29th - 31st October 2016

Monday, 31st October: Halloween - and with it some spookily summery conditions..... dry and fine after early mist, with long sunny periods and a little scattered cloud, feeling pleasantly warm at times despite a light to moderate easterly breeze. It's not set to last though, with something colder due as November approaches.....

East Head: A Shore Lark was very briefly at the very end of East Head (SZ770991) early afternoon before flying towards Itchenor, and there were also three Eiders and seven Red-breasted Mergansers offshore. (A.Gray)

Church Norton: There were 2 Peregrines in the harbour (one had caught a crow), and also a few Chiffchaffs, but it was otherwise quiet. (A&YF)

Ferry Pool: There was a Snipe and two Green Sandpipers on the pool, along with c100 Lapwings, 40 Wigeon and a dozen Teal, whilst around the Visitor centre were a Firecrest and a few Chiffchaffs, and a Blackcap was at the top end of the cycleway, along with half a dozen Song Thrushes and c100 Goldfinches. (AH/A&YF)

Green Sandpipers (above), Snipe & Lapwing around Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were at least four  squealing Water Rails along the pool early this morning, though only one showed itself. There was also a Snipe and a couple of Little Grebes on the pool, a dozen Reed Buntings and a couple of Goldcrests around the edge. Also, several hundred Wigeon and Teal, plus a few Pintail and Shelduck flew over from Medmerry into the harbour. (AH)

Water Rail (above), with Moorhen, Wigeopn & Shelduck around Long Pool (AH)

Pagham churchyard: There were 2 Black Redstarts in the churchyard this morning. (JDW)

North Wall: Along White's Creek were 220 Lapwing, whilst  the Breech Pool was host to 22 Common Snipe, 40 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Lapwing and 3 Spotted Redshanks. Along the Wall were at least 30 Reed Buntings, 2 calling Cetti's Warblers and an unseasonal singing Song Thrush. A pair of Stonechats were at Bremere bridge and 2 Pied Wagtails were in the horse field at Welbourne. (JDW)
Later, this afternoon, there were 2 Bearded Tits on the Breech Pool and a flock of 13 White-fronted Geese flew over the North Wall (IL)

 Reed Bunting (above), Song Thrush and Pied Wagtail at the North Wall (JDW)

Sunday, 30th October: A bit brighter than yesterday, with a freshening easterly breeze.....and time to adjust to the clocks going back.......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of visible migration this morning, notably of Skylarks, but still very little moving offshore, though there was a Great Northern Diver on the sea and a few Gannets about. Full log below....
0745-0900hrs: (Obs: JA/SH/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Gannet - 6E, 17W, 26os

Brent Goose - 5E, 13W

Shelduck - 1E

Common Scoter - 10E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Mallard - 2N
Wigeon - 5E
Kestrel - 1p
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W

Common Gull - 5E

Razorbill - 2E

auk sp - 4E

Starling - 30S

Skylark - 29E, 9N

Meadow Pipit - 42E

Pied/alba Wagtail - 24E

Linnet - 6E

Goldfinch - 95E

Greenfinch - 3E, 8p
Chaffinch - 2p

Also 0930-1100hrs: (OM) 
Gannet - 10E
Sandwich Tern - 1E
Kittiwake - 2E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Skylark - 3E
Pied Wagtail - 4E
Chiffchaff - 2 gardens

Common Gull (above) & Gannet past the Bill (AH)

Selsey: A Me revile du jour moth was present in JA's moth trap this morning (per SH)

 (Trust this is the correct name! Eds)

Me revile du jour moth in JA's Selsey garden (per SH)

Park Farm, Selsey: No sign of the Dartford Warbler early on, though it did appear later and showed well. There were also still three Stonechats present and half a dozen Skylarks went over. (S&SaH/PB)

 Dartford Warbler and Stonechat at Park Farm, Selsey (SH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Green Sandpipers at the back this morning, along with half a dozen Redshank among 180 Lapwing and ten Teal, with the Grey Wagtail dropping in briefly. (AH)

Grey Wagtail (above) & Lapwings and Redshank on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were c120 Pintail in the harbour with c200 Wigeon and c100 Brent Geese this morning, whilst among the waders on the rising/high tide were a couple of Knot, four Bar-tailed Godwits and c60 Grey Plovers, and the very large female and small male Peregrines were on their island.

