10th - 12th October 2019

Saturday, 12th October: Another morning of leaden skies and persistent drizzle, but with the wind having dropped to a flat calm.....

A short note to say that for the next week or so our Deputy Editor Bart will be holding the fort and running the blog single-handedly, whilst the other two of us swan off to Scilly. This is no mean task given that he has to work for a living and spend some time with the family - but as he coped so well last year so we've little doubt he will do just fine this time around. Please make allowances and your support will be appreciated. Our thanks to Bart.....but we hope you don't go seeing us off !!!. (Eds) 

Selsey Bill: A generally quiet morning, though a Firecrest was among a few Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs around the Bill House garden and the Great Northern Diver was again offshore. (SH/IP/BI/AM/AH)
(0700-0930hrs) (Flat calm)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 6E, 5W, 30os
Shag - 18E
Little Egret - 1E
Brent Goose - 2W
Common Scoter - 18E, 13W
Turnstone - 18
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 87W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 5W, 2os
Swallow - 68W
House Martin - 6W
Meadow Pipit - 8W
Rock Pipit - 1
Chiffchaff - 5
Firecrest - 1
Goldcrest - 3
Greenfinch - 4

Sandwich Tern (above), Chiffchaff & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Selsey, Park Farm: Just two Stonechats and a Chiffchaff present this morning. (SH)

Ferry Pool: A Great White Egret went over heading north at 8am this morning, whilst around the pool later there were a Greenshank, at least three Spotted Redshanks, four or five Redshanks, at least five Snipe,  14 Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Lapwing, 12 Shoveler, nine Shelducks, c40 Wigeon and c60 Teal. (AH/AM)

Great White Egret (above), Greenshank, Snipe & Teal & Spotted Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Three Grey Wagtails were flitting about at the Sluice Gates this morning and six Pintail and about 60 Black-tailed Godwits as well as some 20 Wigeon, 10 Teal and a Little Grebe were visible on the incoming tide, whilst Dunlin and Knot could be seen distantly and six Swallows flew over. (IH)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in the harbour again, along with about 40 Dunlin and a few Redshanks, Grey Plovers and Curlews, whilst a dozen or so Swallows went over.
Six Stonechats were along the beach this morning, with at least half a dozen Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs around the Severals, with a few more of each around the hide, where there were also half a dozen Jays and a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, plus 10 Swallows and a Wheatear on the concrete spit. (AH/IP/AM/SH)

Whimbrel (above), Stonechat & Blackcaps at Church Norton (AH)

Chi.GPs - Drayton House pits: Nothing out of the ordinary on my WeBS count, the best being 13 Snipe, 110 Pochard, 20 Chiffchaffs and 7 Cetti's Warblers. (OM)

Medmerry: Path from the Visitor Centre towards Ham - There was a male Ring Ouzel along the track to Medmerry, not far from the car park, just before noon. It showed well but briefly on top of a tree before disappearing into the undergrowth. Despite the drizzle, a Vapourer moth was also flying around. (AM)
There was no sign of the Ring Ouzel late this afternoon, though at least 100 Swallows and a handful of House Martins were feeding low and the bushes held a few Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warble and a Reed Bunting. (AH/AW)

Swallow at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Breach - By the rocks was a high tide roost of waders, consisting of 29 Ringed Plover, 7 Dunlin and 6 Turnstones; also 26 Swallows flew mainly west, as did 2 House Martins. Two Pied Wagtails and 5 Sandwich Terns were also logged and a couple of Meadow Pipits came in off the sea. 
At Breach Viewpoint was a flock of around 30 Ringed Plover, 12 Grey Plover and 15 Knot, whilst 9 Sandwich Terns and 11 Mediterranean Gulls were also around, the family of 5 Great Crested Grebes were on the lagoon and a single Wheatear was around the caravans. (SR)

Dunlin and Ringed Plovers on Medmerry (east) beach (SR)

Friday, 11th October: A thoroughly miserable wet and windy day, with leaden skies, showers or longer periods of rain and a gale force SW wind....and the prospect of similar unsettled conditions through the weekend!

Selsey Bill: And so it goes on........the current lengthy spell of unsettled weather, with rain and strong westerly winds piling in off the Atlantic, looks set to continue for some while yet, leaving sea-watching as the only decent prospect of finding something worthwhile....or at least that's the theory! A Great Northern Diver and four Arctic Skuas were about the best today, although a distant shearwater - possibly a Sooty - was just too far out to be sure. Full log below....

