The weather for Monday was quiet calm first thing and I thought this might make a change to birding on the coast so I went early to Selsey starting birding at 6am and I was the only one there for over an hour. When I got out of the car a Yellow Wagtail was flying around calling and a few House Martins were above the field. A very large gull flock had congregated offshore in the hundreds and mostly Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls with around 30 Mediterranean Gulls, but at the back of the flock there were 4 Common Terns plus a single Black Tern. I heard then saw a Tree Pipit head over and a little while later 4 together calling before heading out to sea. The hirundine flock built up with mainly House Martins but also a few Sand Martin, Swallow and 2 Swift. A Little Tern was seen offshore and other additions were Sparrowhawk, Sanderling, Fulmar, Shag and a Wheatear. It turned into a fairly productive session. Into Church Norton and a flurry of activity in the churchyard produced 5 more Tree Pipit and singles of Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and a very brief Spotted Flycatcher. There was little showing behind the hide but a report of an Osprey in the harbour had us walking down the West side path, where the Osprey had taken off from its sitting position and was fishing in the channels in the harbour. I went to Sidlesham, where the small marsh in Mill Lane had just the right amount of mud for waders which included a Wood Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpipers, Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwit.
I finished at the Ferry Pool, where the Semipalmated Sandpiper was visible at the far end.
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| Wheatear |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Tree Pipit |
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| Lesser Whitethroat |
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| Osprey |
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| Wood Sandpiper |
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| distant Semipalmated Sandpiper |
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