13th -15th October 2024

Tuesday, 15th October:  A dry day forecast with a misty start...light winds from the easterly quarter strengthening later...

Selsey Bill: Still some auk movement this morning, Meadow Pipits heading east and a big feeding flock of Black-headed, Mediterranean and Herring Gulls feeding offshore.
(0740-0910hrs) (E F3) (SR/P&LH) Full log below:
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 5E, 6W, 8os
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 5W
Wood Pigeon - 30E
Turnstone - 10
Dunlin - 16E
Mediterranean Gull - 3W, 30os
Razorbill - 77E, 32os
auk sp. - 33E
Swallow - 31E
Meadow Pipit - 210E
Pied Wagtail - 11E
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldfinch - 29E
Linnet - 41E
Common Seal - 1os

(0925-1125hrs) (OM) There was a flurry of eastward auk activity - those identified all being Razorbills - which continued until about 1100hrs. A good search of the gardens and area was not fruitful, producing just three Chiffchaffs. Log below:

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os, flew E

Gannet - 13os, 5E

Brent Goose - 1E, 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 26E

Sandwich Tern - 1E

Razorbill - 570E

auk sp - 225E

Swallow - 13E

Skylark - 1N

Meadow Pipit - 6E

Chiffchaff - 3

Goldfinch - 25

Razorbills heading east past the Bill and Mediterranean Gull (OM)

Waders passing the Bill, top two, and Gannet (LH)

Ferry Pool: A lot of sleeping birds on the pool today, 15 Avocet, 26 Shoveler, 41 Black-tailed Godwits, 38 Shelduck, 39 Teal and 21 Wigeon. a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Stonechat, along with seven Greenfinches, were also in the area. The Greenshank was again tucked away in Red Barn Ditch, seven Chiffchaffs and two Cetti's Warblers were around the tramway which was otherwise on the quiet side. (SR/P&LH)

Shelduck, Black-headed Gulls, Redshank, Shovelers and Avocets at the Ferry (SR)

Church Norton: Fourteen Brent Goose were in the harbour this morning along with eight Wigeon and six Pintail whilst waders included a Whimbrel 65 Redshank, four Grey Plovers and three Curlews. There were again Red-legged Partridges near the chapel with 15 noted and the churchyard also held a Jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker and a Kestrel. Sixteen Swallows flew over as did a Pied Wagtail and three Meadow Pipits, three Chiffchaffs were in the hedges and two Mediterranean Gulls were in the harbour. (P&LH)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, above, Great Crested Grebe & Grey Heron at Church Norton (LH)

Dell Quay: There were eight Greenshanks on the margins at mid-morning along with six Redshanks, three Turnstones and two Lapwings. A Kestrel was in the area and 18 Pied Wagtail and a Yellow Wagtail were on the fields as were four Stock Doves. The Mute Swan horde numbered 75 and a Grey Heron was fishing in the channel. (P&LH)

Greenshanks, above, Yellow & Pied Wagtails at Dell Quay (LH)

North Wall: Late afternoon at the wall, a Little Owl was in the willow at Little Welbourne, and four Stonechats, three Chiffchaffs and a Green Woodpecker were in the paddock. A Raven was in the trees further back and a Kestrel was hunting over the fields. Along White’s Creek, two Spotted Redshanks were with the regular selection of Redshanks, Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings, Curlews, Wigeon and Teal, and a Yellow-legged Gull was out on the mud. (LP)

Little Owl and Stonechats at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool: Two Buzzards, a Marsh Harrier, a Merlin and two Kestrels were the raptors about the reserve this evening. Along the banks were three Cetti's Warblers, a Dartford Warbler, a Goldcrest, three Yellowhammers and a Pied Wagtail whilst Stonechat numbers had dropped to four. (SaH/SH)

Monday, 14th October:  .A very damp start with heavy rain first thing...clearing to showers throughout the day....winds from the south...

Selsey Bill: (0740-0840hrs) (SSE F5) (SR/BI) There were a few Gannets around offshore this morning but in general it was a quiet morning in inclement conditions.

Full log below:
Brent Goose - 5E
Common Scoter - 4E
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Gannet - 9E, 30W, 16os
Turnstone - 11
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2os
auk sp. - 12E
Razorbill - 4E, 4os
Swallow - 4E
Pied Wagtail - 4E

Gannets & Great Black-backed Gull at the BIll (BI)

Church Norton: There were four Chiffchaffs in the churchyard this morning along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker and a Jay. A group of Pestle Puffball fungi was also noted here. In the fields to the rear were c.10 Red-legged Partridges and five Curlews and a Kingfisher was opposite the hide. (BI)

Red-legged Partridges, Kingfisher & Pestle Puffball at Church Norton (BI)

Ferry Pool: One side of the pool was occupied by the cattle but there were still a few birds roosting, avoiding the high tide. Forty-seven Black-tailed Godwits, 13 Avocets, 6 Shelduck, 30 Teal, 20 Wigeon, 22 Lapwings, and a Little Egret were present, with a flock of 75 Jackdaw on the field and a Cetti's Warbler calling from the bushes. (SR)

