17th - 19th October 2017

Thursday, 19th October: Yet another very grey and mild day, with a bit of intermittent drizzle and fog, and a light easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was no volume moving, but a bit of selection, including a Red-throated Diver, four Eider and six Swallows east. Also, sadly, there was a dead Gannet on the beach, with its bill caught up in a bit of discarded fishing net. Full log below. (AH):
(0735-0835hrs)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Brent Goose - 28W
Wigeon - 6W
Teal - 4W
Eider - 4E
Turnstone - 14p
Swallow - 6E
Meadow Pipit - 3E
Pied Wagtail - 1E
Linnet - 25E
Goldfinch - 60p
1645-1745hrs: (SH)
Gannet - 13W
Brent Goose - 19W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2 os
Guillemot - 1 dead bird, washed ashore
Arctic Skua - 1 E (d/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 2 os

Eider (above), Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal, Turnstone & dead Gannet at the Bill (AH); also (lower) dead Guillemot there (SH)....hopefully not a theme starting!

 

 

Warner Lane Paddocks: There were 12 Redwings in the big hedge this morning, along with five Song Thrushes and c20 Blackbirds, with a pair of Stonechats, eight Pied Wagtails and 30 Goldfinches around the paddocks. (AH)

 

Redwings (above), Song Thrush, Stonechat & Pied Wagtail at Warner Lane Paddocks (AH)

Selsey: A Green Brindled Crescent moth was in the trap in my garden this morning (SH)

Green Brindled Crescent moth in the trap this morning (SH)

 

Ferry Pool: There were just four Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank, 20 Lapwing and 85 Teal on the pool this morning. (AH)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: It was pretty quiet this morning, with one or two Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus a few Goldcrests in the churchyard and between the Severals, with a couple more Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests around Greenlease Farm, where there was nothing else of note.
The harbour held the usual waders, plus a few Wigeon, whilst offshore a couple of Gannets went west. (AH)

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

Medmerry: Toe end: Ten Gannets and a Fulmar were offshore this morning. (SH)

Wednesday, 18th October: Another very grey, though mild, day, with a moderate south-easterly early on that dropped away as the morning progressed....

Selsey Bill: Absolutely nothing moving! Between 7.35am and 8.20am there were just 26 Brent Geese, six Meadow Pipits and a Pied Wagtail west, plus a Grey Seal offshore. (AH)

Grey Seal at the Bill (AH)

Selsey East Beach: The Rose-coloured Starling was in the garden in Marine Drive again this morning. (SR)

Rose-coloured Starling at East Beach (SR)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were two Stonechats in the fields this evening, plus a Sparrowhawk and Jay about. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Green Sandpipers and four Snipe in the concealed pool this morning, with just four Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank, four Teal and 25 Lapwing on the main pool. (AH)

Green Sandpipers and Snipe (above) & Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a Greenshank feeding in the harbour before the tide rose, and eight Brent Geese went west, but otherwise it was just the usual Grey Plovers, Redshank and Curlew on show, plus a couple of Mediterranean Gulls.
Along the spit there were 50+ Meadow Pipits, c200 Linnets and half a dozen Skylarks, nothing along the Severals, and around the Mound/hide area there were a couple of Jays, half a dozen Chiffchaffs and a dozen Goldcrests, with one or two more of the latter along the lane, plus two fly-over Mistle Thrushes. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Grey Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Little Egret and Grey Heron, Chiffchaff & Jay at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 17th October: Another odd sort of a day, with a brisk south-westerly early on fading away to a flat calm, but with exceptionally dark leaden-grey skies once again....slowly brightening by afternoon.

Selsey Bill: Any hopes of yesterday's ex-hurricane delivering some storm-bound waifs to delight us were soon dashed....in the event it was another quiet day at the Bill, with almost no sea-bird passage and only the lightest of visible migration observed. The gardens were equally quiet with virtually no hint of any migrants, but then a last check of the Oval field trees suddenly produced a Firecrest and five Goldcrests, which soon moved on. (OM)
Full log below.....
0740-1040hrs:   (OM/SR/AH et al)
Gannet - 10W
auk sp - 1W
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2 gardens
Meadow Pipit - 15W
Pied Wagtail - 5W
Goldfinch - 45 p
Goldcrest - 7 gardens/Oval field
Firecrest - 1 Oval field trees

Goldcrest (above), Turnstones & a strange sun at the Bill (AH)

Selsey East Beach: The Rose-coloured Starling finally gave itself up mid-morning, in Marine Drive again, though an earlier search around Selsey Common failed to locate it, but did turn up a Wheatear. (BFF/DM/DF/KJ/AH et al) Also a Firecrest was in my garden nearby. (SR)

Around the Pond were 2 Chiffchaffs, 60 Goldfinch and a squealing Water Rail. (BFF/DM)
 

Rose-coloured and Common Starlings (AH) (above) & Firecrest (SR) at East Beach

 More shots of the Rose-coloured Starling (DM)

Selsey, West: Around Drift Lane/Warner Lane paddocks were 4 Chiffchaffs and several Goldcrests, but little else of note, whilst at Northcommon Farm there were 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Great Spotted and one Green Woodpecker, and a Jay. (OM)

Ferry Pool: Just the injured Avocet, six Black-tailed Godwits, two Redshank, ten Teal and 65 Lapwing were on the pool, with two Buzzards at the back early on and a Grey Wagtail over later on. (AH/KJ et al)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel and two Greenshank were among the Grey Plovers, Redshank and Curlews roosting  in the harbour, along with half a dozen Pintail and 20 Wigeon.

A couple of Siskins were in the trees at the end of the path to the harbour, and there were also a few Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Long-tailed Tits about, with half a dozen Skylarks, c20 Meadow Pipits and c200 Linnets along the spit. (AH/A&YF)

Church Norton was spookily quiet with only 3 Chiffchaff noted and 5 Lesser Redpoll in the churchyard. Out in the harbour 2 Peregrine, a Kingfisher and 19 Great Crested Grebes. Roosting on the iron sea wall a Curlew Sandpiper amongst the Dunlin flock and 25 Curlew. (BFF/DM)

Whimbrel (above), Greenshanks and Redshanks, Grey Plover, Pintails & Long-tailed Tit at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Toe end - Three Stonechats, a Rock Pipit and 7 Swallows were the best on offer today. (SH)

Medmerry: Marsh Farm - A very late Whinchat was on the fenceline opposite the buildings this afternoon. (BO'D)