28th - 30th September 2023

Saturday, 30th September: Another warm day with just a  very light east-north-east breeze........

Selsey Bill: There was a surprise movement of Wigeon this morning with c.250 birds logged east, with a few later returning west, and the first Woodlarks of the autumn, and indeed the year, passed overhead. A oddity was an albino/leucistic House Martin in with the many hirundines present. Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/SR/IP/MO-W/JA et al)

(0645-0900hrs) (ENE, F1)

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 2E 2W

Shag - 12E

Brent Goose - 2W

Mute Swan - 2E

Pintail - 3E

Wigeon - 326E 240W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 11

Oystercatcher - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 4W

Sandwich Tern - 4E

Woodlark - 2W

Skylark - 12W

Swallow - 621E

House Martin - 63E, 1000p

Sand Martin - 1E

Meadow Pipit - 60NE

Grey Wagtail - 3W

Pied Wagtail - 15W

Yellow Wagtail - 2W

Chiffchaff - 22

Willow Warbler - 3

Magpie - 17

Rook - 1N

Linnet - 40

Chaffinch - 1

Goldfinch - 30

Shags (above), Wigeon (BI) & House Marin (SR) at the Bill

Park Farm: A Kestrel was hunting here this morning and there were at least 50 Pied Wagtails in the area. There were also, noticeably, very many Meadow Pipits and Chiffchaffs seen today.(IP)

Church Norton: A nice flock of 12 Siskins were by the sheltered bench this morning and two Mistle Thrushes, seven Blackcaps and 20 Chiffchaffs, three Willow Warblers and a Spotted Flycatcher were in the churchyard with a late Garden Warbler seen behind the hide. A Hobby flew over and a male Stonechat was on the Spit, beside the now inaccessible railway sleepers, whilst a minimum of six female/juvenile type Stonechats made their way west along the Severals. A Willow Warbler was amongst the Chiffchaffs between the two Severals. 
An eclipse male Shoveler was the only duck on the Second Several. Wader numbers in the Harbour were reduced, but still included a number of Dunlin, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Turnstones; along with two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank along with the usual Oystercatchers, Curlews and Redshank. 

A lone Brent Goose was on the mud, a Kingfisher was sat on a post watching the water closely as the tide rushed in and Sparrowhawk flew over the Harbour. (BI/MO-W/MI/IPGW)

Mistle Thrushes at Church Norton (BI)

Ferry Pool: There were seven Wigeon, a Shelduck, 20 Shoveler, 34 Lapwing and 16 Black-tailed Godwits present mid-morning with two Blackcaps in the bushes nearby and three Ruff , two males and a female, dropped in to the channel. Four Spoonbills were in the harbour viewed from the east side (with better views likely from the end of the Long Pool) 

Long Pool: Later, two Ravens flew down the harbour and there were 25 Yellowhammers along the Long Pool whilst a Short-eared Owl was quartering the right hand fields towards the far end. (CRJ/BI/AW/AB)

Short-eared Owl at the Long Pool (AW)

Medmerry, Easton Lane to Stilt Pools: Two Spoonbills were on the Stilt Pools and a Common Gull was in the area too. Raptors included a Peregrine and five Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk overhead. A Greenshank and an Egyptian Goose were in the channels and nine Cattle Egrets were again with the livestock. The banks were quite busy in the calm conditions with 15 Stonechats, 12 Chiffchaffs, two Cetti's Warblers, three Dartford Warbler and singles of Whitethroat and Blackcap seen. Six Yellowhammers, a Yellow Wagtail and a Wheatear were also noted and viz-mig included 100 Meadow Pipits, 200 Swallows and 50 House Martins. Offshore, a minimum of 100 Wigeon flew east . (SH/SaH/PB)

Spoonbills at Medmerry (SH)

East Side and Slipe Field: Sixty-four Great Black-backed Gulls were out on the mud and at Slipe Field there was a Green Woodpecker, eight Swallows, four Meadow Pipit, 10 Long-tailed Tits and two Chiffchaffs. Four Spoonbills were walking the mudflats near the West Side before disappearing down into the main channel. (CRJ)

Spoonbills viewed from the east side of Pagham Harbour (CRJ)

North Wall: There were eight Blackcaps, four Stonechats, six Chiffchaffs, 20 Long-tailed Tits, a Song Thrush, and a Green Woodpecker around the paddock this morning. In White’s Creek it was just the usual Redshank, Lapwings, Curlew, Wigeon and Mallards along with two Pintail, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull out on the mud, while further out there were 18 Golden Plover and 60 Grey Plovers. 

Two Cetti's Warblers and two Reed Buntings were along the wall. There were no birds on the Breech Pool, and in the fields there were 32 Curlew and 12 Black-tailed Godwits, with a Jay and two Snipe flying over. 

At Halsey’s Farm there were 50 Meadow Pipits, six Stonechats, a Wheatear, two Reed Buntings, and two Chiffchaffs around the fields, a Kingfisher flew along the Rife, a Grey Wagtail was on the new path, and there were lots of Swallows with a few House Martins and a Sand Martin passing overhead. (LP/CT/CRJ)

Blackcap, above, Grey Wagtail, Wheatear & Stonechat at the North Wall (LP)

Friday, 29th September: A warm day for the time of year with F3-4 winds from the north-west.......

