4th - 6th October 2015

Tuesday, 6th October: Not quite as wet as predicted, but a blustery south-easterly and plenty of heavy cloud made a mild but grey morning....

Selsey Bill (0745-0945hrs): Cloudy after showers, SSE4-5. (Obs: OM/AH/CRJ/JD/DS)
An Arctic Skua went west at around 7.50am and some immature Shags went east, almost along the strandline, two Razorbills came in from the west to land on the sea, but otherwise virtually the only thing moving was Gannets, with 150+, virtually all going east. Log below.....

Gannet - 185E, 7W
Shag - 8E
Common Scoter - 2E
Arctic Skua - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 8E
Razorbill - 2 os
Kestrel - 1 over gardens/beach
Meadow Pipit - 38E
Swallow - 7 out S

Shag (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Selsey area: Northcommon farm - a fairly thorough search of the area failed to produce anything out of the ordinary and small birds were few in the blustery conditions. However one observer was lucky enough to locate a Firecrest (GJ) but otherwise there were just a few Chiffchaffs and six Goldcrests (OM/JD/DS/GJ)

Warner Lane paddocks/area - there were 4 Snipe, 4 Chiffchaffs, around 10 Meadow Pipits and a Stonechat (OM).
 

Meadow Pipit at Warner Lane paddocks (OM)
 

East beach pool: Seven Chiffchaffs and three Goldcrests were the best on offer (OM).

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The White-fronted Goose was still present today and there was a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper about, though otherwise it was pretty quiet. (RJS)
 

Ferry Pool: The Curlew Sandpiper was still present with about twenty Dunlin, as was a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and two Green Sandpipers, though Avocet numbers had risen to eleven birds. Otherwise there were still c25 Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Lapwing, five Shelduck and plenty of Teal. (CRJ/AH)

Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlins (above), Avocets & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

 

Church Norton: Generally very quiet in the strong south-easterly wind, though a Hobby over the Severals was unexpected, whilst 3 Buzzards were more regular. and 4 Roe Deer were present. A Whimbrel was in the harbour and 5 Mediterranean Gulls offshore, but there were far fewer waders about than yesterday, bar a few Curlew and Redshank, and hardly any activity in the bushes bar the odd fleeting Chiffchaff or Blackcap. (AH/CRJ)

Hobby (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 5th October: A real change in the weather as expected; suddenly feeling distinctly more autumnal with rain, heavy cloud and a strong Southerly wind......

On a different note, may I just post a note here to ask you to help me to help the RSPB.... to cut a long story short, I was persuaded to do a bit of collecting and recycling of materials which are then sold to raise funds on their behalf. Trouble is, I've got a 10 kg sack to fill (!), so if you have any old mobile phones, cameras, jewellery (cosmetic or otherwise), watches, electronic gadgets, old laptops etc etc ..broken or otherwise.. I would be delighted to receive them to assist the fund raising effort. I shall probably only do this as a one-off, and I am very grateful to those who have already donated, but I'm sure everyone has at least one old mobile, camera or watch knocking about indoors, so why not clear some space and assist a good cause at the same time. Please put your stuff in your car to hand over when you see AH or me, or you can email me on the usual address above to arrange where to leave it...many thanks (OM)

All contributions gratefully received (OM) 

Selsey Bill  (1600 - 1700hrs):  (Obs: SH)
Gannet - 2E, 1W 

Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Brent Goose - 36W
Razorbill - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W   

Ferry Pool: Still plenty of birds about, including the Curlew Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, three Snipe, six Avocets, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and c80 Lapwing, with another 150+ out on the ploughed fields. Also the Grey Wagtail dropped in briefly and there were seven Shelduck, 12 Shoveler and c50 Teal present. (AH)

Curlew Sandpiper (above) & Common Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Several Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were along the hedges, along with a couple of Stonechats, half a dozen each of Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit and a flock of c80 Goldfinches. At least 50 Swallows were feeding low, a Sparrowhawk came out when the rain eased and there were a few Stock Doves on the fields, whilst there were 30+ Redshank, 50+ Teal and 100+ Wigeon in the channel. (AH)

Blackcaps (above), Stonechat, Goldfinch & Stock Dove along the Long Pool(AH)

Church Norton: Just the odd Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the bushes in the rain, whilst in the harbour a Greenshank flew through, a Bar-tailed Godwit was among c40 Black-tailed Godwits, and there were plenty of Grey Plover, Dunlin and Redshank on the dropping tide, along with six Brent Geese and 15 Pintail. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Greenshank & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 4th October: Still sunny, with some cloud and a light E wind... however it seems the spell of fine weather is due to break by the end of the day...

