25th - 27th September 2017

Wednesday, 27th September: A very mild, if persistently misty morning, with a light easterly breeze and a bit of sunshine later on....

Selsey Bill: A Bonxie went west and then east offshore, but generally there was not a lot moving offshore, though a few Swallows were heading east and a Stonechat, a Blackcap and over a dozen Chiffchaffs were in the gardens. Full log below..... 

(0745-1045hrs):   (C&ME/OM/AH)

Gannet - 1E, 9W

Shag - 1E close in

Brent Goose - 2E, 4W

Common Scoter - 20E

Wigeon - 1W

Commic Tern - 1E (probably Arctic)

Sandwich Tern - 8E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Common Gull - 4W

Great Skua - 1 os

Meadow Pipit - 21E

Pied Wagtail - 3E

Swallow - 115E

Stonechat - 1 gardens

Blackcap - 1 gardens

Chiffchaff - 14 gardens/Oval field

Stonechat (above), Chiffchaff & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Selsey, East Beach pond: No sign of yesterday's Firecrest; just 2 Goldcrests and 6 Chiffchaffs today. (OM)

A nice new sign - let's hope we soon have something decent here to do it justice! (OM)

Selsey, Northcommon Farm: Equally quiet here today also - just 3 Goldcrests, 8 Chiffchaffs, several Meadow Pipits and a Green Woodpecker. (OM)

Ferry Pool: There was an Avocet at the back and also half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Teal and c150 Lapwing present this morning. (AH) 
Also this morning, seven Grey Herons flew west together over the Visitor Centre. (TG-P)
Later there were c100 Lapwing, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, the Avocet, plus 8 Blackcaps and 20 Chiffchaffs around the Discovery Area and Long Pool. A Spotted Redshank was in the main channel. Around the Visitor centre site and Yeoman's Field were 20 Chiffchaffs, a single Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Blackcaps and 2 Skylarks over. (CRJ)

Church Norton: It was generally quiet, but around the hedges between the Mound and the hide there were as many as 20 Blackcaps, though none were seen elsewhere. Otherwise a Whitethroat,  four Stonechats and a couple of Chiffchaffs were along the beach/Severals, with more of the latter and a few Goldcrests along the hedges by the hide, but there was little in the harbour beyond c80 Redshank and a few Curlews and Ringed Plovers. (AH)

Blackcaps (above), Stonechats, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff & Redshanks at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The only migrants recorded this morning were three Chiffchaffs in Pagham Churchyard, whilst in White's Creek there were a Spotted Redshank, 100+ Wigeon and the usual Common Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits. 

Along the wall there were three Stonechats, three Reed Buntings and a Wheatear, whilst Honer 3 field held 24 Black-tailed Godwits. (JDW)

Later, a full walk from Halsey's Farm across to Runcton produced the following.....

Halsey's Farm: 1 Kestrel, 1 Skylark,1 Wheatear, 1 Stonechat and 10 Chiffchaff.

North Wall: 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, a Water Rail, 2 Cetti's Warblers and a Kingfisher.
White's Creek: 1 Greenshank and 2 Spotted Redshank.

North Fields: a Clouded Yellow butterfly.
Honer Lane: 1 Hobby, 2 Stonechat, 2 Whinchat and 10 Chiffchaff.

South Mundham: 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Chiffchaff.

Runcton: 3 Common Buzzard and 10 Meadow Pipit. (CRJ).

Stonechat along North Wall (JDW)

This afternoon there were still four Spoonbills roosting in White's Creek, along with at least four Spotted Redshanks, three Greenshanks, two Brent Geese and 20 Pintail. (AB/IL)

Medmerry: Toe End - This morning there were at least ten Wheatears, two Whinchats and four Stonechats around the area, plus a Yellow Wagtail over. (SH) 

Medmerry (West): Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - A walk out to the pools this morning produced a Greenshank, a Little Grebe, 40+ Wigeon, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Sand Martins, 5 Whinchats, 6 Stonechats, a Whitethroat, 3 Corn Buntings and a few Skylarks, Linnets and Meadow Pipits. (PB)

Tuesday, 26th September: After a rather misty start, another pleasant day with a light easterly breeze......

