20th - 22nd October 2023

Sunday, 22nd October: After a cold and bright start, a very warm morning of almost unbroken sun in just a light north=westerly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: There were no great numbers, but a wide range of species seen this morning  included four Redwings, a Wheatear, a couple of Siskins and Lesser Redpolls, a Red-throated Diver, seven Eider and a 'skua sp' that was the subject of a lot of debate without a conclusion being reached! Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/MRB/SR/IP/AH/P&LH/CN)

(0715-1000hrs) (NW, F2)

Red-throated Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os

Gannet - 1E, 23W

Shag - 1os

Mute Swan - 1W

Brent Goose - 1E, 35W

Pintail - 1W

Eider - 7W

Common Scoter - 4E, 11W, 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Turnstone - 4

skua sp - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 3W, 8os

Common Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 6E

Razorbill - 2E

auk sp - 2E, 4W

Skylark - 12W

Swallow - 10E

Pied Wagtail - 21W

Meadow Pipit - 35W

Redwing - 4W

Song Thrush - 1N

Wheatear - 1

Chiffchaff - 1

Magpie - 28

Chaffinch - 2

Greenfinch - 3E, 1W

Linnet - 18W

Siskin - 20W

Lesser Redpoll - 2N

Wheatear (AW), Brent Geese & Sandwich Tern (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were just 15 Avocets, c30 Lapwings, six Shelducks, c25 Teal and c40 Shoveler around the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocets and Shelducks (above) & Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Walking back to the farm from the beach there were a lot of passerines in the brambles, including a Chiffchaff and a female-type Blackcap, whilst over the farm there were seven Swallows hawking for insects, a Green Woodpecker flying into the housing estate and a Grey Wagtail amongst a dozen Pied Wagtails. (IP/CN)

East Beach: Hummingbird Hawk Moth is still visiting my garden - it loves the verbena. (SR)

Hummingbird Hawk-moth in an East Beach garden (SR)

Church Norton: A Dartford Warbler was showing well in a small bush at the start of the spit, woith a female Stonechat sat on the new fence-line and, rather out of context, a Green Woodpecker was on the shingle, and there were also two Jays at the back of the horse field,  a Kestrel and a family group of five Reed Buntings around the first Several and a Goldcrest in the bushes opposite the second Several

In the Harbour the long staying Greenshank was still present, along with two Black-tailed Godwits, two Knot, c30 Grey Plover, c50 Dunlin, ten Turnstones and the usual Oystercatchers, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers and Curlews, whilst a minimum of 50 Brent Geese were around the harbour mouth. (IP/CN)

North Wall: The fields have been transformed in the last 48 hours, with Honer 1 and 2 considerably flooded, though Honer 3 less so, and the footpath across Honer 1 impassable without waders.

This morning the fields held four species of duck - Mallard, Wigeon, Shoveler and Pintail and four species of wader - Curlew, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank, along with up to 100 Black-headed Gulls, 40 Cattle Egret and a few passing Swallows. (JDW)

This afternoon a Marsh Harrier was over the harbour, putting everything up, including c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c75 Golden Plover, as well as many Wigeon and Teal, whilst at least 30 Cattle Egrets were in the field behind the Breech Pool.

Also,two or three Goldcrests and half a dozen Chiffchaffs and Long-tailed Tits were in the hedges at Halsey's Farm, and a couple of Stonechats and half a dozen Reed Buntings were along the wall. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Golden Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff & Long-tailed Tit at the North Wall (AH)

Sidlesham Churchyard: Two vocal Firecrests were battling it out in the holly tree this afternoon, a Jay was gathering acorns, a Buzzard was being mobbed by Jackdaws and there was also three Goldcrests, three Chiffchaffs, a Pied Wagtail, a Song Thrush and a Great Spotted Woodpecker about. (SR)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - A male Ring Ouzel was along the hedges near the Ham Viewpoint this morning, but was elusive only being seen a couple of times perched up. Otherwise, there were two Tufted Ducks, a Coot and a Moorhen on the pools, 28 Skylarks and at least 20 Linnets were over the fields and raptors included two Buzzards, a Merlin and a Marsh Harrier, the latter near the WTW. The hedges and banks held 6 Stonechats, a Chiffchaff, four Goldcrests and two Cetti's Warblers and ten Lapwings were on the arable fields. (BI)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Another equally elusive Ring Ouzel was in the gorse opposite Marsh Farm this morning, only seen twice in flight.

