Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Friday, 6th October: A lovely autumn morning, with plenty of warm sun, despite the moderate north-westerly breeze just putting a nip in the air....

Selsey Bill: There were still a few Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails and Swallows on the move this morning, and at least six Chiffchaffs were in the Bill House garden, though the sea remained quiet. Full log later. (C&ME)
(0730-1100hrs)
Gannet - 76W
Brent Goose - 125W
Common Scoter - 17W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Common Gull - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 10W
Sandwich Tern - 2E
Swallow - 80W
House Martin - 2W
Meadow Pipit - 131W
Pied Wagtail - 111W
Wheatear - 4p
Chiffchaff - 12p
Linnet - 40W

Medmerry: Toe end - There were three Wheatears, a total of nine Stonechats and two Grey Wagtails around the rough ground today, 20+ Swallows went over and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in off the sea. (SH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Short-eared Owl was along the banks this evening, along with a couple of Stonechats and Meadow Pipits, whilst around the farm hedges there were 20+ Yellowhammers, a Corn Bunting, ten Linnets, 40+ Goldfinches and at least five Chiffchaffs. (AH)

Short-eared Owl at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: There were at least 30 Stonechats recorded on the largely inaccessible cropped areas by our volunteer farmland bird surveyors today. (B'OD)

Ferry Pool: A possible Rough-legged Buzzard flew south over the Visitor Centre this morning. (IL)

On the pool itself there were a Wheatear at the back,14 Dunlin, two Black-tailed Godwits and 40 Lapwings, but there were no birds at all in the concealed pool. Also, two Gadwall flew over from the channel opposite and there were several Common Darters about. (AH)

Dunlin (above), Gadwall & Common Darter around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Marsh Harrier was hunting over the harbour early on, and a Spoonbill was feeding in the main channel, though there weren't any waders of note beyond a Bar-tailed Godwit, a few Grey Plover, Dunlin, Redshank and Curlew, whilst a couple of Sandwich Terns and Gannets were offshore.
A few migrants were about, including a Spotted Flycatcher and a couple of Blackcaps near the hide, three Wheatears on the beach, at least eight Stonechats spread between the horse field and the second Several and Chiffchaffs everywhere, with at least 30 seen. Also, at least a dozen Meadow Pipits and Swallows and a couple of Pied Wagtails and Skylarks went over and up to four Reed Buntings and a couple of Cetti's Warblers were in the Severals. (AH)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Marsh Harrier, Wheatears, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Sandwich Tern & Bar-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

Later on three Eider were offshore, three Greenshank flew off west, 23 Brent Geese went west offshore, and a Kingfisher, eight Stonechats and 10+ Chiffchaffs were around the horse field and Severals. (S&SaH)

North Wall/East side: Quite busy along the Wall today. In addition to the usual Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits there were up to 40 Dunlin along White's Creek, with 260+ Wigeon and further out there were two Spoonbills and three Yellow-legged Gulls.

Around the sluices there were two Grey Wagtails and along the Wall there were three Wheatears and two Chiffchaffs and at Owl Water there were three Little Grebes. A Marsh Harrier had been reported and photographed earlier. In the hedgerow at Honer reservoir there were two Blackcaps and five Chiffchaff whilst on the water there were 51 Tufted Ducks, a Pochard, 18 Coot and three Little Grebes. (JDW) One of the Spoonbills was still viewable from the East side mid-morning at high tide and there were at least 50 Grey Plovers and a few Golden Plovers dotted around the spits. Out on the water were plenty of Wigeon, with some Pintail, and three Sandwich Terns, including a juvenile, were fishing near the sluice. Plenty of life in the hedges along the Slipe Field with many Chiffchaffs, a nice flock of Goldecrests, a male & female Blackcap, a mixed flock of Tits and a flock of Starlings all present. A Mistle Thrush was also here feasting on one of the many crops of berries. (BI/RHa)

Pochard and Tufted Ducks (above) & Little Grebe around North Wall (JDW)

Fishbourne Creek: Highlight of a quick look at the upper Fishbourne Channel on the falling tide (14:45-15:30) was a Bearded Tit, initially heard and glimpsed in flight before being heard and seen flying from the reeds on the west side to the reeds at the top of the channel. On my way out another Bearded Tit called and flew over the reeds at the head of the channel.
Other birds seen included a Kingfisher, a Mediterranean Gull, 20 Grey Plovers, 95 Black-tailed Godwits, 26 Lapwing, 84 Wigeon, 11 Little Egrets and 149 Mute Swans. (RW)

Thursday, 5th October: A very grey and windy start gave way, after a heavy squall, to a bright and windy day, with north-west the prevailing direction....

