Tuesday, 12th November: A bright and breezy morning again, though with a strong and decidedly chilly W/NW wind, but becoming cloudier and duller by afternoon with the threat of rain by evening.....
Selsey Bill: The strong cool wind from the unfavourable W/NW ensured it would be a very slow morning - the meagre highlights being a couple of Great Northern Divers, some close-in Mediterranean Gulls pottering just offshore, a Sandwich Tern and three late Swallows. Full log below...
(0700-1030hrs): (wind W/NW 6) (C&ME/AM/OM et al)
Red-throated Diver - 2W, 1os
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 4W, 2os
Gannet - 2E
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 1os
Wigeon - 10E
Dunlin - c.200W
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4W, 8 os
auk sp - 10W
Pied Wagtail - 2
Meadow Pipit - 19W
Swallow - 3W
Goldfinch - 30
Linnet - 10W
Medmerry (east): The Snow Bunting was still present at Toe End early this afternoon (1300hrs), but there was not much else around in the strong wind bar a couple of Meadow Pipits. (AW)
Ferry Pool: Just the usual species on the pool this morning, with 20 Shoveler, 40 Teal, 20 Wigeon and c.50 Lapwings present, whilst along the main Ferry channel there was also a Kingfisher. (AH)
North Wall: On the Breech Pool were 6 Gadwall, a pair of Little Grebes and 2 Mute Swans, but there was not much along the Wall apart from 2 Rock Pipits on the rocks and 58 Curlews in Honer 3 field. The Brent Geese were again in the field due north of Honer Farm Cottages; a count of 1280 was made, but they were later disturbed (at 1110hrs) and flew back to the Harbour. On Honer reservoir there were 3 Shoveler, whilst just south of the reservoir (where there are two large swathes of broccoli going to seed) Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were feeding and there could well have been up to 100 of the latter present. (JDW/IH)
Monday, 11th November: Another bright and cold morning, but with a fresh north-westerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: The strong cool wind from the unfavourable W/NW ensured it would be a very slow morning - the meagre highlights being a couple of Great Northern Divers, some close-in Mediterranean Gulls pottering just offshore, a Sandwich Tern and three late Swallows. Full log below...
(0700-1030hrs): (wind W/NW 6) (C&ME/AM/OM et al)
Red-throated Diver - 2W, 1os
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 4W, 2os
Gannet - 2E
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 1os
Wigeon - 10E
Dunlin - c.200W
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4W, 8 os
auk sp - 10W
Pied Wagtail - 2
Meadow Pipit - 19W
Swallow - 3W
Goldfinch - 30
Linnet - 10W
Mediterranean Gulls pottering just offshore at the Bill (OM)
Medmerry (east): The Snow Bunting was still present at Toe End early this afternoon (1300hrs), but there was not much else around in the strong wind bar a couple of Meadow Pipits. (AW)
The Snow Bunting at Toe End, Medmerry this afternoon (AW)
Ferry Pool: Just the usual species on the pool this morning, with 20 Shoveler, 40 Teal, 20 Wigeon and c.50 Lapwings present, whilst along the main Ferry channel there was also a Kingfisher. (AH)
North Wall: On the Breech Pool were 6 Gadwall, a pair of Little Grebes and 2 Mute Swans, but there was not much along the Wall apart from 2 Rock Pipits on the rocks and 58 Curlews in Honer 3 field. The Brent Geese were again in the field due north of Honer Farm Cottages; a count of 1280 was made, but they were later disturbed (at 1110hrs) and flew back to the Harbour. On Honer reservoir there were 3 Shoveler, whilst just south of the reservoir (where there are two large swathes of broccoli going to seed) Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were feeding and there could well have been up to 100 of the latter present. (JDW/IH)
Brent Geese at Honer fields, North Wall (JDW)
Chi GPs - Ivy Lake complex: There was little to report from Ivy Lake - unsurprisingly perhaps, given the amount of chain-saw tree surgery going on with much removal and burning of all that nasty undergrowth the birds use!! The large flock of Canada Geese containing two Bar-headed Geese was still present, plus the usual gathering of Great Crested Grebes, but apart from a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Cetti's Warbler it was decidedly quiet.
New Lake was somewhat better and a gathering of 75 Shovelers had formed themselves into a tight bunch on the water (a mass feeding frenzy?) as they are sometimes prone to do in winter, whilst 40 Pochard were also present. Also, a Treecreeper was in the adjacent oak trees, as was a single Chiffchaff and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits. (OM)
New Lake was somewhat better and a gathering of 75 Shovelers had formed themselves into a tight bunch on the water (a mass feeding frenzy?) as they are sometimes prone to do in winter, whilst 40 Pochard were also present. Also, a Treecreeper was in the adjacent oak trees, as was a single Chiffchaff and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits. (OM)
Two views of the tightly-bunched gathering of Shovelers on New Lake (OM)
Monday, 11th November: Another bright and cold morning, but with a fresh north-westerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: There was still little on the move, but two Swallows were feeding over the Oval Field and a Red-throated Diver was close offshore. Full log below....
(0700-0930hrs) (NW F4) (C&ME/AH/IP)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 2W, 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 3W
Gannet - 4E, 3W
Shag - 2E, 1W
Little Egret - 2W
Brent Goose - 2W
Shelduck - 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 13W
Mediterranean Gull - 8W
auk sp - 5W
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Swallow - 2
North Wall: Brent Geese were leaving the harbour in groups of 10-20 this morning, heading to the same field at Honer as yesterday. Also, two Yellowhammers, a Rock Pipit and 51 Curlew were in Honer 3 field. (IH)
Later, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail were around the sluice gates, whilst on the Breech Pool there were 5 Gadwall and 9 Tufted Ducks, and along the Wall there were a Rock Pipit, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Yellowhammers and 9 Long-tailed Tits, with 2 Little Grebes at Owl Water.
Brent Geese numbers have increased and there were 1600 immediately north of Honer Farm Cottages (JDW)
Ferry Pool: Not much to report this morning - just 20 or so Teal and Shoveler, plus a dozen Shelducks. (AH)
Long Pool: A pair of Stonechats were along the hedges, along with several Reed Buntings and a calling Cetti's Warbler, whilst six Snipe, ten Skylarks and similar of Meadow Pipits flew over.
Around 20 Avocets were roosting at the far end of Ferry Channel, along with 200+ Lapwings, whilst quite a few Teal and Wigeon were on the water. (AH)
Medmerry: Toe End - The Snow Bunting was still present this morning at the far end of the caravans, along with a Black Redstart, a pair of Stonechats and a dozen or so Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails.
The tidal areas were quiet on the high tide, with c40 Brent Geese, c30 Ringed Plovers and a handful of Curlew and Great Crested Grebes about all that was on offer. (AH)
(0700-0930hrs) (NW F4) (C&ME/AH/IP)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 2W, 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 3W
Gannet - 4E, 3W
Shag - 2E, 1W
Little Egret - 2W
Brent Goose - 2W
Shelduck - 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 13W
Mediterranean Gull - 8W
auk sp - 5W
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Swallow - 2
Red-throated Divers (above), Shag & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)
North Wall: Brent Geese were leaving the harbour in groups of 10-20 this morning, heading to the same field at Honer as yesterday. Also, two Yellowhammers, a Rock Pipit and 51 Curlew were in Honer 3 field. (IH)
Later, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail were around the sluice gates, whilst on the Breech Pool there were 5 Gadwall and 9 Tufted Ducks, and along the Wall there were a Rock Pipit, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Yellowhammers and 9 Long-tailed Tits, with 2 Little Grebes at Owl Water.
Brent Geese numbers have increased and there were 1600 immediately north of Honer Farm Cottages (JDW)
Ferry Pool: Not much to report this morning - just 20 or so Teal and Shoveler, plus a dozen Shelducks. (AH)
Long Pool: A pair of Stonechats were along the hedges, along with several Reed Buntings and a calling Cetti's Warbler, whilst six Snipe, ten Skylarks and similar of Meadow Pipits flew over.
Around 20 Avocets were roosting at the far end of Ferry Channel, along with 200+ Lapwings, whilst quite a few Teal and Wigeon were on the water. (AH)
Stonechat (above), Snipe, Skylark & Avocets from the Long Pool (AH)
Medmerry: Toe End - The Snow Bunting was still present this morning at the far end of the caravans, along with a Black Redstart, a pair of Stonechats and a dozen or so Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails.
The tidal areas were quiet on the high tide, with c40 Brent Geese, c30 Ringed Plovers and a handful of Curlew and Great Crested Grebes about all that was on offer. (AH)
Snow Bunting (above), Black Redstart, Stonechat & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)
Selsey Bill: A generally quiet morning! Full log below.
(0700-0900hrs) (F4,NE) (SH/PB/BI/IP/SR/AH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 4os
Gannet - 7E, 19W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 1E
Common Scoter - 3E
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E
Mediterranean Gull - 6os
auk sp - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser (above) & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: It was just the usual mix of 20 or so Shelduck and 50 or so Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler this morning, along with a couple of hundred Lapwing. (AH)
Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were still 11 Cattle Egrets around the cattle fields this morning. (BI) Numbers had risen to 15 this afternoon. (AB)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail and seven Pied Wagtails were around the fields today. (S&SaH)
Church Norton: There wasn't much about today, but a Water Rail was in the Severals, a Stonechat was in the horse field and a Peregrine was in the harbour. (S&SaH)
Cattle Egrets & Great Spotted Woodpecker at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AB)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail and seven Pied Wagtails were around the fields today. (S&SaH)
Church Norton: There wasn't much about today, but a Water Rail was in the Severals, a Stonechat was in the horse field and a Peregrine was in the harbour. (S&SaH)
North Wall: There was a good bit of wader activity early on around White’s Creek, as 2 Peregrines in the harbour continually upset them; the massed flocks of c.300 Black-tailed Godwits, c.220 Golden Plover and 400 Lapwing wheeling around made a great sight in the morning sunshine.
A Kingfisher was also present, a Water Rail showed briefly at the Breech Pool, a Rock Pipit was along the Wall and 66 Curlews were in the Honer fields, whilst at least 4 Yellowhammers and a Stonechat were in the adjacent hedgerows. Two more Rock Pipits came out of the saltmarsh at Owl Point and several Skylarks went over, but otherwise it was fairly standard fare.
Also, 600 Brent Geese were feeding in the field north of Honer Farm an hour before high tide. (OM/IH)
A Kingfisher was also present, a Water Rail showed briefly at the Breech Pool, a Rock Pipit was along the Wall and 66 Curlews were in the Honer fields, whilst at least 4 Yellowhammers and a Stonechat were in the adjacent hedgerows. Two more Rock Pipits came out of the saltmarsh at Owl Point and several Skylarks went over, but otherwise it was fairly standard fare.
Also, 600 Brent Geese were feeding in the field north of Honer Farm an hour before high tide. (OM/IH)
Medmerry: Toe End - The Snow Bunting was present again today on the rocks at the far (west) end of the caravan park and a single Black Redstart was around the caravans. There were also 2 Ravens, a Kestrel, 3 pairs of Stonechats, 14 Pied Wagtails and 9 Meadow Pipits in the area, plus a female Goldeneye viewable from the viewpoint benches. (SR/AB)
Snow Bunting and Black Redstart at Toe End (SR)
Snow Bunting (above), Stonechats & Wren at Medmerry (AB)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was fairly quiet here, though close to 400 Golden Plovers and similar of Lapwing came up several times from the reserve, as did at least seven Snipe, but the only other wader seen was a lone Redshank by the first sluice.
There were at least a dozen Stonechats along the banks, plus a couple of Yellowhammers, a handful of Reed Buntings and a few more scattered Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, but the Stilt Pool only held wildfowl, including eight Gadwall, a dozen Shoveler and 50+ Wigeon and Teal. (AH/IP)
Golden Plover (above), Golden Plovers and Lapwings, Yellowhammer, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit & Wigeon at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A female-type Marsh Harrier flying south was the highlight of a very quiet look round late this afternoon, with c50 Meadow Pipits and a handful of Pied Wagtails the only passerines noted. (AH)
Marsh Harrier at Medmerry (AH)
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