Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 17th

Friday, 19th August: A real mix of a day, with grey skies and a moderate westerly early on, giving way to a prolonged, and un-forecasted, spell of drizzly rain, before end up bright and breezy........

Selsey Bill: There was little report this morning! Full log below. (BI/IP/AH)

(0640-0810hrs) (W, F4)

Gannet - 6E, 28W, 10os

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 1W, 1os

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Swallow - 7W

Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Four Common Sandpipers were at the back this morning, but otherwise there were just a few Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Lapwings, c50 Teal and the Brent Goose to be seen. (AH/BI et al)

This evening there were three Spotted Redshanks roosting on the pool. (AH)

Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Stockbridge: A Glossy Ibis was seen going over west, late this morning. (GM)

West Itchenor: The first Osprey of the autumn was seen early this afternoon, flying north up Chichester Channel past West Itchenor, whilst 800-1000 Mediterranean Gulls were nearby at Chalkdock. (PH)

Church Norton: The Pied Flycatcher was still showing well at times in the hedges behind the hide his morning, with a mix of other species, including at least two Spotted Flycatchers, a Garden Warbler and several Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats and Willow Warblers.

It was quiet elsewhere again, though, with just a few Whitethroats and Willow Warblers along the front, a dozen Swallows over and just a Whimbrel, a few Dunlin and Curlews and plenty of Redshanks in the harbour, along with a Peregrine on their island for the first time in a long time. (AH/BI/LP/OM/SaH)

Pied Flycatcher (top three LP, lower one AH), Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Whimbrel (AH) & Peregrine (LP) at Church Norton

The Pied Flycatcher continued to show well this afternoon, finishing up in the churchyard, along with two Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart and a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, whilst up to a dozen Swallows and a couple of Sand Martins were feeding high overhead.

The only things of note at high tide in the harbour were eight Common Terns and six Sandwich Terns, plus a couple of juvenile Mediterranean Gulls and c80 Redshank. (AB/S&SaH/S/AH et al0

Sand Martin (above), Swallows, Sandwich Tern & Redshanks at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 18th August: A pleasant morning of gentle north-easterly breezes and warm, though slightly hazy, sunshine........

Selsey Bill: There was bit of variety this morning, including two very unseasonal Brent Geese going east together, a Yellow Wagtail and a Swift. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)

(0645-0800hrs) (ENE, F2)

Gannet - 1E

Brent Goose - 2E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 1E, 2W

Turnstone - 4W, 2 present

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 9os

Swift - 1

Swallow - 1E, 1W

House Martin - 9

Yellow Wagtail - 1E

Brent Geese (above), Swift & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A single Common Sandpiper at the back was the only small wader on the pool early this morning, with otherwise c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c65 Lapwings, c60 Teal, four juvenile Shelducks and the Brent Goose present, with a Stonechat and a Whitethroat also about.

Later on there were five Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover seen, along with a Hobby over. (AH/IP/AHu/CRJ et al)

Brent Goose, Black-tailed Godwits and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Squacco Heron was in its usual place this morning, with a Kingfisher at Owl Water, but the hedges were very quiet, with just a Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and a few Goldfinches seen.

There were five Pied and one Yellow Wagtail in the paddocks, another Kingfisher was by the sluice and a Greenshank and two Grey Plovers were in White's Creek, along with a few Redshanks, whilst three Black-tailed Godwits were in the Breech Pool and 56 Cattle Egrets were with the cows near Honer farmhouse. (IP/LP/CT/PC)

Church Norton: There was quite a flurry of activity around the hide area this morning, including a Pied Flycatcher, possibly up to four or five Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, a couple of Whitethroats and Blackcaps and four or five Lesser Whitethroats, along with Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers,but beyond a Kingfisher and a Whimbrel in the harbour there wasn't much else going on. (AH/NM/IP/NR/TB/CRJ et al)

Redstart (above), Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat & Blackcap at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Glossy Ibis flew in from the west to feed near Marsh Barn, and there were also six Cattle Egrets about, along with an Egyptian Goose, a Peregrine and two Kestrels, but the banks were quiet in the windy conditions, beyond.a Corn Bunting and 13 Yellowhammers, plus seven Sand Martins and 11 Swallows over.

