Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Sunday, 6th October: A very bright and breezy morning, after heavy overnight rain, with a fresh and blustery westerly blowing........

Selsey Bill: There were a few bits this morning, including 50 or so Kittiwakes going west, with around another 40 sat on the sea, up to 100 Pied Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits west and around 30 Sandwich Terns mostly going east. Full log below....
(0700-0945hrs) (Wind WNW4) (SH/PB/IP/BI/AH)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 8E, 12W, 50os
Shag - 4E
Brent Goose - 41W
Wigeon - 4W
Teal - 2E, 3W
Common Scoter - 7E, 7W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 1os
Turnstone - 8 ob
Kittiwake - 2E, 88W, 44os
Common Gull - 1E, 10W
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Commic Tern - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 37E, 5W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 2W
Meadow Pipit - 100NW
Pied/alba Wagtail - 182W
Skylark - 1W
Swallow - 25W
House Martin - 1W
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldfinch - 20
Linnet - 30

Kittiwakes (above), Sandwich Tern, Common Gull, Brent Geese & Wigeon and Teal at the Bill (AH)

(1600-1730hrs) (WNW5) A Pomarine Skua and two Little Gulls west were the highlights of an afternoon seawatch. (SH)
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 2E, 2W, 30os
Shag - 13W, 2os
Wigeon - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Golden Plover - 6W
Turnstone - 4
Arctic Skua - 2W, 3os (all d/p)
Pomarine Skua - 1W (l/p at 16.55pm)
Common Gull - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 5E
Little Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 48W
Sandwich Tern - 45W
Swallow - 29W

Selsey, Park Farm: There were 2 Wheatears, a Stonechat, a Jay, 7 Pied Wagtails, 6 Swallows and 2 Chiffchaffs this morning. (SH)

Wheatear at Park Farm (possibly of Greenland race ??) (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane Viewpoint - A Ring Ouzel was near the viewpoint this morning. (P&JW)

Ferry Pool: There were just half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits (before they flew off!), c80 Lapwing, four Shelducks and c30 Teal on the pool, whilst a Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (AH)

Kingfisher in Ferry channel (AH)

North Wall: This morning the White's Creek area contained two Brent Geese, three Pintail, two Grey Plovers and 20 or so Dunlin as well as the other usual suspects, whilst a Kingfisher was active and two Swallows flew overhead. (IH)

Church Norton: A Spotted Flycatcher was behind the hide and a Whitethroat was by the concrete wall, but the only other migrants seen were a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, a Goldcrest, four Stonechats and around 50+ Swallows and House Martins over.

A Golden Plover was in the creek by the horse field, whilst among the waders in the harbour were the Whimbrel, three Bar-tailed Godwits, nine Knot and a few Dunlin and Grey Plovers, plus two Common Gulls and ten Sandwich Terns
Two Wheatears were at Park Copse whilst eight Sandwich Terns were offshore. (AH/IP/PB/CRJ/S&SaH)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Stonechat, Grey Plover & Golden Plover at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon there was a Whinchat and four Stonechats along the beach in front of the Severals. (AW)
There were also two Greylag Geese over west and two Shovelers and c20 Pintail among the Wigeon and Teal in the harbour. (AH)

Whinchat at Church Norton (AW)

Saturday, 5th October: After a cool start, a mild but mostly grey day, with just a light northerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: There was nothing very unusual this morning, but a wide range of species were noted, including a few Brent Geese west and a Wheatear. Full log below.
(0700-0840hrs) (NNW 2) (SH/IP/BI/AH)
Gannet - 3E, 20W, 50os
Shag - 17E
Brent Goose - 38W
Teal - 3W
Sparrowhawk - 1
Golden Plover - 1E
Curlew - 1E
Turnstone - 4
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Sandwich Tern - 4W, 5os
Green Woodpecker - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Meadow Pipit - 3N
Pied Wagtail - 2
Wheatear - 1
Chiffchaff - 3
Long-tailed Tit - 1
Jay - 1
Linnet - 11
Goldfinch - 30

Sandwich Tern (above), Shag & Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much doing this morning, with just the regular 20 or so Black-tailed Godwits, c100 Lapwings, three Shelducks and ten Teal present. (AH)

Long Pool: Two Spotted Redshanks were at the far end of Ferry Channel this morning, along with a dozen Redshank and c150 Teal.

The hedges were quiet, with just a calling Cetti's Warbler, a Blackcap and a couple of Chiffchaffs seen. (AH)

Later, 100+ Swallows and House Martins were over the nearby fields. (P&JW)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Teal in Ferry Channel (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Around the fields this morning there were a Wheatear, 20+ Meadow Pipits, four Stonechats, four Skylarks, a Jay and two Chiffchaffs, with 19 Brent Geese west, 40+ House Martins and a Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine seen overhead. (S&SaH/IP/RM)

This afternoon there were 200+ Swallows, 100+ House Martins and two sand Martins over the farm, with 50+ Mediterranean Gulls among the Blck-headed Gulls. (S&saH)

Church Norton: Up to two Woodlarks were seen over the beach this morning, whilst two Ravens went over the churchyard . Along the beach bushes were four Chiffchaffs and there were another two with a large Long-tailed Tit flock in Bluebell Wood.
A Whinchat was near the newly cut reeds and two Stonechats were at the horsefield. The spit was busy with birds, in addition to the Woodlarks were five Skylarks, a big gathering of Linnets, a Wheatear and dozens of Meadow Pipits.
There were also a Sanderling among the Ringed Plovers in the harbour, a Kingfisher on the old harbour mouth and a Golden Plover and a Greenshank were also present, whilst a Common Tern was among c30 Sandwich Terns roosting along the beach and c150 Brent Geese went west..(BI/IP/RM/S&SaH)
Later on, on the high tide, the harbour held ten Brent Geese, ten Sandwich Terns, two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, 40+ Grey Plovers and a Kingfisher, whilst a Redwing was at the back of the first Several and along the beach and Severals there were four Stonechats, three Goldcrests and a Cetti's Wabler, plus three Brent Geese over west. (S&SaH)

