10th - 12th September 2019

Thursday, 12th September: A grey and humid morning, though still fairly mild in the moderate westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: There were a total of 15 Shags - all juveniles - going east, with 260 Gannets and six Common Terns west and seven Wheatears along the beach. Full log below.(C&ME/IP/AH)
(0630-1030hrs)
Gannet - 260W
Shag -15E
Grey Plover - 2W
Dunlin - 12W
Turnstone - 7p
Mediterranean Gull - 9W
Sandwich Tern - 15os, 14W (inc a flock of 10)
Common Tern - 6W
Swallow - 182W
Meadow Pipit - 27E
Grey Wagtail - 1W
Pied Wagtail - 7W
Wheatear - 7p
Willow/Chiff - 3p

Wheatear (above), Shag, Sandwich Tern, Gannet & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Two Little Terns going west was the highlight this afternoon. (SH)

(1640-1740hrs) 
Gannet - 2E, 4W
Shag - 1w, 1os
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 5W, 18os
Little Tern - 2W
Common Tern - 1os
Razorbill - 1E

Ferry Pool: There were just two Common Sandpipers and a Dunlin on the pool, other than the regular c40 Lapwing, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c20 teal and two Shelducks. There were also, albeit briefly, a Grey Wagtail and a Greenshank in the channel opposite. (AH/IP)
Later on, the two Little Ringed Plovers were again present. (BL)

Common Sandpipers on the Ferry (AH)

Northcommon Farm: There were two Spotted Flycatchers around Flycatcher Corner this morning. (SH)

North Wall: Four Spotted Redshanks were present this morning in Whites Creek together with a Greenshank and about a dozen Wigeon, whilst the bushes along the North Wall contained a Common Whitethroat and a pair of Blackcaps.
Four Cattle Egrets were still following the cattle around the fields north of the Wall and a Sparrowhawk flew rapidly west. Also, a Lesser Whitethroat could be seen at Halseys Farm. (IH)
Later, a Redstart, two Spotted Flycatchers and six Yellow Wagtails were also seen around the farm. (BL)

Church Norton: Highlight this morning was a very young Hobby that came in off the sea and settled first at the back of the Severals and then near the concrete wall, before later being seen over the churchyard.
Otherwise it was fairly quiet though a couple of Spotted Flycatchers were near the concrete wall, a handful of Chiffchaffs were in the hedges, a Whitethroat was along the beach, a Stonechat was in the horse field and three Ravens went over Bluebell Wood.
Plenty of Swallows, plus a few Sand Martins went over, as did a couple of Sparrowhawks and Buzzards, a couple of Sandwich Terns and half a dozen Gannets were offshore, but the only birds of note in the harbour were a flock often Pintail flying around, two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel. (AH/IP/MJ/A&YF et al)

Hobby (above), Spotted Flycatcher & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon the Hobby and a Spotted Flycatcher were around the churchyard/hide area, with the two Bar-tailed Godwits again in the harbour. (AW)

Hobby (above), Spotted Flycatcher & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AW)

Wednesday, 11th September: It was back to more autumnal conditions this morning, with a fresh westerly breeze and heavy cloud cover, though dry and fairly mild.....

Selsey Bill: A total of 979 Swallows went west this morning, along with three juvenile Common Terns, four Kittiwakes and 146 Gannets, whilst eight Shags went east. Full log below. (C&ME/AH/IP)

(0645-1015hrs)
Fulmar - 4W
Gannet - 5E, 146W
Shag - 8E, 1os
Common Scoter - 7W
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 3p
Mediterranean Gull -11W, 3os
Kittiwake - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 14w, 7os
Common Tern - 3W
Swallow - 979W
Sand Martin - 11W
Pied Wagtail - 2W

Shags (above), Fulmar, Common Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Sandwich Terns & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were still two Little Ringed Plovers and six Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, but not much else besides a few Teal and c30 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH/IP)
Late this afternoon, around the hidden pool there were singles each of Common and Green Sandpiper, and a Snipe. (AW) 

Snipe (above) & Common and Green Sandpipers at the Ferry (AW)

North Wall: Four Cattle Egrets were again around the cattle in one of the fields north of North Wall and a visiting birder reported a Kingfisher near Owl Copse. (IH)
This afternoon 24 Wigeon were along White's Creek, the four Cattle Egrets and a Little Egret were amongst cattle in Honer 1 field and in a field to the east of Pagham Rife there were 23 Stock Doves. (JDW)