Selsey Bill: (0650-0900hrs) (SH/SR/AH)
Gannet - 6W
Brent Goose - 11W
Sandwich Tern - 6E
Meadow Pipit - 7N
Pied Wagtail - 87E
Swallow - 64E
House Martin - 9E
Chiffchaff - 4 in Bill House garden
Siskin - 68E
Redpoll - 3E
Linnet - 31E
Goldfinch - 12p
Chaffinch - 6E
Greenfinch - 33E
Reed Bunting - 1N after briefly landing

Brent Geese (above) & Reed Bunting at the Bill (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The White-fronted Goose first reported a couple of days ago (per R. Best) gave itself up on the Stilt Pool this morning, in among the Canada Geese. Though not the wariest of birds it wasn't exactly tame either and given the date and the possibility it is last winter's first-year bird it will be presumed wild unless proven otherwise! 

Otherwise it was fairly quiet - two Common Sandpipers and a Dunlin were the only waders present, though there were a couple of Shoveler and plenty of Wigeon and Teal about, plus 20 or more Mediterranean Gulls, whilst along the banks there was a single Wheatear, four Stonechats, five Corn Buntings, a dozen or so Yellowhammers and 50+ Linnets, and the Kingfisher was again by the sluice near the poplars. (SR/AH/BI)

Also the female Hen Harrier was seen again this morning, sat on a fence post out on the reserve. (R. Best) And the Marsh Harrier was also present. (SR)

The White-front was still showing well on the stilt pool  mid-afternoon. One of the Ospreys was on a post In the middle of the reserve eating a large fish and a Kingfisher was near the first sluice (SH).

White-fronted Goose (SR above, others AH) & Wheatear at Medmerry

Osprey at Medmerry (SH)

Selsey: A Sparrowhawk was in our garden on the North of the village. (SH)

Sparrowhawk in a Selsey garden (SH)

North Wall area: There were three Spotted Redshanks in White's Creek, in the company of 46 Redshanks, 50+ Wigeon and two Little Grebes. On the Breech Pool there were 76 Lapwing, 58 Black-tailed Godwits and seven Common Snipe. A few Swallows were passing through and Chiffchaffs were present in most scrubby locations, as were a scattering of Stonechats. 

On Honer reservoir there were 140 Black-headed Gulls, 12 Coot and three Little Grebes, and there were four Stonechats and seven Yellowhammers around the same location were. Altogether there were 11 Stonechats seen. (JDW)

Stonechat (above), Yellowhammer & Lapwing around North Wall (JDW)

Ferry Pool: There were two Greenshank early on, along with the Curlew Sandpiper,  two Common Sandpipers, three Green Sandpipers, c30 Dunlin, six Avocets and the usual Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits, whilst the Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher were again briefly present. Later on this afternoon a Spotted Redshank was also present. (AH)

Greenshanks (above) & Curlew Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Whinchat, a Wheatear and at least four Stonechats were along the beach, though it as generally quiet, with just a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs about, plus a few Swallows overhead and four Skylarks went east along the strandline. There were definitely two Whimbrels in the harbour, though there wasn't much else to report, whilst two Brent Geese flew west offshore. (AH/S&SaH)

Stonechat & Great Spotted Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Breach and Chainbridge areas - It was very quiet around the Breach, with just a Curlew and two Grey Plovers on the mud, though there was a big mixed Linnet and Goldfinch flock of several hundred birds and 50+ Meadow Pipits around the viewpoint.

It was equally quiet around the Chainbridge Field and adhacent areas, though there were a dozen Chiffchaffs and a Reed Bunting in the hedges and a few Skylarks were moving about. (AH)

Linnets (above), Meadow Pipit, Kestrel and a Devil's Coach Horse Beetle at Medmerry (AH)

1st - 3rd October 2015

Saturday, 3rd October: A slight change in the weather, with a lighter breeze, but a lot more cloud.....

