1st - 3rd September 2024

Tuesday, 3rd September: A fairly pleasant day of sun and cloud in a moderate westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: It was quiet this morning though a couple of Yellow Wagtails and Grey Wagtails went over and two Wheatears were about. (SR/IP/MO-W)

(0700-0800hrs) (WSW, F3-4)

Gannet - 4E, 10W, 20os

Teal - 10W

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 40os

Sandwich Tern - 6W, 2os

Common Tern - 2os

Swallow - 8W

Yellow Wagtail - 2W

Grey Wagtail - 2W

Wheatear - 2

This evening there were four Common Terns, 35 Sandwich Terns, a Common Gull and 117 Mediterranean Gulls on the shingle bar off Hillfield Road. (MRe)

Ferry Pool: There were three Snipe and a Green Sandpiper about this morning, along with two Avocets, two Redshanks and c40 Black-tailed Godwits and Teal. 

A look round the Tramway early on just produced a handful of Blackcaps, plus c50 Sand Martins over. (AH)

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

Mill Pond Marsh: There were still a Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers, five Snipe, six Black-tailed Godwits, an adult and a juvenile Water Rail, three Little Egrets and c30 Teal around the flooded field this morning, with a few Swallows and Sand Martins moving overhead. (MO-W/AH/CRN et al)

Water Rails (above), Green Sandpipers & Greenshank at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: There were seven Wheatears, five Whinchats, three Spotted Flycatchers, a Chiffchaff and two Redstarts around the fields at Halsey’s Farm this morning, with three more Wheatears and another Whinchat along the wall, together with six Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers and a Willow Warbler.

Two Green Sandpipers were on the Breech Pool along with a Spotted Redshank, four Black-tailed Godwits, 42 Lapwings, five Gadwall and 32 Teal, with a few Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins passing overhead and 27 Cattle Egrets in the fields behind.

A Kingfisher was around the sluice and a Common Sandpiper flew down White’s Creek, while out on the mud there were a Whimbrel and lots of Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, Curlews and a few Grey Plovers,.

There were also five Common Seals hauled up on the far bank in the harbour and a Painted Lady was seen. (LP/CRJ/TRH/CT/TG/CRJ/KJ/CRN et al)

Redstarts (above), Wheatear, Reed Warbler, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwits (LP) & Sea aster (CRJ) at the North Wall

Late afternoon the Great White Egret was on the Breech Pool, along with four Spotted Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, and a Kingfisher. Also, a female type Marsh Harrier was high up overhead, while there were four Whinchats and three Wheatears along the fence lines at Owl Point. (AW)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Kingfisher & Great White Egret at the North Wall (AW)

Church Norton: Up to five Spotted Flycatchers, a, Garden Warbler, a Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were behind hide this morning, but there were just a Knot and half a dozen Grey Plovers of note in the harbour. (HR/DM)

This evening there were still at least four Spotted Flycatchers and a couple of Willow Warblers and a Jay behind the hide. (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: An adult Yellow-legged Gull and c20 Common Gulls were among the roosting gull flock this evening. (SM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An Osprey sat out on a post for half an hour, before flying out to sea, a Merlin chasing a Green Sandpiper over the reserve, and a female Marsh Harrier, two Buzzards and four Kestrels about, too, made it a good evening for raptors.

Also, two Wheatears, two Stonechats, two Willow Warblers, seven Yellowhammers and 19 Yellow Wagtails were seen along the banks, with eight Swallows and c30 Sand Martins going over, whilst two Green Sandpipers were on the reserve and a Common Sandpiper was on the Stilt Pools. (S&SaH)

Monday, 2nd September: A fairly mild and muggy start to the morning, with drizzly rain slowly clearing to leave a grey and breezy day in a moderate south-westerly......

Selsey Bill: Six Wheatears were around the houses and beach this morning and a big feeding flock was offshore, including nine Common Terns that went off west. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0700-0830hrs) (SW, F4)

Gannet - 7E, 27W, 12os

Common Scoter - 2W

Oystercatcher - 4W

Knot - 1W

Turnstone - 19

Mediterranean Gull - 80os

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 5W

Common Tern - 9W

Swallow - 4W

House Martin - 3

Wheatear - 6

Wheatears at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There wasn't too much going on early this morning, with just a Common Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, three Snipe, three Avocets and c30 Black-tailed Godwits present, plus a rather lost looking Red-legged Partridge stood on the mud. (AH)

Red-legged Partridge on the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: It was much the same as recent days here this morning, with a Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers, eight Snipe, six Black-tailed Godwits and a juvenile Water Rail seen, along with c20 Teal. (AH/BFF/RB et al).

Snipe and Teal at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: A Cuckoo that flew out of the hedge near the hide and went off northwards along the path was a surprise for the time of year, and there were quite a few birds in the adjacent hedges, including a Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Jays and half a dozen or so Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Whitethroats.

