16th - 18th November 2019

Monday, 18th November: A bright and sunny morning, and a little milder than of late, with just a light north-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, though there were still three Sandwich Terns about and a few Common Scoter were on the sea. Full log below. (IP/BI/MO-W/AH)
(0740-0940hrs) (NW F3)
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 2os
Gannet - 1E, 1W
Shelduck – 3W
Wigeon – 2E, 19W
Common Scoter – 1W, 19os
Red-breasted Merganser – 2W
Turnstone – 4
Mediterranean Gull – 1W
Sandwich Tern – 1E, 3W
Razorbill – 2E
auk sp. – 2E, 3W
Meadow Pipit – 4E, 3W
Pied Wagtail – 5
Chiffchaff – 2
Long-tailed Tit -10

Sandwich Tern (above), Shelducks & Long-tailed Tit at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just around 20 Teal and 40 Shoveler, plus c200 Lapwing on the pool this morning. (AH)

Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were plenty of the commoner waders present, including 300+ Dunlin and 40+ Grey Plovers, along with the Whimbrel and a few Curlews, whilst the Peregrine was on its island and a few Wigeon and Teal were about.
The bushes were very quiet, with the only passerines of note were a couple of Meadow Pipits near the horse field and a pair of Mistle Thrushes taking a bath at Greenlease Farm. (AH/IP)

Whimbrel (above), Grey Plover, Dunlin & Mistle Thrushes at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A late morning walk along the Wall yielded a Kingfisher, 35 Curlew in Honer 3 field, a Kestrel, a calling Cetti's Warbler and a party of Long-tailed Tits.  A flock of 800+ Brent Geese have returned to the field behind Honer cottages and I could see 9 Cattle Egrets accompanying the cattle south of Marsh Farm. (IH)

East Head: We made our fist winter visit to East Head/Snowhill Marsh today,on a very pleasant morning with a cold  light north-easterly east wind and plenty of sunshine. Out in the channels we found four wintering Sandwich Terns, a single Great Northern Diver and two 1st winter Eider., along with 20+ Great Crested Grebe and 12+ Red breasted Mergansers.
Also, around 25 Skylark and four Stonechat were in the dunes, whilst on Snowhill Marsh there was just a single Greenshank of note. (BFF/DM).

Sunday, 17th November: Another brisk morning, though with a lighter north-easterly breeze and a few glimpses of the sun....

Selsey Bill: Seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese passed west at about 0950 hrs, quite high up, but otherwise it was quiet again, though there were three Sandwich Terns, three Great Northern Divers and a couple of Red-throated Divers seen. Full log below.....
0700-1000hrs:  (wind NE 2)  (SH/BI/IP/AH/SR/OM)
Red-throated Diver - 4E
Great Northern Diver - 3 os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1W, 2os
Gannet - 3E
Shag - 4E
Brent Goose - 6E, 2W
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 7W (0950hrs)
Common Scoter - 8E, 4W, 6os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 4os
Sandwich Tern - 3W
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
auk sp - 2E
Meadow Pipit - 28E
Pied Wagtail - 3N
Chiffchaff - 1
Long-tailed Tit - 4
Chaffinch - 2

Red-throated Divers (above), Sandwich Tern & Shag at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Avocets on the pool this morning, along with the usual dozen Shelducks and c40 Teal and Shoveler. (AH)

Avocets and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Brent Geese have moved from the field behind Honer and whilst trying to find the new location I came across four Cattle Egrets in with the cattle south of Marsh Farm.  A bird-scarer caused the flock of around 1,000 Brent to flee from their new field (somewhere between the two farms) to the harbour.  Also, six Shovelers and 38 Curlews occupied the three Honer fields north of the Wall and two Little Grebes and two Great Crested Grebes were in White's Creek. (IH)

Later, there was still very little happening along the Wall, a Grey Wagtail at the sluice gates being the highlight. There were by now at least 10 Cattle Egrets in the Marsh Farm area, whilst the Brent Geese are currently grazing in the field between Bramber and Church Farms. They were initially disturbed and flew back to the Harbour but returned to the original site later.... I counted 800. (JDW)

Cattle Egret near Marsh Farm (JDW)

Medmerry: Toe End - The Snow Bunting was still present at the end of the caravans this morning, along with two Stonechats and a dozen Meadow Pipits, with another pair of Stonechats and a few more Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails  near the Go-kart track.

