25th - 27th September 2018

Thursday, 27th September: The warm and sunny weather continues, with another glorious, still morning.......

Selsey Bill: Good numbers of Swallows and House Martins, plus a few Sand Martins were about again, plus a scattering of other migrants, though the sea remains quiet. Full log below. (C&ME/AH)
(0700-1000hrs)
Gannet - 1E
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Common Sandpiper - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 60os
Sandwich Tern - 3os
Yellow Wagtail - 2W
Grey Wagtail - 3W
Pied Wagtail - 10E
Meadow Pipit - 81N
Swallow - 2150E
House Martin - 330E
Sand Martin - 8E
Wheatear - 1p
Chiffchaff - 6p

Chiffchaff (above) & the full moon at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The usual selection of species were on the pool, though Lapwing numbers had increased to 175 birds, with 18 Shelduck, c40 Teal and eight Black-tailed Godwits present, too. (AH)

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

North Wall: A Marsh Harrier went over west this morning, six Stonechats were in the paddocks and a Whitethroat and a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were along the Wall, whilst four Snipe were on the Breech Pool and two Spotted Redshanks and two Greenshanks were in White's Creek. (OM/IH)

Greenshank in White's Creek (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - There were 300+ Meadow Pipits along the banks this morning, along with two Wheatears, around a dozen Stonechats, half a dozen Chiffchaffs and a scattering of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets and Skylarks, whilst at least a dozen Yellow Wagtails were around the Stilt Pool. At least 1000 Swallows and similar of House Martins were about, feeding rather than moving through.

The only waders seen were a Greenshank near the poplars and a Common Sandpiper, a Dunlin and a dozen or so Lapwing, plus a couple of Black-tailed Godwits on the Stilt Pool, where there were also c50 Gadwall, c20 Wigeon, c40 Teal, three Black Swans and a Barnacle Goose (or possibly a hybrid) among the many Canada Geese present.

Also, a couple of Sandwich Terns and a Common Tern were offshore, and a Peregrine, a  couple of Sparrowhawks, a Buzzard and half a dozen Kestrels were about. (AH/BFF/DM)

Yellow Wagtails (above), Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaff, House Martin, Black Swans, (hybrid?) Barnacle Goose & Sparrowhawk at Medmerry (AH)

This evening a Short-eared Owl was out hunting towards Ham again, the Greenshank was near the poplars and 20 Sandwich Terns were offshore.
There was plenty of activity along the banks, including five Yellow Wagtails, 100+ Meadow Pipits, four Chiffchaffs, two Reed Buntings, five Corn Buntings and at least ten Yellowhammers, but only four Swallows were noted. (S&SaH)





Wednesday, 26th September: Another beautiful warm autumn morning, with almost uninterrupted sunshine and just a gentle westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There were 2000+ hirundines around and over the Bill this morning - most of which were Swallows, with lesser numbers of House Martins, but otherwise it was quiet, with just a few Chiffchaffs in the hedges and a dozen lingering Sandwich Terns of note. Full log below.....
0715-1115hrs: (C&ME/PK)
Gannet - 3W
Common Scoter - 15E, 4W
Shelduck - 1W
Wigeon - 3E, 5W
Sandwich Tern - 12 os
Mediterranean Gull - 5E
Meadow Pipit - 39N
Pied Wagtail - 6W
Yellow Wagtail - 8E
Grey Wagtail - 2 ob
Swallow - 2600E
House Martin - 500E
Siskin - 3N
Chiffchaff - 6 gardens

Ferry Pool: A Spoonbill dropped into the pool to feed for a short while early this morning, before departing, and a Kingfisher also dropped in very briefly, but otherwise it was the usual mix of c100 Lapwings and 20 or so Teal, Shelduck and Black-tailed Godwits.
A Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel were in the channel opposite, along with c150 Teal, but the Tramway circuit was quiet, with just a handful of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps noted. (AH)

Spoonbill (above), Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper & Blackcap around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were vast numbers of hirundines over the whole area - at least 1000 Swallows and 3-400 House Martins, but it could easily have been double that number, whilst raptors were also about, including a Merlin that sped through west, a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk and several Buzzards and Kestrels.
Six Spotted Redshank flew into the Breech Pool together, but disappeared behind the reeds, two Greenshank went over, with another in White's Creek, two Snipe were on the pool, with another two over into the harbour and there were plenty of Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings in White's Creek, plus a few Wigeon and Pintail.
The hedges were generally quiet, though at least six Cetti's Warblers were making their presence known, with single Reed and Sedge Warblers and half a dozen or so Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Reed Buntings being about it, plus a few Jays moving about. (AH/PB/IB)

