Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 14th

Monday, 16th August: A fairly cool and breezy morning, though the odd sunny spell in a fresh north-westerly..............

Selsey Bill: There were three Wheatears along the beach this morning, and an Arctic Skua chasing terns by the Mile Basket, whilst quite a few Common and Sandwich Terns were moving west, plus plenty of Gannets, feeding offshore. There was also an Emperor dragonfly about. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0700-0845hrs) (NW, F5)

Gannet - 8E, 33W, 30os

Common Scoter - 1E

Oystercatcher - 4W

Ringed Plover - 3

Sanderling - 1

Dunlin - 1

Turnstone - 40

Arctic Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 5W, 1os

Common Gull - 6W

Kittiwake - 5W

Sandwich Tern - 8E, 44W

Common Tern - 61W

Sand Martin - 42W

Swallow - 3W

House Martin - 7

Wheatear - 3

Wheatears (above), Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Selsey: A male Redstart - the first of the autumn - was in our garden, near Paddock Lane, this afternoon. (JWo)

Ferry Pool: There were five Spotted Redshanks on the pool at high tide, early on, along with four Common Sandpipers, four Dunlin, an Avocet, 15 Redshanks, 100+ Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits, two Shovelers and c25 Teal.

Also, a Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Whitethroats were in the Discovery Area. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits (above), Common Sandpiper, Shoveler and Teal, Willow Warbler & Lesser Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon a Temminck's Stint (initially identified as a Little Stint) was on the back of the pool, along with a Green Sandpiper, three Spotted Redshanks, two Common Sandpipers and seven Dunlin. (AT/BI/IP/AH et al)

Temminck's Stint on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were c60 Sandwich and c30 Common Terns, along with a few Mediterranean Gulls, in the harbour early on, before they all dispersed, with many later offshore.

At least three Whimbrel were in the harbour, along with 30+ Ringed Plovers and Dunlin, but not much else, whilst passerines included half a dozen Wheatears along the spit and the odd Whitethroat and Willow Warbler around the sheltered hedges, with a few Sand Martins and Swallows over west. There were also four Sparrowhawks together over Priory Wood. (AW/AH/A&YF)

Wheatear devouring a dragonfly (AW) (above), Sparrowhawk, Whimbrel, Common Terns & Common and Sandwich Terns (AH) at Church Norton

This afternoon/evening, a juvenile Little Tern was among c80 Sandwich and c40 Common Terns on the metalwork, whilst a Whimbrel, a dozen Turnstones and two Wheatear were around the concrete blocks.

Earlier, a Willow Warbler was in the churchyard and a Marsh Harrier went over. (AW/AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Willow Warbler (AW), Whimbrel & Sandwich and Common Terns (AH) at Church Norton

North Wall: A Greenshank was with 80+ Redshanks in White's Creek this morning, together with six Black-tailed Godwits. Along the Wall there were a couple of Wheatears, several Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and ten Whitethroats, whilst on the Breech pool were a couple of Teal and a dozen Mallards but little else of note. Cattle Egrets were few at first but steadily increased through the morning, with at least 35 roosting with Little Egrets later.

Four Whimbrel were on the fields, with another calling from the harbour,, whilst no less than 12 Common Terns were feeding along the channel, but most of the action was around the Halsey's Farm and Owl point areas, where around 200 hirundines were present and actively feeding; the vast majority (perhaps 120+) were Sand Martins, with a good number of Swallows and a few House Martins mixed in. At least another four Wheatears and several Whitethroats were also logged, plus a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk. (OM)

East side: Wader numbers are gradually increasing and this morning there were four Greenshanks, a single Bar-tailed Godwit, four Grey Plovers, 45+ Ringed Plovers, seven Knot (one still in partial summer plumage), two Whimbrel and 100+ Dunlin along the channel and mudflats, amongst the more regular Curlews and Oystercatchers. Nothing unusual however could be found amongst them, except for a colour-ringed Oystercatcher.