Selsey Bill: Some interesting comments from Tony Hutson, regarding the bat at the Bill yesterday - 'I'm inclined to think it might well be a Nathusius's Pipistrelle, but can't be sure. That's a small species, (forearm 32 - 36, weight 6 - <10g) but on average a bit bigger than Common Pipistrelle. It hasn't really been noticed so much here in Britain, but they often stop off on migration and will just sit on a wall in full daylight for a couple of days before moving on. Let's hope this one was okay and moved on.'   (Many thanks to Tony, and to others who commented. Eds)

0735-1205hrs: (C&ME/OM/BFF) A few Brent on the move today, but not a great deal else, apart from over 200 Meadow Pipits arriving, and four Grey Herons arriving from a long way offshore...... Full Log below:
Shag - 1 juv os later flew W
Grey Heron - 4 in N/NE (flock of 3 and a single)
Brent Goose - 143W
Wigeon - 9E, 4W
Sanderling - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 13E, 5W
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Carrion Crow - 32 os on shingle bar
House Martin - 221E
Swallow - 80E
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 Bill House garden
Meadow Pipit - 206 N/NE
Pied/alba Wagtail - 30E
Blackcap - 1 gardens
Chiffchaff - 18 gardens/Oval field
Goldcrest - 2 gardens

Chiffchaff in Bill House garden (OM)

Starting to haul in our pots, out in the mid-Channel at 1am today, we had dozens of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs flying around above us, and at first light we found several had landed on the boat, whilst a few Swallows were trickling by. (CW)

Chiffchaffs & Goldcrest on a Selsey fishing boat out in the English channel (CW)

Selsey, East Beach: The Selsey Common area held a Stonechat, a Wheatear and sevenChiffchaffs, there were 22 Turnstones on the beach and 27 Brent Geese, 19 Meadow Pipits and 3 Pied Wagtails flew west whilst 5 Mute Swans headed east. East Beach Pond had a showy Firecrest in amongst half a dozen Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs. (SR)

Medmerry: Toe End - A Greenshank was near the breach again and six Wheatears were on the waste-ground. Also, 25 Common Scoter were offshore and five Brent Geese went west. (SH) 

Later on there were two Whinchats, four Stonechats and five Wheatears about the area. (BO'D)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool area - This afternoon there were a male and female Peregrine, a female Merlin, a Raven, 20 Yellow Wagtails, 80 Meadow Pipits, 4 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 6 Stonechats, 4 Greenshanks, a Snipe, 3 Pintail, 20 Wigeon. 220 Linnets. (BO'D)

North Wall: A nice surprise early this morning with a party of five Spoonbills out in the channel from White's Creek; two of the birds were colour-ringed, but they were typically inactive, roosting throughout the time we were there. Also present nearby were four Spotted Redshanks, and at least seven Yellow-legged Gulls (all but one apparently adults) with a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls. Also, a Raven flew over cronking and heading east, whilst a dozen or so Chiffchaffs and two Stonechats were in the hedgerows. (OM/BFF)
There were very few migrants along the fields today, just three Chiffchaffs in Honer Lane and two Swallows overhead, though there were two Ravens close to Marsh Farm, and on Honer reservoir there were 31 Tufted Duck, three Little Grebe and a Green Sandpiper. 

The upper reaches of Pagham Rife have been cleared of Pennywort but the stretch from Honer Farm southwards is still choked with the stuff. (JDW) 
Later in the day the Spoonbills were still present as were 10 Greenshanks and three Spotted Redshanks and out in the harbour were 30+ Wigeon and a pair of Brent Geese. Around the Breech Pool were two Water Rails and a Snipe, two Clouded Yellows were along the banks and seventeen Yellow Wagtails flew over. (J-PC)

Spoonbills in White's Creek and Yellow-legged Gulls with Lesser Black-backed & Herring Gull (OM)

Tufted Ducks on Honer Reservoir & Pagham Rife without and with Pennywort! (JDW)

Ferry Pool: There were around 200 roosting Lapwings on the pool this morning, along with half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Teal and a fly-over Grey Wagtail. (AH/DF)

Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Northcommon Farm: The Little Owl was sat out this morning, but there was little of note in the hedges beyond a couple of Blackcaps, 20+ Chiffchaffs and a handful of Goldcrests. A lady dog-walker reported seeing the Short-eared Owl yesterday morning towards Chainbridge. (AH)

Little Owl (above) & Chiffchaff at Northcommon Farm (AH)

