Thursday, 24th September: A bright and breezy morning after a rainy start, with a blustery and fresh south-westerly pushing the clouds swiftly through.......
Selsey Bill: A steady stream of Gannets and a few Siskins, Meadow Pipits, Swallows and House Martins west was the best this morning. Full log below. (RP/AH/SR/MO-W/IP/CRJ)
(0645-0845hrs) (SW, F6-7)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 4E, c90W
Shag - 1os
Common Scoter - 2W
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 18
Mediterranean Gull - 3W, 20os
Sandwich Tern - 3os
Swallow - 4W
House Martin - 6W
Meadow Pipit - 1E, 49W
Siskin - 10W
Meadow Pipit (above), Swallows & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two Shoveler, eight Wigeon, six Shelducks and c40 Teal on the pool, along with 100+ Mediterranean Gulls, but the only waders present were three Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)
Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: Two Spotted Flycatchers were behind the hide this morning, along with a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, with more of the latter in the churchyard and other sheltered hedges, whilst wo Wheatears were on the beach and at least five Stonechats, two Sparrowhawks and a Kingfisher were around the horse field, which has been very savagely mowed and cleared of brambles. Also, two Mistle Thrushes were by the lychgate in the churchyard and c20 House Martins and a dozen Swallows went over.
A total of 122 Pintail spread along the central channel in the company of 60 Wigeon was a good count for this species, whilst there were also 282 Mediterranean Gulls and a few Dunlin, Grey and Ringed Plovers about. (AH/AW/A&YF/DM/DS)
Spotted Flycatchers (above), Wheatear, Kingfisher, Mistle Thrushes, Stonechat (AW), House Martin, Chiffchaff, Pintails and Wigeon & Sparrowhawks (AH) at Church Norton
Long Pool: The eight Spotted Redshanks were on the pool again this evening along with 20 or so Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal, whilst a Water Rail was skulking in the reeds. (AH)
Water Rail (above) & Spotted Redshanks on the Long Pool (AH)
Wednesday, 23rd September: A return to more autumnal weather, with a moderate south-westerly bringing squalls of rain through overcast skies, though it remains quite mild.......
Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua was offshore chasing gulls before drifting off east, a Razorbill went west and a few Swallows and Meadow Pipits went over. Full log below. (SR/RP/MO-W/IP/AH)
(0645-0845hrs) (SW, F4-5)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Gannet - 11E, 63W
Common Scoter - 1E
Turnstone - 11
Arctic Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 6W, 20os
Sandwich Tern - 10os
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 3E
Swallow - 17E, 43W
Meadow Pipit - 5E, 28W
Chiffchaff - 1
Arctic Skua (above), Gannet, Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were c40 Teal and a dozen Lapwings on the pool, with several hundred Mediterranean, Black-headed and Herring Gulls, present, with even more gulls around the nearby fields being ploughed. (AH)
Mediterranean, Black-headed and Herring Gulls at the Ferry (AH)
Medmerry: Stilt Pools - There was no sign of the Dotterel along the beach this morning, though three Spoonbills were on the Stilt Pools. (CRJ)
One of the Spoonbills at the Stilt pool this morning (CRJ)
Sidlesham: A Wheatear shot through our garden on the west of the village at lunchtime today. (AH)
North Wall: The usual Greenshank, a Great Crested Grebe and four Gadwall were in White's Creek this morning and further out were three Brent Geese and 200+ Wigeon together with a few Dunlin, at least 50 Lapwing and, of course, Redshank.
Moving through the hedgerows were two Blackcaps, a couple of Chiffchaffs and three Reed Buntings, whilst five Curlew were feeding in Honer 3 field and an occasional Swallow flew over. (IH)
Church Norton: The Spotted Flycatcher was still behind the hide this morning, along with two Green Woodpeckers, whilst a dozen Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Blackcaps were around the sheltered hedges and 50 or so Swallows and House Martins were overhead. Also, four Stonechats and a couple of Whitethroats were along the Severals.
