Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 20th

Sunday, 22nd October: Marginally less windy than yesterday, but still with a strong westerly and, despite there being more sunshine, it was decidedly cooler....

Selsey Bill: A bit of variety this morning, including a Black-throated Diver and a Bonxie west, a Merlin hunting offshore before going east, and a bit of visible migration, including three Siskins. Full log below......
0710-1000hrs: (SH/PB/AGB/PM/IP/AH/JA)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Black-throated Diver - 1W
Diver sp - 1W
Gannet - 7E
Brent Goose - 20W
Common Scoter - 4E
Red-breasted Merganser - 5W
Wigeon - 7W
Curlew - 2W
Grey Plover - 1W
Merlin - 1N
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Great Skua - 1W
Kittiwake - 1W
Common Gull - 2E
Black-headed Gull - 68E
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 6W
Skylark - 4W
Pied Wagtail - 17W
Meadow Pipit - 85W
Goldfinch - 15 p
Siskin - 3N

Meadow Pipit (above) & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Selsey village: A female Black Redstart was briefly in our garden to the north of the village today. (R Smith)

Medmerry: Toe end - There was a Wheatear on the rough ground today. (R Smith)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat was in the fields, as were up to a dozen Curlew and a few Pied Wagtails, while a Buzzard dropped in by the reservoir. (AH/IP)
Later on there were two Stonechats and two Buzzards, with 10+ Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff and a Sparrowhawk around the hedges on the north of Selsey. (S&SaH)

Curlews and Wood Pigeon (above) & Buzzard and Magpie at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were still at least 14 Snipe roosting on the concealed pool, though no Green Sandpipers, whilst on the main pool there were two Black-tailed Godwits, eight Wigeon and c75 Teal, and about ten Brent Geese flew high over, heading west. (AH)

Snipe (above) & Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A total of 13 Siskins went west over the spit, along with c20 Meadow Pipits and a few Linnets, with more of the latter on the spit, along with half a dozen Skylarks and a pair of Stonechats, with another of the latter on the first Several.
In the harbour there were a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit among the commoner waders, a Kingfisher flew out from the concrete wall area and back again, about 15 Brent Geese were near the harbour mouth and another six flew west offshore, whilst about 20 Little Egrets were feeding in the main channel.
Also, a flock of about 40 Stock Doves flew out from the fields behind the Severals, and a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk and four Mediterranean Gulls also put in an appearance. (AH/IP/PB/PM)

Stock Doves (above), Greenshank, Stonechat, Linnet & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Also seen later on were a Wheatear on the spit and six Swallows. (S&SaH)

Wheatear (above) & Stonechat at Church Norton (SH)

This evening the Whimbrel was showing, and three Greenshank were making a lot of noise and flying around before settling back down. (AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Greenshanks at Church Norton (AH)

Saturday, 21st October: A very blustery morning after a wet and windy night, with Storm Brian producing gale-force winds, but not too much rain beyond the odd squall.....

Selsey Bill: As is often the case, the gale didn't produce too much activity, despite the south-westerly, though two Sanderlings were on the beach, a few Brent Geese went west and a few Swallows passed through. It was, to put it bluntly, one big disappointment......Full log below.....
0730-1215hrs: (PB/SH/AH/JA/IP/OM et al )
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 22E, 44W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 27W
Common Scoter - 1E, 5W
Teal - 3E
Curlew - 1W
Sanderling - 2 ob
Kestrel - 1E
Razorbill - 1W
Kittiwake - 2E, 4W
Meadow Pipit - 4E
Pied Wagtail - 5W
Swallow - 9W, 1N
Linnet - 4W
1500-1700hrs: (SH/JA)
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 2E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Sanderling (above), Brent Geese, Gannet & Curlew at the Bill (AH)

As high tide approached, the sea at the Bill was wild, reaching the edge of the Oval field... (OM)

Hants birder Pete Gammage decided to edge a little closer for a better view.......

....after weighing up the options, he decided to stay a little while longer.......

....and was soon rewarded with two boots-full and wet feet for his efforts! (OM)

Ferry Pool: Once again, there were four Green Sandpipers in the concealed pool this morning, along with a minimum of 18 Snipe, whilst on the main pool there were eight Black-tailed Godwits, 35 Lapwing, 44 Teal and 23 Wigeon, plus a flighty group of around 20 Dunlin that kept dropping in and flying off again before finally departing back to the harbour. (AH)

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

Church Norton: There were plenty of waders in the harbour, pushed up by the rising tide, including a Greenshank, three Bar-tailed Godwits, 50+ Grey Plovers, 20+ Curlew, 20+ Ringed Plover and c300 Dunlin, and there were also 14 Brent Geese, three Shelducks and c30 Wigeon about.
Along the sheltered hedges/banks there were half a dozen Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests among a flock of 20+ Long-tailed Tits, but there weren't many other small birds about beyond a couple of Greenfinches, plus a couple of Meadow Pipits over. Along the path near the bench were another dozen Greenfinches and a few Goldfinches and there were two Pied Wagtails on the beach. There were still good numbers of Red Admirals on the ivy bushes, as well as a few Speckled Woods, and a Painted Lady flew off the path near the gorse. (AH/IP/BI)

Goldcrest (above), Long-tailed Tit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Wigeon & Grey Plovers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Greenshank, above, Pied Wagtail, worn Speckled Wood & Red Admiral at Church Norton (BI)

Ivy Lake: Plenty of Canada Geese this afternoon with over 100 on Ivy Lake and at least another 50 dotted around East Trout, Triangle & Copse Lakes. There were also 44 Tufted Ducks on Ivy and three Gadwall on Nunnery but little else around other than a Redwing that dropped into a hawthorn bush briefly. (BI)

Friday, 20th October: After a stormy night, a dry but very blowy start, with a strong WSW, easing slightly as the sun came out later in the morning.....

Selsey Bill: Again there was no volume of birds, but an interesting selection, including a Short-eared Owl flying in from well out to sea and a Merlin doing the reverse journey, going out so far that it was lost to view. Also, a Black-throated Diver dropped in on the sea and up to a dozen Swallows were feeding well offshore. Full log below. (AH)

(0740-0910hrs)

Black-thoated Diver - 1W, then os

Gannet - 4W

Shag - 1E, 1W

Pintail - 1W

Common Scoter - 3W

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Curlew - 2W

Turnstone - 22p

Common Gull - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Razorbill - 1W

Skylark - 1E

Swallow - 12p

Meadow Pipit - 3W

Linnet - 22W
1700-1745hrs: (SH)
Gannet - 5E, 25W
Shag - 1W
Brent Goose - 3W
auk sp - 1E

Short-eared Owl (above), Shag, Red-breasted Mergansers & another strange sky at Selsey Bill (AH)

Medmerry: Toe End - There were three Wheatears around the rough ground this morning, and a Whimbrel was in the pools near the breach. (SH)

Ferry Pool: There were four Green Sandpipers in the concealed pool this morning, whilst on the main pool there were 14 Black-tailed Godwits, 18 Wigeon, 35 Teal, a Mallard and a Stock Dove. (AH)

Green Sandpipers (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Wigeon on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were quite a few waders out on the mud, including a Greenshank, two Bar-tailed Godwits, c30 Knot, c50 Grey Plover and c200 Dunlin, plus four Grey Herons, and two House Martins, eight Swallows and six Meadow Pipits went west over the harbour.

Unsurprisingly, the hedges were quiet, though at least half a dozen Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests and several Song Thrushes were keeping out of the wind. (AH)