4th - 6th September 2018:

Thursday, 6th September: A very warm and sunny morning, with blues skies and just a light north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: (0745-1045hrs) A Bonxie east and two Arctic Skuas west were the highlights this morning, plus a few Wheatears and Willow Warblers. Full log below. (C&ME)
Gannet - 7E, 9W
Common scoter - 3E
Bonxie - 1E
Arctic Skua - 2W (d/p)
Sandwich Tern - 8os
Swallow - 404E
House Martin - 74E
Wheatear - 5p
Willow Warbler - 8p (in Bill House garden)

North Wall: There were reports of nine Cattle Egrets (G Holderness), twelve (per IL) and eight, plus five Yellow Wagtails (JDW) at different times during the day from the Bremere Bridge area of the north fields.

Gary Holderness' video of the Cattle Egrets today is here

Northcommon Farm: There were three Spotted Flycatchers at 'Flycatcher Corner' this morning, with six Yellow Wagtails, a sparrowhawk and two Buzzards over. (SH)

Ferry Pool: The Little Stint was present again late this morning, though absent early on, along with two Green Sandpipers, two Dunlin, a dozen Redshank, 25 Black-tailed Godwits,  eight Shelduck, c50 Lapwing and c60 Teal, whilst there were two Whimbrel in the channel opposite and a Greenshank further out into the harbour.
Blackcaps were the most numerous species around the Tramway circuit early on, with at least 20 present, along with half a dozen Whitethroats and a couple of Blackcaps and Willow/Chiffs. (AH)
Also, an Osprey went west over the Ferry at 3.15pm, (IL) and a Hobby went over the Visitor Centre at 5.30pm (BO'D)

Green Sandpipers and Teal (above), Little Stint, Whimbrel, Shelduck and Teal, Blackcap & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were just a few migrants this morning, including a Whinchat and four Wheaears along the spit, a couple of Yellow Wagtails, plus a Pied Wagtail, that dropped in on the concrete blocks, Spotted Flycatchers behind the hide and by the concrete wall and a dozen or more Blackcaps, half a dozen Whitethroats and a couple of Lesser Whitethroats,  Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, mainly along the Severals. 
Also, a steady trickle of Swallows went east, with the odd Sand and House Martin among them. There wasn't much in the harbour on the high tide beyond a Grey Plover and a few Dunlin and Turnstones, and there was just one Sandwich Tern going east, well offshore. (AH/AW/A&YF)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Willow Warbler (AW), Whinchat, Wheatears & Lesser Whitethroat (AH) at Church Norton

Wednesday, 5th September: After a decidedly chill start, the cloud cleared and it was a pleasantly sunny morning, despite the brisk easterly breeze...

Firstly, a remarkable picture from yesterday morning, showing all ten Cattle Egrets together in the dead tree near Owl Point (PB)

Selsey Bill: (0900-1100hrs) (C&ME)

Gannet - 4E

Turnstone - 5E

SAndwich Tern - 8os

Meadow Pipit - 6E

Swallow - 332E

House Martin - 115E

Ferry Pool: A Little Stint was on the pool this morning, initially at the back, but down by the roadside later on, but otherwise there was just a Dunlin, eight Shelducks, c30 Black-tailed Godwits,  c80 Lapwing and c50 Teal about. (AH)

Little Stint (above) & Shelducks and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon a Hobby scattered the birds as it chased and caught a dragonfly at the back of the pool. Also, the Little Stint was still present.

Hobby at the Ferry (AW)

North Wall: A total of eight Cattle Egrets were tracked down this morning, feeding  among the very large cattle herd, just west of Bremere Bridge (to the north-west of Owl Copse).
Otherwise it was fairly quiet for migrants, with a Redstart and c30 Yellow Wagtails towards Owl Point, another (male) in the hedges towards Honer Farm, two Sedge Warblers, three Whitethroats and a Wheatear along the wall, and another of the latter along the east side, with a modest, if steady easterly flow of House Martins, plus a few Swallows and sand Martins overhead.
The Spoonbill was in the harbour again, a Raven went over, as did a Sparrowhawk, and there was an influx of wildfowl evident, including c30 Pintail and at least 50 Wigeon, including nine on the Breech Pool.
There weren't too many waders of note in the harbour, beyond a Common Sandpiper, a Whimbrel and a few Grey Plovers, though there were up to 200 Redshanks and 50 Black-tailed Godwits in White's Creek and a Snipe was towards Honer Farm. (AH/JDWCRJ//BI/IH/IB/PC et al)

