Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Sunday, 6th August: A rather autumnal morning, cool early on, warm in the sunny spells later, in a moderate north-westerly breeze..........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much beyond a few Common and Sandwich Terns going west, though a Wheatear was on the beach, along with three Sanderlings in a flock of 58 Turnstones. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/P&LH/IP et al)

There were also four active House Martin nests in Broadreeds Estate, with up to 30 birds flying about there, and there were also a Wheatear, 14 Turnstones and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth along the beach there. (SR)

(0600-0830hrs) (NW, F4)

Gannet - 18E, 14W, 10os

Common Scoter - 3E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 7W

Sanderling - 3

Turnstone - 72

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 9W

Common Tern - 11W

Swift - 9

Swallow - 1W

House Martin - 37

Pied Wagtail - 6W

Wheatear - 2

Hummingbird Hawk-moth - 1

Sanderling (above), Sanderling and Turnstones & Wheatear at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just eight Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Lapwings, an Avocet, four Teal and six Shelducks on the pool this morning, and just half a dozen Redshanks in the channel opposite.

The Tramway circuit was quiet, too, with a dozen Whitethroats and half a dozen Lesser Whitethroats the only migrants noted in the bushes, with a Wheatear and a Common Sandpiper in the harbour at the end of Red Barn Ditch. (AH)

Wheatear (above), Lesser Whitethroat & Whitethroat at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Three Pied Wagtails and a couple of Willow Warblers were around the farm, whilst a Common Buzzard and a flock of ten Swifts were seen overhead. (IP).

Later, 38 House Martins went over the north of the village. (SH)

Church Norton: Migrants this morning included four Wheatears along the spit, three family parties of Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and a scattering of Willow Warblers, with 20 Long-tailed Tits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a family of Green Woodpeckers also noted.

Also, a Cattle Egret was in the horse field, a Sandwich Tern was offshore, and waders inclued a dozen Whimbrel feeding on the beach, with three more, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Dunlin and four Ringed Plovers in the harbour. (IP/PB)

This afternoon there were four Wheatears and four Ringed Plovers along the beach, with a group of Turnstones along the tide-line, and there was also a Cattle Egret in the horses field. (HL) Also, four Knot were in the harbour. (per Twitter)

North Wall: The Spotted Redshank and two Greenshank were in White's Creek this morning, along with three Whimbrel, 16 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Redshanks, whilst a Wheatear was along the wall, but otherwise there were few passerines about beyond the odd Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat, and the only birds on the Breech Pool were a flock of c80 Mallard that dropped in.

Also, a Peregrine flew across the harbour with prey, settling on the dead trees at Owl Point to consume it, whilst a good gathering of Little and Cattle Egrets were sat out on the salt-marsh in the harbour, and a Jersey Tiger moth was by the cottage. (AH/LP/SP/DHi et al)

Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank, Whimbrel, Cattle Egrets (AH), Wheatear, Spotted Redshank & Jersey Tiger (LP) at the North Wall

This evening, a Barn Owl was out hunting at Halsey's Farm. (SR)

Barn Owl at Halsey's Farm (SR)

Honer Reservoir: A single Common Sandpiper was the only bird on the reservoir, with c20 Sand Martins and a couple of Swallows being the only other birds about. (AH)

Common Sandpiper at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Medmerry Trail: A Marsh Harrier and a Brown Hare were seen along the Trail his morning. (RJS)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - The banks were quite quiet this morning, with just one Wheatear, two Dartford Warblers, two Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, three Whitethroats, five Stonechats, two Meadow Pipits and a dozen Yellowhammers seen, whilst a female/juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Raven, five Buzzards, two Kestrels, 25 swifts, 20 Sand Martins and 30 Swallows ewnt over.

The Stilt Pool was dominated a large flock of c75 Canada Geese, with four Greylag Geese and the Egyptian Goose family among them, whilst there were also four Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, five Lapwings and two Gadwall present, too. (SR/S&SaH et al)

Another look this afternoon produced a total of seven Common Sandpipers around the reserve, whilst a Yellow Wagtail and a Dunlin were on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH) Also, a Whinchat was along the banks. (per Twitter)

Yellowhammer at Medmerry (SR)

Saturday, 5th August: A really dismal morning, with constant drizzly rain and the odd heavier spell, decidedly cool under leaden skies, and with the wind freshening as it backed from south-west to south......

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much going on, with just two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover, 16 Common Terns and a steady flow of Gannets and Sandwich Terns heading west, and a couple of Kittiwakes and a Bottle-nosed Dolphin going east. Full log below. (SH/SR/AH)

(0600-0830hrs) (SW, F6)

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 12E, 25W

Mallard - 1W

Common Scoter - 16W

Oystercatcher - 13W

Grey Plover - 1W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 2W

Whimbrel - 1E

Turnstone - 12

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 2E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 14E, 29W

Common Tern - 16W

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 1E

(1555-1655hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 2E, 10W

Common Scoter - 4E

Oystercatcher - 1E

Sanderling - 3

Turnstone - 8

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 9W

House Martin - 10

Gannet (above), Kittiwake & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Common Sandpiper, an Avocet, four Teal and five juvenile Shelducks, plus a few roosting Black-headed Gulls was it this morning on the pool, though two Whimbrels were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Avocet & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were just a Sand Martin and ten Swallows about this morning. (S&SaH)

This evening, 49 Swifts were over the north of Selsey. (SH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report in almost unwatchable conditions this morning, with up to eight Whimbrel, a handful of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers and two juvenile Shelducks the only things beyond the regular 70+ Redshanks and a few Curlews and Oystercatchers.

