Up a gear

The migration went up a gear today. I started off at the Bill HERE with highlights including a Redpoll in-off (year tick), a female Eider west, 86 Whimbrel, 95 Bar-tailed Godwit, 6 Turnstone, a Dunlin and 50 Sanderling east, a dark phase Arctic Skua (and I missed 13 Poms that were seen throughout today!), 13 Little Gull, 2 Kittiwake and 55 Common Tern east, a Whinchat in the gardens and also an out of place Cattle Egret in the gardens too. Also 2 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 3 Willow Warblers in coming. 

I then did Ferry on the way home which was the same as yesterday apart from a new Common Sandpiper and a Wheatear. The Spotted Redshank and the Greenshank were both still in the Ferry Channel showing well.

I then went to East Head to try and get a count of the waders there HERE. The tide was low so not a great time to check but I still had 35 Whimbrel, 4 Barwits and there was a Snipe on Snowhill Marsh. What with the 60 or so Whimbrel in Pagham Harbour and the 35+ here in addition to the near 100 moving off the Bill today, there's nearly 200 Whimbrels on and off the Peninsula today and that's not including the Medmerry complex either. 

In the evening I had another attempt at trying to see the waders in the centre of the harbour. On a tip off from Andrew I went to Owl Point which was better but I had to go home to take Jacob to drums before the tide came in so still couldn't really see them properly. I made it 100 Grey Plover, 40 Whimbrel, 35 Barwit, 30 Knot and 200 Dunlin. There was also another Spot Red and Greenshank so there's 2 Spot Reds and 3 Greenshanks in the harbour at the moment too. In Owl Point Field there were 3 Whinchat and 2 Wheatear . List HERE. 

So all in all an escalation of migration. Full log on the Selsey Blog HERE. Across the UK there has been a major influx of inland Little Gulls, Black Terns and Barwits with large numbers going up the Severn and cutting across land and Poms have been seen all along the south coast. Hopefully more on the way tomorrow with a continuation of the north easterly airflow and high pressure. 

Finally got some decent photos of the summer plumage Spotted Redshank 

Little Gulls and Black-heads off the Bill

Sanderling and Dunlin. The first significant Sanderling passage today. 

Barwits on the move. Peak time and peak day today so far but expecting more to come 

Whimbrels- increasing numbers daily at the moment and the easterlies are set to continue so expecting more 

The bird of the moment- the estuaries and coast are set to the backdrop of calling birds 

Barwits again

Three Greenshank in the harbour at the moment 

Snipe at Snowhill

Yellow Wagtail at the Bill 

Whinchats Halsey