1st - 3rd October 2020

Saturday, 3rd October: A dank and gloomy morning, with drizzle persisting throughout, after a rainy start, though fairly mild and with just a light south-easterly breeze......

Please note - both AH and OM are away until Monday 12th October - so could all submissions for the blog be sent to Bart on the e-mail address above. Thanks. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: There was a good westward movement of Brent Geese (83) and Common Scoters (92), with a few ducks and waders also noted. Full log below. (BI/SH/RP/PB//IP/SR/AH)

(0700-0900hrs) (ENE, F3, veering to SE)

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Brent Goose - 83W, 3os

Wigeon - 8os, then E

Teal - 12E, 13W

Common Scoter - 92W

Grey Plover - 1E

Dunlin - 2W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 10E, 6W

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Swallow - 149E

House Martin - 51W

Meadow Pipit - 53E, 9W

Pied Wagtail - 1E

Chiffchaff - 1

Sandwich Tern (above) & Wigeon at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Wood Sandpipers together at the back this morning - a very unusual October record - and there were also two Common Sandpipers, three Spotted Redshanks and five Snipe, plus a Kingfisher, about, too, along with 22 Shovelers, two Wigeon, six Shelducks, ten Teal, 16 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Lapwings. (IL/AH/IP/SR)

Later, from the Tramway, a Great White Egret was present (1323hrs) before it flew off towards Church Norton a few minutes later. (AB) (It was not re-located there following a search soon after).

Wood Sandpiper in the gloom (!) (above), Wood Sandpiper and Lapwings & Shoveler at the Ferry (AH) and Great White Egret (lower three) & Kingfisher (AB)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: At least 32 Cattle Egrets and a Green Sandpiper were in the Marsh Farm area this afternoon. (AB)

West side/Long Pool: A Short-eared Owl was in the fields near the top of Long Pool this afternoon. (AB)

Short-eared Owl along the West side (AB)

Later, a Whinchat, at least ten Stonechats and similar of Reed Buntings were along the hedges, whilst a Golden Plover went over, a Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank were in Ferry Channel and several Snipe were on the Long Pool. 

There were also a Bar-tailed Godwit, a dozen Knot and c40 Grey Plovers among the roosting waders in the channel on the big tide and at least 40 Pintail were flying around. (AH/IL)

Reed Bunting (above), Stonechat & Pintail from Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: The churchyard/hide area was quite active this morning, with two Spotted Flycatchers, a Firecrest, several Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and lots of the commoner species about. There was also a White Wagtail among half a dozen Pied Wagtails and a Mistle Thrush in the vicinity, whilst half a dozen Stonechats and 20+ Meadow Pipits were along the beach and 200+ House Martins and 100+ Swallows, plus a lone Sand Martin, were moving about overhead.

A Kingfisher and a Greenshank were briefly in the creek on the way to the beach, c25 Brent Geese were sat well offshore and 26 Pintail and 11 Wigeon appeared over the harbour and headed off west. There were a few more Pintail and Wigeon, plus plenty of Teal, in the harbour, but not too much wader activity, though at least 20 Grey Plovers were present. (AH/IP/BI)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), White Wagtail, Stonechat, Mistle Thrush, Grey Plover & Pintail and Wigeon at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon, the Swallows from the hide were seen with their newly-fledged young (IP/SR)

Swallow with newly-fledged young outside Church Norton hide (SR)

Late this afternoon, at least two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, the Whimbrel and a few Grey Plovers were around the concrete blocks area, along with two Wheatears, whilst a Sandwich Tern was fishing in the harbour.

Also, at least half a dozen Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrests were in the churchyard. (AH/IL)

Greenshank, Common Sandpiper and Grey Plover, Sandwich Tern, Wheatear, Blackcap & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

East Head: Twenty Dark-bellied Brent Geese were out in the lagoon behind East Head, this afternoon, whilst 200 Swallows and House Martins were also about. (GM/MR)

Brent Geese at East Head (MR)

Friday, 2nd October: A pretty horrible morning - with a gale force easterly blowing through belts of torrential rain, though easing a little as the day progressed.....