A Blackcap, a Willow Warbler, a couple of Long-tailed Tits and a Green Woodpecker was it on the land-side. (AH)

Also, 14 Common Terns, including at least one juvenile, went west along the beach and ten Swallows, two Sand Martins and two House Martins were over Greenlease Farm. (S&SaH)

Whimbrel (above) & juvenile Shelduck at Church Norton (AH)

This evening, three Wheatears and two Whitethroats were along the beach, but there wasn't much to see in the very full harbour. (AH)

Wheatear (above) & Whitethroats at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was along White’s Creek, along with a Greenshank, a juvenile Shelduck, and the usual Redshanks, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings, with a Great Crested Grebe and the Swan family on the water, and a Kingfisher flew out from the sluice.
There was just a single Canada Goose on the Breech Pool, while on Owl Water, there were three Little Grebes and six Coots, and out on Heron Island there were six Grey Herons, 36 Cattle Egrets and 32 Little Egrets, but small birds were elusive in the windy conditions, with just a pair of Linnets by the stables seen. (LP)

Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank, Shelduck, Little Grebe & Grey Heron, Cattle and Little Egrets at the North Wall (LP)

Friday, 4th August: A fairly pleasant, if variable, morning with some sunny spells between the heavy grey clouds, mild and quite muggy in a light to moderate north-westerly breeze...

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of activity this morning, including a Greenshank and four Redshanks on the shingle bar, two Wheatears in the Bill House garden and lots of hirundines around, whilst an Arctic Skua was offshore, along with good numbers of Sandwich Terns and 20 Whimbrel and a flock of 15 Greylag Geese went west. Full log below. (BI/SR/KT/IP/AH/P&LH et al)

(0620-0850hrs) (NNW, F4)

Gannet - 2E, 1W

Greylag Goose - 15W

Shoveler - 2W

Common Scoter - 1W, 4os

Oystercatcher - 1E, 9W

Sanderling - 3

Whimbrel - 20W

Greenshank - 1

Redshank - 4

Turnstone - 33

Arctic Skua - 1os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 7E, 78W, 40os

Swift - 12

Swallow - 80W

Sand Martin - 40W

House Martin - 20W

Wheatear - 2

Willow Warbler - 1

Linnet - 1N

(1400-1510hrs) (P&LH)

Gannet - 1E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 3

Dunlin - 3E

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 19os

Common Tern - 1E

Swift - 9

Swallow - 23W

House Martin - 8

Wheatear - 2

Wheatears (above), Greenshank & Swallow at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, the four Avocets, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 30 Lapwings, three Teal and eight juvenile Shelducks on the pool this morning.

The Tramway circuit was quite busy, with a Garden Warbler, three or four Lesser Whitethroats, a couple of Willows Warblers and up to a dozen Whitethroats in the bushes.

Later, a Hobby went north over Red Barn Ditch. (AH/P&LH)

Garden Warbler (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Common Sandpiper & Greenshank, Shelducks and Black-tailed Godwits around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Pied Flycatchers - the first of the year - were in the churchyard this morning, with a good selection of species in the vicinity including a Garden Warbler, two or three Lesser Whitethroats and Whitethroats, a couple of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and up to ten Willow Warblers and Long-tailed Tits, plus two Stock Doves, whilst a Wheatear was also on the concrete blocks.

Later on, the first returning Osprey was seen over the harbour, with a Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine over, too, whilst the harbour held a couple of Whimbrel, 30 Turnstones, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls and a Sandwich Tern, along with the usual Curlews and Redshanks. Also, a Cattle Egret was around the horse field and c50 Swallows and c20 Sand Martins went over. (AH/P&LH/BI/SR et al)

Osprey (LH), Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Harrier & Stock Doves (AH) at Church Norton

Early this evening a look in the churchyard only produced a couple of Willow Warblers, a Blackcap, a few Long-tailed Tits, a Green Woodpecker and a Kestrel. (SR)

A bit later, a look along the spit produced a Whinchat and four Wheatears, with 24 Little Egrets and a handful of Mediterranean Gulls along the beach, whilst a Greenshank and three Whimbrel were in the harbour. (AH)

Whinchat (above), Wheatear, Whimbrel, Greenshank and Redshank (AH) & Kestrel (SR) at Church Norton

North Wall: There was a very striking pale juvenile Buzzard at Halsey's Farm this morning, calling to another unseen bird. (GHi)

Buzzard at the North Wall (GHi)

East Head: A look from Ella Nore this afternoon produced a summer-plumaged Knot, six Whimbrel and 25 Bar-tailed Godwits. (SM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - Three Yellow Wagtails were on the Stilt Pool this morning. Other highlights at the Stilt Pool included 20 or 30 Swallows, four House Martins and about 20 Sand Martins, five Common Sandpipers, two Oystercatchers and five Lapwing.

Also, five Wheatears and three Meadow Pipits were on the rocks and the banks held four Sedge Warblers, along with plenty of Linnets, Yellowhammers and numerous Whitethroats. Later in the morning there was a large gathering of hirundines at the Stilt Pools including, 250 Sand Martins, 40 House Martins and 50 Swallows. There was also another Bright Wave moth at the first sluice. (RBe/BI)

Yellow Wagtail at Medmerry (RBe)

This evening a Ruff was on the Stilt Pool, along with two Common Sandpipers and the pair of Egyptian Geese, back with their three young. whilst nine Wheatears were around the nearby sea-defence rocks.

The Merlin was seen again, with possibly a second one present, and there were also a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzards, four Kestrels, nine Swifts, 20 Sand Martins and c30 swallows over the reserve. over the reserve.

Also, a Kingfisher was seen, and three Dartford warblers, a Whitethroat and 11 Yellowhammers were along the banks. (S&SaH)