Church Norton: Two Wheatears and a Kingfisher were around the concrete blocks, two Ravens went over the beach, a Stonechat and a Reed Bunting were on the Severals and there were a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrests about the hedges and a few Swallows, House Martins and Meadow Pipits went over.
There were also three Greenshank, c30 Grey Plovers, c100 Redshank and a few Dunlin in the harbour and up to 100 Brent Geese went west offshore. (A&YF/JD/DS/DF/AH)
Later, with the incoming tide, there were 6 Knot with 45 Grey Plovers and a single Bar-tailed Godwit, though small waders were few indeed - just a handful of Dunlin. A Peregrine was on New Island, whilst nearby were 40 Wigeon and a dozen Pintail. (OM/BFF)

Greenshank (above), Grey Plover, Little Egret, Goldcrest & Reed Bunting at Church Norton (AH)

Church Norton: Bar-tailed Godwit and (below) 'Bernie's Bench' .....ah, now we know why he built it! (OM)

Monday, 25th September: A fairly grey and damp - if mild - day, after a rainy and drizzly start, with just a light easterly breeze...

Selsey Bill: The most notable feature this morning was a steady movement of Brent Geese, but little else was on the move, though an Arctic Skua went west and a few Sandwich Terns were offshore. Also a large-eared bat flew around before settling under the eaves of the house by the sea-watching ledge. Any help in identifying it - see picture - would be much appreciated! Full log below.......

0720-1135hrs: (AH/OM/SR)
Gannet - 12E, 5W

Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 301W
Common Scoter - 1W
Wigeon - 1E
Curlew - 1W
Arctic Skua - 1W (d/p)
Arctic Tern - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 5E, 2W
Common Gull - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 2W
Meadow Pipit - 5E
Swallow - 220E
House Martin - 30E
Stonechat - 1 gardens
Goldcrest - 4 Oval field trees
Chiffchaff - 15 gardens
Also a Bat sp. - one flew around then settled under eaves of house (see pic...any help from those more able to ID it would be appreciated - Eds)

Brent Geese (above), Sandwich Tern, Commic Tern (presumed Arctic) and Black-headed Gull & bat sp. at the Bill (AH)

This lower photo, adjusted and cropped, may hopefully assist with ID purposes. (Eds)

Selsey, Northcommon Farm: A less than obliging Pied Flycatcher was present today with two Spotted Flycatchers, plus at least 15 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests and 10 Long-tailed Tits. (OM)

Later, the Pied Flycatcher could not be re-located, but a search of the wider area produced 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Whinchats, a Wheatear, 6 Yellow Wagtails, a Blackcap, a Buzzard, a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker. (SR/MJ)

Medmerry: Toe End - A Bonxie dropped in on the beach this morning, a Greenshank was near the breach and four Wheatears were on the waste-ground. Later on, 21 Common Scoter and seven Sandwich Terns were offshore and seven Brent Geese went west. (SH)

Ferry Pool/Tramway: A flock of 25-30 Greenshank came out of the harbour heading west this morning, there were 16 Brent Geese out in the harbour and there were two Mistle Thrushes and a Redwing along the cycle path. (TG-P)

On the Ferry itself there were 22 Black-tailed Godwits, 35 Teal and c120 Lapwing, with two Spotted Redshank and c80 Teal in the channel opposite and c40 Long-tailed Tits moving noisily through the bushes. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks and Teal, Spotted Redshanks, Long-tailed Tit & Black-tailed Godwit aroud the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton:  A total of 42 Brent Geese went west, including 14 that flew right up to Ferry channel before retreating back out to sea to resume their journey. Also c30 Wigeon flew around the harbour several times before settling. 

The only small birds noted were a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus a few, mostly unseen, Goldcrests and 20+ Swallows overhead, with the harbour holding not much beyond the regular Grey and Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Curlew and Redshank. (AH)

Late afternoon 78 Brent went west along the beach and over the harbour, and there was a Sparrowhawk and two Chiffchaffs by the concrete wall. (SH)

Brent Geese (above), Wigeon, Grey Plover & Blackcap at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: This afternoon after the rain there were many Chiffchaffs around the bushes and on the reeds at the Breech Pool, probably at least 30 birds,  along with half a dozen Goldcrests and a mixed flock of Long-tailed Tits and Blue Tits. Nothing on the Breech Pool itself other than Mallards and two Cormorants as the water-level is still very high. (BI)