Pied Wheatear at Seaford

With not much going on in the local area I decoded on a nice trip out on Friday morning to try for the now long-staying Pied Wheatear at Seaford's Splash Point. A good run down there found me first on site and the bird duly oblige after about 20 minutes! It continued to show well around the ruins at the end of the esplanade, along with two or three Black Redstarts and a scattering of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, for at least 45 minutes, vet nice little bird. I liked the area so a spring seawatch here rather than Selsey is very much on the cards..!

Orchard Marsh Tit

 A Marsh Tit was with a mixed flock in the orchard this morning, only the second record in thirty years at least here, so exciting! Also a Firecrest in the flock, bonus!

199: Black-necked Grebes

 A trip to East Head, thanks AJ on the Hayling side for heads up, found the two Black-necked Grebes offshore at Chichester Harbour mouth this morning, 199 for the Selsey Peninsula area for the year and the first of the year here (wait for it...😂😂😂)....

 So come on then Goosander, Snow Bunting, SEO, Bullfinch of Caspian Gull. Where art thou?? What if any of these. let's not get complacent, will be 200????

Out & About

The seawatching has been generally dire with the ever present high pressure doing no favours but there have been a few birds around otherwise. 

Circa ten Hawfinches at Rewell Wood was nice as were the Firecrests and Marsh Tits on the wat up to Sherwood Rough, plenty of Redwings here too...a Hawfinch flew over at home as well.

Also managed to get Hawfinch onto my Peninsula list, ticked Water Pipit, Brambling and Bearded Tit for the year there and saw the four Black Redstarts at the Selsey caravan park. Still looking for Bullfinch, Short-eared Owl & Snow Bunting, or indeed anything else, to get to 200 on the Selsey Peninsula for the year, be a nice way to bow out...

Yellow-browed Warbler

Unfortunately not prolonged views of the Yellow-browed Warbler for me at Church Norton this morning but enough to be happy with in a short gap between produce packing...!

Small Mottled Willow

 A Small Mottled Willow was in the moth trap along with a few smart Black Rustics. Bird-wise little going on other than a few Grey Wagtails & Meadow Pipits moving over Oving and I suppose c.20 Chiffchaffs around the farm-the east coast seems full of birds after benign winds in that quarter with the south & west is the poor relation at the moment-will keep on looking for a Yellow-browed Warbler but no luck so far!!

Cattle Egrets

 A look for a pair of Mandarin Ducks at South Mundham didn't turn them up but c.60 Cattle Egrets and c.40 young Mallards were in the area.

At Rectory Lane and thereabouts c.100 Red-legged Partridges were on the fields, about to meet the firing squad of doom no doubt, and, at Selsey Bill, a Spotted Flycatcher was with the Chiffchaffs at Grafton Road.

At Mill Lane Marsh a Greenshank was present early on a couple of Stonechats were at Halsey's Farm where a Hobby went over.

Cattle Egrets: Mallards (hopefully not bred to be shot!); Red-legged Partridges: Spotted Flycatcher & Chiffchaff:

Spotted Flycatcher vs Red Admiral

 Highlights at the Bill early morning on Friday were a Snipe, scarce here, flushed from the Oval Field on approach and a showy Sparrowhawk on the wall. Saturday found plenty of hirundines massing here and two Arctic Skuas went west but vizmig was slow. A good look round Golf Links Lane, Flycatcher Corner and Chainbridge didn't turn much up other than masses of Chiffchaffs, two Whinchats and half a dozen Stonechats, a late Swift and a Spotted Flycatcher eating a Red Admiral.

Sparrowhawk; Swallows, Sand Martins & House Martins; Spotted Flycatcher with deceased butterfly!

Quay side

 Another walk along Sidlesham Quay and onto Owl Point and Halsey's Farm at Pagham this morning and unfortunately it remains quiet here, just a Great White Egret, a few Cattle Egrets and singles of Tree Pipit & Yellow Wagtail to report.

There was no repeat of the Sabine's Gull at Selsey Bill with a few Black Terns and two Arctic Skuas being the best of it while I was there. 

Sabine's Gull & Red-backed Shrike

 An immature type Sabine's Gull was at Selsey Bill this morning, found by me for a change, sometimes just sometimes those early morning mooches do pay off!

At Church Norton it was good to catch up with good views of the stunning adult male Red-Backed Shrike.

Sabine's Gull, Red-backed Shrike & Field Mushroom:

O Mill Lane Marsh there were a couple of Greenshanks and another was by crab sluice along Sidlesham Quay. A party of six Blackcaps went along the hedges here and two Spotted Flycatchers were by the footpath sign. Plenty of Field Mushrooms out at Owl Point as well.

Eiders

 A look at East Head on Friday produced six or maybe seven Eider offshore at low water, c.100 Swallows and a handful of Sand & House Martins over plus a few Tree Pipits (exceptional year for these) and Yellow Wagtails. Also around c,.150 Common & Sandwich Terns offshore, c.320 Mediterranean Gulls, two Wheatears, a Willow Warbler, 20 Linnets and a few Whitethroats. On the creek were 25 Black tailed Godwits.

Common & Sandwich Terns, Eider & Wheatear:

Balearic Shearwater & Osprey

Not a great deal to report over the last couple of weeks, a Balearic Shearwater west was the best of the bunch in August at Selsey Bill and a scattering of autumn migrants was also seen on the Peninsula.

Little Egret & Osprey at Selsey Bill, four Green Sandpipers on Mill Lane Marsh

Tree Pipit etc.

Had more luck with Tree Pipits today with five present in Church Norton churchyard, also a Stonechat by the hide, plenty of Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers & Garden Warbler. A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was also noted, in the harbour.

