19th - 21st September 2022

Wednesday, 21st September: A very warm and sunny 'Indian summer' morning in just a light northerly breeze ....

Advanced warning - West Sussex County Council have arranged for the boardwalk to be replaced at Church Norton along the coastal route. In order to bring materials in, the carpark at Church Norton will be closed Wednesday Sept 21st and Thursday Sept 22nd.

The carpark will reopen on Sept 23rd, but parts of it will be restricted for parking  until potentially Oct 10th whilst the work takes place. For the duration of the works, please consider parking at the main RSPB car park to reduce congestion.

Also, between Sept 22nd and Oct 7th parts of the Medmerry bridleway will be closed whilst needed track repairs are carried out. The tracks will be closed off in sections as the works progress to minimise the impact to the public. (per RSPB Pagham Harbour)

Selsey Bill: A Black Tern dropped in to briefly feed offshore before carrying on west, but there wasn't much moving offshore, with the most conspicuous species being Swallows, with nearly 1500 going over east, along with just a few Sand Martins and House Martins, plus a couple of Siskins. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0645-0900hrs) (NNE, F1)

Gannet - 4W

Shag - 13E

Brent Goose - 3W

Shelduck - 4W

Wigeon - 21W

Common Scoter - 1E, 3W, 5os

Turnstone - 13

Sandwich Tern - 7E, 4os

Black Tern - 1os, then W

auk sp - 1W

Swallow - 1487E

Sand Martin - 3E

House Martin - 2E

Meadow Pipit - 3N

Chiffchaff 1

Linnet - 11E

Greenfinch - 6E

Siskin - 2E

Shags (above) & Swallow at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: An Avocet was the only bird this morning beyond the regular mix of c75 Lapwings, c40 Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Shovelers, c60 Teal, 16 Shelducks and the Brent Goose. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: It was quiet this evening, with just four Stonechats and a Meadow Pipit on the fields and a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)

North Wall: A couple of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats were seen, along the wall, together with half a dozen Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, two or three Stonechats and Reed Buntings and a Song Thrush, whilst a steady stream of Swallows, plus a few Sand Martins went over east.

Kingfishers were at either end of the wall, 15 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Teal were on the Breech Pool and half a dozen Cattle Egrets were just discernible among the cows in one of the back fields. (JDW/LP/AH)

Blackcap (above), Song Thrush, Reed Bunting (LP) & Black-tailed Godwits (AH) at the North Wall

A look round Halsey's Farm produced 13 Cattle Egrets among the cows, with other birds seen including two Blackcaps, two singing Chiffchaffs, three Cetti's Warblers, two Whitethroats, three Stonechats, a Jay, two Kestrels, two Buzzards, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, six Swallows and three House Martins, with the highlight being a Spotted Flycatcher at Honer Farm. (SR)

Spotted Flycatcher at the North Wall (SR)

East side: Two Greenshank and 50 Redshanks and Lapwings were along White's Creek, but a handful of Grey Plovers were about the only other waders seen, with wildfowl predominating on the very low tide, including five Brent Geese which dropped into the harbour and at least 500 Wigeon, 200 Teal and 50 Pintail, with more seeming to arrive a the morning progressed.

Also, a Common Seal was hauled out on the mud in the middle of the harbour. (AH/LP)

Brent Geese (LP) (above), Greenshank, Pintail and Wigeon, Wigeon, Grey Plovers & Common Seal (AH) along the East side

Tuesday, 20th September: After a cool and grey start, a sunny, warm and pleasant day in just a light breeze, initially from the north-east before veering round to the south-west ....

Advanced warning - West Sussex County Council have arranged for the boardwalk to be replaced at Church Norton along the coastal route. In order to bring materials in, the carpark at Church Norton will be closed Wednesday Sept 21st and Thursday Sept 22nd.

The carpark will reopen on Sept 23rd, but parts of it will be restricted for parking  until potentially Oct 10th whilst the work takes place. For the duration of the works, please consider parking at the main RSPB car park to reduce congestion.

