7th - 9th October 2023

Monday, 9th October: The breeze remains light and from the south-west, misty early on with hazy sunshine later..........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a mix again this morning, with a steady, if modest, westward movement of Brent Geese, with a Red-throated Diver and good numbers of Gannets also going west, whist a Wheatear and a Stonechat were along the front and a few Siskins were among the birds going over. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0710-0910hrs) (SW, F1-2)

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Gannet - 17E, 119W, 40os

Shag - 8E

Brent Goose - 69W

Common Scoter - 4W

Turnstone - 25

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 1W, 1os

Swallow - 39W

Pied Wagtail - 2E, 41W

Meadow Pipit - 62W

Wheatear - 1

Stonechat - 1

Chiffchaff - 1

Siskin - 19W

Linnet - 14W

Goldfinch - 65W

Wheatear (above), Stonechat, Brent Geese, Gannets, Shag & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were two Greenshanks, a Spotted Redshank and a Snipe on the pool this morning, along with 15 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Lapwings, c20 Wigeon and Shovelers and c50 Teal. (AH/TG-P)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Greenshank on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were just two or three Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Goldcrests in the hedges this morning, along with three or four Jays, whilst four Swallows went over.

A flock of six Brent Geese dropped into the harbour, and there were lots of the regular waders on the dropping tide, with a Bar-tailed Godwit among them, and there were also six Shelducks and a dozen Pintail among good numbers of Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Brent Geese (above), Chiffchaff, Goldcrest & Jay at Church Norton (AH)

: 

This evening there were two Wheatears on the concrete slabs, whilst a Greenshank and c20 Grey Plovers were in the harbour, along with a hunting Marsh Harrier, and half a dozen Chiffchaffs were in the churchyard. (AH)

Wheatear (above) & Marsh Harrier at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Pied Wagtail was by the sluice this morning, and along the channel there were 180 Wigeon, 30 Pintail, 60 Teal, two Great Crested Grebes, three Greenshanks, two Turnstones, six Black-tailed Godwits, four Curlews, 20 Grey Plovers, six Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin and numerous Redshanks and Lapwings, while further back on the mud there were 30 Golden Plover, an Avocet, the Yellow-legged Gull, two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull.

Along the wall, 20 Long-tailed Tits, 12 Chiffchaffs, two Stonechats, a Blackcap and ten Reed Buntings were moving along the bushes and at Halsey’s Farm, three Meadow Pipits and five Pied Wagtails were on the mud, and a Gadwall and two Little Grebes were along the rife. (LP/CT)

This evening, at 1830hrs, the Little Owl put in an appearance, with two Marsh Harriers also about, along with a Kingfisher, two Snipe, a Chiffchaff, five stonechats and five Chiffchaffs. (S&SaH)

Pintail (above), Greenshank, Avocet & Pied Wagtail at the North Wall (LP)

Pagham Spit: A Dartford Warbler was along the spit this afternoon, with a Kingfisher, 20 Linnets and 12 Meadow Pipits also about.

In the harbour there were three Brent Geese with a few Wigeon and a selection of the regular waders, and a Common Seal was in the main channel. (LP)

Dartford Warbler (above), Meadow Pipit, Brent Geese, Wigeon and Redshanks & Common Seal at Pagham spit. (LP)

West Itchenor: A few Redwings were going over, high up and barely audible, early this morning. (PH)

Sidlesham: A Little Owl was calling loudly, near our house on the west of the village this evening, with Tawny Owls calling more distantly, too. (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pools - Three Spoonbills flew over, heading west, late this morning. (AW)

Later, a Kestrel and two Buzzards were about, a Greenshank was at the first sluice, three Dartford Warblers were in the gorse, a dozen Yellowhammers were in the fields, nine Meadow Pipits flew over and an impressive flock of over 200 Linnets was in the stubble field.

