Sunday, 25th October: A gale-force westerly was blowing throughout the morning, though it was bright and sunny, and warm out of the wind......
Selsey Bill: A total of 32 Little Gulls drifted east offshore this morning, with three first-winter birds lingering offshore, whilst the Snow Bunting was around again, along with two Rock Pipits. Full log below. (JA/SH/BI/MRe/IP/AT/AH/P&LH et al)
(0630-0945hrs) (W, F8)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 11E, 3W
Shag - 3E
Brent Goose - 6E
Common Scoter - 1E, 1W, 1os
Oystercatcher - 1E, 1 present
Turnstone - 30
Little Gull - 32E, 3os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 4W, 2os
Black-headed Gull - 34W, 20os
Common Gull - 2W
Great Black-backed Gull - 4E, 1W, 2os
Kittiwake - 8W
auk sp - 1W
Rock Pipit - 2
Meadow Pipit - 11N, 1W
Starling - 200
Linnet - 4N, 10W
Goldfinch - 5
Snow Bunting - 1
Little Gulls (AH) (above), Snow Bunting (AH top two, LH lower), Rock Pipit (AH) & Gannet (LH) at the Bill
(1115-1215hrs) (P&LH/EB)
Gannet - 3W
Turnstone - 35
Little Gull - 3os
Mediterranean Gull - 3os
Black-headed Gull - 30os
Meadow Pipit - 2N
Snow Bunting - 1
(1315-1500hrs) (P&LH/SH)
Gannet - 1W
Oystercatcher - 2E, 1W
Turnstone - 23
Little Gull - 1W, 5os
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
Great Black-backed Gull - 6os
Pied Wagtail - 1
Rock Pipit - 1
Snow Bunting (EB) (above) & Little Gulls (LH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There were nine Avocets and a dozen or so Black-tailed Godwits roosting at the back this morning, with c150 Lapwings around the shingle islands, with wildfowl comprising c30 Shovelers, c20 Wigeon and c50 Teal, with a couple of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails on the field. (AH/AT)
Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were two adult and two first-winter Little Gulls among the feeding flock close offshore, which also included a dozen Common Gulls, a handful of Mediterranean Gulls and 50+ Black-headed Gulls.
Up to three Greenshanks were in the harbour, along with 50+ Redshanks and similar of Grey Plovers and Dunlin, plus a handful of Knot, with a Peregrine also about, along with a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, whilst at least 100 Linnets were on the vegetation by the concrete blocks and five Stonechats and a Reed Bunting were around the horse field. (AH/IP/AT et al)
Little Gulls (above), Greenshanks, Grey Plovers & Pintails at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Kingfisher was by the sluice and a Bar-tailed Godwit was along White’s Creek, together with 16 Black-tailed Godwits and all the regular species, whilst along the rocks there was a Pied Wagtail and three Rock Pipits.
There were just c100 Teal and 12 Mallards on the Breech Pool, the male Marsh Harrier was over the reeds, six Yellowhammers, two Reed Buntings and two Redwings were along the bushes, five Little Grebes were on Owl Water, and two Swallows were over the rife at Halsey’s Farm. (LP/MaJ/DHi)
Yellowhammer (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Kestrel, Rock Pipit & Pied Wagtail at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Just nine Stonechats, two Cetti's Warblers, ten or so Meadow Pipits and c20 Skylarks were seen along the blustery banks this morning, whilst c40 Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool, with a Cattle Egret, c60 Golden Plovers and c100 Lapwings on the reserve and a Marsh Harrier and two Kestrels over. (S&SaH)
East Head: A Little Gull went over Snowhill Marsh this morning, and this evening a Barn Owl was out along Rookwood Lane. (GM)
Saturday, 24th October: The morning started with lighter winds, albeit still a brisk westerly and due to strengthen, with persisting heavy rain setting in from mid-morning.....
