Little Stint

Despite a backlog of admin I needed to do, I got my priorities right and abandoned my post in the matrix and headed out into the field for an impulsive days birding. It was the first nice weather day in weeks with a warm southerly breeze and a mid-morning high tide so I headed over to East Side . Fortune favours birds-above-work and indeed I had 87 species of 7125 individuals with highlights including the first 2 Little Stints of the year locally (2 juvs), 8 Curlew Sandpiper (in the roosting flock of 450+ Dunlin and Ringed Plover) a flock of 12 Ruff circling, a late Little-ringed Plover, 2 juv Black Tern, 4 Spoonbill, my first Golden Plovers of the autumn, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank 2 Yellow-legged Gull, singles of Whinchat and Wheatear and some morning vis-mig including 39 Siskin, over 100 Mips, a few Yellow Wagtails and Reed Buntings and most impressive of all was the immense passage and congregation of hirundines - I estimated about 5000 Swallows by mid-morning with birds moving south all morning and gathering in the fields west of Norton and south of the Breach Pool. At one point a Hobby was mowing through them and three Marsh Harriers were circuling in the thermals with them too. Ebird list HERE.

It was a pretty epic day on the whole Peninsula today with thousands of migrants around- see the Selsey Peninsula blog for the full news HERE. 

I'm now on 182 for the local patch year list HERE. The Peninsula is on 212 for the year (which Ian says is the annual average for the whole year so we are ahead of target) and Bart, the lead lister is on 201 with a record to beat of 208 so looking good this year for a possible recording breaking year- fingers crossed.  

Juv Curlew Sandpiper- one of eight birds present including at least one adult 

Two juv Spotted Redshank with Little Egret

Juv Little Stint 

Spoonbills

The first Golden Plovers of the autumn 

The wader roost at Pagham spit is getting pretty impressive with about 245 Dunlin and 225 Ringed Plover present. I only had 2 Knot

Mid-autumn is now officially here with the arrival of Lunar Underwings at the beginning of this week and last night there were the first Sallows- Sallow (above) and Centre-barred Sallow (below). The trap is about 80 per cent Large Yellow Underwing at the moment (about to 100 individuals). 

Obsidentify couldn't make it's mind up if this was a Neglected Rustic- will wait to see what the CMR says

Birthday tick

Andrew found a juv/first-winter Grey Phalarope at Honer Reservoir today which was handy as it was my birthday so after we finished brunch at the Ivy in Chichester I went out on a birthday twitch which luckily was successful. Now on 199 for the Peninsula. Thanks Andrew for the best present of the day.  Looking forward to see what the 200th bird will be.

The moth trap was lively again this morning with a good number of migrants. Highlights were two Convolvulus Hawkmoths and a Red Underwing. I thought my number had come in when I first saw the Underwing as the strong fork-lightning cross line led to me think it might be a Rosy Underwing but alas after checking the underwing and the other forewing markings it was not to be. Still on top of the wish list.  

Juv/first-winter Grey Phalarope. There's been quite an influx of these recently across the region with 28 entries into Birdguides today HERE, mainly in the west and multiple birds at some sites including up to 6 at Portland and also one at Beddington too. The westerly bias implies an arrival in the west due to the intense Atlantic storm weather over the last few weeks which has also been linked to the big arrival of Balearic Shearwaters locally too. 

Convolvulus Hawkmoth and Red Underwing 

Wryneck

I got in an evening session at Church Norton, mainly looking for storm blown birds but fortunately stumbled across the Wryneck that has been around in the area for a few days. Other highlights included 2 Spoonbill, the juv Curlew Sandpiper and 8 Sanderling. Ebird list HERE. Now on 198 for the new local patch. 

There was a significant influx of moth migrants last night. The south westerly wind seems to be drawing up air from further south now with temperatures set to increase over the next couple of days so hopefully the migration wave keeps up. 

Wryneck

Sanderlings

Migrant totals were: 2 Convolvulus Hawkmoths (above), 2 L-album Wainscot, 4 Olive-tree Pearl, 6 Pearly Underwing, 5 Scarce-bordered Straw, 4 Delicate, 3 Clancy's Rustic, 2 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Dark Spectacle, 1 White-point, 1 Acrobasis tumidana (below), 1 Silver-Y, 10 Rush Veneer.

A good showing of Pearly Underwing

Frosted Orange- stunner

Wryneck, The Severals, Pagham Harbour

Bulgaria Project Update

Got our first accommadation on our Bulgaria plot with the caravan now being moved into position. Thanks Dimiter and Giorgi! Will do a makeover on this like we did with the one at the Lodge HERE.