There was very little in the hedges save a couple of Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff and a Jay, though there were a dozen Skylarks and a pair of Stonechats on the spit and another pair of the latter on the second Several, where there were also a couple of Reed Buntings and three Shoveler.

There were a lot of Herring and Black-headed Gulls offshore, but just a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and a Sandwich Tern were among them, and a couple of Gannets were further out. (AH/S&SaH/PB)

Pintail (above), Shoveler, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Skylark, Knot, Grey Plover and Dunlin, Grey Plovers & Knot, Grey Plovers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester Marina pool: This morning in and around the reed-beds there were 3 Water Rails, a Kingfisher, 2 Grey Wagtails, 3 Cetti's Warblers, 10 Goldcrests and 6 Chiffchaffs. (OM)


Saturday, 29th October: Mainly dull and cloudy with a light easterly breeze, but still feeling quite mild.....

Selsey Bill: Not too much moving offshore, though a Merlin was seen chasing a Meadow Pipit around a fishing boat some way out, four Great Northern Divers were on the sea and 11 Greylag Geese went north-east past the Mile Basket, whilst there were still a couple of Swallows and a Chiffchaff around the gardens. Full log below. (SH/JA/PB/AB/SR/AH)

(0745-0945hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 4os
Gannet - 11E, 30W
Brent Goose - 12W
Greylag Goose - 11E
Common Scoter - 5W, 3E
Merlin - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Razorbill - 2E
auk sp - 3W
Swallow - 2p
Meadow Pipit - 2E
Pied Wagtail - 2E
Chiffchaff - 1p
Goldcrest - 7p
Linnet - 30p
Goldfinch - 14p

Sea-watching on a quiet morning at the Bill (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There was a Dartford Warbler with three Stonechats in the salad crop fields this morning, with a Grey Wagtail, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard also in the area. (S&SaH)  

Church Norton: Eleven Greylag Geese (presumably those that passed the Bill) were at the far end of the harbour, and 100+ Gannets moved through offshore heading west, but quickly moved on. Also the Peregrine was in the harbour and around the Severals there were four Stonechats and a Chiffchaff. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, c60 Lapwing, c20 Teal and c40 Wigeon around the pool this morning, and a Grey Wagtail dropped in briefly. (AH/PB/AB)

Green Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Bearded Tits (probably four) eventually showed quite well this morning around the Breech Pool, where there were also five Greenshank, a couple of Water Rails, at least a dozen Snipe, five Dunlin, ten Redshanks, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and at least a dozen Reed Buntings.

A Rock Pipit was out in the harbour, along with c40 Golden Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Knot among the roosting waders. (AH/PB/AB)

Bearded Tit (above), Snipe, Black-tailed Godwits & Greenshanks from North Wall (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: Nothing much of note on the water this morning, just a couple of Brent Geese, four Great Crested and 20 Little Grebes, plus a dozen Tufted Duck and a Mediterranean Gull. (AH)

Tufted Ducks & Mediterranean Gull on Pagham Lagoon (AH)

Medmerry: Breach area - There were 10 Stonechats, a Black Redstart and a Siskin along the pathway by the Viewpoint this morning. (A&YF)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - It was very quiet this afternoon, with two or three Stonechats and a handful of Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits along the banks, a couple of Shoveler on the Stilt Pool and 100 or so Lapwing and Teal out on the reserve, plus a Green Woodpecker and a Stock Dove over. (SH/AH)

26th - 28th October 2016

Friday, 28th October: Another mild morning, mostly grey and with a westerly breeze, but with the odd sunny spell.....