Selsey Bill: The Snow Bunting re-appeared, and was showing well, this morning along the path just east of the Bill, whilst offshore six fairly distant Little Gulls and three Great Northern Divers went west. Full log below. (JA/SH/PB/AGB/JBo//BI/IP/AH)
(0720-0920hrs) (W, F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 3W
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2W, 1os
Gannet - 1E
Shag - 2E
Brent Goose - 9E, 3W
Wigeon - 4E
Common Scoter - 1W
Oystercatcher - 1
Turnstone - 10
Little Gull - 6W
Mediterranean Gull - 12W, 5os
Common Gull - 1E, 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 4W, 1os
Sandwich Tern - 1E
auk sp -10E
Grey Wagtail - 3W
Pied Wagtail - 1
Meadow Pipit - 10W
Linnet - 4W
Goldfinch - 50
Snow Bunting - 1
Snow Bunting at the Bill (AH)
The increasingly stormy south-westerly didn't bring too much this afternoon, though an adult and a first-winter Little Gull and 17 Kittiwakes went west and the Snow Bunting was still along the path. Full log below. (JA/AH/MRe/SH/AWi)
(1400-1600hrs) (SW, F7-8)
Gannet - 20W
Brent Goose - 5W
Oystercatcher - 1E
Grey Plover - 1W
Dunlin - 1W
Turnstone - 13
Little Gull - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 17W
Razorbill - 1W
Snow Bunting - 1
Little Gull (above), Kittiwake & Snow Bunting at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets on the pool this morning, along with a Redshank, 16 Black-tailed Godwits, c125 Lapwings, a drake Gadwall, a Shelduck, 34 Shovelers, c60 Teal and 30 Mallards. (AH)
Avocets and Lapwings (above) & Shovelers and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A Greenland-type Wheatear was on the concrete blocks this morning, with c150 Linnets feeding on the adjacent vegetation until a juvenile Peregrine took one and proceeded to eat it there.
There wasn't too much in the harbour on the high tide, though five Greenshanks, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a dozen Curlews and c20 Grey Plovers were among c80 roosting Redshanks, with, otherwise, just c30 Brent Geese, seven Great Crested Grebes, a Little Grebe and a few Wigeon and Teal to be found. (BI/SH/PB/AH)
Greenshanks (above), Linnets (AH) & Peregrine (PB) at Church Norton
North Wall: Early this morning a Kingfisher was by the sluice, and all the regular species were along White’s Creek, also three Rock Pipits were along the wall and two Pied Wagtails flew over.
A Song Thrush was in the bushes, along with a Cetti’s Warbler, four Reed Buntings, four Yellowhammers, and a Greenfinch, but on the Breech Pool it was just ducks with c100 Teal and 20 Mallards present. (LP)
East Side: On the rising tide there were plenty of Wigeon and Pintail along the channel, and a few Dunlin and Grey Plovers out on the mud, as well as a Bar-tailed Godwit. A flock of c300 Golden Plovers flew around the harbour before landing on the far side, and 12 Brent Geese were up by the harbour entrance. (LP)
Bar-tailed Godwit on the East side (LP)
East Head: A Swallow went over, late this morning. (GM)
Friday, 23rd October: Another wet and very windy morning, with heavy rain in a strong southerly early on before it slowly eased as the wind backed round to the north west and strengthened further as the day progressed.....
Selsey Bill: A flock of seven Snipe that flew in from the east and up over the Oval Field was the most unusual record this morning, whilst three Eider and a flock of 18 Shelducks west were the best of the rest on an otherwise fairly slow morning. Full log below. (BI/SH/PB)
(0730-1030hrs) (SE, backing to NW, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 3E
Shag - 1E, 1os
Shelduck - 2E, 18W
Wigeon - 12W
Eider - 3W
Oystercatcher - 3
Dunlin - 1
Snipe - 7N
Turnstone - 32
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W, 3os
Great Black-backed Gull - 2E, 3os
Kittiwake - 8E
Pied Wagtail - 1
This afternoon a Snow Bunting came in off the sea and landed on a roof before dropping down and disappearing, but little else was on the move. Full log below. (AW/AWi)
(1430-1545hrs)
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 7E
Black-headed Gull - 70W
Common Gull - 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2os
Snow Bunting - 1N
Snow Bunting at the Bill (AW)
Ferry Pool: The Avocet count on the pool had risen to nine this morning, with another eight flying around at the far end of Ferry Channel, and there were also a Snipe, five Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Redshank and c75 Lapwings present at high tide, along with c25 Shovelers, c40 Wigeon and Mallards and c120 Teal. (AH)
Avocets (above) & Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were eight Swallows and a House Martin feeding over the harbour this morning, whilst at least 100 Linnets were around Tern Island, the concrete blocks and the Severals and four Stonechats, a Reed Bunting and half a dozen Meadow Pipits were in the horse field, but there was nothing moving in the hedges.
The harbour was very quiet at high tide, with a few roosting Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Curlews the only waders about, and just half a dozen Great Crested Grebes and Little Egrets and just a few Teal and Wigeon besides, whilst a dozen Common Gulls and four Mediterranean Gulls were among the Black-headed Gulls along the beach. (AH)
Swallow (above), Swallow and House Martin, Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Linnet & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: Around high tide this morning, there were just a few Pintail and Wigeon out in the harbour and three Rock Pipits along the wall. The water level on the Breech Pool has risen considerably and there are no muddy areas left, consequently there were just 50 Teal and four Mallards there. Elsewhere, seven Little Egrets and two Grey Herons were out on their island and c50 Lapwings were over the harbour. (LP)
Teal (above), Pintail and the now flooded Breech Pool at the North Wall (LP)