Otherwise, there were at least ten Dartford Warblers along the banks, together with a dozen Yellowhammers, a couple of Reed Buntings, four Stonechats, two Cetti's Warblers, a dozen Skylarks, c100 Meadow Pipits and c200 Linnets, whilst a Wheatear was reported from the beach by visiting birders..

Also, a Kingfisher and a Greenshank were near the poplars, whilst the Stilt Pool held c40 Lapwings, a dozen Gadwall, c50 Wigeon, c200 Teal and c300 Canada Geese, with a Sparrowhawk briefly, too. (AH/P&LH/SR et al)

This afternoon, there were 11 Dartford Warblers, four Cetti's Warblers, four Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, two Pied Wagtails, ten Yellowhammers and an impressive 17 Stonechats along the banks, whilst the Greenshank and two Kingfishers were by the poplars and a Marsh Harrier, two Buzzards, two Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel went over. (S&saH)

Dartford Warblers (above), Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipits, Kingfisher, Greenshank, Gadwall & Teal at Medmerry (AH)

East Head: The first large gathering of Brent Geese - c150 birds - were off East Head this afternoon. (GM)

Brent Geese at East Head (GM)

Saturday, 21st October: There was yet more overnight rain, spilling over into early morning, a mild but unsettled day of showers - anything from drizzly to torrential and cloud in a brisk south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: Four Little Gulls and a few Brent Geese went west this morning, along with many finches that were surprisingly well-offshore, with good numbers of Siskins and a few Lesser Redpolls among those that could be identified. Full log later. (SH/PB/BI/SR/AH)

(0730-1000hrs) (SW, F4)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 4E, 5W

Shag - 7E, 2os

Brent Goose - 32W

Common Scoter - 7W

Oystercatcher - 2W

Sanderling - 5W

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 5W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 4W

Little Gull - 4W

auk sp - 2E, 9W

Skylark - 4W

Swallow - 3W

Pied Wagtail - 2W

Rock Pipit - 1

Meadow Pipit - 30W

Siskin - 275W

Lesser Redpoll - 3W

Goldfinch - 50W

At lunchtime today, a dark-phase Arctic Skua went east, two Little Gulls went west and two Red-throated Divers were about, too. (SH)

(1200-1315hrs)

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 46W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 10W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 2

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 1W

Little Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 5W

Razorbill - 2W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Chiffchaff - 2

Sanderlings (above), Brent Geese, Mediterranean & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 15 Avocets and 32 Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the pool, with four Shelducks, c20 Teal and c40 Shovelers the only other present. (AH)

Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Black-tailed Godwits and Shelducks on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were at least ten Chiffchaffs and a few Goldcrests in the sheltered hedges around the churchyard and hide this morning, along with a Mistle Thrush and a couple of Jays, whilst a Dartford Warbler and at least four Stonechats were along the gorse on the beach.

Also, a Kingfisher was along the rife by the horse field, two Sparrowhawks chased something along the edge of the Priory and a dozen Brent Geese went west, close inshore.

