Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 16th

Tuesday, 18th September: A very windy, very grey morning, with a near gale force south-westerly blowing, though remaining dry and quite mild.....

Selsey Bill: A promising wind which disappointingly failed to deliver, with little moving beyond three Arctic Skuas east, three Fulmars west, some Gannets and a handful of Common Scoters (including the now-regular drake offshore), plus some departing hirundines. Full log below......
0715-1130hrs: (OM/C&ME/AH/RHa/AM/DF/DS)
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 30E, 95W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Common Scoter - 6E, 15W, 1os
Turnstone - 28 ob
Arctic Skua - 3E
Mediterranean Gull - 10 os drifted off W
Sandwich Tern - 2W
Swallow - 196 W/SW
House Martin - 15 out SW

Fulmar (above) Common Scoters & Gannet past the Bill (AH)

(1630-1745hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 2E, 1W

Turnstone - 30E

Sandwich Tern - 1W

North Wall: There were two Spoonbills feeding in White's Creek this morning. Also at least ten Cattle Egrets were present in the fields near Owl Copse. (GaH)

A video (GaH) of the two Spoonbills is here

Ferry Pool: There was nothing on the pool beyond c20 Shelduck and c40 Teal, though in the channel opposite there were three Spotted Redshank, four Whimbrel, 20+ Black-tailed Godwits and 50+ Redshank and Teal. (AH/BFF et al)

Spotted Redshank (above), Spotted Redshank and Redshank & Whimbrels in ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: There were a Greenshank, a Knot, a Sanderling and two Bar-tailed Godwits among the many Dunlin and Ringed Plovers seen in the harbour, but there wasn't much else beyond a Peregrine out in the middle and a few Swallows over. (AH/AM/BFF/DM/TB/NR)

Bar-tailed Godwits (above) & Greenshank at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 17th September: A very warm and humid morning, with sunshine and white cloud and a freshening southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A quiet morning with little over the sea, although a few Swallows moved through eastwards, and later three Siskins arrived (C&ME).....
0730-1030hrs: (OM/C&ME)
Gannet - 1E, 15W
Common Scoter - 5E
Sandwich Tern - 5W, 8os
Mediterranean Gull - 6os
Meadow Pipit - 1W
Grey Wagtail - 1W
Swallow - 86E
House Martin - 12E
Siskin - 3N

Selsey: There were 5 Buzzards soaring together over White Horse caravan park late afternoon. (SH)

East Head: A flock of 75+ very noisy Dark bellied Brent Geese flew into Chichester harbour tonight - the first more substantial flock of the season today after a couple of smaller groups over the weekend. (GM)

Ferry Pool: All the activity was again in the channel opposite this morning, with four Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and five Whimbrel along the edges, as well as 20 Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Redshank and c50 Teal.

By contrast, the pool itself only held the usual 80 or so Lapwings, a handful of Black-tailed Godwits and 20 or so Teal and Shelduck. The Tramway circuit was quiet, too, save at least 20 Blackcaps, but no other migrants were seen, though a fly-by Kingfisher was briefly in Red Barn Ditch. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Whimbrels, Common Sandpiper & Blackcaps around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Only one Cattle Egret was showing - in the fields at Halsey's Farm - this morning, where there were also a Whinchat, a dozen Chiffchaffs and a couple of Whitethroats and Blackcaps. These latter two species were also evident along the wall, along with a couple each of Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warbler, whilst a handful of Meadow Pipits and Yellow Wagtails and c50 Swallows went over.

A visiting birder reported two Marsh Harriers together early in the morning, but were not seen again, whilst other species present included a Water Rail and up to five Snipe, plus 40 Lapwings, on the Breech Pool and a couple of Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank among the large numbers of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits in White's Creek. (AH/IH/PC et al)

Later, there were 13 Cattle Egrets early afternoon, plus 3 Ravens over and the Spoonbill distantly. (CBC/MC)

Whinchat (above), Cattle Egret and Little Egret, Spotted Redshank, Snipe, Water Rail & Chiffchaff around the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt pools: A late afternoon visit produced the following (SH)...
Kestrel - 2
Wheatear - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Whitethroat - 1
Yellowhammer - 10+
Swallow - 250+ east
Greenshank - 2
Common Sandpiper - 1

Sunday, 16th September: A grey and blustery day, though the southerly breeze meant it was fairly mild.........and becoming sunny by afternoon.

Selsey Bill: An unidentified tern - bigger than a Common, black above and white below - went west at 8.40am, but unfortunately it was not very close, nor photographed, so, unless it pops up further west, it will be 'the one that got away'. (SH/PB)
Earlier, a Bonxie and an Arctic Skua went, west, as did a few Sandwich Terns, though it was generally quiet.
On a different note, this year's Pom King - our esteemed Log-keeper Justin Atkinson - was formally presented with the trophy today. Traditionally it is presented in the summer months, but things slipped a little this year. (Any rumours that it was a plot by the disgruntled runner-up SH are completely unfounded, but we'll be coming for it next spring!)
Full log below....
0630-1015hrs: (SH/PB/OM/AH/IP/BI)
Gannet - 14E, 48W
Fulmar - 1W
Common Scoter - 5E, 2W
Teal - 2E
Kestrel - 1 area
Arctic Skua - 1W (l/p)
Great Skua - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 22W, 5os
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 5W, 1os
Meadow Pipit - 5N, 4W
Sand Martin - 5E
Swallow - 115E, 6W

(Note on the unidentified tern: At 08.40 a Sandwich Tern sized tern flew west along the Mile basket line; black above, white below (including underwing) - definitely not a Black Tern (flight and size wrong). (SH)

Arctic Skua (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Pom King 2018 - Justin Atkinson - receives the trophy (OM). (Watch out next year!)

Ferry Pool: There were just 100 or so Lapwings - all upset by a Fox doing a circuit of the pool, 40 Teal and 29 Shelduck on the pool this morning, though there were three Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank in the channel opposite. (AH/IP)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Lapwings & Fox around the Ferry (AH)

Sidlesham Sewage works: A Green Sandpiper flew over the works calling, but there was precious little else of interest, with just a single Whitethroat and about five Blackcaps in the berry-laden hedgerows. (OM)

Park Farm, Selsey: Thirty or so Meadow Pipits, plus a few Swallows went over, but there was not much more to report. (AH/IP) Later there were four Yellow Wagtails and one Pied Wagtail on the lettuce fields. (S&SaH)

North Wall: A total of 13 Cattle Egrets were reported from around the North Wall area (per BI&CWM), including three roosting on the Breech Pool.

Other sightings included three Greenshank and four Spotted Redshanks, plus a Kingfisher, in White's Creek, three Yellow Wagtails in with the cattle, the Spoonbill among the roosting Little Egrets in the harbour and a Whinchat was at Halsey's Farm. (IP/CWM)

Church Norton: There were very few migrants about - a Redstart and a couple of Whitethroats were along the Severals and a couple of Willow/Chiffs behind the hide being about it, though there were 200+ Swallows, 50+ House Martins and a few Sand Martins about.

A Greenshank and two Bar-tailed Godwits were seen among the commoner waders in the harbour, plus a Grey Plover, with a flock of 49 of the latter sat on the beach. A Peregrine was sat out in its normal area, a large flock of Linnets was around Tern Island and a Shoveler was among a dozen Teal on the second Several, whilst there was also a Clouded Yellow along the spit. (AH/IP/BI/A&YF)

Later on, an Osprey was seen over the harbour, and six Sandwich Terns were roosting on the beach.. (S&SaH)