16th - 17th November 2013

Sunday, 17th November: Dull and cloudy today with light wind, producing a few late migrants at the Bill - including a very late Yellow Wagtail. Andy House will be running the blog for the next two days, so records to him please if you can.

Selsey Bill (0710-1035hrs): Cloudy, dry. N/NE2  (Obs: JA/SH et al)  Highlights were:

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 8 os

Slavonian Grebe - 2E

Common Scoter - 61 os

Merlin - 1

House Martin - 1

Rock Pipit - 1

Yellow Wagtail - 1 ob

(Also logged: Great Crested Grebe - 2E, Gannet - 3W, Brent Goose - 12E, Wigeon - 5E, Shelduck - 1E, Red-breasted Merganser - 7os, 3E, 5W, Turnstone - 22ob, Kittiwake - 2W, Med' Gull - 2W, 2os, Razorbill - 1os, auk sp - 4E, 7W and Pied Wagtail - 5ob)

No sign of the Snow Buntings at Medmerry this morning, but they are quite probably still present in a lot of suitable habitat. A smart male Black Redstart and 3 Stonechats were some consolation. We went back to the Bill after D. Sneller told us he'd seen a House Martin there, but we couldn't find it, but whilst we were looking at a Rock Pipit, JA spotted a Yellow Wagtail, which hung about on the beach for at least ten minutes. We wait to see if it is the latest ever at the Bill....(AH).

 

 

(above) Yellow Wagtail on the beach at Selsey Bill .. surely our latest ever? (A. House)  

 

 

 

Rock Pipit on Selsey beach, and Slavonian Grebe off Church Norton (A. House)

 

 

 Pagham Hbr: Quite a bit on the sea at Church Norton for the first time this autumn, as follows - 2 Slavonian Grebes (my first of the autumn here), 9 Great Crested Grebes, 28 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 female-type Eider, 7 Common Scoter that dropped in on the sea, 1 Red-throated Diver W and 12 Gannets E. Also the Spoonbill was on Tern Island again, snoozing through the high tide.

 

Selsey - Church Norton: The regular walk (by SH/SaH) produced a single Redwing, a late Swallow, 20 R/b Mergansers, and the Eider and Red-throated Diver mentioned above.
 

 Finally, a rarity... our esteemed Log-keeper JA seen wandering away from the Bill-tip (well, only as far as Medmerry!)   (photo: Sam Hill)
             

Saturday, 16th November: Another fine but cool morning with a light N/NW wind. The main news so far comes from CRJ who reports there are actually 4 Snow Buntings at Medmerry. Meanwhile at the Bill, Paul Matson logged three species of diver, which was the main action until eventually there was too much glare from the sun.

Snow Buntings at Medmerry (A. House)

Medmerry: The 4 Snow Buntings reported earlier by CRJ were on the rough ground beyond the caravan park; they were there this afternoon, along with 4 Stonechats and 5 Linnets, though they took some finding amongst the dozens of people present (AH)  

 

Pagham Hbr: Tramway: First thing this morning a Water Rail and a Kingfisher in the creek, and 6 Reed Buntings, 4 Song Thrushes and 40 Goldfinch around the pathway (AH). At Church Norton the Spoonbill was present around Tern island but sleeping much of the time (CRJ). A Kingfisher was at the North Wall (P/James/SOS).

Sidlesham: An unusual sight of a Buzzard sat on the big greenhouses near our house (AH).

 

Buzzard on greenhouse at Sidlesham (A. House)

Selsey Bill (0730-0930hrs):   NW2-3,  very sunny.  (Obs: PM/ S.Hat)

Common Scoter 25 W

Red-breasted Merganser 5E, 8W

Eider 3W

Wigeon 23E

Shoveler 1E

Shelduck 1W

Great Northern Diver 3os, 1W

Red-throated Diver 1os, 8W

Black-throated Diver 1W (with 2 RT's for a good comparison)

Razorbill 1os

Great-crested Grebe 1os

Med Gull 4os

Rock Pipit 1ob

Pied Wagtail 1ob

Turnstone 20W/ob

2 large flocks of c200 Starlings N off sea

West Wittering: A Black-throated Diver off the north end of East Head looking towards Pilsey Island. Also 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Common Scoter, Razorbill and 7 Great Crested Grebes. Pair of Stonechats and 2 Common Snipe in the dunes. Two Spotted Redshanks on Snowhill Marsh (P. James/SOS).

 

 Interesting Turnstone roost at East Head (Alan Petherbridge)