Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 22nd

Saturday, 24th November: A pretty dire sort of a day, with persistent drizzly rain, a fresh easterly breeze and fairly chill, though with the odd spells of drier brighter weather in between....

Ferry Pool: As is often the case, a bit of rain produced a Green Sandpiper, and around ten Snipe on the pool along with four Curlews, c150 Lapwings, five Shelducks, 12 Gadwall, c30 Shoveler and 100+ Wigeon and Teal, plus a Buzzard on the fences. (AH)

Snipe (above), Shovelers, Gadwall & Snipe, Lapwing and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A quick look early on produced two Firecrests and a handful of Goldcrests around the car-park, and at least 200 Brent Geese and a few Grey Plovers and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour. (AH)

Firecrest (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

East Head: Two Snow Buntings were belatedly reported as present at lunchtime today, along the west side. (A Thomas per SOS)

Medmerry: Toe End and Breach area - There were still at least three Black Redstarts - including the bright male - among the caravans, with 100+ Linnets and 20+ Meadow Pipits around the rough ground and banks.
Offshore, two Red-throated Divers dropped in on the sea from the west, whilst a Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reserve, a Peregrine was having a spat with the local crows, and a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers, two Brent Geese, a Black-tailed Godwit, a few Ringed Plovers and 50+ Dunlin and Grey Plovers were around the tidal pools. (AH)

Red-throated Diver (above), Black Redstarts, Red-breasted Mergansers, Marsh Harrier & Grey Plovers and Dunlin at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: West side - Despite the dull day there was quite a lot of activity, including two Marsh Harriers hunting together - probably an adult female and a juvenile, a Peregrine, a Greenshank on the Stilt Pools and 45 Shoveler and 15 Pintail on the mudflats.

There have been up to nine Corn buntings on the Yellowhammer hedge (though not seen today), though there were 30 Yellowhammers and 40 House Sparrows present. (BO'D)

Pagham Lagoon/Spit: The three Goldeneye were still present on the Lagoon today but other than a few Canada Geese and Little Grebes there wasn't much activity. By the spit there were several large flocks of waders consisting of Grey Plover, Knot and Dunlin which eventually settled to roost along the beachfront. Along the spit were c.20 Meadow Pipits, a flock of Greenfinches and another of Linnets, a Redshank in Little Lagoon and at least two Rock Pipits. (BI)

Ivy Lake: There were 97 Cormorants, 22 Great Crested Grebes, two Bar-headed Geese, a dozen Canada Geese and 68 Herring Gulls this morning but the only ducks were six Tufted Ducks at the far end. Most of the other lakes were fairly quiet but New Lake held a feeding raft of a minimum of 120 Shovelers and c.20 Pochard. (BI)

Friday, 23rd November: It was a bit milder this morning, and the easterly breeze was a bit lighter, too, with a very grey start slowly giving way to a mix of sunshine and cloud....

Selsey Bill: It was similar to recent days, with a bit of a mix, but no numbers. Full log below. (JA/AH)

(0735-0900hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3E

diver sp - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 10E, 3W, 3os

Brent Goose - 3W

Common Scoter - 2E, 31os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 17os

Kittiwake - 9E

Razorbill - 8E, 2os

auk sp - 1E

Rock Pipit - 1p

Ferry Pool: This morning, there were c80 Lapwings roosting on the pool, but nothing else beyond a handful of Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck and Shovelers spread about. (AH)

Wigeon on the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt Pool and Breach - A Marsh Harrier was out hunting over the reserve early on, whilst later on a Peregrine was sat out on the derelict building.
A Dartford Warbler was near Marsh Barn and along the banks there were three pairs of Stonechats, half a dozen Song Thrushes and plenty of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, whilst at least three Corn Buntings and a dozen Yellowhammers were around their favourite bushes. Also, a Rock Pipit was by the breach and 100+ Skylarks were in the rough behind the beach
Four Red-breasted Mergansers went west offshore and there were plenty of Wigeon and Teal on the reserve, whilst c40 Pintail were near the breach, along with similar of Shelduck, but the Stilt Pool held just a few Shoveler, plus a pair of Black Swans.
Waders were thin on the ground beyond a flock of Ringed Plovers and Dunlin looking to roost near the breach, 100+ Lapwing plus a few Golden Plovers, that flew up from the fields and the odd Curlew and Redshank on the reserve. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Peregrine, Red-breasted Mergansers, Pintail, Black Swans, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammers & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)

