19th - 21st November 2018

Wednesday, 21st November: Another chilly morning, though dry after overnight rain, with the fresh breeze shifting round to a south-easterly direction......



Update re Pagham development: You will be disappointed to know that Arun DC on October 24th gave outline planning permission for developers to build upwards of 400 houses on the site west of Pagham Road South. Ironically Brent Geese began using the site on 2nd November and have been recorded there most days since. Numbers have steadily increased, despite bird scarers being deployed, and there were 347 there yesterday. All of the records are being collated by SOS and PAGAM.The objections to this site will continue. It will be extremely helpful if any birders travelling down Pagham Road could take pictures of geese seen on the fields and send them to info@pagam.uk   Ideally include the numbers seen, date and time. Jim Weston

Selsey Bill: Once again there was a bit of a selection, including three Eider east, two Slavonian Grebes on the sea, a few Red-throated Divers in either direction and an early eastward movement of Gannets. Full log below...... 
0730-1000hrs:  (OM/AH)
Red-throated Diver - 9E, 5W
Slavonian Grebe - 2 os
Great Crested Grebe - 3W
Gannet - 80E, 25W
Eider - 3E
Common Scoter - 6E, 17W
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 4W
Teal - 12E
Turnstone - 33 ob
auk sp - 3E
Kittiwake - 7E
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Common Gull - 2E

Eider (above), Red-throated Divers, Gannets & Turnstones at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were five Gadwall on the pool this morning, along with c200 Lapwings, 25 Shovelers and c100 Teal, but no Wigeon, whilst around 40 Redshanks were in the channel opposite. (AH)
Later, a possible distant Hen Harrier was seen heading west over Ferry Field. (TG-P)

Gadwall (above) & Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A group of four adult Little Gulls slowly worked their way along the big feeding gull flock along the beach, continuing on westwards. Among the many gulls there were 20+ Mediterranean and Common Gulls, and there were 20+ Ringed Plovers and 50+ Turnstones on the beach.
There were lots of Grey Plover, Dunlin and Redshank, pus a few Knot, looking for somewhere to roost on the high tide, but beside the Whimbrel in its usual area and a Peregrine over, there wasn't much else of note, though there were at least 500 Brent Geese spread around the harbour. (AH)
Also, a redhead Goosander was in the main channel at high tide. (AW)

Little Gulls (above), Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover & Grey Plovers, Knot and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry - east: A Jack Snipe was inadvertently flushed from the marshy field situated behind the Windmill and go-kart track. (OM)

Two, and possibly three, Black Redstarts (including the bright male) were at Toe End this morning, not among the chalets but on the rocks by the Viewpoint . They were very elusive in the wind and I probably had ten short (5-10 second) views when they popped up on top of the rocks before sheltering out of view. (J Harrington)

Later on, all four Black Redstarts were seen around the caravans nearby and a female Red-breasted Merganser was near the breach. Also, a Stonechat and a Kestrel were about and a Water Rail ran across the road, just before the windmill! (AB)

Black Redstarts (above), Stonechat & Kestrel at Medmerry (AB)

Tuesday, 20th November: Another cold and mostly grey morning, though staying dry, with the sharp north-easterly breeze persisting......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of selection this morning, though no volume, including a Slavonian Grebe, a Great Northern Diver and five Eider east, and later on the Bonxie was offshore again. Full log below. (AH)
(0730-0830hrs)
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Great Northern Diver - 1E
Slavonian Grebe - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os
Gannet - 45E, 25os
Brent Goose - 24E
Common Scoter - 4E, 11W, 9os
Eider - 5E
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 7W, 6os
Turnstone - 3p
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Common Gull - 2E
Razorbill - 1W
Rock Pipit - 1p

Later a Bonxie and 50+ Gannets were offshore and another four Red-throated Divers went west. (DF/DS)

Eiders (above), Common Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers & Rock Pipit at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were about 40 each of Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing, plus three Shelducks, this morning. (AH)

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Toe End - There were still at least three Black Redstarts, including the bright male, around the caravans this morning. (DF/DS)

Church Norton: The Grey Phalarope popped up again this morning, feeding close inshore at high tide with a big group of gulls, including a dozen each of Common and Mediterranean, just off the beach opposite the first Several.
Also, a Jack Snipe flew out of the vegetation on the harbour's edge along the path to the beach, but otherwise waders were hard to find, beyond the regulars roosting where they could. There were two Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour, with another going east offshore, along with at least 100 Brent Geese and a few Wigeon and Teal, whilst two Peregrines went over, but the only passerines noted were a couple of Jays and Goldcrests in the churchyard. (AH)

Grey Phalarope (above), Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, Red-breasted Merganser & Jay at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 19th November: A cold morning, grey at first before brightening up, with a very brisk north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much moving this morning, beyond just a few Common Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers and Wigeon, but three Slavonian Grebes dropped in offshore, 60 Gannets were fishing, a Bonxie passed through, three Lapwings went over and the Black Redstart and Rock Pipit were both still present. Full log below........ 
0730-1200hrs: (OM/AH)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Slavonian Grebe - 3 os
Great Crested Grebe - 3E, 1W
Gannet - 17E, 60 os fishing 
Brent Goose - 11E, 2W
Common Scoter - 15E, 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 17E, 7os
Wigeon - 5E, 16W
Lapwing - 3N
Turnstone - 25 ob
Great Skua - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Common Gull - 5E
auk sp - 3E
Stock Dove - 1 area
Rock Pipit - 1 ob
Black Redstart - 1 Bill Point area
Linnet - 8E

Rock Pipit (above) & Turnstone at the Bill (AH)

Selsey East beach: A male Black Redstart was sheltering behind the sea wall in the car park (KJ)

Ferry Pool: There was the usual mix of c40 Shoveler, c80 Teal and c150 Wigeon on the pool, but nothing else was about. (AH)

Teal (above) & Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Toe End and Breach - There were a minimum of four (and possibly five) Black Redstarts, including a bright male, about the Toe End area of the caravan site, along with a Rock Pipit and a handful of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails.

The pools around the breach were pretty empty, save four roosting Red-breasted Mergansers and a handful of Grey Plovers and Curlews, whilst the banks and rough ground held just a few Goldfinches and Meadow Pipits. (AH)

Black Redstarts (above), Rock Pipit & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

North Wall: There were 30+ Fieldfares around the fields north of the North Wall this afternoon. (TG-P)

Church Norton: There were very few birds around the churchyard this morning, other than a couple of Jays and a Kestrel. Brent Geese seemed to be dispersed all around the harbour on the high tide, along with a few Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and a Little Grebe. 
Out at sea there were at least eight Gannets while along the shore the usual birds, including Common and Mediterranean Gulls, took refuge from the wind, whilst four Snipe rather unexpectedly flew up and away from the beach. (AW)

Mediterranean Gulls (above), Common Gull & Gannet at Church Norton (AW)

East Head: Generally quiet in the stiff breeze, the highlights being 37 Sandering along the strand line, a Rock Pipit on the beach and a few Skylarks & Meadow Pipits around the dunes. There was nothing on the water towards the harbour but a full Snowhill Creek held c.400 Brent Geese and there were another 50 or so on the grass by the cafe. (BI)

Fishbourne Creek: There were again six Rock Pipits along the shore as well as two Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer. Plenty of the commoner waders were along the River Lavant outfall, including Dunlin & Redshank, and on the water were 200 Brent Geese and a similar number of Wigeon. (BI)