Tuesday, 12th November: Still wincing over missing the chance yesterday to set a record Little Gull count at the Bill; today was a bit like what comes after the Lord Mayor's show! Rain and drizzle hung on until late morning, whilst the wind had eased and backed to the NW - whoopee! Actually it wasn't too bad, with a variety of sea-duck moving including 3 Velvet Scoters, plus at least 5 Great Northern Divers offshore.
Selsey Bill (0645-1245hrs): Rain/drizzle, drier late morning. Wind NW 2-3. (Obs: GH/OM/SR)
Gannet - 16E, 20W
Great Northern Diver - at least 5 os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 4E, 1 os
Brent Goose - 320W (several flocks actually headed E before eventually returning W).
R/b Merganser - 17E, 24W, 3 os
Common Scoter - 50E, 88W
Velvet Scoter - 3E
Eider - 3W
Wigeon - 25W
Razorbill - 1W
Auk sp - 6W
Dunlin - 8W
Med Gull - 7W
Kittiwake - 1E
Rock Pipit - 2 ob
Meadow Pipit - 5N
Monday, 11th November: What a thoroughly miserable day; rain and drizzle persisting throughout, driven on by a fresh S/SSW wind with awful visibility offshore, making it virtually impossible to sea-watch. Andy House braved things for about half an hour this morning, logging 20+ Brent Geese and 12 Pintail passing in the murk, but was sadly forced to abandon; shame though as a call from Seaford advised me of some Balearic Shearwaters and a Sooty moving west at their end. One late item of news from yesterday concerns a Spoonbill snoozing on the mud near Tern Island, Church Norton (RJS), but otherwise it seems bird news will be at a premium today! Evening update - seems we may have missed a good day as enquiries reveal well over 200 Little Gulls to the east of us, whilst Portland to the west logged over 1000. And to rub salt into the wound I think the wind will shift back to the north tomorrow... ouch!
Please see attached update re Medmerry:-
Further to Chris Janman's posting last week about Medmerry, to confirm, the Environment Agency has celebrated the completion of the flood defence structures (and the protection this brings to local communities) but there is still some way to go for them to complete the various paths and the two small car parks so that it is fit for public opening. So far they are unable to give me a date when it will be handed to the RSPB to take on the day to day management, so for now most of Medmerry remains a closed construction site. I'm eager that folk get access as soon as it is safe to do so, and I'm seeking an update this week from EA - I'll keep you posted. The good news is that the breach went well, nature is busy creating the new wetlands and reshaping the beach, and good numbers of Teal in particular (ca. 1,000) are already using the site. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me (per Adrian Thomas, RSPB/SOS website)
Sunday, 10th November: A bright crisp morning with a cool NW wind. Unfortunately the morning was a little brighter than a certain Mr Forbes who stayed over at my place last night and imbibed a fair quantity - hence neither of us was particularly sparkling or keen to go birding this morning! Fortunately most of the regulars were out in the field though...a seawatch at the Bill producing a good movement of Woodpigeons out S. Fuller details later.....
Selsey Bill (0645-1245hrs): Rain/drizzle, drier late morning. Wind NW 2-3. (Obs: GH/OM/SR)
Gannet - 16E, 20W
Great Northern Diver - at least 5 os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 4E, 1 os
Brent Goose - 320W (several flocks actually headed E before eventually returning W).
R/b Merganser - 17E, 24W, 3 os
Common Scoter - 50E, 88W
Velvet Scoter - 3E
Eider - 3W
Wigeon - 25W
Razorbill - 1W
Auk sp - 6W
Dunlin - 8W
Med Gull - 7W
Kittiwake - 1E
Rock Pipit - 2 ob
Meadow Pipit - 5N
Monday, 11th November: What a thoroughly miserable day; rain and drizzle persisting throughout, driven on by a fresh S/SSW wind with awful visibility offshore, making it virtually impossible to sea-watch. Andy House braved things for about half an hour this morning, logging 20+ Brent Geese and 12 Pintail passing in the murk, but was sadly forced to abandon; shame though as a call from Seaford advised me of some Balearic Shearwaters and a Sooty moving west at their end. One late item of news from yesterday concerns a Spoonbill snoozing on the mud near Tern Island, Church Norton (RJS), but otherwise it seems bird news will be at a premium today! Evening update - seems we may have missed a good day as enquiries reveal well over 200 Little Gulls to the east of us, whilst Portland to the west logged over 1000. And to rub salt into the wound I think the wind will shift back to the north tomorrow... ouch!
Please see attached update re Medmerry:-
Further to Chris Janman's posting last week about Medmerry, to confirm, the Environment Agency has celebrated the completion of the flood defence structures (and the protection this brings to local communities) but there is still some way to go for them to complete the various paths and the two small car parks so that it is fit for public opening. So far they are unable to give me a date when it will be handed to the RSPB to take on the day to day management, so for now most of Medmerry remains a closed construction site. I'm eager that folk get access as soon as it is safe to do so, and I'm seeking an update this week from EA - I'll keep you posted. The good news is that the breach went well, nature is busy creating the new wetlands and reshaping the beach, and good numbers of Teal in particular (ca. 1,000) are already using the site. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me (per Adrian Thomas, RSPB/SOS website)
Sunday, 10th November: A bright crisp morning with a cool NW wind. Unfortunately the morning was a little brighter than a certain Mr Forbes who stayed over at my place last night and imbibed a fair quantity - hence neither of us was particularly sparkling or keen to go birding this morning! Fortunately most of the regulars were out in the field though...a seawatch at the Bill producing a good movement of Woodpigeons out S. Fuller details later.....
(0700hrs) Walk Selsey to Church Norton: (S&SaH)
Water Rail - 1 and Stonechat - both at the Severals,
R/b Merganser - 6 os and Merlin on Norton spit
Merlin at Church Norton (Sam Hill)
Pagham Hbr: North Fields: A WeBS count by Jim Weston recorded the following: Lapwing 380, Golden Plover 138, Curlew 73, Black tailed Godwit 2, Brent Geese
880, Canada Geese 53, Mallard 67, Teal 44, Wigeon 16, Coot 6, Moorhen 14, Little
Grebe 1, Black Swan 1 (with the Canadas) and 10 Little Egret (coming into roost
at Owl Copse).
Also 78 Jackdaws came into roost at Owl
Copse. Three Roe Deer nearby (JW).
Selsey Bill: 0700 - 1000hrs: NW4, sunny. (Obs: JA/PB/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 3 os
Gannet - 2E, 7W
Shag - 1os
Brent Goose - 4E, 21W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4W, 6os
Common Scoter - 1E, 1W
Pintail - 2E
Wigeon - 1W
Kittiwake - 1W
Med' Gull - 13W, 10 os
Common Gull - 6W
Razorbill - 2W
Woodpigeon - c. 3100 SW
Meadow Pipit - 2W
Pied Wagtail - 3W
Black Redstart - 1p
Goldfinch - 8E, 13W.
Additional 1300 - 1500hrs (Obs: SH).
Great Northern Diver - 3 still present
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Diver Sp - 2E
Gannet - 2W, 50 os (distant feeding flock)
Gannet - 2W, 50 os (distant feeding flock)
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 14W
R/b Merganser - 8W
Great Skua - 1W
Kittiwake - 4W
Little Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 6W
Med Gull - 4W
Auk sp - 1E, 5W
Great Skua - 1W
Kittiwake - 4W
Little Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 6W
Med Gull - 4W
Auk sp - 1E, 5W
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