Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 14th

Tuesday, 16th October: A very warm and sunny morning, despite a freshening south-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: (0730-1115hrs) (C&ME/MO-W/DF/DS)
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 4E, 41W
Grey Heron - 1W
Brent Goose - 97W
Wigeon - 1W
Common Scoter - 6W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Kestrel - 1p
Sanderling - 30p
Curlew - 1E
Arctic Skua - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Common Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1p
Skylark - 14W
Meadow Pipit - 22N
Pied Wagtail - 10W
Swallow - 8E
Siskin - 2W
Linnet - 59S
Goldfinch - 35W

Park farm, Selsey: A Hobby went over the farm this afternoon. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Green Sandpipers and six Snipe on the pool this morning, along with the usual assortment of half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, 30 or so Shelduck, 20 or so Teal and at least 50 roosting Lapwings, whilst a Grey Wagtail, a Stock Dove and a Shoveler went over and a Cetti's Warbler was calling from the roadside reeds.
A Spotted Redshank was again in Ferry Channel, along with a couple of Redshank, seven Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Teal. (AH)

Green Sandpipers (above), Snipe, Shelduck, Green Sandpipers, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit and Teal & Spotted Redshank, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach area - It was really quiet here, with just a lone Curlew out on the mud, and just 30 or so Linnets and Meadow Pipits and half a dozen Skylarks around the remaining areas of rough ground. (AH)

Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Pagham Churchyard: A Firecrest, two Goldcrests, two Coal Tits, a Chiffchaff and a Grey Wagtail were in the churchyard this morning, whilst a small flock of half a dozen Siskin flew over calling. (OM)

Coal Tits in Pagham churchyard. Whilst this species may be common inland, it remains scarce on the Peninsula as a whole. The mantle(s) appear rather dark here and did make me consider the continental form ater for a short while, but the olive tones and flank colouration seem to confirm the British form britannicus. (OM)

Church Norton: Two Brent Geese went west offshore, but the harbour had little to offer beyond a few Grey Plovers, Dunlin and Redshank, and the churchyard/hide area was equally quiet.
A big flock of Long-tailed and Blue Tits between the Severals contained a Chiffchaff and three or four Goldcrests, and there were four Stonechats and a dozen Meadow Pipits in the horse field, but a look round Greenlease Farm and Rectory Lane was more or less birdless, save a couple of Jays going over, these having fist been in the churchyard along with a Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Along the Spit there were 50+ Meadow Pipits.(AH/AW)

Chiffchaff (above), Long-tailed Tit, Stonechat & Jay at Church Norton (AH)

Meadow Pipit and Jay at Church Norton (AW)

The only things to add this afternoon were a Greenshank in the harbour and at least five Stonechats on the old horse-field. (AW)

Later on, there were five Spoonbills roosting with the Great black-backed Gulls near Tern Island. (S&SaH)

Greenshank (above) & Stonechat at Church Norton (AW)

North Wall: My short visit to the Wall was largely confined to the entrance path and stables area, where there was a Firecrest, a couple of Goldcrests, a Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs and a number of Blackbirds - including some perhaps continental birds? (OM)

Monday, 15th October: A grey, cloudy and damp start after heavy overnight rain, though the predicted downpour this morning didn't materialise. Fairly calm and cool with a light NE breeze, with brighter spells developing later.....promising looking conditions!

Selsey Bill: At last something a bit more exciting with the discovery of a Yellow-browed Warbler in the private wooded garden at the junction of Seal Road and Grafton Road - just behind the Bill. Initially it showed well for a short period, before becoming typically elusive and melting from view, though it did call twice. (OM)

The sea was fairly dead early on and ultimately received little or no attention once the warbler had been found, though there was a little bit of visible migration, but proceedings returned to normal later. Full log below.......

(0730-0900hrs) (OM/AM)
Brent Goose - 37W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
House Martin - 2E
Meadow Pipit - 25E
Siskin - 20E
Goldfinch - 50E
Blackcap - 3 gardens
Chiffchaff - 6 gardens
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1 gardens (0835hrs)
(1030-1200hrs) (C&ME)
Gannet - 2E, 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Wigeon - 3W
Dunlin - 35W
Sanderling - 2E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Common Gull - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 8N
Pied Wagtail - 4E
Linnet - 50E

The Yellow-browed Warbler reappeared between the Seal Road and Byways turnings on Grafton Road at 4.50pm and was still present at 6pm. (S&SaH/BI/IP/AH)

Yellow-browed Warbler at Selsey Bill (SH)....and below, a slightly better shot! (SaH)

Ferry Pool: At first light there was a Green Sandpiper on the Pool along with a pair of Shovelers and c30 Shelducks. In the Channel there were at least 3 Spotted Redshanks with a Spoonbill at the harbour end, and along Long Pool there was a Song Thrush and half a dozen Stonechats. (AW/AH)

Spotted Redshank and Spoonbill in Ferry channel (AW)

Green Sandpiper (above - AH top) and Shoveler on the Ferry Pool and (below) Song Thrush (AW)

Church Norton: A Dartford Warbler was in the gorse on the beach, by the first Severals, early this morning, and at least four Blackcaps were by the concrete wall, whilst there was a little bit of visible migration, including 12 Siskins, c30 Linnets and c50 Meadow Pipits over heading east. A Sandwich Tern went west offshore, but there wasn't much in the harbour beyond a few Grey Plovers and Wigeon. (AH)

Later, a Whinchat was in the old horse field and two Goldcrests were in the churchyard,(AW), and there were quite a few Chiffchaffs along the west side (BI).

Blackcap (above) & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 14th October: A very gloomy and much cooler morning, with rain early and late on, and a fresh northerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Red-necked Grebe was the highlight on an otherwise quiet morning.....
0715-0830hrs: (SH)
Gannet - 3W
Red-necked Grebe - 1E
Brent Goose - 15W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1os
Pied Wagtail - 7E
Linnet - 4E
Chiffchaff - 2 gardens

Park farm, Selsey: This morning there were a Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaffs, 6 Pied and one Grey Wagtail, 30+ Meadow Pipits and 50+ Linnets (SH)

Ferry Pool: There were 31 Shelducks and 20 Teal on the pool, with a Spotted Redshank, a couple of Redshank, a Wgeon and 50+ Teal in the channel opposite. (AH/IP)

Church Norton: There were no more sightings of the Swift sp this morning, though the first Firecrest of the autumn was with a couple of Goldcrests at the bottom of the path to the harbour this morning, and a late juvenile Whitethroat was by the path between the Severals. Seven Shoveler were on the Severals, where 12 Chaffinches were present and five more arrived from the sea. Half a dozen Stonechats were around the horse field, a tight group of up to a dozen apparent migrant Blackbirds were along the path to the beach and visible migration consisted of c60 Meadow Pipits, c20 Swallows, c20 Linnets, c30 Pied Wagtails, five Goldfinches and a couple of Chaffinches, all heading east, plus three Swallows.

In the harbour there were a Greenshank, c20 Knot and Dunlin, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a dozen Grey Plovers and the two Peregrines. Offshore, four Brent Geese and a Whimbrel flew west. (AH/IP/CRJ/DM/DS/SH)
Late this afternoon, two Spoonbills were roosting with the Cormorants and there were 20 Brent Geese in the harbour. (SH)