Also, between Sept 22nd and Oct 7th parts of the Medmerry bridleway will be closed whilst needed track repairs are carried out. The tracks will be closed off in sections as the works progress to minimise the impact to the public. (per RSPB Pagham Harbour)

Selsey Bill: The first Red-throated Diver of the autumn was the highlight, with otherwise just a few Common Scoters, Teal and Wigeon on the move and a few Swallows over. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/P&LH)

(0650-0905hrs) (NNE, F1-2)

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Gannet - 18E, 12W, 1os

Shag - 13E

Grey Heron - 3W (together)

Brent Goose - 1W

Wigeon - 14W

Teal - 12W

Common Scoter - 19E, 2W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 18

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Common Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 6W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1E, 9W

Swallow - 99E

Sand Martin - 7E

House Martin - 4E, 22 present

Yellow Wagtail - 1W

Grey Wagtail - 2W

Pied Wagtail - 4E

Meadow Pipit - 18N

Chiffchaff - 2

Linnet - 30E

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 4E

(1400-1530hrs) (P&LH)

Gannet - 5E

Shag - 1W

Brent Goose - 2W

Common Scoter - 3E, 10W

Kestrel - 2

Turnstone - 2

Sandwich Tern - 6W

Swallow - 8E

Red-throated Diver (above), Shags, Sandwich Tern, Gannet, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk and Turnstone, Swallow & Bottle-nosed Dolphins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Spotted Redshanks in the channel opposite this morning, whilst a Pintail was among the c50 Teal and c20 Shovelers present, as well as 16 Shelducks, the Brent Goose, c60 Lapwings and c30 Black-tailed Godwits. 

There were also c200 Swallows, plus a few Sand Martins and House Martins distantly towards the sewage works.(AH/BFF/DM)

Spotted Redshank at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The elusive Wryneck finally gave itself up this morning to an appreciative crowd along the Severals, with two Wheatears, three or four Stonechats and a couple of Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs also about, whilst a handful of Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, c50 Meadow Pipits, c100 Swallows and a few Hose Martins went over east.

There were still four Spotted Flycatchers and a handful of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps behind the hide, too, but the harbour was quiet beyond a Greenshank, half a dozen Knot, 30 Grey Plovers, 60 Dunlin and a dozen or so Redshanks and Curlews and similar numbers of Little Egrets, in a group in the main channel. (AH/KT/DP/MP/BFF/DM/P&LH et al)

There was no sign of the Wryneck this evening, though two Whinchats were with seven Stonechats around the horse field, with a Chiffchaff, two Whitethroats and two Cetti's Warblers also about, and a Sparrowhawk, two House Martins and c75 Swallows going over east. (S&SaH)

Wryneck (above) Wryneck and Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Spoonbill - presumably yesterday's bird from the harbour - was on the Stilt Pool, and there were also a Kingfisher and two Bar-tailed Godwits about. (KJ et al)

Also, this afternoon, a Purple Sandpiper flew in and settled on he old sea-defences along the beach. (AFC per IC)

Purple Sandpiper at Medmerry (AFC)

Pagham Spit: A Kingfisher and a White Wagtail were seen over on Church Norton spit his afternoon, whilst six Ringed Plovers were in the newly forming lagoon near the harbour mouth and five Little Egrets were in the channel. (P Gomersall)

North Wall: A Glossy Ibis was reported early on at Halsey’s Farm before being disturbed by a jogger.

A Kingfisher was by the rife and there were still plenty of Swallows and House Martins about, as well as plenty of Chiffchaffs in the bushes along the wall, and a Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Whitethroat, a couple of Blackcaps and a Sedge Warbler, while a Green Woodpecker and seven Jays flew over the fields.

