred Swallows. (OM)

Spotted Flycatcher at Northcommon Farm (OM)

Church Norton: A couple of Whitethroats and Stonechats on the Severals, and a few scattered Chiffchaffs were about the only migrants, though a few Meadow Pipits, Linnets, House Martins and Swallows went over.

A Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel, four Knot and a few Grey Plover were in the harbour, plus a Sandwich Tern, with three or four more of the latter, plus a Gannet offshore, where, also, 38 Brent Geese and a flock of 15 Pintail went west. (AH/IP/S&SaH)

Stonechat (above), Chiffchaff, Whimbrel, Grey Plover & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were two Spotted Flycatchers and six Chiffchaffs in the churchyard and three Sandwich Terns fishing in the harbour. (AH)

Spotted Flycatchers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Today there were 11 Spotted Redshanks, a Yellow-legged Gull, a single Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, 2 Kingfishers, a Water Rail, a Cetti's Warbler, a Sedge and a Reed Warbler, 2 Snipe, 2 Greenshank and about 50 Wigeon. (RAI)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - Around the viewpoint, banks and hedges this afternoon there were two Wheatears, a Stonechat, two Blackcaps, 10+ Chiffchaffs, 10+ Yellowhammers, eight Kestrels and a Green Woodpecker. (S&SaH)

Stonechat (above) & Green Woodpecker at Medmerry (SH)

Saturday, 23rd September: Another lovely day, with plenty of warm sun, after a cloudy start, and a moderate southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: (0630-0900hrs) (SH/PB/SR)
Gannet - 17E, 300W (exactly!)
Brent Goose - 36W
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 14E, 3W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Sanderling - 4W
Kittiwake - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 20 os
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 7W
auk sp - 1W
Swallow - 328E
Meadow Pipit - 121E
Grey Wagtail - 6W
Pied Wagtail - 22W

Ferry Pool: There were just half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, an Avocet, 16 Teal and c40 Lapwing on the pool, whilst a couple of visits to the channel opposite produced four Spotted Redshank, a Whimbrel, a Grey Plover, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail, along with a handful of Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit, c50 Redshank and c80 Teal. (AH)

Kingfisher (above), Grey Wagtail, Spotted Redshank and Teal & Whimbrel and Grey Plover in Ferry Channel (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were four Grey Wagtails present, including one on the balancing pool in Manor Lane, and a Sand Martin, 50 House Martins and 150 Swallows overhead. (S&SaH/IP) Later on, a steady trickle was heading south over the north of the village. (SH)

Church Norton: A Wheatear was on the spit, three Blackcaps and three Stonechats were in the horse field, a Whitethroat was in the Severals, two Jays were at Greenlease Farm, a Firecrest was in Bluebell Wood and 10+ Chiffchaffs were spread about, with a Sand Martin among good numbers of Swallows and a few House Martins overhead.

In the harbour there were an Avocet, three Knot, a Greenshank, six Brent Geese and a Sandwich Tern, with six more of the latter, plus three Gannets offshore. Also, a Peregrine, three Buzzards, two Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk were seen. (S&SaH/IP/PB)

At 2pm a Raven was on the spit at Church Norton along with two Wheatears, and at least three Stonechats were along the Severals, with four Buzzards briefly overhead.Two Sandwich Terns were diving in the harbour and a Greenshank flew from the first Several out towards the concrete blocks, whilst there were also around 120 Wigeon near Tern Island at high tide. (AW)

Raven at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were at least ten Stonechats, three Whinchats, three or four Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers and 200+ Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches and Linnets along the banks, plus a few Swallows over.

There was a Greenshank and a Grey Wagtail by the first sluice, and an exotic Shelduck species out on the mud by the poplars, though the light was so bad it was impossible to be sure what it exactly was.