Tree Pipit & Whitethroat:

Pied Flycatcher/Wood Sand

Had no luck today for Tree Pipit which I need for this year's Peninsula list but fortunately SR found a nice Pied Flycatcher at, appropriately enough, Flycatcher corner so that was one year tick.

A look at Mill Lane (not Pond that's next door!) Marsh found MRe's Wood Sandpiper and at least a couple of Green Sandpipers still present.

Pied Flycatcher & Wood Sandpiper:

Devon & Cornwall

 A trip to Devon started with a pelagic out of Falmouth in poor weather conditions-another top tip: sit on right side of boat otherwise views are limited. Saw a few things though: Great, Cory's, Balearic, Sooty, Manx Shearwaters, Storm Petrel Arctic Skua (crew tried to call as Long-tailed but I wouldn't have it!) didn't do much for my popularity but it is what it is.

Some pics by a photographer on board:

https://x.com/old_caley/status/1823227560257372224?s=46

A couple of seawatches in Devon didn't produce much at all other than a few more Manx and a single Great Shearwater off Start Point-preferred Prawle Point though much nicer place.

A seawatch on the Lizard produces the following for me in seven hours:

Wilson's past at 0800hrs, 5000 Manx likely massive undercount. Only counted positive IDs.

Black Tern

 Interesting tern at the Bill today appeared to be standard Black Tern but with greyer sides, uniform saddle and grey underwings...but i guess not American?? 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

Black Tern: (courtesy PA):

Semipalmated Sandpiper

 A Semipalmated Sandpiper at Church Norton found by AW was initially called/identified as a Little Stint...so I didn't go and see did I as I didn't need LS for the year... error! 

Anyway, after a trio of visits (and a very patient son) eventually good and prolonged scope views were had of the adult (I'm told) bird. Nowhere near as close as the Titchfield bird but a fine Peninsula and Sussex tick for me.

Semipalmated Sandpiper:

Great White Egret

Another poor day at Selsey Bill with only a flock of c.30 Common Scoter offshore of note. Along the east side at Pagham were most of the Sussex birding community plus a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull and two Curlew Sandpipers at the far end; four more of the latter from the sluice makes six present in the area altogether if my maths is correct (one more at Church Norton yesterday could be seven I suppose!).

Having missed the Great White Egret on the Breech Pool a few times it was good to see it back today.

Common Scoter, LBB Gull, YL Gull, Curlew Sands, Grey Heron & GWE and GWE Nessie impression today:

Moths this morning included our first Bulrush Wainscott and a Pebble Hook-Tip:

Hornets & Moths

Selsey Bill was very very poor this morning, nothing of note in two or so hours...a look for the Caspian Gull on the east side was also unproductive so gave up and went back to work on the farm. 

Highlights of the day were two (European) Hornets in the moth trap plus a Least Carpet & a Ghost Moth.

Least Carpet, Ghost Moth and the Hornet twins!

Curlew Sandpipers

 Having missed the Curlew Sandpipers at the east side of Pagham earlier in the week due to endless work an early start was in order today. A look at the Breech Pool first thing produced three Green Sandpipers & three Spotted Redshanks whilst by the sluice were three Common Sandpipers. So for the main event... a wander down the east side produced no less the three moulting summer plumage Curlew Sandpipers and, in fact, four were seen together after I left.

Curlew Sandpipers & Green Sandpiper at the North Wall:

Wheatear

The first Wheatear of the "autumn" was a nice find at Selsey Bill this morning along with three Common Sandpipers together and a Sanderling on the beach; two Sparrowhawks way offshore was also unusual. 

At Church Norton little of note other than a Mistle Thrush in the churchyard and a Lesser Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler along the hedges. 

Yesterday, two pale-phase Arctic Skuas were offshore at the Bill and I also picked out a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull in the feeding flock. 

Wheatear & Mistle Thrush:

Pectoral Sandpiper & Medmerry

 A WhatsApp message alerted me to a Pectoral Sandpiper at Pagham Harbour, on the east side, found by MRe. A quickish dash down there found it in the company of the local birders out on the mud with c.20 Dunlin showing pretty well in the scope; the bird was an adult, the only one I've seen as it's usually juveniles we get in the locality (although the ones at Lidsey might have been adults too I can't remember!).

Pectoral Sandpiper on the east side:

At Medmerry on Friday, the best I could manage on the Stilt Pool was a Common Sandpiper and a surprise Rock Pipit was along the shoreline; a brief Dartford Warbler was the best of the rest.

Common Sandpiper & Rock Pipit at Medmerry:

Bright Wave & Quail

I was in several minds of where to go this morning but the overcast weather didn't look great for woodland butterflies so gave Medmerry another bash. Target species was a moth called Bright Wave a rare species formerly known from just a couple of sites in Kent but present on the banks at Medmerry for a few years now.

Turning left onto the banks from East Lane car park I almost immediately found 3-4 Bright Wave whizzing along in the breeze-difficult to photo but eventually managed a few snaps-bit of a fluke but pleased I was!

A cycle further down towards Ham just turned up a few Skylarks, Stonechats, Linnets and Reed Warblers but fortunately a WhatsApp message pinged with news of a singing Quail near the Earnley end of the reserve. Scooting down there I found a large RSPB group and SH/SaH on site and heard the Quail three times, my first of the year and number 183 for the year on the Selsey Peninsula.

Heading back, I noticed it was high tide (even at the poplars) and a quick scan here picked up the juvenile Yellow-legged Gull that was present a few days ago-unexpected bonus! Not a bad day all in all.

Bright Wave, Skylark and the worst picture of a juv Yellow-legged Gull ever taken!: