Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 29th

Saturday, 31st August: Autumn arrived a day early this morning, with a fairly cool and very grey morning, including a few spits of drizzle in a brisk and blustery north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was some good variety this morning, including a Greenshank, half a dozen Wheatears and some hirundine movement. Full log below. (SH/JA/PB/BI/IP/SR)

(0600-0900hrs) (NE, F4-5)

Gannet - 24E, 65W, 40os

Teal - 15W

Shoveler - 3W

Common Scoter - 6E, 1W

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 1E

Sanderling - 5W

Dunlin - 15W

Greenshank - 1E

Turnstone - 24

Mediterranean Gull - 10E, 6W

Black-headed Gull - 83E

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 71E, 5W

Common Tern - 5E, 21W

Swallow - 186E

Sand Martin - 152E

Yellow Wagtail - 4E

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1E

Wheatear - 6

(1400-1500hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 35E, 7W

Wigeon - 1E

Mediterranean Gul - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 9E, 8W

This evening a Sooty Shearwater and a Fulmar went west. Full log below. (JA/SH/MRe)

(1700-1830hrs)

Sooty Shearwater - 1W (1735hrs)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 51E, 13W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 3W

Sandwich Tern - 7E, 4W

Yellow Wagtail - 1E

Gannet (above), Wheatear & JA showing off the Pom-King trophy at the Bill (AH)

(1130-1230hrs) (AW)

Gannet - 5os

Shoveler - 1E

Common Gull - 1E

Common Gull at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, two Snipe, six Avocets, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Lapwings and c40 Teal around the pool this morning, with a Kingfisher in the channel opposite. (AH/AB et al)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Snipe at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: There were a Greenshank, two Snipe, five Black-tailed Godwits, a Water Rail and c20 Teal on the flooded field this morning. (BI/AH/AB et al)

Greenshank at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: A Whinchat and four Wheatears were along the newly re-opened spit this morning, but passerines were few beyond two Grey Wagtails going north and a steady flow of Swallows and Sand Martins going east.

A brief Kingfisher and a single roosting Sandwich Tern were around the metal work, with a Sanderling, two Dunlin, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrel and half a dozen Ringed Plovers among the usual Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers on the mud, along with a dozen Wigeon and eight Teal, whilst the flock of Canada Geese flew out again early on. (AW/IP)

This evening a juvenile Merlin was along the spit, with four Wheatears about, too and there were 11 Wigeon in the harbour. (PA)

Whinchat (above), Wheatear & Canada Geese at Church Norton (AW)

North Wall: There was just a single Whinchat on the fences at Halsey’s Farm early this morning, and at least three Wheatears were moving along the wall, but beyond a consistent, if fairly slight, eastward passage of Sand Martins and Swallows, no other passerines were seen.

Just a few Cattle Egrets were in with the cows and a Sparrowhawk flew along the lower path, whilst out in the harbour on the rising tide a Common Sandpiper was along White’s Creek and c100 Redshanks were on the banks, joined later by at least 40 Grey Plovers.

Most of the action was again on the Breech Pool early on, where the long staying Great White Egret was joined by two Little Egrets, two Grey Herons, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 34 Lapwings, a Green Sandpiper, five Greenshanks, two Spotted Redshanks, three Redshanks, 12 Gadwall, 17 Teal and 70 Mallards, plus a fly-by Kingfisher. (LP/JDW/AH et al)

Whinchat (AH), Wheatears (LP above & AH), Greenshank, Green Sandpipe, Spotted Redshanks (LP), Grey Plovers (AH), Great White Egret (LP) & Great White Egret and Grey Heron (AH) at the North Wall

Selsey: A Portland Ribbon - rare outside Dorset, as its name suggests! - was in the trap this morning. (AW)

Portland Wave in a Selsey garden (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Around 100 Swallows and Sand Martins, plus a couple of House Martins, went over, but three Yellowhammers and half a dozen Willow Warblers was it along the banks.

Also, six Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper were on the Stilt Pool, a Kingfisher was on the reserve and a Marsh Harrier and a couple of Buzzards and Kestrels went over, with four Sparrowhawks seen, including three sat together. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Windmill - Late afternoon there were four Wheatear around the old crazy golf/go-kart track area, as well as what appears to be a very scruffy juvenile Meadow Pipit.

