Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 23rd

Thursday, 25th August: An extremely wet and muggy morning, with heavy rain arriving in the early hours and not really passing through till midday in the light north-westerly breeze.........

Selsey Bill: Pretty much a wash-out this morning! Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0700-0815hrs) (NW, F1-2)

Gannet - 4E, 7E, 10os

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 7W

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Common Tern - 1E

Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Spotted Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover on the pool this morning, along with ten Redshanks, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Lapwing, c60 Teal and the Brent Goose. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Common Sandpiper & Little Ringed Plover at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The birds behind the hide were very active in the rain this morning, and included two Pied Flycatchers, up to eight Spotted Flycatchers (which were catching and despatching plenty of wasps), two Redstarts, four Blackcaps, three Whitethroats and a Lesser Whitethroat, whilst a dozen or so Sand Martins and Swallows were feeding over the harbour.

A flock of seven Greenshank flew south through the harbour, whilst a single bird was on the mud later, along with a handful of Grey Plovers, c40 Ringed Plovers, c25 Curlews and c100 Dunlin and Redshanks, with eight Teal flying around, too. (AH)

Pied Flycatchers (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Redstarts, Whitethroat, Blackcap & Greenshanks at Church Norton (AH)

North Mundham: Greenshanks were heard calling, but couldn't be seen, high over the house this morning. (CRJ)

Selsey: Two Swifts were feeding high over the house this evening. (IP)

Sidlesham: A Redstart was seen a couple of times, if briefly, along our front hedge this evening, whilst 20 Sand Martins and a few Swallows went over. (AH)

North Wall: A Jay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were around the paddock today and a Greenshank was in White's Creek, along with a few Redshank and Lapwing, whilst the Breech Pool was looking a bit healthier following the mornings rain, but a Common Sandpiper, a Pied Wagtail, four Teal and a Shoveler were the only birds there, along with a few Reed and Sedge Warblers in the reeds.

Three Wheatears were along the wall and a Kingfisher and two more Common Sandpipers were in the harbour near Owl Copse, with another Kingfisher flying down the rife at Halsey’s Farm, where 14 Cattle Egrets were around the cows and a Redstart, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Lesser Whitethroat and a few Common Whitethroats were along the hedges. (LP)

Wheatear (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Jay, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher & Shoveler at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A covey of five Grey Partridges, inadvertently flushed near Marsh Farm, was the highlight this evening, whilst there was a good selection of species along the banks, including six Whinchats, 11 Wheatears, 36 Yellow Wagtails, four Stonechats, three Willow Warbles, a Whitethroat, two Cetti's Warblers two Corn Buntings and three Yellow hammers.

The Stilt Pool held five Common Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, two Avocets and an Egyptian Goose, with two Kingfishers seen there, too, whilst c50 Sand Martins and Swallows were overhead, along with a Buzzard and two Kestrels. (S&SaH)

Wednesday, 24th August: It remains mostly overcast, though warm and humid, with just a modest breeze, either side of southerly.........

Selsey Bill: A fairly slow morning was brightened up by three Black Terns lingering (a fair way) offshore, dip-feeding with two Common Terns, with four more of the latter having gone west earlier. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0645-0800hrs) (SW, F3)

Gannet - 12E, 31W, 20os

Turnstone - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 6W, 2os

Common Tern - 4W, 2os

Black Tern - 3os

Swallow - 2E, 4W

Wheatear - 1

Wheatear (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Spotted Redshank, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover were on the pool this morning, along with half a dozen Redshanks, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Lapwings, c100 Teal and the Brent Goose, with three Whimbrel together in the channel opposite. (AH)

Later on, a Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler and several Whitethroats were around the Tramway. (NR/TG-P)

Spotted Redshank (above), Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel & Brent Goose at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were five Wheatears around the fields this afternoon, with three Sand Martins, 12 House Martins and 20 Swallows overhead.There was also a Sparrowhawk about and at one point, eight Buzzards were all up together. (SaH)

North Wall: A Pied Flycatcher and a Mistle thrush were in the garden of Little Welbourne this morning, along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker, and a couple of Willow Warblers.

A Greenshank was in White's Creek, and further out there were a few Grey Plovers, some Dunlin and a Whimbrel, but on the Breech Pool there were just a single Black-tailed Godwit and two Teal.

