1st - 3rd October 2024

Thursday, 3rd October: After a cold and grey start, a slowly improving morning, with sun later on, though the breeze remains brisk and from the north-east..... ....

Selsey Bill: There were good numbers of Swallows and House Martins about again this morning, with at least eight Chiffchaffs in the bushes, whilst 40 Wigeon went east and 64 Brent Geese went west. Full log below. (AH/KT/SR/LP/SP/IH)

(0715-0845hrs) (NE, F4)

Gannet - 5E, 6W, 10os

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 64W

Common Scoter - 4E

Wigeon - 46E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 25

Mediterranean Gull - 4W

Skylark - 1E

Swallow - 200

House Martin - 230

Pied Wagtail - 21E

Meadow Pipit - 11E

Chiffchaff - 8

(1730-1830hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Shag - 1W

Common Scoter - 1E, 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Common Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 11W, 9os

Common Tern - 1W

auk sp - 4W

Chiffchaff (above), Shag, Brent Geese & Wigeon at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were five Spotted Redshanks and three Greenshanks roosting on the pool late this morning, with ten Avocets, c120 Lapwings, eight Shelducks, a dozen or so Shovelers and c50 Teal also present. (AH)

Spotted Redshanks (above), Greenshanks, Avocets & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Merlin was behind the paddocks this afternoon. (LP)

Church Norton: There was no sign of the Yellow-browed Warbler this morning, though 20+ Chiffchaffs and a handful of Blackcaps were around the hedges, with another dozen Chiffchaffs, two Stonechats and a Blackcap along the front.

There was some good visible eastward migration along the beach early on, including the first Brambling of the autumn, two Siskins, a Tree Pipit, two sSkylarks, 72 Meadow Pipits, 23 Pied Wagtails, eight Reed Buntings, 35 Linnets, 66 Goldfinches and 14 Chaffinches, plus three House Martins and 18 Swallows. 

Later on, though, there was less variety, but included c60 Meadow Pipits, c20 Pied Wagtails, c80 Linnets, c200 Swallows and c40 House Martins, with 25 Brent Geese going west offshore.

Also, two Greenshanks, five Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel and five Knot were in the harbour, along with c30 Grey Plovers, c50 Dunlin and all the regular species, whilst two Sparrowhawks went over. (MRe/AH/CRJ/LP/P/IH/TEH et al)

Greenshank (above), Whimbrel, Chiffchaff & Swallow at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 2nd October: A mostly cloudy, though mild, morning, with some sunny spells in a moderate northerly, then north-easterly, breeze..... ....

Selsey Bill: A Black Tern was feeding close inshore early on, before heading out to sea, and there were lots of hirundines about, including a couple of Sand Martins, with a Yellow Wagtail over east, a Wheatear on the beach and 71 Brent Geese west. Full log below. (AH/SR/P&LH et al)

(0710-0910hrs) (NNE, F4)

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Brent Goose - 71W

Wigeon - 1E

Oystercatcher - 3W

Turnstone - 18

Mediterranean Gull - 6os

Sandwich Tern - 1E

Black Tern - 1os, then W

Swallow - 193

Sand Martin - 2

House Martin - 62

Yellow Wagtail - 1E

Grey Wagtail - 1E

Pied Wagtail - 13E

Meadow Pipit - 52E

Wheatear - 1

Chiffchaff - 2

Jackdaw - 13E

Linnet - 1

Black Tern (above), Brent Geese, Wheatear, Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martins & Meadow Pipit at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A pair of Egyptian Geese were present early on, but a Green Sandpiper was the only wader about, apart from the regular ten Avocets, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c80 Lapwings, with a dozen Shovelers, eight Shelducks and c40 Teal also present. (AH)

Egyptian Geese & Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Green Sandpiper at th Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The first Yellow-browed Warbler of the year, found by CRJ, was showing well intermittently this morning, mainly in the trees and bushes adjacent to the path to the harbour with at least 20 Chiffchaffs and a couple of Blackcaps in the vicinity, too.

Also, there was a bit of visible migration over the Severals, comprising 32 Reed Buntings, two Skylarks, a Grey Wagtail, nine Pied Wagtails, 14 Meadow Pipits, five Goldfinches, two Chaffinches, c50 Linnets and c150 House Martins, whilst eight Stonechats were around the horse field.