Another half a dozen of the latter were also along the path to the beach, together with a juvenile Stonechat, but the front was birdless, though at least 200 Sand Martins, with c50 Swallows among them, went over, heading west

Another surprise was an Arctic Skua briefly chasing gulls around the harbour mouth, whilst on the rising tide there were a Little Stint, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Greenshanks, three Whimbrel and a few Ringed Plovers and Dunlin, with two Sandwich Terns and 172 Mediterranean Gulls among the roost, and there were a few Wigeon and Teal about, too. (AH/BFF/RB et al)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Stonechat, Bar-tailed Godwit & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The Breech Pool was busy again this morning, with a Green Sandpiper, a Spotted Redshank, a Snipe, six Black-tailed Godwits, 28 Lapwings, a Wigeon, eight Gadwall and 24 Teal joining the regular Great Crested Grebes, Mallards and Coots, while in the harbour there were a Kingfisher, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff, five Greenshank and lots of Redshanks.
At Halsey’s Farm, five Whinchats, a Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat, three Whitethroats, two Chiffchaffs and four Willow Warblers were around the fences and hedges, along with wo Chaffinches, three Greenfinches and numerous Blue Tits, Great Tits, and Goldfinches, but it was quiet along the wall, with just a few Cattle Egrets in and around Owl Copse, a Yellow Wagtail and some Swallows and Sand Martins overhead, and a Green Woodpecker in the paddock. (BFF/RB/LP/TRH/et al)

Redstart (above), Whinchats, Spotted Redshank, Snipe, Wigeon & Green Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)

Sunday, 1st September: The breeze was still from the north-east this morning, though lighter, and there was plenty of warm, hazy sun....

Selsey Bill: A female Marsh Harrier coasted along the front heading east early and later an Osprey drifted south-west over the sea, whilst two Green Sandpipers flew west over the gardens, calling, 43 Yellow Wagtails went over east and five Wheatears were along the front. Full log below. (SH/PB/MRB/PM/BI/IP/AH/MO-W/SR/ML)

(0600-0900hrs) (NE, F3)

Gannet - 31E, 4W, 20os

Shelduck - 1E

Wigeon - 2W

Teal - 7W

Common Scoter - 3E, 1W

Osprey - 1W

Marsh Harrier - 1E

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 3E, 2W

Green Sandpiper - 2W

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 40os

Sandwich Tern - 16E, 2W

Common Tern - 2os

Swallow - 17E

Sand Martin - 14E

House Martin - 1

Yellow Wagtail - 43E

Grey Wagtail - 2E

Wheatear - 5

Also, Broadreeds Estate still had two active House Martin nests along with 14 adults, and the small public garden there held three Willow Warblers. (SR)

(1430-1530hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 5E

Sandwich Tern - 2W

Sand Martin - 3E

(1600-1800hrs) (MRe)

Gannet - 46E, 5W

Teal - 7W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 14E, 4W

Common Tern - 1W

Swallow - 26E

Osprey (above), Wheatear (PM), Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gulls & Grey Wagtails (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were just a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Snipe,  six Avocets and c30 Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits and Teal on the pool this morning. (AH/MO-W et al)

Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers, a Snipe, three Black-tailed Godwits and two Water Rails were present this morning, along with two or three Reed Warblers. (MO-W/PB/MRB et al)

Church Norton: Early on, a look around produced not much more than a handful of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers, whilst later a Stonechat was by the horse field and a couple of Wheatears were at the start of the spit, and there were also a female-type Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel seen.

There was little in the harbour on the high tide, though a couple of Whimbrel and ten Turnstones were noted, along with a mixed flock of Teal and Wigeon, with nine more of the latter dropping in on the sea. (MRe/IP et al)

North Wall: There were a few more small birds about today, with at least two Whinchats and three Wheatears around the Owl point fields and another of each along the wall, whilst 20+ Whitethroats were widely spread, a couple of Reed Warblers were on the Breech Pool and c50 Sand Martins and c30 Swallows went over.

A Common Sandpiper was in the creek at Halsey's Farm, with the Breech Pool busy again, including two Green Sandpipers, a Spotted Redshank, five Greenshanks, a Redshank, a Curlew, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Lapwings, plus the Great White Egret, half a dozen Gadwall and c30 Teal, but a flock of c30 Grey Plovers, put up when a Peregrine went over, was the only thing of note in the harbour. (AH/DHi/JDW et al)

This evening the Great White Egret was in the harbour, whilst two Spotted Redshanks, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, 34 Redshanks, 32 Lapwings, six Gadwall, 43 Teal and a Kingfisher were on the Breech Pool, an adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the harbour and 46 Cattle Egrets were also about. 

A Wheatear and a Whinchat were along the path,  with 43 Yellow Wagtails, 40 Sand Martins, c100 Swallows, two Lesser Whitethroats, three Whitethroats  also present, and a Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine went over. (AB/MRe)

Whinchats (above), Wheatear, Whitethroats, Green Sandpiper, Green, Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank and Teal, Greenshanks, Common Sandpiper, Grey Plovers & Great White Egret at the North Wall (AH)

Birdham: A male Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher were in the garden today. (AB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were a bit busier in the lighter wind this morning, with two Whitethroats, a Reed Warbler, four Willow Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler, five Stonechats and seven Yellowhammers seen, , plus ten Yellow Wagtails and a Kingfisher on the reserve and c100 Sand Martins and c50 Swallows over.

A Common Sandpiper was also on the reserve, with two more on the Stilt Pools, whilst two Hobbies up high together was the best sight of the morning, with a Sparrowhawk and two Kestrels also about. (S&SaH)