Also, a Curlew Sandpiper was with four or five Dunlin and a dozen Ringed Plovers on the Stilt Pool, and there were plenty of Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall, plus four Shoveler about the Stilt Pools and those on the reserve. (AH)
This evening, the exotic Shelduck looked like a Cape Shelduck or possibly a hybrid, and there were also 2 Greenshank, a Kingfisher, 7 Stonechats, 6 Whinchat, a Wheatear and 2 Chiffchaffs. (SH)

Curlew Sandpiper (above), Whinchat, Stonechat, Corn Buntings, Greenshank, Buzzard & Shelduck sp at Medmerry (AH)

 (above) Cape Shelduck/hybrid and (below) Wheatear at Medmerry (SH)

Cape Shelduck at Medmerry (J Snell)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were about 20 Yellowhammers chasing each other around the hedges near the farm this evening, and also about the hedges were a Blackcap and half a dozen Chiffchaffs, with 40+ Meadow Pipits along the banks, two Black-tailed Godwits at the top of the tidal creek and at least four Kestrels. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Chiffchaff & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 22nd September: A glorious sunny morning to mark the autumn Equinox, with just a light breeze, veering from NW to SE........

North Wall: There were no waders on the Breech pool due to the high water level once again, though up to half a dozen Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers were in the reeds, a couple of Cetti's Warblers were singing occasionally and a couple of Blackcaps and a fair few Chiffchaffs and Reed Buntings were in the hedgerows.

Along White's Creek small waders were strangely absent, but there were three Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank, 25 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Bar-tailed. Also, at least 40 Wigeon and a dozen Pintail were present, as were two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Grey Wagtail. 

Also, a Kingfisher was at the western end of the wall and a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were over Halsey's Farm. (AH/OM)

Greenshank (above), Spotted Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Sparrowhawk & Pintail and Teal around the North Wall (AH)

Pagham Churchyard: Not much to report here, though at least 12 Chiffchaffs and two Goldcrests were in the trees. (OM) 

Pagham Spit: There were two Wheatears and a Reed Warbler on the spit this morning, plus quite a few Meadow Pipits. (TG)

Medmerry: Toe End - Over 700 Swallows went west this morning, an Eider and a Sandwich Tern were offshore, a Greenshank was in the pools by the breach and five Wheatears and a Stonechat were on the waste-ground. (SH)

Medmerry: Earnley to the Stilt Pool - A notable increase in Meadow Pipits this morning with lots of birds on the cropped fields near Earnley where a Wheatear was too. Quiet along the ditches but there were two Chiffchaffs and a small charm of Goldfinches along the banks. A large and vocal flock of Linnets were near Marsh Barn as were two Corn Buntings,  two Whinchats and more Meadow Pipits. Only a Common Sandpiper and two Lapwings were of note on the Stilt Pool, in with the hundreds of Canada Geese and the cattle, whilst along the beach was another large flock of Meadow Pipits and a single Wheatear. (BI)

Between Marsh Barn and the Stilt Pools this afternoon there were two Whinchats, four Stonechats, two Wheatears and a Sparrowhawk, with eight Dunlin on the pools. (BO'D)

Medmerry: Easton Lane towards Ham - In the unharvested oat field margins there were 100 House Sparrows, 15 Yellowhammers and nine Reed Buntings, with six Greenshank, a Kingfisher, 65 Shoveler, 34 Teal and nine Cormorants on the small reservoir nearby.. 

Also, big adult female Peregrine was out hunting and a Grey Wagtail and four Yellow Wagtails flew over. (BO'D)

Warner Lane Paddocks: Both the Redstart and the Whinchat were present again this morning. (MJ/AH)

Redstart (above) & Whinchat in Warner Lane Paddocks (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just the usual half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Lapwing were on the pool, though there were four Spotted Redshanks feeding together in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: The Spotted Flycatcher was still behind the hide, and a couple of Blackcaps and a few Chiffchaffs were in the hedges, though the Severals were quiet, whilst offshore there were three or four fairly distant sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Spotted Flycatcher (above) & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

At 5pm there were at least four Spotted Flycatchers behind the hide at Church Norton and another one in the horse field. (AW)

Spotted Flycatchers at Church Norton (AW)

Snowhill Creek: A Curlew Sandpiper was present feeding on it own this morning at the back left hand side of the pool. Also present were four Dunlin, 70+ Redshanks, 30 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Wigeon in with the Teal. (BI)

Ivy Lake: Little on the water, Ivy Lake & Triangle Lake are suffering with an outbreak of Blue-green algae at the moment, but along the hedges were Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaffs and a small flock of very vocal Goldcrests. (BI)