Greenshank (above), Peregrine, House Martin, House Martin and Swallow, Snipe, Blackcap & Chiffchaff around the North Wall (AH)

Northcommon Farm: There were two Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff around Flycatcher corner this morning, with at least 300 Swallows and House Martins overhead. (SH)

Medmerry: West side  - There were eight Whinchats around Marsh Farm at 2pm and an immature Marsh Harrier went west half an hour before.
The sky was full of Swallows; the farm bird surveyors - Hugh Baggaley and Mike White - reckon 4000 over in three hours mostly feeding or going towards the Bill. They also had 13 Corn Buntings, 10 of which were near Yellowhammer hedge on the west side, and there were also 30 Yellowhammers. ten Yellow Wagtails and 11 Kestrels about, whilst two Barn Owls were out hunting at dusk. (BO'D)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were definitely two, and probably three Short-eared Owls around the Ham area this evening, along with a Peregrine, a Wheatear, a Yellow Wagtail and 20+ Meadow Pipits, with 20 Black-tailed Godwits, four Curlews and two Dunlin on the tidal area. (AH/SH) Later on, a Barn Owl was also out hunting. (BO'D)

Short-eared Owls at Medmerry (SH above & AH)

Tuesday, 25th September: Another fine and bright day, with a light northerly veering round to a freshening south-easterly....

Selsey Bill: There was a good gathering of at least 60 Sandwich Terns offshore, with a very late Little Tern and a Common Tern among them, whilst a few Teal, Pintail and Wigeon were moving west.

Visible migration was fairly modest, but included four Siskins, a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a couple of Rock Pipits that dropped in briefly on their travels, relatively few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, plus eleven Grey Wagtails over, and hundreds of Swallows and House Martins moving mainly east. Also, two Wheatears were on the beach and 30 Chiffchaffs were spread around the gardens. Full log below.....
0715-1130hrs: (C&ME/AH/OM/BFF/DF/MJ)
Gannet - 10E, 5W
Common Scoter - 8E, 7W
Shelduck - 11W
Pintail - 20W
Wigeon - 43W
Teal - 6E
Turnstone - 31 ob
Razorbill - 1W
Little Tern - 1os
Common Tern - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 60 os, most drifted off E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 10os
Arctic Skua - 1os
Rock Pipit - 2ob
Meadow Pipit - 133N
Pied Wagtail - 23E
Yellow Wagtail - 2 ob/field, flew off E
Grey Wagtail - 11E
Sand Martin - 10E
House Martin - 262E
Swallow - 652E
Wheatear - 2ob
Chiffchaff - 30 gardens, 1ob
Siskin - 4E

Wheatears (above), Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff, Swallow, Common Tern & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Selsey, Warner Lane/Northcommon Farm: Two Stonechats, a Blackcap and several Chiffchaffs were at the Warner Lane paddocks, but little else other than hirundines overhead. (OM/BFF)  At Northcommon, a Spotted Flycatcher was present on the 'middle hedge' at Flycatcher corner, plus 3 Blackcaps, with c.10 Chiffchaffs along the hedgerows. (C&ME/OM)

Ferry Pool: Very little of note was around this morning, just the usual roosting flock of c120 Lapwings, and 20+ Teal,Shelduck and Black-tailed Godwits, with nothing but another 80 Teal in the channel opposite. (AH)

Church Norton: There were 20+ Chiffchaffs and a handful of Blackcaps scattered around the hedges, with a Mistle Thrush and a Jay in the churchyard, whilst c100 Swallows and c50 House Martins went over.

The harbour was quiet, save a few Dunlin and Grey Plover, plus 22 Little Egrets, c60 Teal and c20 Pintail, whilst offshore there were a Common Tern, four Sandwich Terns and two distant Gannets. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Blackcap & Common Tern at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were five Stonechats and a Wheatear along the front, along with a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Bunting and a Kestrel, with 30+ Swallows and House Martins over. Also five Brent Geese were on the beach and a Common Tern and two Sandwich Terns were offshore, whilst 30+ Meadow Pipits in the field along Rectory Lane(S&SaH)

Stonechat (above), Meadow Pipit, Kestrel & Cormorants at Church Norton (AW)

Park Farm, Selsey: Early this evening a Yellow Wagtail and two Pied Wagtails were on the fields, three Chiffchaffs were in the hedges and a Sparrowhawk went over. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - The Short-eared Owl was showing nicely from the viewpoint at Ham late this afternoon. (BI)

Short-eared Owl at Ham (BI)