Saturday 7 October 2017

7th - 9th October 2017

Monday, 9th October: After a pleasant and still start, the breeze picked up, and with it a fairly persistent murky drizzle......


Selsey Bill: Not  too much moving again, but there was still a bit of a selection, including a few Brent Geese and Wigeon west. Full log below, (C&ME/SR)
(0730-1030hrs)
Gannet - 2E, 119W
Brent Goose - 89W
Wigeon - 9E, 54W
Common Scoter - 20W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 28p
Common Gull - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 13W
Sandwich Tern - 2os
auk sp - 1E
Swallow - 17E, 8W
Meadow Pipit - 45W
Pied Wagtail - 5E, 35W
Chiffchaff - 2p (in Bill House garden)

Ferry Pool: There were an Avocet, two Black-tailed Godwits and 75 Lapwing present this morning, plus a Grey Wagtail flew over.. (AH)


Avocet on the Ferry (AH)


Church Norton: It was fairly quiet this morning, though there were several hundred House Martins and Swallows about early on, along with a Hobby that chased one of the Swallows. Otherwise, there were five Mistle Thrushes in the churchyard, a scattering of Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits about the hedges and two Stonechats in the horse field. Also, a Bar-tailed Godwit was in the harbour, along with three Sandwich Terns and a few Grey Plovers. (AH/AW)
Later on, at 1.45pm, a very fine Ring Ouzel appeared in the hedge behind the hide and stayed around the area until dusk. (AW)


Ring Ouzel at Church Norton (AW)



Mistle Thrush (above), Swallows and House Martins (AW), Chiffchaff, Bar-tailed Godwit & Sandwicj Terns (AH) at Church Norton





Fishing boat and attendant gulls (above) & AH and Boo braving the drizzle at Church Norton (AW)


Medmerry: Toe End - There was still a Wheatear on the rough ground, along with five Stonechats and 15 Brent geese went west offshore. Also, there was the strange sight of a Stoat being chased and seen off by a very bold Meadow Pipit! (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was generally quiet this morning, even before the weather broke. There was a Common Sandpiper by the first sluice, with the usual one on the Stilt Pool, and a Greenshank was by the second sluice, but the only other waders seen were a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Curlews by the poplars.
Along the banks there were three or four Stonechats, a dozen Skylarks and a couple of hundred Meadow Pipits, though none looked to be moving through, and there were four Corn Buntings and a dozen Yellowhammers by their favoured bushes, whilst a couple of dozen Swallows went over, and there were a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests in the bushes.
The grazier was chasing his cattle around the Stilt Pool, though the two Bar-headed Geese dropped in with 30 Canada Geese, and out on the reserve there were 12 Shelduck and a few Pintail and Teal among c50 Wigeon. (AH)


Common Sandpiper (above), Greenshank, Stonechat, Corn Bunting, Meadow Pipits & Bar-headed Geese at Medmerry (AH)







Pagham, North Wall/East Side: There were not so many waders on show in the harbour this morning, unsurprising as the rain set in, but there were still a few Dunlin, some Grey Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks about. One Spoonbill was sleeping near the Gull roost and there were plenty of Wigeon, 20 Brent Geese and 15 Pintails dotted about the harbour. Along the hedges there were still a dozen Chiffchaffs as well as a mixed flock of Goldcrests and Tits and there was a notable rise in Blackbirds. A few Redwings went were heard "seeping" as they flew over. A quick look at the Breech Pool revealed just a few Mallards & a Little Grebe on the water and no sign in the drizzle of the Bearded Tit. (BI)


Sunday, 8th October: A still and mostly grey day, with just a light westerly and a bit of sun between the clouds.....

Selsey Bill: Not too much was on the move this morning, though a few Brent Geese went west, as did the odd Swallow and Meadow Pipit. Full log below. (SH/SR/AH/PB)
(0700-0830hrs)
Gannet - 1E, 4W
Little Egret - 1p
Brent Goose - 29W
Shelduck - 6W
Gadwall - 4W
Common Scoter - 6E, 2W
Curlew - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 8W
Common Gull - 2E, 2W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 3W
Swallow - 22W
Meadow Pipit - 57W
Pied Wagtail - 34W
Linnet - 50p

(1000-1100hrs) (J Harrington)
Gannet - 1os
Brent Geese - 18W
Common Scoter - 1E
auk sp - 1W
Swallow - 50p (feeding along shoreline)

Sandwich Tern (above), Little Egret & Pied Wagtail at the Bill (AH)



Park Farm, Selsey: There were a couple of Grey Wagtails and six Stonechats along the fields this morning, plus at least ten Pied Wagtails, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Sparrowhawk, with 50+ House Martins and Swallows over. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were just 12 Teal and 40 Lapwing present this morning. (AH)


Church Norton: A Wheatear was along the beach, three Stonechats and at least ten Chiffhcaffs were along the front, with 50+ House Martins and Swallows over, three Bar-tailed Godwits and a Sandwich Tern were in the harbour and 40+ Brent Geese went west offshore. (S&SaH/J Harrington)

North Wall: A single Bearded Tit was 'pinging' and showing briefly in the narrow reed-bed west of the Breech Pool this morning. Also along the wall area there was a Yellow Wagtail  and eight Gadwall over, a Wheatear, up to ten Reed Buntings and Chiffcaffs, three Cetti's Warblers and one or two Linnets, with more Reed Buntings and Chiffchaffs, plus a couple of Stonechats and Goldcrests along the hedge and reeds dividing the North Wall and Halsey's Farm.
The Spoonbill was in White's Creek early on, and there were also a Spotted Redshank, 80 Black-tailed Godwits, 150 Lapwing, plenty of Teal and Wigeon, four Shelducks and a Lesser Black-backed Gull around the area, though few smaller waders. Also a Wheatear was on the path along the side of the harbour, two Sandwich Terns flew down the channel and back and a Red-breasted Mergander was among a feeding frenzy of Little Egrets, Cormorants and others near the harbour mouth. (AH/RHa/PC/IH et al)