Selsey Bill : A Great Northern Diver was offshore and a Merlin appeared, plus a bit of vis. mig, but mainly standard fare for the time of year....
0730-0930hrs: cloudy, SW4  (Obs: JA/C&ME)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 6E, 52W
Common Scoter - 3E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Merlin - 1 area (fem)
Woodpigeon - 70W
Stock Dove - 2W
Kittiwake - 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Razorbill - 7W
auk sp - 6E
Swallow - 1W
Pied/alba Wagtail - 15W
Meadow Pipit - 22W
Goldfinch - 76W
Greenfinch - 26W
Chaffinch - 18W
Linnet - 12W

Also 0930-1100hrs: (C&ME)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Gannet - 121W
Brent Goose - 5W
Common Scoter - 3E, 1W
Wigeon - 2W
auk sp - 4E
Razorbill - 3E, 4W
Kittiwake - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
Meadow Pipit - 37NE
 
Ferry Pool/Long Pool: There were just one Green Sandpiper and one Snipe on the pool, plus at least 150 Lapwing, 40 Wigeon and 20 Teal this morning.
It was quiet along the Long Pool, with just a Chiffchaff, a couple of Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits and half a dozen Reed Buntings in the hedges and one or Grey Plover and Redshank in the channel. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Teal & Grey Plover around Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The only unusual birds were a couple of Coal Tits that dropped into one of the dead trees in the car-park for maybe 20 seconds before heading off south-west. Otherwise it was slow going, with maybe half a dozen Goldcrests and a couple of Jays around the hide/churchyard area, four Stonechats and a couple of Reed Buntings by the second Several and another half a dozen Goldcrests in the oak copse.
There were a Gadwall, a Pintail and five Shovelers on the second Several, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls offshore and in the harbour there were eight Bar-tailed Godwits and 20 Grey Plover among the commoner waders. (AH)

Coal Tit (above), Jay, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Bar-tailed Godwit, Gadwall & Pintail and Shoveler at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham churchyard: The rather still and cloudy conditions looked promising, but again there was little on offer here.... 25+ Blackbirds, 8 Goldcrests and a Green Woodpecker were about it. (OM)

 

Chichester GP's - Drayton pits: The autumnal increase in wildfowl numbers is well underway, with 55 Shoveler, 30 Gadwall and 20+ Wigeon being of note. There were also 13 Snipe along the banks, plus 4 Cetti's Warblers making their presence felt. The berry-laden hedgerows held a surprise in the form of a Ring Ouzel with 20+ Blackbirds, and also 7 Chiffchaffs, half a dozen Goldcrests and 15+ Long-tailed Tits, whilst 3 Buzzards soared together overhead. (OM)

 

 Shovelers (with Wigeon above & Coot below) at Drayton GP's....there were 55 this morning (OM)

Buzzard at Drayton GPs (OM)

Thursday, 27th October: A morning that began with dense fog that was reluctant to clear, until around midday when it suddenly lifted to leave a warm sunny afternoon....

Selsey Bill: (1315-1445hrs) (C&ME)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 62W
Commn Scoter - 2W
Grey Plover - 1E
Common Gull - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Razorbill - 1os
auk sp - 4E

Ferry Pool: There was a brief view of, and call from, a possible Pallas's Warbler behind the Visitor Centre, but it was in a big mixed flock of Long-tailed Tits and Chiffchaffs that moved on and it could not be re-located for confirmation. (IL)

On the pool itself, when the fog lifted, there were six Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, c200 Lapwing and c40 Wigeon. (AH)

Snipe (above), Green Sandpiper & Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: No sign of the Bearded Tits in the fog, though there were 40-50 Reed Buntings along the path, plus half a dozen Meadow Pipits and a couple of Chiffchaffs. Just about discernible on the pool were four Spotted Redshanks, three Greenshank, ten Snipe, 30 Black-tailed Godwits and 150 Lapwing, plus a Kingfisher flew through. (AH/JDW)

Spotted Redshank (above), Reed Bunting & Meadow Pipit from North Wall (AH)

After the fog eventually lifted I was rewarded with a short viewing of one Bearded Tit at 11.30, and there were also Snipe, Pintail, Grey Heron and lots of Reed Buntings on the Breech Pool. (TRo)

Bearded Tit (above), Pintail, Grey Heron & Reed Bunting from North Wall (TRo)

Wednesday, 26th October: Another mild and pleasant morning, with a slight south-westerly breeze and a mix of sunshine and cloud.....