There were also c40 Cattle Egrets in with the cows, and two Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk were also around, while there were lots of all the regular wildfowl and waders in White's Creek and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was sat out on the mud. (LP/TG)

Whitethroat (above), Sand Martin and Swallows & Cattle Egrets at the North Wall (LP)

Bank Holiday Monday, 19th September: A cool and grey morning, brightening up a little as the day progressed, in just a light northerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on, but a large skua that was attacking the gulls a long way offshore was most likely a Pomarine Skua, and there were lots of Swallows going east, whilst 13 Shags going east together was an unusually large flock. Full log below. (JA/SR/AH/IP/RAI)

(0700-0900hrs) (NW, F1-2)

Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Gannet - 7E, 26W

Shag - 16E (including a flock of 13)

Brent Goose - 6W

Shelduck - 1E

Wigeon - 4W

Common Scoter - 8E, 4W

Sanderling - 3E

Curlew - 1W

Turnstone - 6

probable Pomarine Skua - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 11E

Sandwich Tern - 35E

'Commic' Tern -1W

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 2E

auk sp - 1E, 12W

Swallow - 290E

Sand Martin - 1E

House Martin - 1E

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 15E, 1W

Chiffchaff - 1

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 8E

Shags (above), Brent Geese, Sandwich Terns & Bottle-nosed Dolphin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Four Spotted Redshanks were in the channel opposite, along with a dozen Redshank and c50 Teal, but the pool just held c30 Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Lapwings, c20 Shovelers, c30 Teal and six Shelducks. (AH/RAI)

Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

This evening there were two Spotted Redshanks and a Kingfisher in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank & Kingfisher at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Spotted Flycatchers and half a dozen or so Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were in the hide/churchyard area and two or three Whitethroats and Stonechats were along the Severals, but aside from c200 Swallows, with a couple of Sand Martins and House Martins among them, there were few other small birds about.

The harbour was quiet, too, with a Whimbrel and half a dozen Grey Plovers and Dunlin the only wders of note, though there were a dozen Little Egrets and up to 20 Great Crested Grebes in the main channel. (AH/RAI)

Chiffchaff (above), Blackcap, Whitethroat, Whimbrel & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Yesterday's Wryneck popped up again at the Severals early this evening, and there was also a Spoonbill in the harbour earlier. (GD)

The Spoonbill flew off west early this evening, and there wasn't much else in the harbour, though two Spotted Flycatchers and half a dozen Chiffchaffs were behind the hide. (AH)

Spoonbill (above) & Spotted Flycatcher and Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham Lagoon and Spit: There were at least 20 Little Grebes on the lagoon this morning along with the usual Coots and Mallards, whilst in the bushes by the boardwalk there were a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, a couple of calling Cetti’s Warblers and a Reed Bunting. Two Wheatears were around the old car park and c70 Linnets were along the spit, with a few House Sparrows, Goldfinches and a Stonechat.

Along the old harbour channel there were lots of Turnstones and a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, while just offshore there was a Brent Goose and a couple of Great Crested Grebes. The harbour was quiet with just six Grey Plovers and a few Redshank and Curlews. (LP)

Later on, a Guillemot flew west close in to the beach and four Sandwich Terns were feeding further offshore. (P Gomersall)

Wheatear (above), Stonechat, Little Grebe and Dunlin at Pagham Spit (LP)

North Wall: A Spotted Flycatcher was by the sluice, along with two Kingfishers, a Willow Warbler and a few Chiffchaffs, while in White's Creek there was just the usual mix of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Mallards with a few Redshanks along the banks.

There were 20 Teal on the Breech Pool and in the field behind the pool there were 16 Cattle Egrets in with the cows and a Green Woodpecker and a Jay were also aboutt, while in Honer 2 field there were 32 Rooks and at Halsey’s Farm another Kingfisher was along the rife, with a constant flow of Swallows and House Martins moving overhead. (LP/JDW)

Chiffchaff at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A big flock of c17 Chiffchaffs and c20 Long-tailed Tits were moving through the bushes at the car park, but the banks were quiet, with just two corn Buntings, 12 Yellowhammers, five Stonechats and a Cetti's Warbler seen.

Also, two Cattle Egrets and c50 Meadow Pipits were on the reserve, whilst two Ravens, a Buzzard and four Kestrels went over. (S&SaH)