Avocets at the Ferry (SR)

North Wall: A Grey Wagtail, four Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, a Meadow Pipit, a Greenfinch, and a flock of 30 Goldfinches were around the paddock this morning, a Kestrel was in the nearby trees, and c50 Swallows passed overhead. Out in the harbour around high tide, four Pintails were with the Wigeon, and a few Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Redshanks and Lapwing were on the saltmarsh, with 4 Common Seals on the far bank, and on the Breech Pool, six Teal were with the usual Mallards and Coots. (LP)

Teal, above, Seals, Grey Wagtail & Pintail at the North Wall (LP)

Mill Lane Marsh Area: Not surprisingly the marsh is now more of a duck pond, complete with Mallards, Coots and Moorhens and a single Shoveler, Little Grebe and Grey Heron were the only notable waterbirds. Also seen were two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a pair of noisy Mistle Thrushes, a Cetti's Warbler, a Stonechat, three Goldcrests, four Stock Doves, two Chiffchaffs, two flocks of Long-tailed Tits and a satellite tagged and ringed Curlew. (SR)

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Mill Lane (SR)

Medmerry Trail: An unsubstantiated report of a Wryneck along the trail seen by a visiting birder was made to the RSPB centre today (per AT)

Sunday, 13th October:  A chilly start in NNW F3 winds...some sunny spells but mainly overcast...the possibility of showers later..

Selsey Bill: The first Redpolls of the autumn flew over this morning and there were other  finches moving including Siskins and Goldfinches; there was also the first 1000+ movement of Wood Pigeons  Offshore, distant auks were passing, mainly to the east, and two distant grey goose sp. also went east.

(0650-1000hrs) (NNW F3) (SH/BI/SR) Full log below;
Brent Goose - 9W

grey goose sp. - 2E

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Kestrel - 1

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 2W 1ob

Turnstone - 34

Mediterranean Gull - 4W 20os

Sandwich Tern - 1W

auk sp. 449E

Guillemot - 1E

Razorbill - 125E

Stock Dove - 25W

Wood Pigeon - 1625W

Skylark - 2W

Swallow - 32E

House Martin -30E

Meadow Pipit - 16W

Pied Wagtail - 74W

Yellow Wagtail - 8W

Magpie - 17W

Chiffchaff - 1

Linnet - 18W

Redpoll - 2W

Siskin - 10W

Goldfinch - 106W

Wood Pigeons & Pied Wagtails at the Bill (BI)

Ferry Pool: There were 21 Avocets on the pool early on but otherwise it was just the regular mix of Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck & Lapwing plus a Little Grebe. (BI)

Teal, above, & Avocets at the Ferry (BI)

Church Norton: Highlights this morning included the Spoonbill, out in the harbour mainly asleep, a Wheatear on the concrete, a Brambling over and plenty of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks along the spit. There were also 37 Siskin noted, 26 Goldfinches, five Linnets, seven Pied Wagtails and 49 Swallows. (BI/RJS et al) The Spoonbill was still present this afternoon and ten Stonechats were along the beach. (GW/AW)

Wheatear, above, Green Woodpecker & Meadow Pipit at Church Norton (BI)

Around mid-day, a Barnacle Goose (or possible hybrid?) was offshore at the second Several. (HK)

Barnacle Goose at Church Norton (HK)

North Mundham: A Coal Tit was in a garden here today. (MJ)

Coal Tit video (MJ)

North Wall: Two Dartford Warblers were in the gorse at Halsey’s Farm this morning and three Swallows flew over, there were lots of Long-tailed Tits in the bushes along the wall, together with two Chaffinches, a Greenfinch and a Song Thrush, and 22 Meadow Pipits flew off the fields. A Rock Pipit was along the rocks, and four Spotted Redshanks were in White’s Creek with the usual mix of Wigeon, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Lapwings and Curlews, and a Kingfisher flew out from the sluice. There was a lot going on around the paddock, with six Stonechats, a Meadow Pipit, three Reed Buntings, a Cetti’s Warbler, two Pied Wagtails,18 Goldfinches and a Wren in the bushes, a Sparrowhawk was close by, and three Marsh Harriers were over the reeds further back. (LP/MJa/MRi/JDW)

Wigeon, above, Dartford Warbler, Rock Pipit, Long-tailed Tit, Stonechat with Reed Bunting & Sparrowhawk at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry East Lane to the Stilt Pool: There were still at least 30 Stonechats along the banks this afternoon and also three Yellowhammers, four Dartford Warblers , a Reed Warbler and two Chiffchaffs. Two Buzzards were overhead and four Kestrels were noted, a Greenshank was by the sluice and eight Golden Plover flew over the reserve. Three Swallows, two Pied Wagtails and two Grey Wagtails were the best of the visible migration. A Dunlin and a Snipe were on the Stilt Pool and two Wheatears were nearby. (SaH/SH)

Greenshank, Kestret and Wheatear at Medmerry (SaH)