Around the Stilt Pools were half a dozen Stonechats, two Chiffchaffs and 20 Swallows whilst the main birds on the pools were three Brent Geese, two Snipe, a Ringed Plover, a Pied Wagtail and 18 Lapwings, plus the usual Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Canada Geese and a lone Greylag Goose. (SR)

Spoonbills (AW) (above) & Linnets (SR) at Medmerry

Drayton Pits: Three Red Kites together went over our house, just north of the pits, this afternoon. (SM)

Red Kites over Drayton (SM)

Sunday, 8th October: It was almost flat calm early on, with the breeze picking up just a little from the south-west, but it was another very warm morning of hazy sunshine........

Selsey Bill: There was a surprising bit of variety this morning, both overhead and offshore, including the first Brambling and (two) Lesser Redpolls of the year, as well as two Woodlarks, a few Siskins and a huge flock of (mainly) Swallows and House Martins feeding over the water.

There were also an Arctic Tern, and Eider and a few Brent Geese among birds moving offshore. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/AH/RAI)

(0700-1000hrs) (SW, F1)

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 4E, 13W, 9os

Shag - 21E, 1os

Brent Goose - 2E, 19W

Wigeon - 1E, 2W

Eider - 1E

Common Scoter - 7E

Oystercatcher - 1E, 4W

Turnstone - 12

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 13E, 3W

Arctic Tern - 1W

Skylark - 5W

Woodlark - 2W

Swallow - 360E

House Martin - 21E

Grey Wagtail - 2W

Pied Wagtail - 12W

Meadow Pipit - 17W

Chiffchaff - 4

Magpie - 30E (in one loose flock)

Brambling - 1W

Chaffinch - 1E

Greenfinch - 6E

Linnet - 4W

Siskin - 23W

Lesser Redpoll - 2W

Goldfinch - 45

Shags (above), Brent Geese, Eider, Sandwich Tern & Swallows and House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were five Greenshanks, two Spotted Redshanks and two Snipe on the pool this morning, along with the usual mix of 16 Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Lapwings, c20 Shovelers and c50 Teal. (AH/RAI)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Greenshanks, Snipe & Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Lesser Redpolls and six Siskins were present early on, when there was also a good count of 35 Little Egrets in the harbour. (RAI)

It was quiet in a quick look later, with a Stonechat by the hide and half a dozen House Martins and Swallows over the churchyard being the only migrants seen, whilst the harbour just held the usual mix of Redshanks, Curlews, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Wigeon and Teal, plus a couple of Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Stonechat (above) & Mediterranean, Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

This evening there were at least 20 Chiffchaffs around the churchyard, whilst the Stonechat was still by the hide, along with a Blackcap.

Also, a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit were in the harbour, along with a dozen Grey Plovers and c50 Dunlin. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Four Jays were busy burying acorns in the paddock this morning and a Stonechat, six Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, two Reed Buntings and a Cetti’s Warbler were in the surrounding bushes, where there were also 10 Red Admirals and a Peacock feeding on the ivy.

There was a good selection of birds along White’s Creek, with three Turnstones and a Grey Wagtail by the sluice, a Kingfisher fishing along the channel, three Bar-tailed Godwits, six Black-tailed Godwits, 80 Redshank, two Spotted Redshanks, 24 Grey Plovers, four Curlews and eight Dunlin along the banks.

Further out, there were 80 Lapwings, 120 Golden Plover and a Meadow Pipit on the mud, with a Yellow-legged Gull, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and two Mediterranean Gulls also about, and there were a good number of ducks, too, with 150 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 24 Pintail, and a Shelduck, along with a Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe. (LP/SP)

Also, later, at Halsey's Farm there were a Stonechat, a Reed Bunting and three Chiffchaffs, along with two Cattle Egrets, and three Siskins went over. (S&SaH)

This evening the Little Owl showed well for c.15 minutes in the horse paddocks before flying to a nearby willow tree. There were also two, and possibly three, Marsh Harriers around, a Buzzard, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk, and two Jays and a Green Woodpecker were also present. Two Cetti's Warblers were heard, seven Meadow Pipits, 21 Goldfinches, a Siskin and a Pied Wagtail flew over and a Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush were in the bushes along with five Chiffchaffs. Eight Cattle Egrets flew towards the roost, 51 Jackdaws went over west and 24 Mallards and c.12 Teal dropped into the breech pool as did a Grey Heron. The only hirundines noted were three Swallows that went over heading south. (BI/SR/SP/LP et al)

Jays (above), Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits & Turnstones at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This afternoon, there were six Dartford Warblers and a good count of 27 Stonechats along the banks, together with six Chiffchaffs, three Cetti's Warblers and c20 Yellowhammers,  with a Common Lizard seen running across the path, and also four Swallows and five Pied Wagtails going over.