Selsey Bill: A Sooty Shearwater seen earlier to the east of us passed through at 1016hrs, though early on it was quiet, with a Bonxie west the only highlight. Full log below. (BI/SR/AH)

(0700-0845hrs) (ESE, F8)

Gannet - 38E

Oystercatcher - 3W

Turnstone - 10

Bonxie - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Sandwich Tern - 5E

Swallow - 3E

Common Seal - 1os

(0935-1100hrs) (SE, F6) (BI)

Sooty Shearwater - 1W (1016hrs)

Gannet - 37E, 15W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 4E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Swallow - 45E

House Martin - 74E

Meadow Pipit - 1N

(1415-1600hrs) (SH/SR)

Great Crested Grebe - 3E

Gannet - 4E, 2W, 6os

Shag - 1E

Common Scoter - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 15E

Sandwich Tern - 5os

auk sp - 1W

Swallow - 62E, 6W

Chiffchaff - 1

Sandwich Tern (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Six Snipe were busy around the concealed pool in the company of c40 Teal, but the main pool held just a handful of Shelducks and c60 Lapwing. Also, c50 House Martins went over south. (AH)

Snipe on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A few Wigeon, Teal and Pintail were in the harbour, but there were very few waders beyond the odd Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatcher to be found.

At least 100 House Martins and 20 Swallows were feeding low over the churchyard in the poor weather but, unsurprisingly, the hedges were quiet, though a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were moving about and a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker were behind the hide. (AH/BI)

House Martin (above) & Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 1st October: A pleasantly sunny morning in a moderate westerly breeze...

Selsey Bill: Two Wheatears were on the beach and 24 Skylarks, 37 Swallows and 47 Meadow Pipits went west. Full log later. (MO-W/RP/SR/AH)

(0700-0845hrs) (WNW, F4)

Gannet - 26W, 40os

Little Egret - 1W

Sparrowhawk - 2

Turnstone - 20

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Skylark - 24W

Swallow - 39W

House Martin - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 47W

Wheatear - 2

Chiffchaff - 1

Wheatears (RP above & AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: At least eight Snipe were asleep at the front, whilst there were also c80 Lapwing, c60 Teal and ten Shelducks present. (AH)

Snipe (above) & Lapwings and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Birdham Pool: Very little on the pool today apart from the usual Mallards, Coots, Cormorants and Moorhens. Nine Little Grebes, a Green Woodpecker, a Pied Wagtail, two Chiffchaffs, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a Stock Dove were the only birds of note. (SR)

Sidlesham churchyard: Two Chiffchaffs were the only birds of note here. (SR) 

Church Norton: A Yellow-browed Warbler was found by visiting birders in the big oak on the Mound and was later in the hedge leading down to the harbour, though always elusive.

Otherwise there were at least 25 Chiffchaffs around the churchyard/hide area, along with a Spotted Flycatcher and several Blackcaps and Goldcrests, whilst there was a notable influx of Blackbirds and Robins in the vicinity. There were also half a dozen Pied Wagtails in the field behind the churchyard and a dozen Swallows were about, including at least three chicks in the hide still being fed by their parents..

The harbour was fairly quiet, though four Brent Geese were present, along with c50 Pintail and Wigeon, a Bar-tailed Godwit, c30 Grey Plovers and c50 Dunlin. (AH/P&JW/SR)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Chiffchaff, Bar-tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Grey Plovers (AH) & Swallow chicks (SR) at Church Norton 

Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Whitethroat was along the banks this evening, along with at least 14 Stonechats, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Yellowhammer, six Reed Buntings and c20 Meadow Pipits. (AH)

Whitethroat (above), Stonechat, Yellowhammer & Reed Bunting at Medmerry (AH)