Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 7th

Friday, 9th September: A cooler morning, as the fresh breeze shifted just north of west, but it was dry, with the odd sunny spell.....

Selsey Bill: Given the wind direction, a surprisingly interesting morning, with an Osprey seen heading out to sea, a Black Tern heading west and a Whinchat and double figures of Wheatears along the beach, along with a Redshank. Full log later. (PB/BI/SR/IP/AH/RW/JA)

(0630-1000hrs) (WSW, F5)

Gannet - 26E, 42W

Wigeon - 7W

Common Scoter - 2E

Osprey - 1S

Oystercatcher - 1E, 3 present

Redshank - 1

Sandwich Tern - 23E, 16W

Common Tern - 1W

Black Tern - 1W

Razorbill - 1W

Swallow - 55W

Yellow Wagtail - 15W

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Wheatear - 11

Whinchat - 1

Willow Warbler - 3

(1700-1800hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 7E, 9W, 8os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 11W, 10os

Common Tern - 1W

Whinchat (above), Wheatears, Sandwich Tern & Redshank at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Early on, a Golden Plover dropped in with a few of the 50+ Black-tailed Godwits this morning and a Grey Wagtail was present, too. (RW)

Later, there were two Green Sandpipers, a Spotted Redshank, a Snipe and a Dunlin on the pool among the usual selection of 50+ Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings, c100 Teal, three Shelducks and the Brent Goose, with two Sparrowhawks, 20 Sand Martins and ten Swallows over. (AH/PB)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Merlin went over the fields this morning, as did seven Shovelers, whilst the hedges between the farm and Greenlease Farm held a pair of Redstarts, a Sedge Warbler, two Garden Warblers, a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, a few Blackcaps, a Willow Warbler and a minimum of two Spotted Flycatchers (IP/RW)

Church Norton: A sub-adult male and a female Redstart and at least six Spotted Flycatchers were behind the hide this morning, along with a brief Whinchat, several Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, and at least four Blackcaps.

Two Whinchats were in the horse field, with two more and 11 Wheatears were along the spit, and four more of the latter were on Tern Island, whilst a Lesser Whitethroat and a Jay were along the Severals, where c30 Swallows and a few Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits went over.

There was a good selection of waders in the harbour, too, including a Little Stint and up to three Curlew Sandpipers among the 200+ Dunlin and 50+ Ringed Plovers on the mud, and there were also a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, six Whimbrels, two Bar-tailed Godwits, c20 Knot and c30 Grey Plovers about, along with a Sandwich Tern, a Kingfisher, a dozen Pintail and a few Teal. Also, ten Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern, two Gannets and 25 Wigeon went west offshore. (AH/HR/DM/ABi/CRJ/IP/RW et al)

Whinchat (above), Wheatear (IP), Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Sandwich Tern and Black-headed Gull, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover, Grey Plovers, Knot and Dunlin & Knot and Grey Plovers (AH) at Church Norton

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - There were a minimum of 16 Wheatears present this morning, all found around the sea-defence rocks, with a Whinchat and two Stonechats nearby. On the Stilt Pools were 150+ Canada Geese and six Egyptian Geese and also present here were two Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper.

Two Grey Wagtails went over as did c.10 Yellow Wagtails and c.20 Meadow Pipits, a Golden Plover was with a Lapwing flock and a Kingfisher was by the sluice. Small birds included six Whitethroats, a Cetti's Warbler and three Willow Warblers and there was also a constant stream of very high-up hirundines, and one Swift was also noted. (BI)

North Wall: A Marsh Harrier was behind the Breech Pool this morning, along with a Buzzard and 20 Cattle Egrets, while 30 Lapwing, 12 Black-tailed Godwits and a Bar-tailed Godwit flew from the fields into White's Creek, where there were also, two Kingfishers, a few Wigeon and Teal, a pair of Gadwall, a dozen Grey Plovers and two Greenshanks, whilst c100 Canada Geese and c40 Lapwings dropped into the harbour.

Five Wheatears were along the wall, and a pair of Reed Buntings, a Whitethroat and two Cetti's Warblers were in the bushes, while a Redstart and two Wheatears were at Halsey’s Farm and there was still a few Swallows and Sand Martins, as well as a Yellow Wagtail overhead. (LP/GHi)

Wheatear (above), Reed Bunting, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plovers, Curlew and Redshank (LP), Wheatear, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Heron & Canada Geese (GHi) at the North Wall

Thursday, 8th September: The very unsettled spell continues, with another blustery morning of fresh south-westerlies pushing through a succession of very heavy squalls and brief brighter spells in between.........

Please note that the footpath from the gate at the east end of Halsey's Farm to Owl Copse will be closed from 8th to 29th September as some much-needed repairs to the path are undertaken.