Selsey Bill: (0650-0920hrs) (SH/SR)
Gannet - 4E,9W
Brent Goose - 5W
Turnstone - 26p
Mediterranean Gull - 12E, 4W
Sandwich Tern - 5E, 3W
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2E, 1p
Skylark - 2N
Pied Wagtail -  78N/E, 4W, 1p
Meadow Pipit - 149N/E
Swallow - 38N/E, 11p
House Martin - 10N
Chiffchaff - 7 in Bill House garden, further 9 in gardens along the front
Goldfinch - 13p
Siskin - 27E
Chaffinch - 4E
Linnet - 4E 

Selsey - Northcommon Farm: I spent a couple of hours working over the more promising areas, but the bottom line is there wasn't a great deal to be found and nothing unusual - just a dozen or more Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, 6 Goldcrests, a few Siskins and a Redpoll flying over eastwards and a mixed flock of 50 or so Swallows and House Martins. (OM)

Warner Lane paddocks held a Grey Wagtail, 10 Meadow Pipits, 5 Chiffchaffs, a couple of Blackcaps and a very big flock of hirundines swirling around and extending right down to the beach and Coastguard cottages area...estimate about 700 Swallows and 300 House Martins. (OM)

Ferry Pool: Most of yesterday's birds were still present, with the still conditions clearly not shifting the birds around. A Spotted Redshank early on was different, but otherwise the Curlew Sandpiper was still in the company of c30 Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper and three Green Sandpipers were also still present, as were three Snipe, six Avocets, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, c140 Lapwing and eight Shelduck, whilst the Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher both put in typically fleeting visits. (AH)

Curlew Sandpiper with Avocet and Dunlins (above), Snipe, Common Sandpiper & Grey Wagtil on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There may well be two Whimbrel in the harbour, but other waders were in short supply early on. The bushes were quiet, with a dozen or more Blackcaps with a few Chiffchaffs in attendance, and a scattering of Goldcrests being the only birds on show. A Wheatear was on the beach and four Stonechats, including a very young one still begging for food, were along the Severals, where there were also a dozen or more Reed Buntings, but not much else was in evidence. A few dozen Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Swallows were on the wing, but they seemed to be moving about rather than moving through. (AH)

In the afternoon there was more activity... (S&SaH)
1 Osprey watched for 30 mins over harbour (only dived once before moving off west)
2 Hobbys hawking dragonflys around the Severals
5 Buzzards
3 Sparrowhawks
2 Kestrels
1 Snipe
5 stonechats
10 Blackcaps
20+ Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler

Bathing Whimbrel (above), Wheatear, Stonechat, Blackcap & Goldcrest at Church Norton (AH)

 

Medmerry: Breach viewpoint - I met a couple who had seen an Osprey near the Ham area (though I failed to see one!), but otherwise there was not a lot on offer... just a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, a couple of Grey Plover, 2 Wheatears, 2 Stonechat, a handful of Siskins moving east and a Redpoll calling from a small Linnet flock.(OM)

 

Ham - A splendid Marsh Harrier flew low over the field behind the viewpoint, climbing high and disappearing from view toward Ham early afternoon.  Also present was 6 Skylarks, c75 Goldfinches, 4 Stonechats, 3 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards and c30 Swallows on the wires.

Chainbridge - 3 Stonechats, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Kestrels, 1 Whinchat, 2 Stock Doves. (SR)

Friday, 2nd October: ....and still more of the same, with dry conditions, unbroken sunshine, clear skies and a moderate to fresh NE wind. There is however a hint of change due from the weekend onwards with the prospect of rain early next week, which may then prompt a bit of movement on the birding front....

Ferry Pool: The Curlew Sandpiper was still in residence this morning, along with three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, c30 Dunlin, five Avocets, 25 Black-tailed Godwits and c80 Lapwing. The Kingfisher was around again, too, and around 250 Wigeon and 50 Pintail flew over into the harbour, along with half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls. (AH/IL/GB) Later, two Ravens flew east over the harbour (PH)

Kingfisher (above), Common Sandpiper, Pintail & Mediterranean Gull at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: This evening there were five Stonechats along the Severals and 20+ Siskins in amongst the Goldfinch flock in the horse field. Also three Sparrowhawks were about and three Common Scoter and four Brent Geese went west offshore. (S&SaH)

Earlier the Spoonbill was reported present again. (per Birdguides)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool: No sign of the Hen Harrier this morning, and not many migrants about, bar a Whinchat, a Chiffchaff and around 2-300 each of Swallow and House Martin, mostly around the Stilt Pool. There were plenty of the 'winter resident' birds about though, including 200+ Meadow Pipits, 100+ Goldfinch and Linnet, 30+ Skylarks, half a dozen Yellowhammers and thee or four Corn Buntings, plus a pair of Stonechats.
A Kingfisher was by the sluice at the poplars, as were a couple of Green Sandpipers, but the only other waders seen were a fly-over Greenshank, two Snipe, two Redshank in the tidal area and two Common Sandpipers on the Stilt Pool. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Whinchat, Stonechat, House Martins, and with Swallow & Goldfinches at Medmerry (AH)