There were just a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Knot and a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers in the harbour, with a dozen Pintail in the main channel, whilst four Gannets were offshore and at least 300 Mediterranean Gulls were around the beach. (AW/AH/A&YF)
Spotted Flycatcher (AW) (above), Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, House Martin, Green Woodpeckers, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit & Mediterranean Gulls (AH) at Church Norton
Long Pool: It was a surprise to find eight Spotted Redshanks roosting together with four Black-tailed Godwits on the pool at high tide this evening.
Otherwise a Snipe went over and there was another large gathering of gulls on the newly ploughed adjacent fields, of which the 600+ Mediterranean Gulls predominated. (AH)
East Head: The first Rock Pipit of the autumn was back today. (MR)
Tuesday, 22nd September: Another mild day, but fairly grey and with the wind freshening from the south-west after a still start.....
Bird of the day was the Dotterel found on the beach at Medmerry early this afternoon, between the Stilt pools and the breach (D&JK et al). Fuller details and photos below...... (Eds)
Selsey Bill: Predictably quiet with a shift in the wind, but there were still a few Meadow Pipits east and Brent Geese west and a Wheatear on the beach. Full log below. (RP/SR/MO-W/AH/IP/OM)
(0645-1000hrs) (N, F1-2, veering to SW, F3)
Gannet - 1E, 12W
Little Egret - 1E
Brent Goose - 13W
Wigeon - 8W
Turnstone - 24W
Mediterranean Gull - 6E, 60os
Sandwich Tern - 7E, 1W
Swallow - 70E, 3W
Pied Wagtail - 1E, 2W
Meadow Pipit - 42E, 18W
Wheatear - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldfinch - 30
Wheatear, (above, OM), Little Egret, Brent Geese, Mediterranean Gulls & Sandwich Tern (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There were just half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, six Shelducks and c50 Teal on the pool this morning, along with c200 gulls, of which at least half were Mediterranean Gulls. (OM/AH)
North Wall: Two adult Brent Geese and a number of Pintail were out in the harbour this morning while the fully filled Breech Pool contained mainly Mallard. Along the Wall, a Whinchat, a Stonechat, male and female Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, a Reed Bunting, a party of ten Long-tailed Tits and a Kingfisher were present. (IH/TG/GH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This afternoon a juvenile Dotterel was found by Dave and Jean Killick roosting on the beach towards the breach, and it remained there all afternoon, allowing close views to the delight of those that took the long walk to see it.
Also of note were a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank on the Stilt Pool, two Sandwich Terns offshore and one in the tidal area, at least two Wheatears and the Spoonbill count had risen to five - two on the Stilt Pool and three on the big pool opposite. (D&JK/BI/AW/SR/IL/AB/AW/AH et al)
Dotterel (top four AB, lower three AH) (above), Spoonbills & Common Sandpiper (AH) at Medmerry
The four Spoonbills flew around the reserve this morning, before settling on the big pool opposite the Stilt Pool, though otherwise it was quiet, with just a Greenshank and a few Redshanks by the poplars and a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Curlew in the creek near the beach being the only waders noted.
The banks were a little busier with autumn birds, including at least ten Stonechats, c20 Chiffchaffs, c100 Meadow Pipits and c200 Linnets, along with half a dozen Swallows, but the Stilt Pool held just a handful of Teal, Gadwall and Mallard among c200 Canada Geese. (AH)
Spoonbills (above), Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Stonechat, Linnets, Chiffchaff & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)
Selsey, Northcommon Farm: My circuit was not productive today, with just three Chiffchaffs located in the hedgerows, whilst overhead were just a few Swallows and a Buzzard. A large flock of several hundred gulls also came streaming over at one time - presumably moving from the fields - and at least half seemed to be Mediterranean Gulls. (OM)
Chi Marina: At the reed-bed and pool, at least one Water Rail (quite possibly two) was calling and squealing at least four times in half an hour, whilst a Kingfisher shot through the rife, a Cetti's Warbler called from the reedy margins and a Kestrel hunted over the adjacent fields.
In the Chichester channel were 110 Black-tailed Godwits (three colour-ringed) and a single Bar-tailed, plus a Greenshank. (OM)
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