Selsey Bill: There were plenty of Linnets, Meadow Pipits and swallows going west, as did two Scaup (see pics - big white face band and paler forewing/back, especially on the first bird would suggest so), and an Arctic Skua and a Bonxie went east. Full log below. (C&ME/SR/AH/PC)
(0735-1005hrs)
Gannet - 10E, 16W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Brent Goose - 1W
Scaup - 2W
Common Scoter - 24W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)
Bonxie - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 7W
Common Gull - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 2E
Swallow - 112W
Meadow Pipit - 55W
Pied Wagtail - 11W
Linnet - 89W

Scaup (above) & Sandwich Terns past the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Little Stint was still present in the concealed corner, along with two Green Sandpipers, two Snipe and two Black-tailed Godwits, with c60 Lapwings the only other birds, beyond Black-headed Gulls, on the main pool. (AH)

Little Stint, Green Sandpipers and Snipe (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A White Stork was out in the fields this morning. (JDW)

Church Norton: A Little Stint and a Green Sandpiper were both in the harbour this morning (and presumably different to those at the Ferry), and an adult Spoonbill flew in from the east and eventually settled to roost on Tern Island. Otherwise, though, it was fairly quiet, with twoof the Spoonbills viewable off the North Wall, six Sandwich Terns in the harbour and plenty of Wigeon, Grey Plovers and a few Dunlin about, as well as 11 Golden Plovers flying over south, but the bushes were quiet in the brisk breeze. (AH/BFF/DM)

Spoonbill (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Spoonbill (above) & Green Sandpiper at Church Norton (DM)

Just before noon, a Red Kite flew east along the Severals and the spit. (AW)
Also, a ring-tailed Hen Harrier was reported from Church Norton this afternoon. (per IL)

Red Kite at Church Norton (AW)

North Wall: A visit after lunch and the big high tide combined with sunshine made finding anything out on the water nigh on impossible. Plenty of Wigeon, Teal and lesser numbers of Pintail roosting on the high tide. Amongst a large flock of Redshank were two Greenshank. Two Water Rails were calling from the Breech Pools and a late Sedge Warbler was in the bushes by the path, whilst a Clouded Yellow flew north. (BFF/DM)

Medmerry: Toe end - Just one Wheatear was around the rough ground today, along with a Grey Wagtail, and a Sanderling was on the beach. (SH)

Wheatear at Medmerry (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Merlin was being very active late this afternoon, and there were also six Kestrels about, along with a Greenshank and 25+ Lapwings. Also, along the banks there were a Corn Bunting, 10+ Yellowhammers and two Stonechats, with a dozen Swallows over. (S&SaH)

Long Pool: This evening there were at least 20 Avocets at the end of Ferry Channel, a Kingfisher was in the rife opposite and c30 Swallows were feeding overhead. (AH)

Kingfisher (above) & Avocets and Redshank from Long Pool (AH)

Wednesday, 4th October: A morning that brightened up slowly, though, unfortunately, the westerly breeze picked up, too....

Selsey Bill:
Again not much moving offshore, but good numbers of Swallows and Meadow Pipits were heading west. Full log below. (C&ME/SR)
(0740-1040hrs)
Gannet - 75W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 3W
Common Scoter - 18W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Turnstone - 18p
Common Gull - 2W
Mediteranean Gull - 7W
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Razorbill - 1E, 2W
auk sp - 1W
Swallow - 487W
House Martin - 17W
Meadow Pipit - 223W
Pied Wagtail - 101W
Chiffchaff - 3p in Bill House garden

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - A ringtail Hen Harrier flew north near Marsh Farm at around 11.30 this morning, and there was also a Dartford Warbler and a Whinchat nearby. (BO'D)

Medmerry: Toe End - There were four Wheatears on the rough ground and 50+ Pied Wagtails went west. (SH)

Ferry Pool: The Little Stint was still present in the concealed pool, along with a Green Sandpiper, two Snipe and 16 Black-tailed Godwits, though the main pool only held c50 Lapwing and c500 Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Little Stint (above), Little Stint and Green Sandpiper & Kestrel eating a Slow-worm on the wing at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall/Halsey's Farm: There were still two Spoonbills showing well and along White's Creek and the adjacent harbour there were a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, at least four Spotted Redshank, five Greenshank, five Knot, a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, c40 Grey Plover and the first flock - of c20 - Golden Plover of the autumn. Also on the mud were three Brent Geese, four or five Yellow-legged Gulls and plenty of Pintail and Teal and at least 80 Black-tailed Godwits.

Two Lesser Redpolls dropped in briefly on the hedges along the wall, and there were also a Wheatear, 20+ Chiffchaffs, Reed Buntings and Long-tailed Tits, plus three calling Cetti's Warblers present and a Kingfisher was briefly on the Breech Pool, whilst 20+ Swallows 100+ Meadow Pipits and half a dozen Pied Wagtails went over west. Also, among the several hundred Canada Geese that flew out of the harbour early on, were the two Bar-headed Geese, the Egyptian Goose and the Cape Shelduck.

Around Halsey's Farm there were four Stonechats, along with more Chiffchaffs and a couple of Goldcrests. (AH/G&RH/PC/JD/DS/IH et al)

Lesser Redpoll (above), Spoonbill, Spoonbill and Black-tailed Godwits, Golden Plovers, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Redshank, Spotted Redshanks, Kingfisher & Brent Goose around the North Wall (AH)