The spotlight of the weekend ofcourse was the Pallid Swift from yesterday morning (HERE) however there have been a few different good ins and outs too. Along with the Swift on the Selsey Invoice Seawatch we additionally had a Merlin fly west and I had my first Nice Northern Divers of the autumn and some different seabirds on the transfer HERE. Within the afternoon yesterday I made a decision to attempt the Medmerry Path Sewage works for the Swift however it began raining so I went to the Ferry conceal as an alternative which was fortuitous as a cracking first-winter Gray Phalarope appeared for about 20 minutes. Earlier on within the day I additionally had Noticed Redshank, 3 Avocet and a pair of Inexperienced Sandpiper on the pool HERE.
This morning I did a backyard birdwatch earlier than we went smashing pumpkins with the youngsters, the highlights being a Fieldfare and some Redwings and a Moorhen calling from the ditch and a Curlew flying over someplace calling HERE. This afternoon I sneaked out for a few hours and did Church Norton and west facet till nightfall and had 59 species of over 2000 people with the shock of two Curlew Sandpipers feeding within the channel earlier than flying west over my head calling. There have been additionally 3 Marsh Harriers and a Bar-tailed Godwit amongst the standard crowd HERE. I additionally had a ‘White Wagtail’ amongst a flock of Pieds within the subject by the church.
As hoped for there was an inflow of moth migrants in the identical wind that produced the Pallid Swift however it’s been a bit low key (about 20 species of about 50 people) with the highlights being 2 Gems, 2 Pearly Underwing, upto 10 Rusty-dot Pearls, a few Rush Veneer and a single Delicate. The deep southerlies resume from Tuesday with a extra extended interval of North African/Iberian air so it might be a really fascinating week forward.
Pallid Swift
First-winter Gray Phalarope on Ferry. Gray Phal and Pallid Swift in the identical day- actually the very best day of the autumn.
Curlew Sandpipers overhead
Juv Noticed Redshank on Ferry
Juv Marsh Harrier- 3 birds this night included 2 juvs and a second-cycle male
Gem
Pearly Underwing
