Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 13th

Sunday, 15th November: Overcast and grey with a near gale-force westerly wind and the threat of rain never far away.....resulting in occasional drizzly showers.

Selsey Bill (0700-0915hrs): (Obs: PB/SH/AH/SR)

Best bird of the morning was a dark phase Arctic Skua speeding east, but otherwise it was very similar to yesterday, with three Great Northern Divers offshore, and a handful of Great Crested Grebes, Gannets, Common Scoter and Red-breasted Mergansers moving west. Full log below.....

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 10W

Gannet - 6E, 7W

Brent Goose - 1W

Common Scoter - 1E, 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 3W, 7os
Curlew - 1W

Turnstone - 9obs
Arctic Skua - 1E (dark phase at 0855)
Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Common Gull - 1W
Razorbill - 1W, 1os
Linnet - 38p

Great Northern Diver (above), Common Scoter & Linnets at the Bill (AH)

Selsey: East Beach pond - quiet today, with just 5 Goldcrests found (SR),

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: There were up to 40 Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry this morning, along with c150 Lapwing, five Curlews and three Avocets. There were another dozen Avocets beyond the end of the Long Pool, and half a dozen Stock Doves on the ploughed fields, but not much else was on show. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits over the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were three Grey Wagtails around Park Farm reservoir this morning, whilst offshore from the beach at Norton there were three Red-breasted Mergansers, ten Great Crested Grebes and three Mediterranean Gulls, and there were two Sparrowhawks over the Severals. (SH/SaH/PB)

Halseys Farm/North Wall: There was a Buzzard and a couple of Goldcrests through Halsey's Farm, plus 80 or so Wigeon in the creek and a squealing Water Rail in the reeds. The only birds on the Breech Pool were a dozen Mallard, though a couple of Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits went over.

In White's Creek there were several hundred Lapwing, plus at least 50 Redshank, a couple of hundred Wigeon, a few Teal and a single Little Grebe. Further along the side of the harbour there were 150 Golden Plover and a couple of Lesser Black-backed and Mediterranean Gulls in among the Common, Black-headed and Herring Gulls. Also at least 500 Brent Geese came in from the fields to the north top roost in the harbour. (AH)

Golden Plovers (above), Lapwing and Redshank & Brent Geese from the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Ham - Just a short walk part way to Ham...there were 4 Stonechats, 30+ Pied Wagtails in the fields, 8 Meadow Pipits, 2 Linnets, 1 Skylark, 2 Kestrels, 7 Chaffinch, 4 Little Egrets and overhead flying toward the mudflats 52 Brent Geese, 18 Canada Geese, 6 Shelduck and a Grey Heron (SR)

Easton Lane to Stilt Pools - The White-fronted Goose was still about this afternoon, as was a Green Sandpiper, seven Snipe, two Stonechats, 12+ Yellowhammers and a couple of Reed Buntings, plus a Buzzard and four Kestrels. (S&SaH)

Saturday, 14th November: A fairly miserable mid-November morning; fairly cool, dull and cloudy, heavy showers and a brisk westerly wind..... followed by heavy rain in the afternoon!

Selsey Bill (0700-0900hrs): (Obs: PB/SH/SR)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 1E, 3W

Brent Goose - 1E, 46W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Turnstone - 8W
Mediterranean Gull - 17W

Black-headed Gull - 148W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 14W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1W
Rock Pipit - 1 ob
Linnet - 18 p
Goldfinch - 20 p

(1420-1530hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 2W
Brent Goose - 7E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W
Sanderling - 2W

Turnstone - 3obs
Mediterranean Gull - 4W

auk sp - 1W

Ferry Pool: There was no sign of the Little Stint this morning, though there were eight Dunlin present, along with 14 Snipe, all feeding together in the back corner, nine Avocets, five Black-tailed Godwits and just a few Lapwing and Redshank. The Grey Wagtail dropped in a couple of times, and a pair of Stonechats were at the back, whilst there were five Shelduck, c30 Shoveler, 30 Teal and up to 80 Wigeon also present. (AH)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Dartford Warbler was calling and flitting about along the west side, near the 'Hay-bales' area, and there was also a vocal Fieldfare nearby. A couple of Redwing went over the pool, a pair of Stonechats were in the uncropped field and several Song Thrushes and Goldcrests were in the sheltered bits of hedge. (AH)

Fieldfare (above) & Reed Bunting along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: A Whimbrel was present this morning, and there were at least five Knot among the many Grey Plover and Dunlin on the rising tide, along with a pair of Pintail (with another four over), one or two Ringed Plovers and a few Turnstone.

There were quite a few flocks of Brent Geese about, including one of c400 birds that dropped in towards the North Wall, and there were four Little Grebes and at least three Great Crested Grebes on the water.

A Kingfisher flew deep into the hedge by the hide, presumably to roost out the high tide and the bad weather, but passerines of note were few - just a single Goldcrest in the bushes, a couple of Jays and single Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit over, whilst the only raptor on show was a Buzzard. (AH)

Knot, Grey Plover and Dunlin (above), Whimbrel & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Around midday, there were two Chiffchaffs on the northern edge of Selsey and the Green Sandpiper was again near Park Farm reservoir. Along the Severals there were three Stonechat, a Snipe and two Sparrowhawks, and there was a Mistle Thrush (a rarity this year!) in the horse field. (S&SaH)

Friday,13th November: A horrible start to the day, with a gale-force westerly driving in a succession of heavy showers, and with temperatures lower than of late.....

Sidlesham: A very late Swallow went over the B2145 by the garage in the village this afternoon. (SH)

Ferry Pool: Difficult to see much in the conditions, but there were 20+ Black-tailed Godwits and 200+ Lapwing on the pool, along with lots of wildfowl, including three Brent Geese, c80 Wigeon, c60 Teal and c30 Shoveler. (AH) The Little Stint was reported as still present later on. (per Birdguides)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in the harbour, though wader numbers were generally low, with barely 50 Dunlin and 20 Grey Plover out on the mud, though there were 100+ Brent Geese and similar of Wigeon spread about. There was also a juvenile Great Crested Grebe and single Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour.

Along the sheltered hedges there were a handful of Reed Buntings and Goldcrests, plus around a dozen Greenfinches, and a male Sparrowhawk dropped in briefly. (AH) Also a Black Redstart was reported as present. (per Birdguides)