North Wall: There was not a lot to report along the wall this morning other than a Kingfisher, whilst White's Creek, apart from the obligatory Wigeon and Redshank, contained 50+ Knot, 50+ Dunlin, two Grey Plovers and 6+ Pintail, along with a Sparrowhawk that flew over. Also good news to report in that North Wall regular Ian Binden is on the mend after his surgery and will soon be back birding. (IH)

This afternoon a Spoonbill was out in the harbour, visible from the North Wall at approx 15.15pm, though after about 15 mins it flew across to the Church Norton side where it became lost to view.

Also 3 Spotted Redshanks were in the channel flowing from the sluice and a small flock of about 15 Golden Plover were seen nearby. (A Roberts)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were few migrants around the banks, save a Chiffchaff, a couple of Stonechats and a dozen Meadow Pipits, but there were at least 10 Corn Buntings, plus a few Yellowhammers, around their favoured bushes.

A Greenshank was by the poplars, with two more on the Stilt Pool, plus two Avocets, a Mediterranean Gull, half a dozen Lapwings, a dozen Wigeon and Gadwall and at least 50 Teal.

A few Swallows and House Martins were overhead along the path, but then there was a big, short-lived movement east along the beach and offshore late in the morning, comprising at least 200 House Martins and 100 Swallows. Also, eight Sandwich Terns went west offshore, along with five Brent Geese, with another five of the latter dropping in on the reserve. (AH)

Corn Buntings (above), Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Greenshank, Avocets & Mediterranean Gull at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach viewpoint area - A Wheatear was on the rocks along with 2 Reed Buntings and a few Meadow Pipits. Seven Great Crested Grebes were on the pool as was a single Greenshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 Dunlin, 2 Grey Plover, 7 Sandwich Terns and 2 Kestrels.

A flock of c75 Linnets passed through and there were waves of Swallows then House Martins overhead. Along the beach Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were arriving from the sea, landing on the rocks and feeding along the beach where there were plenty of insects. (SR)

Fishbourne Creek: A Ruff was in the channel at the Lavant Outfall, with 7 Greenshank in the main channel. Early afternoon there were at least 60 Mediterranean Gulls at the top of the channel (three were colour ringed but too distant for me to read). Two Wheatears and a Stonechat were in the rough ground south of Fishbourne Meadows. (RW)

West Wittering: Over 1000 Brent Geese were out in the harbour this morning, whilst a Buzzard and a Carrion Crow were involved in an impressive dog-fight over the garden. (GM)

Buzzard and Carrion Crow over West Wittering (GM)

Friday, 4th October: A fairly mild, but blustery and grey, morning with some sunshine later and a fresh to strong westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: Another Merlin came in off the sea (from a long way out), and there were small numbers of a fairly wide range of species seen, including 100+ Brent Geese, four Arctic Skuas and a 'Commic' Tern west. Full log below......

(0700-1100hrs): (Wind W/WSW 5-6 gusting 7)(C&ME/OM/BI/IP)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 3E, 90W, 30os
Shag - 11E
Brent Goose - 132W
Wigeon - 1W
Common Scoter - 24E
Sanderling - 5W
Turnstone - 20 ob
Arctic Skua - 4W
Kittiwake - 5W
Sandwich Tern - 11W, 20 os
'Commic' Tern - 1W
Merlin - 1N (1025hrs)
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 2W
Swallow - 5W
Meadow Pipit - 17W
Pied Wagtail - 10W
Wheatear - 2
Chiffchaff - 9
Goldcrest - 3
dolphin sp (probable Bottle-nosed) - 2W

Ferry Pool: There were four Snipe sat together on the concealed pool, but otherwise it was just the usual 20 or so Black-tailed Godwits, c100 Lapwing and a handful of Shelduck on the pool this morning, though there were two Spotted Redshanks in the channel opposite and 11 Brent geese flew over, going west.
Two Grey Wagtails were around the pond in the Discovery Area, with a couple of Blackcaps nearby, but the Tramway circuit just held a handful of Chiffchaffs and plenty of Goldfinches and Chaffinches. (AH/IP)

Spotted Redshank (above), Snipe & Grey Wagtails around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: It was fairly quiet this morning apart from two Spotted Redshanks and a Kingfisher from the sluice gates. The desert that is the Breech Pool contained a few Mallard and two Little Grebes, whilst a few Swallows flew over and a few Black-tailed Godwits and Curlew were in the fields beyond the Breech Pool. (IH)

West Itchenor: A Nuthatch was heard calling this morning. (PH)

Church Norton: It was very quiet around Church Norton this morning, with a Raven over early, six Chiffchaffs and a large tit flock along the sheltered side of the oak copse, and a Hobby over the first Several on the way back. (CRJ)

This lunchtime there were 2 Spotted Flycatchers behind the hide and at least 10 Stonechats up the west side. Also of note were 4 Sandwich Terns and 13 Brent Geese all of which flew into the harbour before flying back out heading west. (AW)
Also, an Osprey was reported over the harbour. (per RBA)

Spotted Flycatcher (above) & Stonechat at Church Norton (AW)

Late this afternoon, there were four Stonechats and a Kingfisher around the horse field, whilst a Bar-tailed Godwit was among the roosting Redshanks and ten Knot and a few Grey Plovers, Turnstones and Dunlin were on the old harbour mouth.

There were also a lot of waders roosting along the beach at high tide, including c30 Turnstones, c50 Ringed Plovers and c200 Dunlin. (AH)