14th - 16th December 2013

Monday,16th December: A wet and windy winter's day, with sea-watching clearly being the best option. AH recorded a big movement of auks this morning - nearly all Guillemots - in a strong and rainy south-westerly, though little else was moving.

Selsey Bill 0900-1030am: SW6, rain and cloud.  (Obs; AH)

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Gannet - 4W, 1 lingering o/s

Eider - 2 o/s

Common Scoter - 1 o/s

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 1W

Sanderling - 4 ob

Turnstone - 22 ob

Mediterranean Gull - 5 o/s

Guillemot - 480W

Razorbill - 16W

Auk sp - 150W

Rock Pipit - 1 ob
 

 

Sanderling and Gannet on a wet and windy morning, Selsey Bill (A. House)

 

 

 

 

Sunday, 15th December: Generally damp and fairly gloomy for much of the day with a fresh southerly wind keeping things cool on the coast. At the Bill a selection of divers and grebes included a Red-necked Grebe and a little movement of Slavonian, whilst at Pagham the 2 Ruddy Shelducks (which I've not yet seen!) were still present.

Selsey Bill: 0745 - 1030hrs:  S4/5 misty drizzle:   (Obs: JA/SH/PB et al)
Great Northern Diver - 2W, 3os
Black-throated Diver - 2W
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 19W
Diver sp - 1E, 1W
Red-necked Grebe - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 17W, 13os
Great Crested Grebe - 14W
Gannet - 50W
Eider - 8E, 4W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 8W, 11os
Common Scoter - 2E
Sanderling - 1ob
Turnstone - 17ob
Kittiwake - 1E, 18W,
Common Gull - 7W, 5os
Black-headed Gull - 47os
Med' Gull - 5E, 7os
Guillemot - 42W
Razorbill - 15W
auk sp - 141W
Pied Wagtail - 2ob
Rock Pipit - 2ob.
Additional watch 1345 - 1500hrs:   (Obs: SH)
Gannet - 2E
Eider - 2 os
R/b Merganser - 9os
Razorbill - 3W
Auk sp - 1E
Med Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 1W

Pagham Hbr: Church Norton: nothing much in dire weather, but there was a big gathering of 150+ Great Black-backed Gulls, almost all adults, in the harbour and a dozen each of Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe offshore.

(Also a belated report - I forgot to put on Friday's list from the Bill a Fulmar E (and was reminded how rare they are in Dec!) (AH)

 A gathering of Great Black-backed Gulls in the gloom at Church Norton (A. House)

 

North Wall: Mild, murky and wet. 2 Ruddy Shelduck still in the harbour with a group of Common Shelducks. Along Pagham Rife a group of 29 Yellowhammers. On Honer reservoir there were 9 adult Mute Swans, to the east of the reservoir the finch flock has increased to around 120 birds, mainly Linnets. At Marsh farm there were 11 Pied Wagtails. A flock of around 1000 Brent Geese were just to the east of Marsh Farm (Jim Weston).

 

 

Saturday, 14th December: Rather cloudy but mainly dry and quite cool, with a strong SSW wind.

Fishbourne Creek: Highlights of a pleasant morning here were - a flock of 6 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, the wintering Whimbrel,  a Green Sandpiper, 3 Grey Wagtails, 3-4 Rock Pipits, singles of Yellowhammer and Bullfinch, up to 10 Pintail, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 20+ Common Gulls, a couple of Buzzards and good numbers of Brent Geese, Wigeon and commoner waders. The only slight downside was not a sign of a Goldeneye on what was once their favourite haunt in the area (AH).

 

 

 

 

 

Grey Wagtails, Rock Pipit and wintering Whimbrel at Fishbourne Creek (A. House)

 

This afternoon I went Easton Lane, Earnley and had two surprises - firstly a pair of Ravens appeared cronking their way through the huge mixed corvid flock and settled in a field of their own near Ham Farm, and secondly there was a huge flock of Stock Doves (estimated at 3-400 birds) that came up with the crows. It has been a few years since I have seen that many together down here (AH).

Pagham Hbr: The 2 Ruddy Shelducks were still present today (per RBA).