In the channel were six Great Crested Grebes and two Teal, with another flock (80+) of Sand Martins busily feeding above, whilst along the hedgerows were two Willow Warblers and a couple of Reed Warblers and Whitethroats. (OM)

Colour-ringed Oystercatcher along the East side (OM)

Medmerry: Breach area - A Whinchat was at Toe End this afternoon. (TG-P)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Barn Owl was out briefly along the banks this evening, whilst a Swift and 20+ Sand Martins and Swallows went over.

Also along the banks were three Wheatears,, two Stonechats, a Whitethroat and four Willow Warblers, whilst the Stilt Pools held a Snipe, four Common Sandpipers, an Avocet and a Whimbrel. (S&SaH)

Snipe (above) & Wheatear at Medmerry (SH)

Sunday, 15th August: A morning that started quite bright and sunny quickly deteriorated as the south-westerly breeze freshened, bringing a lot of low cloud and the odd drizzly squall..........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much moving, but there were an Arctic Skua and a few Common and Sandwich Terns about, with Gannets feeding distantly offshore, and a Sanderling and a Ringed Plover were among c70 Turnstones on the beach. Full log below.(SH/SR/AH)

(0600-0830hrs) (SW, F3)

Gannet - 5E, 55W, 50os

Ringed Plover - 1

Sanderling - 1

Turnstone - 70

Arctic Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 17W, 38os

Common Tern - 8W, 1os

Green Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 5W

Sand Martin - 2W

House Martin - 10

Sandwich Terns (above), Common Tern, Sanderling & Turnstone at the Bill (AH)

(1230-1330hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 3E, 4W, 19os
Turnstone - 30
Sandwich Tern - 7W, 4os
Common Tern - 26W, 4os
Sand Martin - 4W

There was also a Wheatear in the garden of the Tenchley Manor nursing home. (RP)

Wheatear at the Bill (RP)

Ferry Pool: A Kingfisher flew over the pool this morning, whilst there were still three Spotted Redshanks and three Common Sandpipers on the pool, along with an Avocet, six Dunlin, six Redshank, c100 Lapwing, c150 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal and Shelducks.

The Tramway circuit remains quiet, with just a Reed Bunting, a Lesser Whitethroat and a couple of Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs showing themselves, whilst c20 Sand Martins went over. (AH)

Later on, a Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were on the pool, along with c120 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst a few Sand Martins and Swallows went over. (CRJ/RJS/AF)

Common Sandpiper (above), Spotted Redshank, Chiffchaff & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There wasn't much to see along a breezy wall, though a Whinchat and a Kingfisher were around Owl Copse and six Cattle Egrets were in the fields at Halsey's Farm and three Swallows went over. (S&SaH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Hobby put on a great show this afternoon hawking dragonflies over the corn fields, and there were still four or five active Swallow nests in the stables. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There were still six Wheatears along the beach today, whilst a steady trickle of hirundines, plus a few Swifts, were heading south, but the only other passerine noted was a Whitethroat.

There were 20 Common Terns and 50 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, all put up by a Peregrine, with another fifty Sandwich Terns offshore, whilst there were also 30 Ringed Plovers in the harbour and a Sparrowhawk was about, too. (S&SaH)

Wheatear at Church Norton (SH)

Later on, a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat were around the churchyard, with a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the Buddleia by the lychgate.

The Sandwich Tern count had risen to 100 in the harbour, whilst there were also two Common Sandpipers and a Whimbrel present, with a couple of Swifts and all three hirundine species feeding overhead. (AW/AH)

Whimbrel (above), Sand Martin (AH) & Hummingbird Hawk-moth (AW) at Church Norton

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was very little along the banks this morning, though two families of Stonechats were about, along with the odd Skylark and a couple of big flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches.

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover and two juvenile Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool together, but the only other waders seen were three Common Sandpipers and a handful of Lapwings, with an Avocet in the channel opposite, with the pool continuing to be dominated by 300+ Canada Geese.