There was again no sign of the Hen Harrier this evening, though an Osprey was still present out on the reserve. There were 20+ Yellowhammers, a dozen Reed Buntings and three or four Corn Buntings, plus plenty of Linnets and Goldfinches enjoying the evening sun, and four Black-tailed Godwits were on the tidal area. (AH)

Two Ospreys were present mid-afternoon today; an adult and juvenile perched on adjacent posts near the derelict hut, with occasional fishing trips out towards Selsey.(R. Best)

Also, an unconfirmed report of a White-fronted Goose in with the Canada Geese in the Stilt pool.

Yellowhammers at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 1st October: A new month, but more of the same pleasant weather - still dry and breezy but slightly more cloud and less wind than yesterday......

Selsey Bill (0745-1045hrs): Sunny, clear, wind E/NE 3-4  (Obs: OM/C&ME/SR/AH)
Some wildfowl were on the move this morning, but not much else, though there were half a dozen Sandwich Terns and over 150 Mediterranean Gulls around on the low tide. There was not much visible migration on offer, with just a steady, if modest flow of Meadow Pipits and the odd Grey and Pied Wagtail among them. Full log below....
Gannet - 15E, 3W
Brent Goose - 93W
Common Scoter - 6E
Teal - 5W
Wigeon - 22E, 71W, 1os
Sparrowhawk - 1NW
Sandwich Tern - 6E, 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 154 os
Meadow Pipit - 77N/E
Pied Wagtail - 32E, 9N
Grey Wagtail - 2E
Swallow - 20E
Chiffchaff - 4 gardens
Goldfinch - 20N

Sandwich Tern and Mediterranean Gulls (above) & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Selsey, Northcommon Farm: The brisk wind again made passerine-finding less than easy, but fittingly a Spotted Flycatcher was at 'flycatcher corner.' There wasn't much else on offer however... just 6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests and a Grey Wagtail (OM).

Ferry Pool: The Curlew Sandpiper was again present with around 25 Dunlin, and there were also six Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, five Avocets, 30 Black-tailed Godwits and c80 Lapwings on the pool. The Grey Wagtail and a Kingfisher put in brief appearances, and a handful of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails went over, as did a Sparrowhawk. (AH/OM)

Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlins (above), Common Sandpiper & Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was less visible migration than yesterday, though there were still 80 Meadow Pipits, 40 Swallows, 20 Goldfinches, three Reed Buntings and 25 Siskins moving east over the Severals, plus a dozen of the latter appeared out of the trees by the Mound. 

There were at least a dozen Blackcaps around the sheltered hedges by the Mound, and similar of Goldcrest (heard, if not seen), though little else, whilst along the Severals there was a Sedge Warbler, a Whitethroat and another Blackcap. There was very little activity in the harbour on the low tide, save a couple of family groups of Brent Geese that dropped in from the east. (AH)
A Kingfisher later flew right across the churchyard, and also noteworthy were the efforts of Messrs Forbes and Mason, clearing the area around the seat on the top path (near the steps) to open up the vista for everyone, well done boys... (well, they like to feel usefuI and I said I'd give them a mention!) (OM)

Bernie Forbes (left) and Dorian Mason taking a break from their good deeds at Church Norton (OM)

Blackcap (above), Whitethroat, Brent Geese & Redshank at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool:  The highlight this afternoon was undoubtedly a ringtail harrier that regrettably has to go unidentified at present.  However an Osprey was taking full advantage of the reserve's fish stocks, returning to the same post each time.  The water in the Stilt Pool was high and bird numbers had dwindled, the main ones being a Shoveler, 15 Teal, 2 Green Sandpipers, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Wheatears and a Clouded Yellow butterfly.  At the Easton Lane pool only one Garganey was showing along with a Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron and a Swan family.  Also along the track were 3 Whinchat, 4 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Yellowhammers, 4 Kestrels and a Buzzard (SR)

Later on the harrier was on show again, and it would seem most likely to be a Hen Harrier, though light and range didn't help - see bad pics below! Other birds not seen earlier included a Kingfisher, a Spotted Redshank flying around, a Greenshank and lots of Linnets coming in to roost. (S&SaH/AH)

Hen Harrier at Medmerry (SH above & AH)