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!:

Yellow-Legged Gulls

Seawatching has been incredibly slow the last few weeks at Selsey so not really much to report there. Let's see if the higher sea temperatures lead to another fine autumn of shearwaters. It was a bit better off Southwold early in the week where at least c.150 Common Scoter and a good mix of terns were entertaining.

A look this morning at the Bill was short and not sweet as it was dead offshore, although three Sand Martins went east; Church Norton was likewise slow bar a few Sandwich Terns out on the mud.

The east side of Pagham Harbour was a bit more cheery though with two fairly close adult Yellow-legged Gulls close in and another further out towards the spit. Surprisingly no sign of any Purple Hairstreaks in the scrag oaks but there were a few Essex Skippers along the path towards the lagoon.

A few Little Terns were off the spit and c.12 Common Terns and c.3 Sandwich Terns inc. a juvenile were about as well.

Yellow-legged Gull & Common Tern in with gull sp. inc. a few Mediterranean Gulls at the east side plus Essex Skipper:

I've been meaning to mention a Ring-necked Parakeet that's been present at Oving for a few days now, there used to be a lot here in the 90s but this is the first for quite a while!

Southwold

 A short trip to Southwold didn't yield a great deal but a few standard seabirds were noted and a Green Sandpiper was on the marshes.

A few nice plants around as well, Sea Holly, Thistle & Cinquefoil