Also, at least 200 Sand Martins and 50 Swallows were feeding low over the pool, but a couple of Wheatears on the beach were the only other migrants. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Common Sandpiper, Sand Martins, Stonechat & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AH)

Saturday, 14th August: After a grey and fairly still start, a bright and sunny morning in a freshening south-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on this morning, though a Peregrine was about early on and a few hirundines went west. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP/SR)

(0600-0800hrs) (SW, F2)

Gannet - 3E, 11W

Peregrine - 1os

Turnstone - 80

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 7W, 19os

Common Tern - 2os

Swift - 4W

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 21W

Sand Martin - 23W

House Martin - 22W

Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were four Spotted Redshanks and four Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, along with a Greenshank, a Snipe, c50 Lapwings, c120 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal and Shelducks.

The Tramway circuit was very quiet, with just a handful of Whitethroats and a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps noted. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Greenshank, Common Sandpiper & Whitethroat around the Ferry (AH)

Selsey: A Wheatear was in the garden, just inland from the Bill, this morning. (IP)

A couple of Willow Warblers could be heard singing close to our garden in the north of the village. (AW)

Church Norton: There were five Wheatears along the beach/spit this morning, but a few Whitethroats around the Severals were the only other passerines of note, though the two juvenile Sparrowhawks were around Bluebell Wood.

Three Common Sandpipers were in the harbour, along with a Whimbrel, four summer-plumage Grey Plovers, a dozen Ringed Plovers and c30 Dunlin, but there were just a handful of Sandwich Terns and 20 Common Terns in the harbour, with another 50 of the former and 20 of the latter offshore. (IP)

This evening there were at least ten Wheatears around the concrete blocks and the start of the spit, whilst there were still four Common Sandpipers and a dozen Turnstones and Ringed Plovers in the vicinity and a Marsh Harrier and c25 Sand Martins and a few Swallows went over.

There were also around 120 Sandwich and 30 Common Terns, along with at least 20 Mediterranean Gulls, roosting at high tide. (AH/AW)

Wheatears (above), Sand Martin, Ringed Plovers (AH), Marsh Harrier, Common Tern & Common and Sandwich Terns (AW) at Church Norton

Ivy Lake: There were nine Egyptian Geese and two Black Swans present this morning. (BI)

West Itchenor: One pair of House Martins were in and out of their nest at the Harbour Office, a Willow Warbler and a Whitethroat were in the hedges and 30 Swallows with 5 House Martins were over the boatyard. (SR)

West Wittering: There were at least four Willow Warblers in the garden this morning. (GM)

Warner Lane Paddocks: A Whitethroat family and half a dozen Linnets were in the paddocks, and Swallows still around the stables with 16 more on the telegraph wires. (SR)

North Wall: At least 40 Cattle Egrets were about, with 27 in the fields by Owl Point and still half a dozen youngsters, plus parents, around Owl Copse.

Generally, though, it was quiet, with a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and a handful of Whitethroats, Willow, Reed and Sedge Warblers being the only migrants seen beyond c30 Sand Martins and Swallows going over.

The short-billed Greenshank was in White's Creek, along with a Whimbrel and a few Redshank and Lapwings, whilst a few Mediterranean Gulls were in the harbour, but there wasn't much else to report. (AH/CT/LP/MJa)

This evening a juvenile Marsh Harrier was out hunting and there were 110 Curlews in the fields. (SP)

Cattle Egrets (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Greenshank, Whimbrel & Lapwing around the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were at least 400 Sand Martins about this morning, including 200 that went west along the beach in 30 minutes, though there were only 20 or Swallows about.

A female and a juvenile Marsh Harrier were over the reserve, with five Buzzards and four Kestrels also about, but the banks just held a Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Buntings, though seven Wheatears were spread along the back of the beach opposite the Stilt Pool.

The Stilt Pool itself was quiet, though, with just two Snipe, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, an Avocet and five Common Sandpipers being the only waders. (S&SaH)