Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 23rd

Thursday, 25th October: A fairly cool, grey morning, with just a modest north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much about this morning, though a couple of Sandwich Terns went east and a few Brent Geese and Gannets went west. Full log below. (C&ME/AH)
(0730-1000hrs)
Gannet - 8E, 119W
Brent Goose - 15W
Shelduck - 3W
Common Scoter - 10E
Sanderling - 3E
Turnstone 28p
Mediterranean Gull - 5E
Common Gull - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 2E
auk sp - 2W
Collared Dove - 10p
Meadow Pipit - 18W
Pied Wagtail - 19W
Grey Wagtail - 1W
Linnet - 28W
Grey Seal - 1os

Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Medmerry: West side - A Dartford Warbler was in the gorse in front of the first viewpoint (opposite the poplars) from Easton Lane at lunchtime today. (HB)

This afternoon a Short-eared Owl went high over at 4.30pm, with another out hunting the banks until 5.30pm.

Also a Merlin was about, a large juvenile and an adult male Peregrine were seen soaring together and along the banks there were five Grey Partriddges, eight Corn Buntings and 20 Yellowhammers. (BO'D)

Ferry Pool: There were three Green Sandpipers on the concealed pool this morning, with six Shovelers, 30 Wigeon, ten Shelduck and c75 Lapwing on the main pool, plus just a handful of Teal, with the rest - c200 birds - in the channel opposite. (AH)

Green Sandpipers (above), Shovelers & Teal around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: First thing this morning there were four Reed Buntings along the path to the beach and a Little Grebe was in the water by the old horse field. (AW)

The bushes were very quiet later on, with a Chiffchaff and a handful of Goldcrests, Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits being the sum, though there was a Stonechat between the Severals and a Mistle Thrush in the car-park,
The harbour, too, held little of note, though there were plenty of the commoner waders species around, with a Bar-tailed Godwit the most noteworthy, and a dozen Brent Geese flew over, heading south-west. (AH)

Reed Buntings (above), Little Grebe (AW), Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Mistle Thrush, Bar-tailed Godwit & Brent Geese (AH) at Church Norton

Wednesday, 24th October: A fairly pleasant, sunny morning after a cool and grey start, with a moderate north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety among a modest amount of visible migration, including, two Lesser Redpolls and two Siskins, whilst an Eider was on the sea and a Great Northern Diver, a Bonxie, and a couple of Brent Geese and Red-breasted Mergansers went west. Full log below. (C&ME/GH/AH/PC)
(0730-1045hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Gannet - 4W, 9E
Brent Geese - 2W
Teal - 1W
Eider - 1os, then E
Common Scoter - 15E, 4W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Curlew - 1W
Bonxie - 1W
Common Gull - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 9W
Wood Pigeon - 240W
Stock Dove - 21W
Skylark - 3W
Meadow Pipit - 11W
Grey Wagtail - 2E
Pied Wagtail - 2W
Lesser Redpoll - 2W
Siskin - 2W
Linnet - 16W
Goldfinch - 44E
Chaffinch - 3W

Great Northern Diver (above), Eider, Brent Geese & Meadow Pipit at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Green Sandpipers were in the concealed pool, and on the main pool there were four Shovelers, 150 Teal, 40 Wigeon and 20 Shelducks, plus around 50 roosting Lapwings. (AH)

Green Sandpipers (above) & Lapwing and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: It was another quiet morning in the harbour, though a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit were among the commoner waders present, and there were 25 Brent Geese and a few Pintail along the main channel.
The bushes were very quiet again, with a couple of Reed Buntings and a handful of Meadow Pipits being about the sum. (AH/MJ)
This afternoon the two Spoonbils were roosting on the Peregrines' island and 20 Avocets were off the end of the Long Pool on the west side. (AB)

Greenshank (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Reed Bunting & Grey Heron at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 23rd October: A cool morning, with light cloud persisting and a fairly light, but freshening, north-westerly breeze...

Selsey Bill: A couple of Great Northern Divers and a Red-necked Grebe were the highlights over the sea, with just a hint of visible migration overhead...... Full log below:
0730-1100hrs (C&ME/DS/DF)
Great Northern Diver - 2W
Red-necked Grebe - 1 os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 3os
Gannet - 3E, 121W
Shelduck - 4W
Common Scoter - 30E, 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 1W
Wigeon - 2E
Curlew - 1W
Dunlin - 7W
Razorbill - 3E, 22W
auk sp - 11E, 1W
Common Gull - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 32W
Pied Wagtail - 35W/N
Meadow Pipit - 8N
Skylark - 9W/N
Swallow - 4E
Linnet - 25W

Ferry Pool: A lone Golden Plover was among 220 Lapwings on the main pool and the two Green Sandpipers were tucked away on the concealed pool this morning, whilst there were also three Shovelers, c50 Wigeon, c150 Teal and 25 Shelducks present, and two Water Rails were in Red Barn Ditch. (AHBFF/DM))

Golden Plover and Lapwings (above), Shovelers (AH) & Green Sandpiper (DM) on the Ferry

Medmerry: The Hooded Crow re-appeared this afternoon, after a prolonged absence. (RN)

Hunston: A Short-eared Owl flew over the B2145 early this evening. (IL)

Church Norton: It was very quiet this morning, with no evidence of migration, though a couple of Mistle Thrushes and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the car-park and a couple of Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits were around the horse field.

The harbour was also quiet, with just the regular waders present, though the two Spoonbills and two Peregrines were around later on, and there were 20 Skylarks and 50 Linnets along the spit. (AH/BFF/DM)

Mistle Thrushes (above) & Great Spotted Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were plenty of birds about this morning, including a Fieldfare over Halsey's Farm and a Wheatear early on, a Grey Wagtail, three or four Yellowhammers, at least 25 Reed Buntings and 40 Goldfinches, plus a couple of Cetti's Warblers along the wall. Also, at least 500 Jackdaws, with 200+ Rooks which came out over the harbour from the fields before settling back down.

White's Creek held nine Spotted Redshank and at least 300 Lapwing, along with a few Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank, plus three Knot and a few Grey Plover, with 100+ Teal, 50+ Wigeon and a dozen Pintail also present, whilst the Breech Pool held a dozen fairly flighty Snipe and 60+ Black-tailed Godwits. (AH/OM/TG/IH et al)