Selsey Bill 0915-1245hrs:  (Obs: C&ME)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E 
Shag - 1E
Gannet - 70W
Brent Goose  - 7W                   
Common Scoter - 2E
Wigeon - 4E
Dunlin - 35W
Razorbill - 3E, 6W
Mediterranean Gull - 6W 
Meadow Pipit - 18N               
Pied Wagtail - 5p                    
Chiffchaff - 4 gardens                      

North Wall: There were four Bearded Tits present this morning in the still conditions. (PC)

Unfortunately they had disappeared again later on. 

Behind the stables was a mixed flock of tits numbering about 20, the majority of which were Long-tailed, and in the horse field was a Green Woodpecker. On the Breech Pool there were 23 Snipe, 2 Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and 50 plus Black-tailed Godwits, along with a  Grey Wagtail, 2 Grey Herons, a Water Rail and 40 plus Teal. Also, Wood Pigeon numbers are escalating as the hawthorn berries ripen. (JDW)

Snipe (above) & Wood Pigeon from North Wall (JDW)

Pagham Lagoon: A Kingfisher was flying about the lagoon but there was little else on offer; 42 Brent Geese, 6 Wigeon, a Great Crested Grebe, 13 Little Grebes and 12 Tufted Ducks. Nearby was a flock of around 30 Linnets and two flocks of Long-tailed Tits. (SR)

Church Norton: Three Stonechats and a Black Redstart were in the horse field this morning and a Redwing by the concrete wall. (A&YF)
Three Brent Geese went west offshore and 70 Turnstones were along the beach, whilst at Park Copse there were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a flock including a minimum of 8 Long-tailed Tits, 6 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Lesser Redpolls and a Siskin. 
By the Severals there were Stonechats and in the harbour there were 8+ Avocets, 12 Great Crested Grebes and a Kingfisher, but otherwise it was just the usual seasonal mix. (MD)
 

Ferry Pool: There were six Snipe present this morning, along with a Green Sandpiper, c80 Lapwing, c40 Wigeon and 12 Teal, a Kingfisher flew through and a Grey Wagtail was briefly in the Environment Agency yard. (AH)

Snipe (above), Grey Wagtail & Wigeon around the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach and Windmill area - There was no sign of any Black Redstarts this morning, with just a Rock Pipit, a Reed Bunting and two pairs of Stonechat of note among c50 Linnets, c200 Meadow Pipits and c100 Pied Wagtails around the caravans and rough ground, whilst around the breach there were 20 Grey Plovers, 40 Dunlin and a couple of Curlew and Ringed Plover. There was nothing much around the windmill area save a big flock of Goldfinches and a handful of Meadow Pipits. (AH)

Rock Pipit (above), Reed Bunting, Stonechat & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm area - It was quiet here, too, though there were three pairs of Stonechat around the banks, along with a couple of Reed Buntings and a few Meadow Pipits, and there were at least 50 Skylarks in the fields. 

Out on the reserve there were a few dozen Skylarks and plenty of Wigeon and Teal, plus half a dozen Shelduck, but that was about it.

Also, along Ham Lane, near Old House Farm, there were at least 300 Lapwings on the freshly ploughed fields. (AH)

Skylark (above), Meadow Pipit & Lapwings at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane - The barn owl was out hunting at 17.45, and there were also eight Stonechats about, along with a Buzzard and four Kestrels. (S&SaH)