7th - 9th September 2019

Monday, 9th September: A thoroughly wet and miserable morning, with some heavy rain-showers amid the more persistent drizzle, pushed through on a moderate westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There were 500+ Swallows and 300+ Gannets going west, plus a selection of other regular species, plus a Common Sandpiper along the beach. Full log below. (AH/IP/BI)
(0730-1000hrs)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 336W
Shag - 1os
Shoveler - 1W
Common Scoter - 7W
Common Sandpiper - 1p
Turnstone - 10p
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 6os
auk sp - 1W
Swallow - 587W
Sand Martin - 8W
House Martin - 40p
Meadow Pipit - 3E
Willow Warbler - 1p
Chiffchaff - 1p

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

Late this afternoon a dark-morph skua - presumably an Arctic Skua - went west, as did three Common Scoters, whilst four Sandwich Terns were offshore and two Wheatears and 24 Turnstones were along the beach. (D Whitelegg)

Ferry Pool: Two Little Ringed Plovers and six Dunlin were on the pool early on, plus 30 or so Black-tailed Godwits, whilst later there were two Common Sandpipers present and a Spotted Redshank flew over west. (AH/IP)
There were also a Wheatear and at least one Whinchat still in the field. (D Whitelegg) 

Later still, a Ruff - the first of the year for the Peninsula - was in the concealed pool before it flew off north and could not be relocated. Also, there were four Common Sandpipers and a Green sandpiper present. (AW/IP)
The Ruff did settle back in, though remaining flighty, and was present up till dusk. (IP/SH/AH/BI)

Ruff (1st two AW, 2nd two IP &  last one SH) & Common Sandpipers (AW) on the Ferry

Church Norton: Unsurprisingly little in the poor conditions, but the harbour held a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel and four Grey Plovers, plus a few Curlews and c80 Redshanks, whilst  nine Shelducks flew over west.
Also, half a dozen Chiffchaffs were along the sheltered hedges and c20 Swallows and c10 Sand Martins were feeding low over the water. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Grey Plover, Sand Martin & Shelducks at Church Norton (AH)

Later on, two Ospreys were hunting around the harbour again. (AW)

Also a Marsh Harrier went over the harbour this afternoon and two Whimbrel went west along the beach. (D Whitelegg)

Osprey at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Highlights of a look around Medmerry today were eight Wheatears and 18 Ringed Plovers. (D Whitelegg)

Snowhill Creek: Two Little Egrets were have a territorial scrap in the creek this afternoon. (MR)

Little Egrets in Snowhill Creek (MR)

Sunday, 8th September: After a very chill start, a warm and sunny day, with just a light north-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There was again little offshore, but a good selection along the front included a Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Wheatear and a few Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, whilst a Tree Pipit, a Yellow Wagtail and plenty of hirundines went over. Full log below. (SH/BI)
(0620-0810hrs)
Gannet - 1E, 6W
Teal - 5W
Common Scoter - 2W
Sparrowhawk - 1p
Whimbrel - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 4E, 2W
Sand Martin - 20E
House Martin - 200E
Swallow - 20E
Tree Pipit  - 1E
Meadow Pipit - 21N
Yellow Wagtail - 1E
Pied Wagtail -4W
Wheaear - 1p
Whinchat - 1p
Spotted Flycatcher - 1p
Chiffchaff - 12p
Willow Warbler - 6p

Spotted Flycatcher at the Bill (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were just three Chiffchaffs and a Whitethroat about this morning. (S&SaH)

Northcommon Farm: The Little Owl was sat out again early this morning. (BI)

Ferry Pool: The juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was still present, along with 11 Dunlin and two Little Ringed Plovers, plus the usual 30 or so Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Teal.
There were also four Wheatears around the edge of the field  and a Grey Wagtail went over. (AH/IP/IH/PB/AF/RJS)

Curlew Sandpiper (above), Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlin & Wheatear at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: An Osprey was fishing over the harbour again this morning, whilst a Hobby was over the beach, along with 400+ Swallows, 150+ Sand Martins and 100+ House Martins, 20+ Yellow Wagtails and 50+ Meadow Pipits, most of which were heading east.

Also along the beach were four Whinchats, five Wheatears, two Blackcaps and 10+ Whitethroats, whilst later another Hobby was over the churchyard. (S&SaH/PB/AF/RJS/AH)

Hobby over Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Spoonbill was in the tidal area south of the Poplars and there were still 40 or so Yellow Wagtails around the maize fields by the car-park, with five more over near Marsh Barn, and there were around ten Wheatears present, mostly around the works on the new reservoirs.

Otherwise the banks were fairly quiet, though three Corn Buntings were seen flying around, but not settling, near the Yellowhammer Bushes, and there were a handful of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs spread about, plus a couple of Sedge Warblers. Also,at least 50 Meadow Pipits went over, along with 500+ House Martins and maybe 50 Swallows and Sand Martins..