The Stilt Pools were quiet, too, with the only waders being four Common Sandpipers, a Snipe, a Dunlin and two Black-tailed Godwits. (S&SaH)

West Itchenor: There were three nests of well grown young, with another nest still active, around the harbour office today, whilst c200 Sand Martins & Swallows had gathered nearby. (SR)

Sand Martin (above) & House Martin at West Itchenor (SR)

Wednesday, 17th August: Early on, it was grey and breezy, but mild and muggy despite the north-easterly wind direction, with heavy, thundery rain appearing by late morning........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, including the first Fulmar in a while, a Little Tern, a Yellow Wagtail and a Peregrine. Full log below. (SR/I/AH/P&LH)

(0645-0830hrs) (NNE, F3-4)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 12E, 7W

Peregrine - 1

Common Scoter - 1E

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 9E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 9E, 8W, 40os

Common Tern - 2W

Little Tern - 1W

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 1E

Sand Martin - 1E

House Martin - 8

Yellow Wagtail - 1E

This evening a Purple Sandpiper was among a flock of Turnstones on the beach at the end of Hillfield Road, and a few House Martins went over. (RP)

Fulmar (above) & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Green Sandpipers and four Common Sandpipers on the pool this morning, along with a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, four Redshanks, c60 Lapwings, c40 Teal, three juvenile Shelducks and the Brent Goose, whilst a Kingfisher flew through. (AH/IP)

Later on, the Temminck's Stint re-appeared on the sandbar on the pool and there were also seven Buzzards about, whilst a Reed Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat were around Red Barn Ditch. (P&LH)

Kingfisher at the Ferry (AH)

The Temminck's Stint was still present this evening, though elusive at the back, whilst there were definitely four, and very probably six Spotted Redshanks roosting at high tide. (CS/AH)

Spotted Redshanks and Avocets (above) & Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Spotted Flycatchers were behind the hide this morning, whilst a Chiffchaff was along the beach, two Wheatears were on the concrete blocks and four Sand Martins went over.

There wasn't much in the harbour, though, beyond a Whimbrel and a Kingfisher. (P&LH)

This evening there was a big mixed flock feeding in the churchyard, including at least ten Willow Warblers, a couple of Chiffchaffs, at least four Goldcrests and innumerable Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits. (AH)

Goldcrest (above) & Willow Warblers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The Squacco Heron was still showing well this morning and a Kingfisher flew down the rife, but the hedges were quiet with just a couple of Whitethroats seen, though a Wheatear was on the rocks along the wall, and two more were in the fields near Owl Point..

Four Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool, along with two Dunlin, a Snipe, two Ringed Plovers and two of the juvenile Shelducks, with at least eight Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and two Chiffchaffs in the reeds.

Another Kingfisher was in White's Creek along with two Greenshank and a few Redshanks and Curlews, five Pied Wagtails were along the wall, four Yellow Wagtails were in the paddocks and there were also lots of Swallows passing overhead throughout the morning. (LP/PC/CT/JDW/TS/P&LH)

This evening the Squacco Heron flew out of the rife and into Owl Copse at 1830hrs, whilst a flock c20+ Yellow Wagtails were around the stables. (CS/SP)

Squacco Heron (above) & Whitethroat at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were very quiet this morning, with a Sedge Warbler and a couple of Willow Warblers and Whitethroats the only migrants seen, though there were a family of Stonechats, at least three Corn Buntings, a dozen or more juvenile Yellowhammers, a few Linnets and 100+ Goldfinches seen, along with just a couple of Sand Martins over.

A Marsh Harrier and up to ten Cattle Egrets were near the poplars, but the Stilt Pool was quiet, with just four Common Sandpipers, five Dunlin, two Avocets, two Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Lapwings being the only waders seen, whilst another tagged Curlew - P8 - was on the reserve opposite. (AH)

This evening a Barn Owl was out hunting, along with a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and three Kestrels, whilst three Cattle Egret and an Egyptian Goose were on the reserve and a Little Tern, two Common Terns and four Sandwich Terns were offshore.

There were seven Corn Buntings and three Dartford Warblers along the banks, along with nine Yellowhammers, a Whitethroat, 11 Stonechats and a Pied Wagtail, with a Sand Martin and 27 Swallow over, whilst a quiet Stilt Pool just held four Common Sandpipers, a Snipe, two Avocets and four Dunlin. (S&SaH)