10th-12th October 2024

Saturday, 12th October:  A fairly dismal day early on with plenty of showers in a SSE wind...brightening up around mi-day but with more showers forecast later...

Selsey Bill: A quieter day than yesterday for visible migration but the sea was more productive with plenty of auks moving through and a Great Skua going west. There were also a couple of oddities along the front: a blue Lobster and an Olive Tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis), a migrant moth.

Full log below:

(0645-0900hrs) (SSE, F5) (SH/PB/BI/SR/P&LH)

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 14E 35W 20os

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 3W

Common Scoter - 21E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W 1os

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 16

Mediterranean Gull - 16E 1W

Great Skua - 1W

Razorbill - 127E

auk sp. - 190E

Swallow - 11E

Meadow Pipit - 6E

Pied Wagtail - 5E 3W

Siskin - 9W

Reed Bunting - 1E

(0950-1150hrs) (P&LH):

Gannet - 20os

Wigeon - 14E

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Razorbill - 6E

Swallow - 11E

(1445-1545hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 7W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 6W

Swallow - 4W

Turnstone, above, blue Lobster & Olive Tree Pearl at the Bill (BI)

Ferry Pool: One Little Grebe, 12 Avocets, eight Black-tailed Godwits, 31 Lapwings, six Shoveler, 15 Shelduck, 11 Wigeon, and a Pied Wagtail were the sum early on in the rainy conditions but, later on, a Cattle Egret flew over and a Little Egret was at the Ferry.  A Greenshank and two Redshanks were in Red Barn Ditch. (SR/MO-W)

Greenshank at Red Barn Ditch (SR)

Sidlesham Churchyard: Four Firecrests were in the churchyard (where there are lots of berries) this morning as were two Goldcrests and two Chiffchaffs. (BI)

Firecrest at Sidlesham (BI)

Hunston: There were at least 20 Chiffchaffs along the hedges along here along with a male Blackcap and a large mixed Tit flock. The arable fields held c.40 Linnets and 10 Pied Wagtails, a Green Woodpecker was by the reservoirs and a Kestrel was hunting nearby. (BI)

Green Woodpecker at Hunston (BI)

Church Norton: The Spoonbill was in the harbour this morning and a Marsh Harrier was out hunting. (per SR)

Pagham Spit:  A Dartford Warbler was in the gorse at the far end of the spit and a Stonechat, a Sedge Warbler, a Wren, two Rock Pipits, a Meadow Pipit, seven Skylarks and c50 Linnets were in the same area. Out in the harbour, 11 Brent Geese and c60 Wigeon were on the water, a Greenshank, 30 Turnstones, 25 Oystercatchers, 24 Redshank, 12 Curlews, 20 Ringed Plovers and six Grey Plovers were on the mud, and a Marsh Harrier drifted over and back towards the North Wall. (LP)

North Wall: A Stonechat, a Song Thrush and two Jays were around the paddock this morning and a flock of mostly Long-tailed Tits, together with a couple of Chiffchaffs were moving through the trees along the lane. It was busy in White’s Creek where two Gadwall, a Little Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe were with 150 Wigeon, 60 Teal, 38 Black-tailed Godwits, 90 Lapwings and 12 Redshanks, but it was quiet elsewhere in the wet and windy conditions. (LP/CT)

Waders & wildfowl in White's Creek and Song Thrush at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool:  There was a good count of 32 Stonechats this afternoon and there was also a Whitethroat, five Dartford Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, seven Yellowhammers and five Cetti's Warblers along the banks. Raptors included a sub-adult Marsh Harrier, five Kestrels and a Merlin, 18 Swallows flew over and c.100 Golden Plovers were out on the reserve. (SH/SaH)

Friday, 11th October:  The day after the Northern Lights was chilly to start with but dry and sunny in light northerly winds...

Selsey Bill: Over 600 Wood Pigeons moved west this morning and there was plenty of other visible migration including at least 40 Pied Wagtails dropping onto the Oval Field before moving east. The sea remained quiet though except for some distant auks passing to the west. 

Full log below: (0700-0830hrs) (N, F1) (BI/MO-W/SR et al)

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Brent Goose - 12W

Common Scoter - 4E

Oystercatcher - 7E

Turnstone - 9

Grey Heron - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 3W

auk sp. - 165W

Swallow - 13E

Jackdaw - 85E

Wood Pigeon - 610W

Stock Dove - 4W

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 53E 8W

Meadow Pipit - 85E

Rock Pipit - 1E

Skylark - 1W

Chiffchaff - 6

Goldfinch - 16E

Linnet - 77E

Brent Geese, above, Chiffchaff & Pied Wagtails at the Bill (BI

Coastguards: Twelve Sandwich Terns and 20 Mediterranean Gulls were lingering offshore and a Razorbill was sat on the sea mid-morning. (BFF)

Northcommon Farm to Warner Lane: Flycatcher Corner was generally quiet bar a few Chiffchaffs in the hedges but at Warner Lane paddocks a large flock of c.40 Meadow Pipits was present. (BI)

Meadow Pipit at Warner Lane (BI)