Wheatears (above), Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Spotted Redshank and Lapwing, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit, Lesser Black-backed Gull & Red-breasted Merganser, Little Egrets etc around North Wall (AH)










Late this afternoon the Bearded Tit (a male) was showing well, and also seen from the wall were three Greenshank, three Spotted Redshank, a Snipe, 20+ Black-tailed Godwits, three Kingfishers, three Pintail, 20+ Brent Geese and 20+ Chiffchaffs. (S&SaH)

Bearded Tit (above), Kingfisher & Spotted Redshanks from the North Wall (SH)


Pagham, East side: The east side of the harbour was much more productive for smaller waders around mid-morning with two large flocks of Dunlin out on the mud along with two Curlew Sandpipers and a dozen Ringed Plovers. There were also 50+ Grey Plovers, a Greenshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Turnstone, plenty of Redshanks and a few Curlews along the mud. Further up towards White's Creek there was another Curlew Sandpiper feeding with some more Dunlin, a small group of Pintail, a few Teal, ever building numbers of Wigeon and also the three Eider were feeding out in the channel. The hedges along the harbour and path held a dozen Chiffchaffs and a few Goldcrest whilst the Mistle Thrush was still on the berries here and the very confiding Wheatear remained on the shingle. (BI)


Wheatear (above), Curlew Sandpiper & Eider along the east side (BI)






Saturday, 7th October: A very grey and blustery day, with a bit of drizzle early on, though still fairly mild.....

Selsey Bill: A female Long-tailed Duck went west, as did 78 Brent Geese, and there were a couple of Arctic Skuas, a Bonxie and a Manx Shearwater about, too. Full log lbelow. (PB)
(1030-1400hrs)
Manx Shearwater - 1W
Gannet - 8E, 20W
Brent Goose - 78W
Wigeon - 5W
Common Scoter - 23E, 15W
Long-tailed Duck -W (female)
Sanderling 3W
Arctic Skua - 2E (d/p)
Bonxie - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Kittiwake - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 6W
Razorbill - 1E
Swallow - 65W
Meadow Pipit - 12N

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 3E, 8W
Brent Goose - 128W (inc a flock of 103)
Sanderling - 3W
Arctic Skua - 2W (d/p)
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 6W

Medmerry: Toe End - There were just one Wheatear and a Stonechat showing this morning. (SH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were 16 Pintail seen from the path today. (J-PC)

Park Farm, Selsey: Early this afternoon there was a Yellow Wagtail out on the fields, and there were alson two Grey Wagtails and a Stonechat about, plus a House Martin and 20+ Swallows over. (S&SaH)

Yellow Wagtail (above) & Stonechat at Park Farm, Selsey (SH)


Ferry Pool/:Long Pool: The Ferry held just eight Teal, though at least 200 were in the channel opposite, the Tramway circuit was devoid of birds and the Long Pool had just a few Chiffchaffs and Long-tailed Tits along it, plus a Cetti's Warbler and a couple of Water Rails calling and a few Swallows over. (AH)

Later on, a juvenile Ruff was on the pool, a Greenshank was in Ferry Channel and four Pintail flew over.  (J-PC)


Teal in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: A Merlin went over low, heading for the spit, at least 40 Swallows and similar of House Martins were feeding low over the sheltered sides of the hedges, up to a dozen Chiffchaffs and 20+ Long-tailed Tits were also keeping out of the wind, whilst a Mistle Thrush popped up briefly at the back of the churchyard.
In the harbour there were four Sandwich Terns, a Greenshank, two or three Bar-tailed Godwits and a Knot among the Dunlin and Grey Plovers, whilst offshore half a dozen Gannets were patrolling out in the bay. Also, around 80 Brent Geese flew into the harbour from offshore, along with four Shelducks, and another 60 of the former, plus five Wigeon went west offshore. (AH et al)


Brent Geese (above), Shelducks, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Grey Plovers and Redshank, Mistle Thrush, Chiffchaff & Long-tailed Tit at Church Norton (AH)









Early this afternoon a Marsh Harrier went north over Greenlease Farm, whilst around the Severals/beach area there were two Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a Kingfisher and 10+ Chiffchaffs. Also, six Sandwich Terns were in the harbour, and offshore there were a couple of Gannets, and a Common Scoter went east. (S&SaH)


Later on a Spoonbill went west over the Severals (presumably from the harbour), c200 Brent Geese went west in several flocks offshore and five Bar-tailed Godwits were in the harbour.. (AW)






Spoonbill (above), Brent Geese & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AW)







Pagham Lagoon: The lagoon was quiet with just a six Pochards of note this morning. (BI)

North Wall/East Side: Wet and windy along the Wall first thing this morning although there was some respite from the conditions along the Slipe Field track where there were a few Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits showing. In the wind-swept harbour were Grey Plover, plenty of Wigeon and a few Pintail and near the sluice were a Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank in with the Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks. Little on the Breech Pool which was very full (even at low tide) other than Mallard whilst in the fields to the rear were 12 Curlew and similar of Black-tailed Godwits. The bushes were predictably quiet apart from ten or so Reed Buntings, a few Long-tailed Tits and two Cetti's Warblers. (BI/PH)

Greenshank at the North Wall (BI)

Also, 20+ Golden Plover were seen from the North Wall in flight and seemed to continue west, and five Spotted Redshank and three Greenshank were in White's Creek. (J-PC)





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