Church Norton: It was pretty quiet this morning, though three Sandwich Terns were in the harbour, with two more, plus three Gannets, offshore, whilst among the few waders seen were what looks like our wintering Whimbrel, six Dunlin and ten Turnstones.
There was also a Kingfisher in the harbour and a lot of hirundines overhead, including 200+ Swallows and maybe 20+ Sand and House Martins, but a Whitethroat on the Severals and a few Blackcaps near the hide were the only other migrants seen. (AH/IP)

Kingfisher (above), Whimbrel & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Late this afternoon a Great White Egret flew north through the harbour and an Osprey flew west over the harbour. There were also two Yellow Wagtails over and five Chiffchaffs in the sheltered hedges. (S&SaH)

Tuesday, 10th September: A complete contrast to yesterday, with lots of warm sun, a few white clouds and just a gentle westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua and 100+ Gannets and Swallows went west this morning. Full log below. (C&ME)
(0645-1000hrs)
Gannet - 119W
Shag - 4E
Common Scoter - 2E
Curlew - 4W
Turnstone - 9W
Arctic Skua - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 9E, 4W
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1p
Swallow - 155W
Meadow Pipit - 11W
Pied Wagtail - 7W
Wheatear - 3p
Chiffchaff - 2p
Willow/Chiff - 9p

Northcommon Farm: A Pied Flycatcher was in the Poplar hedge, just west of Flycatcher Corner, this morning, and there were also a spotted flycatcher, a Blackcap and three Chiffchaffs in the area. (SH)

Ferry Pool: There was lots of activity around the pool this morning, including Ospreys over south at 9am and 11.15am, a Curlew Sandpiper present briefly mid-morning, six Common Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, c40 Lapwing and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, with three Whinchats, two Stonechats and two Wheatears along the cattle fencing and c20 Sand Martins over.

The Tramway circuit held lots of commoner warblers, including 20+ Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps, plus a single Reed Warbler, whilst a Grey Wagtail was in the Discovery Area. (AH/IP/AM/DF et al)

Osprey (above), Whinchat, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Black-tailed Godwits & Common Sandpipers around the Ferry (AH)

End of a local land-mark! The old gas-pipe across Ferry Channel in the process of being dismantled (AH)

Long Pool: A Redstart, a Garden Warbler, two Lesser Whitethroats, three Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Whitethroats were along the hedges this morning. (DF)

Halsey's Farm: There were five Cattle Egrets and 42 Yellow Wagtails among the cows this morning, with the hedges holding seven Spotted Flycatchers, two Pied Flycatchers,  five Whitethroats and two Lesser Whitethroats. (AM/IH/JDW)

Yellow Wagtails at Halsey's Farm (JDW)

North Wall: White's Creek held a Kingfisher early on (as did the Breech Pool), a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, two Turnstones, four Pintail, a dozen Wigeon and two Egyptian Geese this morning (though the latter two flew off inland again), with two Yellow-legged Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull in the harbour. 

At Honer reservoir there was a flock of around 300 Sand Martins and 160 House Martins which arrived suddenly and was gone in minutes, though both species of Martins could be seen all around the area. In the hedgerow immediately south of the reservoir were 11 Yellowhammers, three Common Whitethroats, two Blackcaps and a Wheatear and in the hedges north of Marsh Farm were Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. (AM/IH/JDW)

Church Norton: A Hobby was catching dragonflies over the second Several this morning before drifting off over Priory Wood, whilst a Tree Pipit went east and then back west over the beach, a Stonechat was in the horse field and three Wheatears, a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and a handful of Whitethroats and Blackcaps were along the front.

Up to three Spotted Flvcatchers were around the churchyard to the concrete wall area, along with a scattering of Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, but eight Wigeon that dropped in, half a dozen Shelducks and a Whimbrel were the only birds of note in the harbour. 

There were also a couple of Marsh Frogs in the ditch between the Severals.(AH/IP/AM/A&YF)

Hobby (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat & Marsh Frog at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This evening an Osprey was perched up in a dead tree out on the reserve, before flying out to catch a fish in the channels and returning to eat it. There were also 26 Grey Herons flying around the reserve at various time and a Common Sandpiper was near the Poplars.

There were lots of birds around and over the banks, including four Wheatears, three Corn Buntings, five Yellowhammers, 10+ Willow/Chiffs, 50+ Yellow Wagtails, 50+ Meadow Pipits, 200+ Swallows and 100+ Sand Martins.

Also, two Curlew Sandpipers and two Greenshank were on the Stilt Pool, along with a Little Ringed Plover and eight Dunlin. (S&SaH)