0710-1200hrs:  (Wind SW7-8)  (BI/AM/AH/IP)

Great Northern Diver - 1os (s/plum)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Shag - 2E 

Shearwater sp. - 1W (1138hrs)

Gannet - 10E, 48W

Brent Goose - 1E, 4W

Common Scoter - 8E, 2W

Turnstone - 6 ob

Razorbill - 1W

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 6W

Sandwich Tern - 2W

Kittiwake - 8W

Mediterranean Gull - 9W

Arctic Skua - 4W (3 d/p, 1 l/p)

Pied Wagtail - 2W

Swallow - 19W

Great Northern Diver (above) & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

1500-1600hrs: An hour's seawatch with the highlight being two drake Velvet Scoters flying west at 15.37hrs, quite close inshore....(AM)

Gannet - 60 W

Velvet Scoter - 2 W
Common Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 1W
Kittiwake - 8W

1625-1725hrs:  (SW7)  (SH/AH)
Gannet - 3E, 13W, 20 os
Shag - 3W
Common Scoter - 2W
auk sp - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Kittiwake - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Northcommon Farm: A very confiding Buzzard was present this afternoon. (SH)

Buzzard at Northcommon Farm (SH)

Ferry Pool: Eight Spotted Redshanks and a Greenshank were roosting on the pool this morning, whilst more usual fare of 50 Lapwings, 15 Shelduck, 40+ Teal and 20 Wigeon were also present. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks and Greenshank (above) & Greenshank on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Nothing much to report in the blustery conditions; the harbour held a single Sandwich Tern, 50 Redshanks, 30 Grey Plovers and two Bar-tailed Godwits, but precious little else. (AH/AW)

Bar-tailed Godwits and Redshanks at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 10th October: A dry and fairly bright morning, with sunshine and scattered cloud and a fairly strong W/SW wind....though cloud and wind strength increasing by afternoon with the threat of heavy showers later....

We apologise once again for the lack of full reports (and photos) from across the Peninsula, but due to continuing internet problems beyond our control in the Chichester area it has not been possible to acquire the relevant data (and don't ask AH about BT internet at the mo!) If your report has not been included you'll know why, but we will be back to normal a.s.a.p. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: The persistent westerlies continue to offer little to us in the way of passerine migrants - and not a great deal on the sea either! A fairly mundane selection was logged this morning, though Mediterranean Gull, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail numbers were of interest, with an Arctic Skua being the only real highlight. Full log below....

0645-1030hrs:  (Wind W/SW 5, increasing 6-7)   (C&ME/AH/IP/AM/PC)
Gannet - 280W
Shag - 5W
Brent Goose - 14W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Common Scoter - 7E, 2W
Dunlin - 32W
auk sp - 8E
Razorbill - 10E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 4E, 11W
Mediterranean Gull - 83W
Common Gull - 7W
Arctic Skua - 1W (l/p)
Sparrowhawk - 1
Skylark - 2N
Meadow Pipit - 268W
Pied/alba Wagtail - 188W
Swallow - 75W
Linnet - 12W

Sandwich Terns (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

1640-1740hrs:  (SW6)  (SH)
Gannet - 3W, 16os
Kittiwake - 6W, 20os
Shag - 17W
auk sp - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 2os (d/p)
Great Skua - 1os

North Mundham: The Redstart was still along Salthams Lane at 2pm, plus a Clouded Yellow. (MJ)

Church Norton: In the bushes by the hide a juvenile Ring Ouzel was skulking , whilst  a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and c40 Grey Plover were in the harbour and a Peregrine was hunting. There was also plenty of Red Admiral and Painted Lady butterflies around the Ivy bushes. (GHo)

Painted Lady at Church Norton (GHo)

Four Sandwich Terns, five Brent Geese and 10 Mediterranean Gulls were also in the harbour, plus 10 Stonechats and a small number of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests along the paths in front of the Severals and a dozen Swallows passed through. (AH/A&YF)

Stonechats (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: At about noon, 3 Cetti's Warblers and a Wheatear were present, whilst at White's Creek a big flock of c.200 Wigeon was noted and a Buzzard and a Kestrel flew over. (GHo) A female Goosander was present in the harbour today. (PMu)

Ferry Pool: Four Snipe were present this morning but otherwise it was all very routine, with 100 Lapwings, two Shoveler, 40 Wigeon and 40 Teal. (AH/IP)

Snipe on the Ferry (AH)