Ferry Pool: The water level was very high in the pool today which held 41 Teal, nine Shoveler, two Greenshank, ten Avocets, 38 Black-tailed Godwits and one Little Egret with one Pied Wagtail, three Meadow Pipits and 28 Brent Geese heading toward Medmerry. Nine Wigeon were tucked away on the concealed pool. Six Snipe, a Common Sandpiper and a Cattle Egret were also present as were two Rock Pipits. The Tramway area was fairly quiet apart from a pair of Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, a Buzzard, a flock of Long-tailed Tits plus half a dozen Chiffchaffs, whilst Ferry Channel could only muster a few Redshanks and a Little Egrets. A Sedge Warbler was also noted. (SR/BFF/WD)

Wildfowl & waders on the Ferry Pool, below, and Reed Bunting (SR)

Church Norton:  

Please note that there will be a service at Church Norton Chapel from 10am tomorrow (Saturday 12/10/24)  lasting approximately 45 minutes-please be respectful and avoid the car park at this time. (Eds) 

There was some migration here this morning with a Brambling, 26 Siskin, 60 Linnets, 19 Reed Buntings, 75 Meadow Pipits, four Rock Pipits, 20 Skylarks, seven Chaffinches and 33 Pied Wagtails being noted. Three Greenfinch were along the Severals, a Sparrowhawk flew through, as did a Kestrel and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 28 Jackdaws went north and at least 100 Wood Pigeons moved south. Nineteen Chiffchaffs. four Goldcrests and 11 Blackcaps were in the hedges and four House Martins and c.40 Swallows flew over. Two Golden Plover were over the harbour, a Kingfisher was recorded and there was an increase in Jays to eight today with two Song Thrushes and 11 Blackbirds also in the area. (BFF/MRe).

"Viz-mig" from along the spit returned 36 Brent Geese moving west, 14 Stonechats, 200 Woodpigeons over, 27 Skylarks, 150 Swallows & two House Martins, 24 Pied Wagtails, 35 Meadow Pipits, a Rock Pipit, 13 Chaffinches, two Brambling, 65 Linnets, 62 Siskins and 12 Reed Buntings. In the region of the first Several were two Firecrests, a Spoonbill was in the harbour with 50+ Golden Plover and a Marsh Harrier and Peregrine were also noted. (PA) 

Stonechats along the spit, Spoonbill in the harbour and Brambling at Church Norton (PA)

North Wall: In and around the paddock this morning there were two Meadow Pipits, two Reed Buntings, a Pied Wagtail, and three Jays with three Song Thrushes in the bushes further back and both male and female Marsh Harriers were also about. Along White’s Creek there was the usual mix of Wigeon, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits and c100 Redshanks, with 48 Curlews, and 80 Lapwing out on the mud, and a Grey Wagtail was by the sluice. There were just a few Mallards on the Breech Pool, but c200 Swallows with a few House Martins were overhead, two Water Rails were calling from the reeds and four Stonechats, two Reed Buntings and three Greenfinches were in the adjacent bushes. Along the wall a Green Woodpecker and numerous Chiffchaffs were along the bushes, a Reed Warbler was in the reeds, and at Halsey’s Farm, 70 Meadow Pipits were around the fields, two Stonechats were on the fence, two Ravens flew over, and a Sparrowhawk flew through low over the hedgerow. (LP/SP/MJa/TRH/IH/JDW)

Reed Warbler, above, Green Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Jays and Meadow Pipit at the North Wall (LP)

Sidlesham: A White-tailed Eagle was over Sidlesham village this afternoon. (per PA)

White-tailed Eagle at Sidlesham (per PA)

Thursday, 10th October: It was pretty miserable early on, with persistent rain in a fresh and cold northerly, though slowly drying up as the breeze eased.....

Selsey Bill: Over 100 Brent Geese went west and a Red-breasted Merganser was around offshore, whilst a Rock Pipit was on the beach again and there was just a bit of visible migration. Full log below. (IP/AH/SR)

(0720-0850hrs) (N, F4)

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 2W

Brent Goose - 103W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1os

Sparrowhawk - 2

Oystercatcher - 2W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 7W, 5os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Razorbill - 16os

auk sp - 8W

Swallow - 3E

Pied Wagtail - 64E

Meadow Pipit - 26E

Rock Pipit - 1

Blackcap - 1

Chiffchaff - 6

Brent Geese (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Sandwich Tern, Chiffchaff, Rock Pipit & Sparrowhawk and Carrion Crow at the Bill (AH)

Late this afternoon a juvenile Hobby landed on a roof at the Bill before carrying on west. A Rock Pipit was on the beach, while seven Brent Geese flew west and around twenty Razorbills were drifting by out at sea. (AW)

Hobby, above, and Rock Pipit at the Bill (AW)

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

Shovelers (above) & Lapwings a the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Half a dozen Chiffchaffs, a Mistle Thrush, four Jays, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel was as good as it got around the hedges, whilst in the harbour there were eight Bar-tailed Godwits, three Knot, c20 Grey Plovers and c40 Dunlin among the regular waders, with half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, four Great Crested Grebes and a few Wigeon and Teal the only other birds about. (AH/CRJ)

Later on, four Firecrests and 14 Chiffchaffs were around the hedges and 14 Brent Geese were in the harbour, whilst a bit of visible migration along the spit included 35 Swallows, five Reed Buntings, ten Skylarks, 86 Meadow Pipits, 36 Pied Wagtails, 118 Linnets and 209 Goldfinches. (PA)

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