Cattle Egrets (above) (top three - JDW), Spoonbill, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtails, Pintail and Wigeon, Wigeon & Sparrowhawk around the North Wall (AH)

At lunchtime the Cattle Egrets were near Marsh Farm - with eight, and possibly nine counted. There were also a Curlew Sandpiper and three Spotted Redshanks on White's Creek, a Kingfisher was showing well sitting on the reeds of the Breech Pool, and there were several Reed and Sedge warblers showing well in the reed-beds. (RW/IL)

This evening eleven Cattle Egrets came in from the north together to roost in Owl Copse. Also there was a Hobby hunting overhead, a Kingfisher on the sluice at the west end of the wall and half a dozen Greenshanks in the harbour. (AB)

Eleven Cattle Egrets flying into roost at the North Wall (AB)

Northcommon Farm: A Wheatear went east over the nearby White Horse caravan site this morning. (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were just three Yellow Wagtails and two Pied Wagtails on the fields this evening, with a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: This evening there were six Wheatears, three Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs and a Whitethroat along the front, a Greenshank and 40+ Grey Plovers in the harbour and a Gannet and a Sandwich Tern offshore. (S&SaH)

Tuesday, 4th September: An altogether cooler, greyer morning, with the odd sunny spell and a fresh easterly breeze...

North Wall: All ten Cattle Egrets came out of the roost this morning, along with 47 Little Egrets, and at one point all ten were sat together on the dead tree towards Owl Point. 

There were also 50+ Yellow Wagtails in the adjacent fields and a Redstart in the hedges, whilst the Spoonbill was feeding actively in the harbour, along with a Pintail.

Also, a Curlew Sandpiper was in White's Creek on the falling tide, along with three Spotted Redshank, 15 Greenshanks and two Knot. (PB/CN/KJ)

Later on, there were still eight Cattle Egrets were amongst cattle between the North Wall and Halsey's Farm along with up to 20 Yellow Wagtails, whilst at Marsh Farm there were another eight Yellow Wagtails amongst the cattle. Honer reservoir has a shallow covering of water and held 23 Teal, three Pied Wagtails and a Greenshank, and 40 House Martins dropped in for a drink, part of a steady eastward passage of hirundines. 

It was quiet along the Wall with just a couple of Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats showing, whilst behind the Breech Pool was a flock of 36 Lapwing. Interestingly there were Moorhens in the hawthorn trees feeding on berries. (JDW)

Cattle Egrets around the North Wall (JDW)

Several Cattle Egrets were still present later on this afternoon at Halseys Farm (S&SaH), but were not seen again until all ten came into roost just before 8pm. A Barn Owl was seen out hunting, at least 60 Yellow Wagtails were among the cattle and several Greenshanks were in the harbour. (AB/CRJ et al)

Also, a Little Owl was on the wires along Rookery Lane, just before the cycleway towards Marsh Farm. (AH/IP)

Cattle Egrets (SH) (above) & Little Owl (AH) around Halsey's Farm

Ferry Pool: There were two Green Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers and two Dunlin on the pool, along with ten Shelducks, 20 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Teal and Lapwings. (AH)

Green Sandpipers (above), Little Ringed Plovers & Dunlin on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A good turn-out of seekers failed to find the Wryneck along the front this morning, and it was otherwise quiet, with just a Whinchat, a couple of Wheatears, a Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers and half a dozen Whitethroats being the total found.

Also, a dozen or so Yellow Wagtails went over (with some dropping on the beach), along with several hundred House Martins and a few dozen Sand Martins and Swallows. 
There wasn't much of note in the harbour beyond eight Pintail, c30 Teal, c30 Turnstones and c200 Dunlin. (AH/PB/CN/MJ/A&YF/BFF/DM/TB/CR/TR et al)

Wheatear (above), House Martin, Turnstones & Pintails at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Breach to the Stilt Pool - A monster walk from the Breach/Bunn Leisure side around to the west side and back failed to find any sign of the Hooded Crow but there were two Cattle Egrets showing well on the Stilt Pool. Apart from those the highlights were two Wheatears, two Whinchats and a Marsh Harrier.(GJa)

Cattle Egrets and Whinchat at Medmerry (GJa)

Later on, there were a Wheatear, a Whitethroat, four Corn Buntings and 20+ Yellowhammers along the banks, a Common Sandpiper on the Stilt Pool and six Kestrels, a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)