All ready now to get a ringing station set up and more in the way of noc-mig and vis-mig. Will be great to be able to spend the nights here now too. 

BACKGROUND TO PROJECT

Back on the Peninsula

Been back a few days and mainly been catching up with work but managed to get out locally birding a couple of times. There's been a major influx of Balearic Shearwaters offshore over last few days and a juvenile Long-tailed Skua has been hanging around. A quick seawatch with Jacob and Ian on Saturday scored the skua and a single Balearic HERE and I did a longer session this morning which was basically a repeat HERE with the Long-tailed Skua still around a few other bits and bobs in a force 7 southwesterly. All the latest news from Selsey Bill as usual on the excellent blog: Birding the Selsey Peninsula. 

This afternoon I did a quick check of Church Norton- a juv Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spoonbill and a Spot Fly were the highlights HEREafter which I had to pick up Jacob so checked out Birdham Pool quickly- 34 Little Grebes were the highlight there HERE

There was a calm interlude on Sunday morning and I did a garden watch which wasn't bad with a Spotted Flycatcher being mobbed a female-type Redstart on the lane and a few Siskins, Mips and Yellow Wagtails going over HERE.

Long-tailed Skua is a local lifer for me so now on 197 all time and 178 for the year. 

Juvenile Arctic Skuas (above and below) past the Bill 

Juv Black Tern battling into the storm this morning 

Juv Curlew Sand (right) with juv Dunlin

Juv Barwit

Little Grebes at Birdham Pool- an autumn gathering site. 34 today

Been using the van as a hide in these rather appalling conditions

Biggest news round here since I've been back is that our ducks are finally laying eggs (after about six months). Looks like we've got one female and two males and the jury is still out on the goose. 

Azores Project Update

It's been a busy couple of weeks. while Kojak and I were out in Bulgaria, Vincent was leading the 2025 Azores Pelagic and we also published the latest rarities report. 

Report link HERE

Full update on the Azores Pelagic later, checklist from main day on the Bank of Fortune from Hugo HERE and updates from Vince HERE

Project website HERE

AZORES WILDLIFE

Bulgaria project, Moths and Butterflies Update

Following this week's visit to the Bulgaria project, the site lep list is now on 409 species HERE.

A few photo highlights below:

Moth of the trip was Hypotia massilialis

Another highlight was this stunning little emerald- Microlaxia herbaria

The rather stunning Pyrausta castalis

Small Marbled 

Viper's Bugloss Moth, Ethmia bipunctella

Euxoa temera

Mythimna riparia

Devonshire Wainscot

Dysauxes famula- one of the most common and distinctive moths at the project site

Acorn Moth, Blastobasis glandulella

Pyralis Regalis- another regular and distintive moth at the site

Another regular -Stemmatophora brunnealis

Dumeril's Rustic- another classic local moth

I presumed these were Scarce-striped Grass Veneer but there appears to be more than one Ancylolomia

Gymnancyla hornigi- another regular species

The Passenger- the only way to get in on this year's UK influx is to cheat

Scarce Black Arches- seperating these from worn Kent Black Arches wasn't so easy 

Two species of Belted Veneers, Euchromius are present- bella (above) and ocellea (Belted Grass-Veneer). 

Black-spot Chestnut 

Bulgaria, September 2025, Day Six

Sadly it's out last day today. We did a morning session around the village HERE, new trip ticks included Rook, Honey Buzzard and Black Kite. 

I spent the rest of the day doing a bit of work on the plot, cutting back the trees to get the caravan in and doing some final work on the pond. 

Final trip report HERE. 131 species in 6 days staying locally is not too bad but migration has been pretty slow in the hot, dry and north east wind conditions. We've added three new species to the local Ebird hotpsot HERE- Capsian Tern, Middle Spotted Woodpecker and Wood Warbler. 

Will post seperately on the Leps. Site list now on 409 (awaiting verification) HERE.

Adult Red-breasted Flycatcher- about 30 or so of these around the village and we had six around the pond this morning 

There's also 30-35 Red-backed Shrikes around showing a lot of variation. This was the palest bird we had

A single kettle of raptors were thermalling over the village including 2 dark juv Honey Buzzard (above and below), Common Buzzard (below that), Black Kite (keep going down) and an Osprey with a few Levants, a couple of Hobby, two Marsh Harrier and a Red-footed Falcon. Very nice indeed! 

Had this distinctive moth on the edge of the village- a lifer whatever it is. Update 130925- it's a Feathered Footman