The Spoonbill was again in the harbour early on, but not later, and there were also around 20 Brent Geese flying about, ten Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel, ten Knot, c25 Grey Plovers and a dozen Pintail among the regular species. (CRJ/MRe/AH/BI/SR/P&LH/ABi/JMo et al)

Yellow-browed Warbler (above) (top three AB, lower three AH), Chiffchaff, Brent Geese & Bar-tailed Godwits (AH) at Church Norton 

North Wall: There were still two Whinchats and three Stonechats around the paddocks this morning, with two Common Sandpipers in White's Creek and a Merlin was nearby. (ABI)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool - It was fairly quiet in the breezy conditions this afternoon, but the hedges held a group of five Stonechats, three Yellowhammers, 14 Linnets, wo Meadow Pipits, a Cetti's Warbler and two Green Woodpeckers.
Just before reaching the Stilt Pool an Adder crossed the path and, from the bank opposite a distant Short-eared Owl was being mobbed by Carrion Crows as it hunted near the derelict building. The water in the Stilt Pool was high, with just 150 Teal, 20 Wigeon, 25 Lapwings and two Grey Herons on it, plus four Swallows over. (SR)

Later, two Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk were over the reserve, and two Egyptian Geese and three Pied Wagtails were near the poplars. (S&SaH)

Adder at Medmerry (SR)

Tuesday, 1st October: A fairly bright, if cool, morning in a blustery westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Little Gull went west early on, a Sand Martin was among the House Martins and Swallows and there were also two Wheatears about. Full log below. (KT/AH/SR/IP)

(0705-0835hrs) (WNW, F6)

Gannet - 2E, 3W

Shag - 2E

Common Scoter - 9E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 25

Mediterranean Gull - 12os

Little Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 5E, 4W

Swallow - 34

House Martin - 18

Sand Martin - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 62W

Grey Wagtail - 2W

Pied Wagtail - 3W

Wheatear - 2

Wheatear (above), Swallow, Shag & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, six Black-tailed Godwits, eight Avocets and c75 Lapwings were the only waders about this morning, with wildfowl comprising 14 Shelducks, 11 Shovelers and c40 Teal. (AH)

Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: It was busy around the paddocks this morning, with three Whinchats, a Yellow Wagtail, six Stonechats, four Chiffchaffs, a Reed Bunting, a Cetti’s Warbler, a Pied Wagtail, a Lapwing, a Kestrel, and a Green Woodpecker present, with a Sparrowhawk overhead and a Peregrine in the adjacent field.

Along White’s Creek on the rising tide, there was a good selection of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Great Crested Grebes, Little Grebes, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Grey Plovers, Lapwings, Redshanks, Curlews and the Yellow-legged Gull, with a Common Sandpiper and a Grey Wagtail by the sluice, and a Wheatear was along the rocks.

A Kingfisher was on the Breech Pool, a few Swallows and House Martins flew over and seven Cattle Egrets were around the cows. At least 20 Chiffchaffs were in the bushes, along with a dozen Long-tailed Tits, four Reed Buntings, a Reed Warbler and a Song Thrush, whilst a Marsh Harrier was over Owl Copse and a Bar-tailed Godwit was in the harbour near the Halsey’s outfall, and sadly a very sick looking juvenile Gannet was on the water near the wall at high tide. (CRJ/LP/TRH/CT/JDW)

Wheatear (above), Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail, Peregrine, Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit & Pied Wagtail and Lapwing at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A Spoonbill was in the harbour again this morning, with a fair selection of waders including a Greenshank, a Knot, six Bar-tailed Godwits, c40 Grey Plovers and c25 Dunlin, plus the usuals, and there were also at least eight Pintail among the Wigeon and Teal.

Visible migration along the Severals included a Siskin, six Reed Buntings, seven Linnets, 57 Meadow Pipits, a Sand Martin and c30 Swallows and House Martins, whilst at least 50 more of the latter, plus a few Swallows were feeding high over the churchyard.

Also, over 50 Chiffchaffs were spread around the various hedges, with a Spotted Flycatcher, a Whitethroat, half a dozen Blackcaps, four Goldcrests, a Stonechat and a Mistle Thrush also seen, whilst two Water Rails were heard from the Severals. (MRe/AH/KT/IH et al)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Spoonbill, Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: Around the high tide this morning there were 14 Greenshank roosting off Dell Quay, where there was also a Sandwich Tern, which had been plunge diving off the sewage works earlier.

There was a female Shoveler on Fishbourne Mill Pond, too. (RW)

West Itchenor: An Osprey flew south west over the harbour early this afternoon. (PH).

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A possible Quail was seen briefly along the banks this morning, with more normal fare seen including four Dartford Warblers, 14 Stonechats,, four Yellowhammers, six Chiffchaffs, and three Cetti's Warblers.

Also, a Kingfisher, two Ravens, four Pied Wagtails and c50 Meadow Pipits were around the reserve, with ten House Martins, c50 Swallows, a buzzard and a Kestrel going over. (S&SaH)

There wasn't much to add on a return visit this evening except a Greenshank and two marsh Harriers. (S&SaH)