There was also a Swift among the House Martins over the houses near the Coastguard station. (AW)

Medmerry: Ham Road - There were c1000 hirundines over maize fields along Ham Road and particularly the one by the junction with Easton Lane this evening, of which the vast majority were Sand Martins, with just a few Swallows and House Martins among them, and there were also up to a dozen Yellow Wagtails going in and out of the crop and a flock of c50 Linnets in a nearby hedge. (AH/PA)

Yellow Wagtails (above), Linnets & Sand Martins at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 30th August: After a heavy dew and a cool start, another morning of warm, if hazy, sunshine in a moderate northerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was a good count of 28 Yellow Wagtails - including a flock of 19 - west this morning, whilst three Wheatears were around, but very little was moving offshore. (IP/SR/BI/AH/MO-W)

(0700-0845hrs) (NNE, F2)

Gannet - 4E, 4W, 1os

Grey Heron - 1N

Common Scoter - 3W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 31

Mediterranean Gull - 13W, 2os

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 3W, 4os

Common Tern - 1E, 5W, 4os

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 16E

House Martin - 50

Yellow Wagtail - 28W

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Wheatear - 3

Wheatears (above), House Martin, Common Tern & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a Common Sandpiper, two Snipe, a Dunlin, a Redshank, five Avocets, 24 Lapwings and 33 Black-tailed Godwits, plus c40 Teal, on the pool early on,this morning. (AH)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: It was very similar to yesterday this morning, with a Greenshank, three Green Sandpipers and two Snipe the only waders present, though at least four Water Rails were about, along with c20 Teal and a Marsh Harrier went over. (AH/BI)

Water Rail (above) & Snipe and Greenshank at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: There were lots of migrants around the churchyard/hide area this morning, including at least three Spotted Flycatchers, 40 Blackcaps, c20 Willow Warblers, two Reed Warblers, two Garden Warblers, half a dozen Whitethroats and a Goldcrest, with a handful more Whitethroats and a Sedge Warbler around the Severals and half a dozen Wheatears along the beach and spit, whilst a Yellow Wagtail, four Grey Wagtails, c500 Swallows and c50 House Martins and Sand Martins, plus a single Swift went over the general area.

Also, a Peregrine went over the harbour, a Red-legged Partridge was in the field behind he churchyard, five Cattle Egrets went east along the beach and c100 Canada Geese were in the harbour before flying off west, but just a couple of Sandwich Terns, c30 Mediterranean Gulls were the only things of note on the rising tide. (AW/MRe/AH/RBe)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Grey Wagtail, Sand Martin, House Martin, Cattle Egrets & Canada Geese at Church Norton (AW)

Honer Reservoir: A Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers - the first waders here in a long time - were on the banks of the reservoir. (JDW)

North Wall: A male Redstart, two Whinchats and two Wheatears were around the fields at Halsey’s Farm this morning, and a steady stream of Swallows and Sand Martins were passing through, whilst a few Cattle Egrets were with the cows in the fields and a Sparrowhawk, two Kestrels and three Buzzards were up high.

The Breech Pool again had a good selection, comprising the Great White Egret, a Kingfisher, nine Greenshanks, four Spotted Redshanks, two Green Sandpipers, three Redshanks, 26 Lapwings, 18 Black-tailed Godwits, two Little Egrets and a Grey Heron, along with a Kingfisher, the Great Crested Grebe family, 12 Gadwall, 16 Teal and the regular Mallards, Coots and Moorhens.

Also, two Wheatears were moving along the wall and a few Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Cetti’s Warblers were in the reeds, and a Common Lizard was by one of the benches, whilst a Spotted Flycatcher was in the dead tree by the stables and a small group of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, along with a Blackcap and three Willow Warblers moved through the trees. (LP/GHi/TRH/JDW/KJ).

Wheatear (above), Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Great White Egret & Common Lizard at the North Wall (LP)

East side: A look along the side of the harbour this evening produced two Common Sandpipers, two Greenshanks, two Knot, a Whimbrel, 15 Grey Plovers, 42 Lapwings, 90 Ringed Plovers, 80 Dunlin, four Wigeon, two Yellow-legged Gulls, , five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, four Sandwich Terns and a Great white Egret stood out on the mud.