Ten Egyptian Geese were on the reserve, with a Merlin, three Kestrels and seven Buzzards out hunting. (S&SaH)

Saturday, 7th October: Another unseasonably warm morning, with plenty of sunshine in a moderate westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: The first two Velvet Scoters of the autumn, a very distant shearwater sp and 30 Siskins west were the highlights this morning. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/P&LH/AH/M-OW/AW)

(0650-0905hrs) (W, F4)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

shearwater sp -1W

Gannet - 3E, 14W

Shag - 8E, 1os

Wigeon - 5W

Velvet Scoter - 2W

Common Scoter - 3E, 1W

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Black-headed Gull - 63W

Sandwich Tern - 4E

Razorbill - 1E, 21W

auk sp - 57W

Swallow - 41W

Pied Wagtail - 35W

Meadow Pipit - 262W

Siskin - 30W

(1430-1530hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 1E, 12W, 10os

Shag - 2W

Arctic Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 4W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Siskins (AW) & Gannets (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There was just the usual mix this morning, including 14 Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Lapwings, 12 Shovelers, c50 Teal and 11 Little Egrets on the pool, with two or three Chiffchaffs in the adjacent hedges. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above) & Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

East Side: This morning a Sandwich Tern was along the channel, and a Buzzard was over the Slipe field and plenty of butterflies also including two Clouded Yellow, a Peacock, a Speckled Wood and 30 Small Whites. (CRJ)

Clouded Yellow along the East side (CRJ)

North Wall: A look round the hedges at Halsey's Farm and the North Wall produced six Chiffchaffs, four Cetti's Warbles,, a Goldcrest and four Long-tailed Tits, whilst a Raven, eight Swallows and 35 Meadow pipits, plus a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard, went over.

Also, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were in the harbour, along with four Bar-tailed Godwits, 20 Black-tailed Godwits, six Lapwings and c30 Teal and Wigeon. (P&LH) 

This evening, after dusk, the Little Owl was in the paddocks again, and two Marsh Harriers came in to roost. (SP/TH/AH/DHi et al)

Church Norton: At least 20 Swallows went over west, along with c100 Linnets and c30 Goldfinches, but a Stonechat at the start of the spit and a scattering of Chiffchaffs  around the hedges were the only other migrants seen this morning 

Two Sandwich Terns were lingering offshore, with five Wigeon dropping on the sea before carrying on west, but beyond a big flock of c150 Golden Plovers at the far end, the harbour just held the usual selection, including  a Bar-tailed Godwit, a couple of Turnstones, a dozen Grey Plovers, c30 Dunlin and Redshanks and a few Oystercatchers, plus c40 Teal and two or three Mediterranean Gulls. (AH/BI/P&LH et al)

Stonechat (above), Chiffchaff & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Marsh & Chalder Farms: Two distant Marsh Harriers were the highlight, and there was also two Buzzards, a Kestrel, 16 Pied Wagtails, 42 Stock Doves, two Skylarks, five Meadow Pipits, two Yellowhammers, a Jay, four flocks of Long-tailed Tits, six Cattle Egrets and eight Chiffchaffs about.

Butterflies were well represented, and included a Clouded Yellow, a Brimstone and a number of Red Admirals and Speckled Woods. (SR)

Marsh Harrier (above) & Kestrel at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - About 20 Stonechats were along the banks this morning, along with five Chiffchaffs,, three Goldcrests, six Cetti's Warblers, 15 Yellowhammers and c200 Linnets, with six Swallows over.

Out on the reserve there were c50 Meadow Pipits, a Greenshank, four Cattle Egrets and 13 Egyptian Geese, with a Peregrine, three Kestrels and two Buzzards going over. (S&SaH)