Monday 4 September 2017

4th - 6th September 2017

Wednesday, 6th September: A fairly bright and breezy day after a grey start, though still with plenty of cloud driven on by the moderate westerly....

Selsey Bill (0640-0900hrs) (PB/SR)
Gannet - 10E, 24W
Shag - 1W
Curlew - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 1W
Common Tern - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 5W, 10os
Yellow Wagtail - 4W
Pied Wagtail - 4W
Meadow Pipit - 3W
Swallow - 14W, 7N

Ferry Pool: There were 35 roosting Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Lapwing, 16 Teal and a huge flock of Black-headed Gulls (500+), with 50 Mediterranean Gulls among them dropped in from the adjacent fields where ploughing had begun. (AH)


Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)


North Wall/Halsey's Farm: Unfortunately the Breech Pool had reverted to duck-pond status, with just 50 Mallards and 12 Teal present, though there were two Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper among c150 Redshank, c80 Lapwing and c60 Black-tailed Godwits in Whites Creek, and out in the harbour there were five scattered Greenshank and up to a dozen Grey Plover.
A couple of Wheatears were along the wall, a Grey Wagtail went over, and along the hedges there were a Lesser Whitethroat and three or four Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, plus four Reed Buntings. (AH)

An Osprey put up all the birds over he harbour at 10.45am, and continued hunting for 45 minutes before heading off seawards. There were also two Whinchats on the fence behind the Breech Pool. (D &J Knight)

Also, there were two Ruff in the harbour this afternoon. (AB)



Spotted Redshanks (above), Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Plover, Wheatear, Reed Bunting & Roe Deer from North Wall (AH)








Church Norton: There were at least six Spotted Flycatchers behind the hide, with another couple by the concrete wall, and there were also a couple of Sedge Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps behind the hide, half a dozen Whitethroats and Willow Warblers spread between there and the Severals, and at least six Wheatears along the beach.
Between the two Severals there were eight Spotted Flycatchers, a Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Sedge Warbler, a Garden Warbler and two  Redstarts, with a Hobby over.
A few Swallows were moving over the beach, as did a Grey Wagtail, a Peregrine, and a Kestrel, and a Sandwich Tern and a couple of Gannets were offshore, but the harbour was quiet. (AH/PB/A&YF et al)



Spotted Flycatchers (above), Willow Warbler & Wheatear at Church Norton (AH)




There was a juvenile Pied Flycatcher in with half a dozen Spotted Flycatchers behind the hide this evening, and at least half a dozen Wheatears were around (and on!) the bench. (AH)
Earlier on there were two Knot in with 20 Grey Plovers in the harbour, plus a couple of Little Egrets, and a Green Woodpecker and up to four Spotted Flycatchers were behind the hide. (AW/GM)



Pied Flycatcher (above) & Wheatear (AH), Spotted Flycatcher, Green Woodpecker & Knot and Grey Plover (AW), Spotted Flycatcher & Little Egrets (GM) at Church Norton








Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and 16 Black-tailed Godwit were around the poplars, and ten Whinchats, ten Wheatear and two Chiffchaffs along the banks, and eight Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk and two Sand Martins went over, but just two Common Sandpipers and a Ringed Plover were on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)





Tuesday, 5th September: A very dank and grey morning, with intermittent drizzly rain and a brisk south-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Very little was moving the morning, though there were exactly 30 Sandwich Terns feeding along the 'Mile Basket line', along with a few Gannets, and six Common Scoter and 14 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls went west. (AH/DF)
(0700-0800hrs)
Gannet - 6E, 22W, 12os
Common Scoter - 6W
Mediterranean Gull - 14W
Sandwich Tern - 30os


Common Scoters (above) & Mediterranean Gull past the Bill (AH)


(1645-1745hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 8E, 3W
Shag - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 4W

Ferry Pool: There were 18 Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Lapwing and 17 Teal on the pool, and a Kingfisher and a Common Sandpiper flew up the channel opposite, where there were also c40 Redshank. (AH/DF)


Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were two Spotted Flycatchers along the sheltered hedges this morning, along with a Lesser Whitethroat, two or three Whitethroats and up to a dozen Willow/Chiffs, though they were all keeping low.
Around the bench and concrete blocks area there were still at least eight Wheatears and c20 Linnets, and up to 20 Swallows were feeding over the edge of the harbour, but there was very little of note out on the mud beyond six Sandwich Terns and a few Redshanks and Curlews, and the beach was devoid of birds. (AH)



Spotted Flycatchers (above), Whitethroat, Wheatear & Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)





Northcommon Farm: Around 'Flycatcher corner' today there were a Wheatear, a Chiffchaff and several Godcrests, with a Yellow Wagtail, a Hobby and a Buzzard over. (SH)



Ivy Lake: A quick look at lunchtime produced 17 Pochards on the water, with half a dozen Tufted Ducks, and c200 Sand Martins and c50 Swallows feeding over it. (AH)


Pochards (above), Sand Martin & Swallow at Ivy Lake (AH)





Monday, 4th September: A very drizzly, murky start, with a moderate southerly breeze making it warm and muggy under heavy grey cloud.....

Selsey Bill: Not as exciting as yesterday, but eight Little Gulls were among a mixed flock of gulls feeding well out and an Arctic Skua dropped in to harass them half-heartedly before carrying on west, but otherwise it was just a few Sandwich Terns and Gannets moving about. (AH)
(0700-0815hrs)
Gannet - 27E, 14W
Arctic Skua - 1W (d/p)
Little Gull - 8os, then W
Mediterranean Gull - 7W (all juvs)
Common Tern - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 5E, 9W


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



Ferry Pool: There were 15 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Lapwing, two Shelduck and eight Teal on the pool, whilst two Green Sandpipers flew out of the channel opposite and a Kingfisher flew along it. (AH)


Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a big mixed flock in the churchyard this morning, mostly comprising of up to 40 Long-tailed Tits, but also containing at least two Firecrests, three or four Goldcrests and a few unidentified 'crests, along with half a dozen Blackcaps and at least ten Willow/Chiffs, and there were at least that many of the latter by the concrete wall, too, along with several Whitethroats and Blackcaps.
At least four Wheatears were still around the bench and the concrete blocks, a few Swallows and a House Martin were overhead, and there were six Sandwich Terns sat out on the mud, whilst flocks of c50 Grey Plover and Dunlin flew around separately before retreating back up the harbour. (AH/A&YF/SR)
There were two Sandwich terns and a Gannet offshore this evening, plus a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)


Firecrest (above), Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tits, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, House Martin & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)










Medmerry: Medmerry Cliff/Toe End - There were three Wheatears and a Willow Warbler along the top and two Sandwich Terns were offshore this morning, whilst another Wheatear and two Pied Wagtails were around Toe End. (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were just a few House Martins and Swallows over the fields this evening, plus a Sparrowhawk. (S&SaH)




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