Also, a Kingfisher was about, 28 Yellow Wagtails, c20 Sand Martins and c50 Swallows went over,and 14 Willow Warblers and five Chiffchaffs were in the bushes. (MRe)

Long Pool: A single Yellowhammer was the only bird along the hedges this evening, with a handful of Swallows over and a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank in Ferry Channel the only other things seen. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above) & Common Sandpiper along the Long Pool (AH)

Thursday, 29th August: The fine spell continues, with another warm and sunny morning in a light to moderate north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There were a few Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and a couple of Wheatears about this morning, though virtually no hirundines, whilst offshore the main feature was a vast feeding flock of Black-headed and Herring Gulls stretching half a mile along the beach, and including at least 20 Common Terns and a dozen Sandwich Terns, plus at least 200 Mediterranean Gulls. Full log below. (SH/SR/AH/MO-W/PD)

(0600-0930hrs) (NW, F3-4)

Gannet - 5E, 33W, 10os

Common Scoter - 1E, 7W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 6W

Turnstone - 17

Mediterranean Gull - c200os

Black-headed Gull - c1000

Herring Gull - c500

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 12os, then W

Common Tern - 24os, then W

Swallow - 2E

House Martin - 19

Yellow Wagtail - 9W

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Wheatear - 2

Yellow Wagtail (above), Wheatear, Mediterranean Gull & Common Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning a Spotted Redshank was on the pool, along with a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, two Snipe, six Avocets, a Redshank, 23 Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Lapwing and Teal.

Later on, a visiting birder reported a Little Stint present, too. (AH/CRJ et al)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers and two Snipe were the only waders on the flooded field early this morning, though there were also two Water Rails, c20 Teal and a couple of Reed Warblers about. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Green Sandpiper at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: Early this morning a Honey-buzzard flew out from the trees near the hide and went over the harbour towards the North Wall. (CRJ)

Later, there were still two or three Redstarts along the front of the Severals, along with a Whinchat, two juvenile Stonechats, a dozen Whitethroats and at least five Wheatears, with another three of the latter by the concrete blocks, and there were also c50 Swallows about, with a handful of Sand Martins and House Martins among them.

Also, two Spotted Flycatchers were around the hide/churchyard area, along with at least a dozen Willow Warblers, a Reed Warbler and half a dozen Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, but there was little to report from the harbour beyond a few Mediterranean Gulls and a couple of Whimbrel. (CRJ/RJS/AH/PD/LL et al)

Redstart (above), Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatears, Stonechat, Willow Warbler & Whitethroats at Church Norton (AH)

Sidlesham: A mixed flock of c150 Swallows, c50 Sand martins and c50 Sand Martins were sat on wires along Cow Lane this morning. (PA)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - This morning a Whinchat was along Ham Road, with another near the viewpoint, and there was also a Red Kite sat in a tree at the farm. (MW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were six Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, three Goldcrests and three Yellow Wagtails along the banks this morning, with c25 Sand Martins and c75 Swallows over.

Also, a Green Sandpiper was on the reserve, with a Sparrowhawk and five Kestrels and Buzzards over, but there were once again no waders on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

North Wall: There were four Great White Egrets on a very busy Breech Pool early this morning, where there was also a Green Sandpiper, eight Greenshanks, two Spotted Redshanks, two Redshanks, 51 Lapwings, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, two Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 28 Teal, 17 Gadwall, two Shovelers and the usual selection of Mallards, Coots and Moorhens.

A Common Sandpiper was along White’s Creek, along with a Whimbrel and lots of Curlews and Redshanks, with a Yellow-legged Gull, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, four Sandwich Terns and six Common Terns further out, and by the sluice a small flock of mostly Blackcaps with a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, and a Willow Warbler were moving through the bushes and a Kingfisher flew out and along the rife.

A few Cattle Egrets were in and around Owl Copse, and at Halsey’s Farm four Wheatears and two Whinchats were around the fields. (LP/TRH/CT/Dean Homer)

This evening two Barn Owls were about - one in the Honer fields and one at Halsey's Farm, with a couple of Kestrels seen, too, and 42 Cattle Egrets went into roost in Owl Copse.

Six Greenshanks and three Spotted Redshanks and two Green Sandpipers were on the Breech Pool, with a couple of Kingfishers and up to ten Cetti's Warblers about, too, whilst c200 Yellow Wagtails, c150 Swallows and c50 Sand Martins were flying about, preparing to come in to roost. (S&SaH/PB)