Selsey Bill: Three Little Gulls went west this morning and there was also some "viz-mig." Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/IP)
(0645-0845hrs) (NW F3)
Gannet - 15W
Shag - 15E
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 2E
Turnstone - 13
Little Gull - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 5W, 2os
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 5W
Razorbill 1W
auk sp - 5W
Swallow - 1E, 6W
Pied/alba Wagtail - 12W
Grey Wagtail - 2W
Meadow Pipit - 104NE
Wheatear - 3
Chiffchaff - 1

White Wagtail (above), Shags & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (BI)

Ferry Pool:  Present today were 15 Lapwings, 18 Black-tailed Godwits, a Shelduck, six Teal and seven Wigeon with a Great Crested Grebe in the channel opposite. (BI)

Church Norton: Two Red-legged Partridges were in Rectory Lane this morning whilst the churchyard and surrounds held a Goldcrest, ten Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps and 1 Cetti's Warbler with c.40 Meadow Pipits and similar of Swallows moving through. Two Spotted Flycatchers were also seen behind the hide. 

Along the Severals were two Stonechats, and two Sparrowhawks were being mobbed by corvids overhead. (CRJ/BI)

Stonechat at the Severals (BI

Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Short-eared Owl was flushed from a field west of Ham viewpoint this morning and there were 15 Snipe and a single Cattle Egret nearby; a steady passage of Swallows was also noted. (MN)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pools - A Buzzard and three Kestrels were on the wing this morning and c.200 Swallows and c.20 moved overhead. Three Cattle Egrets were with the livestock and two Greenshank and a Whimbrel were in the channels. 

Along the banks were six Chiffchaffs, four Dartford Warblers, a Whitethroat, two Cetti's Warblers, 12 Yellowhammers and eight Stonechats. (SaH/SH)

Greenshank, above, and Cattle Egrets at Medmerry (SaH)

Runcton: Early this morning 27 Egyptian Geese were on the fields with a Grey Heron and three Roe Deer nearby. Three Chiffchaffs were along the hedges and a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were present. (CRJ)

North Wall: A Kingfisher was by the sluice and the regular Greenshank was in White’s Creek with a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Dunlin, four Black-tailed Godwits and the usual mix of Redshanks, Lapwings and Curlews. Along the wall a group of 20 Long-tailed Tits, accompanied by ten Chiffchaffs and six Reed Buntings were moving through the bushes and 52 Curlew were in the fields along with six Black -tailed Godwits. 

A single Cattle Egret was in Owl Copse and six Little Grebes were on the water there. At Halsey’s Farm, three Meadow Pipits were along the fence and 60 House Martins with a few Swallows were over the fields. (LP)

Greenshank  (above), Meadow Pipit & Curlews from the North Wall (LP)

East Side: On the rising tide there was a good selection of waders along the east side, including Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Greenshank, Curlews and Oystercatchers, with Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Mallards on the water and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was again resting on the mud along with a Yellow-legged Gull. (LP/TS)

Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (above) & Grey Plovers on the East side (LP)

Thursday, 28th September: Winds gusting to F8 from the south-southwest overnight decreasing by dawn to F4 south-westerly with the prospect of a few squally showers towards evening...

Selsey Bill: There were good numbers of Swallows moving west this morning and two dark phase Arctic Skuas went west offshore, log below. (PB/P&LH)

(0700-0930hrs) (SW F4)

Gannet - 6W 12os

Shag - 19E

Brent Geese - 14W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 2E 2W

Turnstone - 6W

Arctic Skua - 2W 

Mediterranean Gull - 55W

Sandwich Tern - 3E 9W

Common Tern - 2W

Razorbill - 2W

Swallow - 1500W

Meadow Pipit - 117W

Pied wagtail - 3W

(1300-1450hrs) (SSW F4) (P&LH/AW)

Gannet - 1W

Common Scoter - 2E 1W

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 1W 5os

Sandwich Tern - 19W

Swallow - 22W

Rock Pipit - 1

Brent Geese (LH) (above), Rock Pipit, Mediterranean Gull & Swallow (AW) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: This afternoon a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were towards the back of the pool which held 30 Shoveler, a lone Shelduck, 25 Lapwing, 30 Black-tailed Godwits and four Spotted Redshanks, and also two Jays flew over. (P&LH)

Spotted Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (LH)

East Side: A Wheatear was on Pagham Spit early morning and a Short-eared Owl was over the Slipe Field before being seen off by local Magpies and flying off north. 

Ninety-six Wigeon were in the very southern end of White’s Creek along with a Dutch colour-ringed Oystercatcher and a lone Brent Goose.(IMcK)

Wheatear, top, & Brent Goose at the North Wall (IMcK)

North Wall: The adult Yellow-legged Gull was roosting out on exposed mud from the North Wall and a juvenile Little Stint was present briefly before being pushed off by the incoming tide. (IMcK)

Yellow-legged Gull on the East side (IMcK)

Church Norton: There was a good selection of species this morning including 95 Oystercatchers, two Whimbrel, 40 Redshanks and 25 Turnstones in the harbour along with 20 Wigeon, 12 Little Egrets and a Great Crested Grebe.  A Cetti's Warbler was calling by the hide and a Spotted Flycatcher, two Goldcrests, five Chiffchaffs and a Mistle Thrush were in the churchyard. Offshore were two Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull, a Kestrel was hunting over the fields and eight Skylarks flew over whilst along Rectory Lane the fields held a minimum of 100 Meadow Pipits. A Painted Lady butterfly was also noted along the front of the Severals this afternoon. (PB/P&LH/AW)

Wheatear (LH) & Painted Lady (AW) at Church Norton