See the map below, with the closed path in red and other footpaths available in mauve. (per RSPB)

Selsey Bill: Four Common Terns and a few Swallows went west, but it was mostly Gannets and Sandwich Terns offshore again. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH/P&LH)

(0645-0830hrs) (WSW, F4-5)

Gannet - 8E, 46W, 10os

Shag - 2E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Kestrel - 1

Turnstone - 3W, 1 present

Sandwich Tern - 23os

Common Tern - 4W

Swallow - 36W

Common Seal - 1

Fox - 1

Common Tern (above), Sandwich Tern & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

(1150-1320hrs) (P&LH)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 8W

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 3

Turnstone - 3

Sandwich Tern - 5W

Common Tern - 1W

Swift - 1S (out to sea)

Fulmar at the Bill (LH)

(1620-1800hrs) (SH/AH)

Gannet - 3E, 7W

Shag - 4W

Common Scoter - 1E, 1W

Kestrel - 1

Sandwich Tern - 7W, 18os

auk sp - 1W

Shags at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just the regulars this morning, namely c50 Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings, c80 Teal, three Shelducks and the Brent Goose. (AH)

Later, two Stonechats and a Whinchat were along the electric fencing in the field. (P&LH)

Brent Goose at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Redstart and at least six Spotted Flycatchers were behind the hide again this morning, along with two Garden Warblers, a Whitethroat, a Willow Warbler, a couple of Chiffchaffs and up to half a dozen Blackcaps, with at least 50 Swallows, two or three Sand Martins and a House Martin feeding overhead and over the harbour and a Common Gull was along Rectory Lane.

The three Curlew Sandpipers were in the harbour again before the tide rose, together with a Greenshank, two Bar-tailed Godwits, c40 Grey Plovers and Ringed Plovers and 100+ Dunlin, whilst a Sandwich Tern was briefly present, c40 Pintail and a few Wigeon and Teal were on the water and a Peregrine stooped down over the islands, upsetting everything. (AH/IP/P&LH et al)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Curlew Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Plover, Sandwich Tern (AH) & Bar-tailed Godwits (LH) at Church Norton

North Wall: There wasn’t much in the harbour this morning towards high tide, just a couple of Great Crested Grebes and a few Wigeon, with a few Grey Herons and Little Egrets out on their island with just a couple of Teal and a Cormorant on the Breech Pool.

A Sparrowhawk flew over, but the bushes were quiet in the difficult conditions with just a Lesser Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting seen, while at Halsey's Farm, a Kingfisher was by the rife, three Whinchats were on the fences, a Redstart was in the bushes and a few Swallows were also about. (LP)

Redstart (above) & Whinchats at the North Wall (LP)

Wednesday, 7th September: Another mild, but very blustery, morning with a fresh south-westerly pushing through bands of cloud and the odd heavy squall.....

Please note that the footpath from the gate at the east end of Halsey's Farm to Owl Copse will be closed from 8th to 29th September as some much-needed repairs to the path are undertaken.

See the map below, with the closed path in red and other footpaths available in mauve. (per RSPB)

Selsey Bill: Another very quiet morning, despite the promising conditions. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0640-0740hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Gannet - 9W

Kestrel - 1

Turnstone - 1

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 12W, 2os

Swallow - 20W

Later in the day, five Manx Shearwaters flew west and a Guillemot went east close in. (CMu et al)

(1615-1730hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 3E, 5W

Shag - 1W

Turnstone - 3

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 12W, 6os

Common Tern - 1E

Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Three roosting Spotted Redshanks were the only birds present other than the usual c50 Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings, c120 Teal, three Shelducks and the Brent Goose. (AH) Later, five Spotted Redshanks and a Bar-tailed Godwit were on the pool. (CMu et al)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Teal & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was no sign of either Wryneck this morning in less than ideal conditions, with four Spotted Flycatchers, a Blackcap and two Willow/Chiffs behind the hide, a Wheatear on the concrete blocks and a dozen or so Swallows and Sand Martins over being the only migrants seen.

A Gannet - presumably not in good heath - drifted into the harbour on the rising tide, and a Marsh Harrier was briefly around Tern Island, whilst two Whimbrel went over west and three Knot, a dozen Grey Plovers, c40 Curlews and c80 Redshanks were on the last bits of mud. (AH et al)

Spotted Flycatchers (above), Marsh Harrier, Blackcap, Gannet, Whimbrel & Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Later on, a Redstart was behind the hide, along with five Spotted Flycatchers, whilst two Little Stints and three Curlew Sandpiper were on the mud as the tide dropped. (CRJ)

This evening the Redstart was showing well in the churchyard, along with a Lesser Whitethroat and the five Spotted Flycatchers were still behind the hide. whilst a Greenshank, two Whimbrel, the three Curlew Sandpipers, c50 Ringed Plovers and c100 Dunlin were in the harbour. (AH)

Redstart (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Greenshank & Curlew Sandpipers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was very quiet this morning in the blustery conditions at high tide, with just two Canada Geese in the harbour with a few Wigeon, Shelduck and a Great Crested Grebe, and the Breech Pool held just four Teal, while in the fields behind the pool there were c40 Lapwing and a flock of c80 Wigeon flew south over the harbour.

Just eight Cattle Egrets were around the cows at Halsey’s Farm along with a dozen Yellow Wagtails and a Redstart was in the bushes, but apart from a couple of Whitethroats there were no other small birds around. (LP/PC)

Redstart (above) & Cattle Egrets at the North Wall (LP)

This evening a total of 112 Yellow Wagtails came out of the Honer fields, and there were also a Redstart in the paddocks, 14 Cattle Egrets in the fields and a Yellow-legged Gull, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Whimbrel, two Bar-tailed Godwits, the short-billed Greenshank and five Pintail in White's Creek. (AB/P Stidwill)