Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 29th

Thursday, 31st August: A pretty dismal morning of uninterrupted drizzly rain, occasionally becoming heavier, and decidedly cool in the light north-easterly breeze........

Selsey Bill: A total of seven Wheatears along the beach and a Yellow Wagtail over were the highlights of a slow morning. (SR/AH)

(0655-0810hrs) (NE, F2)

Gannet - 10E, 1W

Shag - 1os

Common Scoter - 2E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 21E, 15W

Common Tern - 3W

House Martin - 14

Sand Martin - 4E

Yellow Wagtail - 1W

Wheatear - 7

(1625-1725hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 41E, 2W

Shag - 2W

Common Scoter - 1W

Turnstone - 1

Sandwich Tern - 11E

Common Tern - 1E

Swift - 2

Swallow - 2E

House Martin - 12

Wheatears (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a Common Sandpiper, two Avocets, four Black-tailed Godwits, three Shelducks and six Teal on the pool this morning, with up to ten Cattle Egrets among the cows. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), & Common Sandpiper and Avocet at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were three Yellow Wagtails in with the cows at Halsey’s Farm and five Wheatears were along the fence there, a Kingfisher was by the outfall and a Buzzard was in the field.

In the bushes along the wall there were a few Whitethroats, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a few Blue Tits, whilst 12 Cattle Egrets and 6 Little Egrets were in the trees at Owl Copse, and 50 Curlews were in the fields. On the Breech Pool there were 12 Black-tailed Godwits and ten Teal, and along White’s Creek the usual Greenshank was with lots of Redshanks and Lapwings, but, apart from a hundred or so Swallows and Sand Martins flying over, that was about it in the persistent rain. (LP/TRH)

Church Norton: All the small birds seemed to be in one big flock around he large oak at the foot of the path to the harbour, and included a Spotted Flycatcher, a Blackcap and at least half a dozen Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, among a vast number of Blue and Long-tailed Tits.

Otherwise, a Peregrine was sat out on Tern Island and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plovers, three or four Whimbrel and c30 Curlews and Ringed Plovers were among the 100+ Redshank that predominated. (AH/MO-W)

Blackcap (above), Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Peregrine & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 30th August: After a chilly start, a fairly warm morning of hazy sun and cloud in a light north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was no repeat of yesterday's excitement this morning, the sea being very quiet, with a Hobby flying in and five Wheatears on the beach the highlights. Full log below... (OM/SR/CN/CRJ/LP/SP/IH/AH et al)

(0630-1000hrs) (W/NW, F4)

Gannet - 3E, 51W

Common Scoter - 2E, 1W

Hobby - 1N

Turnstone - 8

Sandwich Tern - 36W

Common Tern - 2W

Swallow - 18W

Sand Martin - 12W

House Martin - 20W

Wheatear - 5

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

Ferry Pool: There were a few birds on the pool this morning, including a Spotted Redshank, a Little Ringed Plover, three Common Sandpipers, two Avocets, 18 Black-tailed Godwits, four Shelducks and c25 Teal, with at least a dozen Cattle Egrets around the cows. (AH/OM et al)

Later on, a Hobby went over the Tramway and two Wheatears were at the back of the pool. (HB)

Spotted Redshank (above), Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpipers & Cattle Egrets at the Ferry (AH)

Birdham: A Nuthatch was in my garden this morning - first time I have seen one here! (GT)

West Itchenor: A Nuthatch was here, too, this afternoon, with one heard calling near Chalkdock Copse. (PH)

West Wittering: First successful 'noc-mig' last night,where I actually heard something other than Tawny Owls, with quite a few Whimbrel and a Little Ringed Plover recorded going over. (GM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - It was quiet this evening, with just a Willow Warbler and four Yellowhammers along the banks, a Greenshank and 16 Yellow Wagtails, plus a Kestrel over, around the reserve, and, again, just a common sandpiper and the Egyptian Goose family among the Canad Geese on the Stilt Pools. Unusually, for this time of year, not a single hirundine was seen. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were five Whinchats, seven Stonechats and at least a dozen Wheatears seen around the banks and fields, along with 30+ Skylarks and a few Linnets and Reed Buntings, with at least a dozen Whitethroats and two Willow Warblers in the hedges. (MW/AH)