East Head: Quiet around the dunes with just 10 or so Meadow Pipits, six Skylarks, a small flock of Linnets and a Stonechat to be found. Offshore was the same with only two Great Crested Grebes on the water. Plenty of Brent Geese flying into Snowhill Creek from Hayling Island though with probably 400 birds present. (BI)

Fishbourne Creek: Only two Rock Pipits today but at least 40 Yellowhammers around the saltmarsh along with a dozen Reed Buntings. Not much in the harbour of note other than a few Pintail and the large flock of Mute Swans. (BI)

Thursday, 22nd November: The wind remains brisk and from the east, meaning another cold, if dry, morning with a covering of slightly misty grey cloud....

Selsey Bill: There was not too much on the move again, though two Slavonian Grebes went east, two Rock Pipits were on the beach and a Peregrine flew in from way out to sea, carrying prey.. Full log below. (AH)
(0730-0830hrs)

Red-throated Diver - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 2E
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os
Gannet - 14E 6W
Brent Goose - 1E
Common Scoter - 6E, 14W, 9os
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W
Peregrine - 1N
Turnstone - 6p
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
auk sp - 14W
Rock Pipit - 2p

Rock Pipit (above), Lesser Black-backed Gull & Great Crested Grebe at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were six Golden Plovers among c150 Lapwing on the pool, but the only ducks present were three Shoveler and a Wigeon, with 50 more Wigeon and 50 Teal in the channel opposite. (AH/AW)

Golden Plovers and Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: A wintry feel today, with four Goldeneye (two pairs) - the first returning birds - together with seven Red-breasted Mergansers on the lagoon. There were also 120 Canada Geese with a single Greylag present this morning, plus about a dozen Little Grebes and 25 Mediterranean Gulls, whilst the hedgerows and footpaths were decidedly quiet, producing just four Goldcrests and a Cetti's Warbler. (OM)

Goldeneyes (upper two) and Red-breasted Mergansers (lower two) on the Lagoon this morning. (OM)

North Wall: A Great White Egret was in a ditch at the rear of Owl Copse this morning, before flying off south-west, having been flushed by a couple of dog walkers before I could get a photo! It was otherwise quiet along the Wall; there were just a few Mallard and no waders on the Breech Pool, plus three Cormorants and an obliging Water Rail. In the bushes close to Honer Cottages were 11 Redwings, whilst behind the cottages was a very large mixed flock of Corvids and Wood Pigeons - probably close to 1500 birds, a 1000 of which were corvids. At Honer reservoir were 2 Green Sandpipers, a Little Grebe and a Pied Wagtail. The EA are now at last clearing pennywort from the upper reaches of Pagham Rife. (JDW)

Woodpigeons et al at the North Wall and the welcome sight of Pennywort removal from Pagham Rife (JDW)

Medmerry: Windmill and Toe End/Breach - There were still three Black Redstarts around the caravans at Toe End, along with a few Pied Wagtails, whilst round the rough ground and rocks there were a pair of Stonechats, c50 Meadow Pipits and c150 Linnets and Goldfinches.
On the pools near the breach there were four Red-breasted Mergansers, 25 Shelduck and a few Wigeon and Teal, plus one or two Redshanks, Curlews and Grey Plovers.
There was also another pair of Stonechats and a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits near the windmill. (AH)
The Hooded Crow was also still present near the breach, and nearby a Jack Snipe. (BFF/DM)

Hooded Crow with other corvids and Oystercatchers at Medmerry (DM)

Black Redstarts (above), Linnet, Wren & Stonechats at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much in the harbour beyond plenty of Brent Geese, a few Wigeon and Teal, a couple of Pintail and the usual roosting waders, whilst offshore a flock of c100 Brent Geese dropped in on the sea from the west before settling on Greenlease Farm, and a dozen or so Mediterranean and Common Gulls were along the beach. (AH/AW)

Later, a Peregrine was out on the island, whilst 10 Bar-tailed Godwits and a male Goldeneye were in the harbour. (BFF/DM)