Two Greenshanks, two Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin and a handful of Lapwing were the only waders around the Stilt Pool, where there were also the female Pintail, a dozen Wigeon, c30 Gadwall and 619 Canada Geese, along with a Greylag, two Bar-headed Geese and eight Barnacle-type Geese. (AH/IP/IH)

Spoonbill (above), Common Sandpiper, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer & Wigeon and Teal at Medmerry (AH)

North Wall: There were four Spotted Redshanks on the Breech Pool at high tide this evening, along with a Snipe. (IH)

Fishbourne Creek: On the falling tide at the Lavant outfall this afternoon there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull and 13 Greenshank, whilst a Common Tern was off Dell Quay and a Black Swan was also present, but keeping separate from the Mute Swan herd. (RW)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - Late this afternoon there were six Whinchats, six Wheatears, three Stonechats a spotted Flycatcher and a Chiffchaff around the Viewpoint area, with 13 Yelllow Wagtails, a Pied Wagtail and five Kestrels over. (S&SaH) 

Whinchat (above) & Spotted Flycatcher at Medmerry (SH)

Saturday, 7th September: A pleasant early autumn morning, still and fairly grey early on, then bright and breezy later, warm despite the northerly airflow....

Selsey Bill: The sea was quiet, but there were ten Wheatears along the beach this morning. Full log later. (SH/BI)

(0630-0830hrs)

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 2E, 1W

Sparrowhawk - 1p

Turnstone - 20p

Sandwich Tern - 19E, 8W

Skylark - 1N

Sand Martin - 3W

House Martin - 4p

Swallow - 1p

Meadow Pipit - 2N

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 4W, 1p

Wheatear - 10p

Willow Warbler - 5p

Grey Seal - 1os

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Four Wheatears were around the farm, along with a Jay, with ten Meadow Pipits, two Sparrowhawks and four Buzzards over, plus two more of the latter over the north of the village. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was with up to 14 Dunlin and three Little Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with the regular c40 Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwing, whilst Whimbrel and c80 Teal were in the channel opposite.

Up to three Ospreys were seen from the Tramway, including two sat out on the mud, eating fish, but the circuit was quiet, save a few Blackcaps and Whitethroats. (RP/AH/IP/CRJ et al)

Osprey (above), Curlew Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plovers & Whimbrel around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The three Ospreys were seen from here, too, including two sat in a dead tree along the west side and another out on the mud, whilst a Hobby went over the Mound/churchyard and there were also three Sparrowhawks and four Buzzards about.

Three Wheatears, a Whitethroat and three Willow Warblers were along the beach, with 30+ Swallows and Sand Martins, a couple of House Martins, a Yellow Wagtail and 30+ Meadow Pipits heading east overhead. 

There were also a Whimbrel in the harbour, 10+ Knot, 20+ Grey Plovers and a Bar-tailed Godwit along the strand-line and two Sandwich Terns and 30+ Mediterranean Gulls offshore..(S&SaH/AH/IP et al) 
Early this morning found at least 14 Wheatears along the beach and spit, as well as four Pied Wagtails, eight Whitethroats around the Severals and two Chiffchaffs in Bluebell Wood. A cronking Raven went over the churchyard which held the roving mixed Tit flock of c.40 birds which also contained three Willow Warblers and two Chiffchaffs. Behind the hide were four Blackcaps, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Lesser Whitethroat and a surprise Reed Warbler was along the beach path. Also, an Osprey, presumably a different bird to the three above, drifted east over Pagham Spit being mobbed by gulls until lost to view. (BI)

Osprey (above) & Wheatear at Church Norton (SH)

This evening there were two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel, 22 GreyPlovers, four Knot, four Turnstone and at least 100 Redshank in the harbour, whilst two Greenshank flew through, heading towards the Ferry (AH)

Greenshank (above), Grey Plover & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

Halsey's Farm: There were good numbers of birds around Owl Point and the adjacent hedges, including two Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat, about ten Wheatears, two or three Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers and up to ten Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs, plus 20 or so Sand Martins over. (AH/IP)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Wheatear & Chiffchaff at Halsey's Farm (AH)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank were in White's Creek, before the latter, a Common Sandpiper and a Snipe all flew into the Breech Pool and disappeared into the reeds at the back, though there were 20 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal remaining in view.

At least three Lesser Whitethroats were along the wall, with up to half a dozen Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings also about, with 20+ sand Martins and a few Swallows over.
Also, a few Knot and Lapwings and three Wigeon were in White's Creek and a pair of Gadwall were on Owl Water. (AH/IP/IH)

Greenshank (above), Lapwing, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff & Gadwall around the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Breach Viewpoint - There were six Wheatears and two male Stonechats around the rocks this morning. (A&YF)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were good numbers of migrant birds along the banks this afternoon, including 75+ Yellow Wagtails by the car park, c35 Wheatears, eight Whinchats, two Stonechats, two Chiffchaffs, five Willow Warblers, a Whitethroat, 30+ Meadow Pipits and 100+ Swallows, with a Reed Bunting, two Corn Buntings and five Yellowhammers also seen.

A Common Sandpiper and 18 Black-tailed Godwits were by the Poplars, with three Sparrowhawks and three Buzzards over, whilst the Stilt Pool held two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper and two Dunlin. (S&SaH)

Along with the above, a Hobby was also seen, and a female-type Marsh Harrier was again seen mobbing an Osprey over the reserve. (HB)