Wheatears (above), Stonechat & Whitethroat at Medmerry (AH)

Tuesday, 29th August: A fairly warm morning of hazy sun and cloud in a light north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was an unprecedented influx of Balearic Shearwaters this morning, shattering all previous Peninsula and county records. A total of 238 birds went east, including two huge flocks that joined together to make one massive flock of 200 birds, heading east in a long line at 0745hrs, followed by 38 more in two flocks at 0755hrs, with just 13 stragglers heading back west. Over 500 were also reported passing the south of the Isle of Wight and 125 were seen passing Hayling Island, suggesting a very significant movement of this globally threatened species.

Beyond that, all else was a bit of an anti-climax, though a Tree Pipit, 20 Yellow Wagtails, nine Swifts and plenty of all three hirundine species went over, and a few of the regular species were seen offshore. Full log later. (PB/PM/SR/IP/MO-W/AH et al)

(0600-0930hrs) (NW, F2-3)

Great Crested Grebe 2W

Balearic Shearwater - 238E (including a flock of 200!), 13W

Gannet - 35E, 29W

Shag - 1E, 1os

Teal - 7W

Shoveler - 3W

Common Scoter - 1E, 10W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 1W

Sanderling - 5E

Curlew - 1W

Turnstone - 10

Sandwich Tern - 23os

auk sp - 1W

Swift - 9W

Swallow - 129W

Sand Martin - 75W

House Martin - 122W

Yellow Wagtail - 20W

Grey Wagtail - 2W

Tree Pipit - 1E

Willow Warbler - 1

(1700-1800hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 11E, 2W, 7os

Turnstone - 2

Sandwich Tern - 3E, 4W

Common Tern - 4W

distant Balearic Shearwaters (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was quiet this morning, with just a Common Sandpiper, 14 Black-tailed Godwits, an Avocet, a Lapwing, four Shelducks and 25 Teal present, with a dozen or so Cattle Egrets among the cows. (AH)

Later on, the three Spotted Redshanks were back on the pool. (ESt)

Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Also, a Wasp Spider was in nearby vegetation. (RS)

Wasp Spider at the Ferry (RS)

North Wall: A Turtle Dove - finally, the first of the year - flew down by the rife at Halsey’s Farm before settling briefly in a nearby bush and then heading north, whilst a Whinchat, a Wheatear, eight Whitethroats and a Lesser Whitethroat were also in the same bush, with a Spotted Flycatcher nearby, and three Yellow Wagtails, 80 Sand Martins and 100 Swallows overhead.

An adult Water Rail was along the reeds in the Breech Pool along with two Reed Warblers and three Cetti’s Warblers, with two Spotted Redshanks, a Redshank, 16 Black-tailed Godwits and 12 Teal on the water.

In the fields there were 62 Curlews, and 23 Cattle Egrets were around the cows, with lots more Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler and a Blackcap along the hedgerows. Out in the harbour on a rising tide there were c100 Grey Plovers, a Greenshank, 20 Ringed Plovers, 12 Dunlin, three Knot and lots of Redshanks and Lapwings, with three newly arrived Wigeon and four Great Crested Grebes on the water. (LP/SP/NR/PB/PM/BI at al)

Turtle Dove (above), Turtle Dove and Goldfinch, Spotted Redshanks & Cattle Egrets at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: It was generally quiet, though up to seven Spotted Flycatchers were spread around the churchyard/hide area, the concrete wall and the Severals, with a scattering of Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs about, plus 15 Yellow Wagtails and hundreds of hirundines over.

A handful of Knot and a couple of Whimbrel were the highlights from the harbour at high tide. (AH/ESt et al)