The harbour was quiet, though, with just a Bar-tailed Godwit, a handful of Grey Plovers and a few Dunlin, Teal and Wigeon about, along with a flock of at least 80 Linnets that came off Tern Island. (AH/CRJ)

This afternoon, a Little Stint was reported as present in the harbour. (per Birdguides)

Kingfisher (above), Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Brent Geese & Bar-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Greenshank, four Golden Plovers and two Pied Wagtails were on the reserve, with wo Swallows, a Peregrine and a Buzzard over, but four Yellowhammers and four Cetti's Warblers were all that could be found on the banks. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There were at least 200 Linnets around some flowering cover crop fields late this afternoon, with a Stonechat in the hedges, two Swallows over the settling tanks, three Egyptian Geese on a stubble field and at least three Buzzards in the vicinity. (AH)

Linnets (above), Egyptian Geese & Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 20th October: After yet more overnight rain, a pleasant and mild morning, with sun and white cloud in a moderate north-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: A Short-eared Owl came in off the sea this morning, whilst a flock of eight Eider went east and 30 Redwings went over west, high up. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/AH)

(0720-0920hrs) (NW, F4)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 8W

Shag - 12E, 1os

Mute Swan - 1W

Brent Goose - 1E, 6W

Eider - 8E

Common Scoter - 2E, 3os

Sparrowhawk - 1

Dunlin - 3W

Turnstone - 3

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Kittiwake - 4W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Guillemot - 1os

auk sp - 11E, 6W

Short-eared Owl - 1E

Swallow - 10W

House Martin - 1W

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1E, 3W

Meadow Pipit - 13W

Redwing - 30W

Chiffchaff - 2

Magpie - 20W

Linnet - 11W

Goldfinch - 33W

Short-eared Owl (above), Eiders & Sparrowhawk at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with c40 Lapwings, four Shelducks, c20 Teal and c50 Shovelers. (AH)

Shovelers and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Selsey: A smart male Black Redstart has been in our garden in the village for the last two days. (Coastal JJ)

Black Redstart in a Selsey garden (Coastal JJ)

East Beach: Two Buzzards went over my garden this morning - being so close to the sea, this isn't a very common sight. (SR)

Buzzard over an East Beach garden (SR)

Long Pool: A Dartford Warbler was at the far end this morning, and the bushes also held four Stonechats, four Yellowhammers, up to ten Reed Buntings and two calling Cetti's Warblers, but there was nothing on the pool bar a pair of Little Grebes, and Ferry Channel just held a Dunlin, a Grey Plover and half a dozen Redshanks. (AH)

Dartford Warbler (above), Yellowhammer and Goldfinch, Stonechat & Reed Bunting along the Long Pool (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: At least 40 Cattle Egrets were around the various fields with cows in this morning, but there wasn't too much else of note beyond c40 Stock Doves and a few Goldfinches and Chaffinches, whilst two Yellowhammers and a dozen Skylarks were along Church Farm Lane and a couple of Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff were in the churchyard. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above) & Cattle Egrets at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

North Wall: A Goldcrest was down the lane and a Jay, a Stonechat and a Song Thrush were around the paddock, but it was quiet along the wall with just a few Reed Buntings, Chiffchaffs and Dunnocks in the bushes and 12 Curlew and 24 Black-tailed Godwits in the fields, while overhead there were two Swallows, six Meadow Pipits, two Skylarks, two Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and two Common Snipe.

At Halsey’s Farm there were just two Meadow Pipits in the bushes, a calling Water Rail, and two Buzzards in the trees with a Sparrowhawk high above the harbour. (LP/SP/JDW/CT/TRH)

East Side: The highlight of the morning was 167 Golden Plover out on the mud, while there was the usual mix of Redshank, Lapwing, Curlew, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Wigeon, Teal and Pintail along White’s Creek, together with a Spotted Redshank, three Bar-tailed Godwits and two Turnstones, with 30 Brent Geese out towards the harbour entrance. (LP) Three Greenshank were in the harbour along with c.50 Brent Geese, viewed from Pagham spit. (BI)

Golden Plovers (above), Grey Plover & Dunlin along the East side (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A look this afternoon produced a Merlin, two Marsh Harriers, two Ravens and a Kestrel, with seven Egyptian Geese, 20 Brent Geese, c100 Shovelers, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and c100 Golden Plovers around the reserve.

There wasn't too much along the banks, but there were still a Dartford Warbler, four Stonechats, two Goldcrests, five Cetti's Warblers, two Yellowhammers and a Pied Wagtail to be seen. (S&SaH)

Raven at Medmerry (SH)