At Halsey’s Farm there were two Redstarts, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Yellow Wagtail and a few Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, with just five Cattle Egrets around the cows. (LP)

This evening two Whinchats, two Wheatears and two Yellow Wagtails were at Owl Point, whilst two Kingfishers were near Owl Copse, with a Spotted Flycatcher, two Redstarts, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, a Blackcap and several Yellow Wagtails and several Cattle Egrets at Halsey's Farm. (IH/KJ/NR/AH et al)

Pied Flycatcher (above), Yellow Wagtail, Spotted Flycatcher & Green Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - Three Stonechats and four Yellowhammers seen before the bank of dense fog rolled in this evening. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: All the activity was behind the hide again, with at least one Pied Flycatcher, three Spotted Flycatchers, two Redstarts, a Garden Warbler, half a dozen Blackcaps and the odd Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat still present, whilst up to 50 Sand Martins were overhead with 100 more over the harbour.

Otherwise, it was very quiet, with a couple of Whitethroats, a Sparrowhawk and two Jays being all that was seen along the Severals, though three Sandwich Terns were offshore there, whilst the harbour held a Whimbrel, a dozen Grey Plovers and c50 Ringed Plovers and c200 Dunlin, plus a few Mediterranean Gulls. (AH/CT et al)

Early this afternoon a Black Tern was seen offshore among the gulls. (C Holter)

This evening all the birds were in the churchyard, including a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart, a Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler and at least six Spotted Flycatchers, with c50 Sand Martins feeding overhead. (S&SaH)

Pied Flycatcher (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Garden Warbler, Blackcap & Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 23rd August: Another very grey and muggy morning, with several spell of persistent drizzle, with the moderate breeze starting in the east and slowly veering to the south-west.....

Selsey Bill: An unexpectedly interesting morning after a slow start, with a Garganey, an Arctic Skua, a Black Tern and a steady flow of Common Terns all going west, with a huge flock of gulls and plentiful Gannets offshore throughout. Full log below. (PB/MB/AH/IP/P&LH)

(0630-0930hrs) (SE, F4)

Gannet - 300os/W

Garganey - 1W

Common Scoter - 5E, 1W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 2W

Curlew - 4W

Turnstone - 5E, 2W

Arctic Skua - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 36W

Kittiwake - 4W

Sandwich Tern - 6W

Common Tern - 14E, 35W, 17os

Little Tern - 5W

Black Tern - 1W

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

(1430-1540hrs) (P&LH)

Gannet - 8os

Curlew - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 18os

Arctic Skua (above), Common Terns, Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern, Gannet, Mediterranean Gull & Sparrowhawk and Herring Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers were all at the back this morning, with otherwise an Avocet, five Redshanks, c60 Lapwings, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Teal and the Brent Goose on the pool and two Whinchats and a Wheatear in the field. (AH/PB/MB)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Brent Goose and Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Donnington: A Quail unexpectedly flew across the B2201 just south of the village this afternoon, landing and pausing on the gravel verge, before running off into the hedge. (P&LH)

North Mundham: The Coal Tit was in the garden again today. (MJ)

North Wall: Four Pied Wagtails and a pair of Wigeon were in White's Creek this morning, whilst a mixed flock containing Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats and Blue Tits was moving through the hedgerows along the wall, but the Breech Pool contained just two Black-tailed Godwits.

There were 20 Yellow Wagtails with the cows in Honer 2, with another 20 at Halsey's Farm, where there were also five Teal and a Little Grebe in the rife and 24 Cattle Egrets were around the cows, whilst a Spotted Flycatcher was in the bushes, along with a Lesser Whitethroat, two Common Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, with a Kingfisher and a Common Sandpiper out in the harbour by Owl Copse. (LP/CT/KJ et al)

Yellow Wagtail (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap, Kingfisher & Common Sandpiper at the North Wall (AH)

Church Norton: A Whinchat was in the horse field this morning, whilst there were still two Pied Flycatchers, up to five Spotted Flycatchers, two Redstarts, a Garden Warbler and several Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats around the churchyard/hide area, with 100+ Sand Martins and a few Swallows around, too.

The harbour was quiet, though, with just c100 Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, plus a few Mediterranean Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls being about it. (BFF/DIS/DM/PB/MB/AH/KJ et al)

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

This evening, the two Pied Flycatchers, five Spotted Flycatchers and two Redstarts, pus a Willow Warbler and a Blackcap, were all feeding along the fence-line opposite the hide, with a Chiffchaff nearby and c50 Sand Martins feeding low overhead. (AH)