A flock of seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese (presumably those seen passing the Bill earlier) were on the tidal mud before flying off west over the breach, whilst two Peregrines were sharing a kill on the far bank of the tidal area, and within it there were c20 Shelducks, c20 (Dark-bellied) Brent Geese, ten Grey Plovers, five Curlews and c40 Dunlin. (AH/IP)

Snow Bunting (above), Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Peregrines & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham Viewpoint - Most of the activity seemed to be around the viewpoint with a feeding flock of 5 Reed Buntings, 9 Meadow Pipits, a Yellowhammer and 8 Skylarks along with assorted Goldfinch, Blue and Great Tits feeding at the edge of a waterlogged field. In the far distance, toward the Stilt Pool a large flock of c600 Brent Geese rose up before settling down again out of sight. A Buzzard and 3 Kestrels were about and a Peregrine sat on the derelict building. Five Stonechats were seen, whilst the pools held 10 Tufted Ducks and Skylarks around the banks. Out on the mud were good numbers of Dunlin, Grey Plover, Teal, Wigeon and Shelduck although it was generally on the quiet side. (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Jack Snipe near the poplars was the most unusual bird seen, though there were also a Dartford Warbler, 11 Stonechats, a Reed Bunting and 20+ Yellowhammers along the banks and at least 400 Golden Plover and 300 Lapwing out on the reserve. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: The female Eider was once again in the harbour on the Pagham side, while offshore, but at a distance, there were a Red-throated Diver and a Slavonian Grebe. (AW) 

Red-throated Diver (above), Red-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe & Eider at Church Norton (AW)

Chi GPs - Lakeside complex: I decided to have a look at a number of the less frequently visited lakes in the complex, starting at New lake, where the were c.60 Shoveler present, plus a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Treecreeper, three Goldcrests and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
The other lakes were all fairly quiet for wildfowl, with the exception of Vinnetrow Lake which held 46 Pochard and 30 Tufted Ducks, but the hedgerows and trees along the footpath were busy with numerous Blackbirds and several Song Thrushes, plus another Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Greenfinches, two Cetti's Warblers, five Chiffchaffs and half a dozen Goldcrests. (OM) Ivy Lake, the Trout Lakes and the smaller lakes in the area remained uncannily quiet with just two Tufted Ducks, three Pochards and a few Great Crested Grebes logged throughout. (BI)

Greenfinch near Vinnetrow Lake, Chi GPs (OM)

Saturday, 16th November: A chilly and grey morning early on, with a fresh north-easterly breeze, though warming a little later on as the sun briefly broke through....

Selsey Bill: It was generally quite quiet, though one or two Great Northern and Red-throated Divers and up to four Sandwich Terns were about, and a flock of 13 Gadwall went west. Full log below. (SH/IP/BI/AH/SR)
(0700-0900hrs) (NE F3)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 3E
diver sp - 1W
Gannet - 4E, 7W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 6E, 3W
Gadwall - 13W
Wigeon - 1E
Common Scoter - 2E
Red-breasted Merganser - 10E, 2W
Grey Plover - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 2os
auk sp - 3W
Meadow Pipit - 1N
Chiffchaff - 1

Red-throated Diver (above), Gadwall, Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gull (AH) & Mediterranean Gull (SR) at the Bill

Medmerry: Toe End - The Snow Bunting was still present at the end of the caravans this morning, along with a Black Redstart and two Stonechats, whilst a drake Goosander was in the tidal pools, along with four Red-breasted Mergansers. (SR)

Snow Bunting and black Redstart at Medmerry (SR)

Ferry Pool: There were just four Shelducks and c40 Shoveler and Teal present this morning. (AH)

North Wall: It was quiet at the Wall early this morning, with  White's Creek containing just the usual Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings and a few hundred Brent Geese, along with two Little Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe and a Kingfisher.  

The flooded Honer 2 field had merely 19 Curlew and a few Common Redshank on it. (IH)

Church Norton: The female Marsh Harrier was over the harbour early on and then along the west side, whilst three Ravens went over east and the two Peregrines were again around their island.

The harbour held five Avocets and c20 Knot and 40 Grey Plovers were among at least 500 Dunlin, whilst at least 300 Black-tailed Godwits and 500 Lapwing came up a couple of times from the far end. There were also three Red-breasted Mergansers on the water, with another going west offshore, and plenty of Wigeon, Teal and Brent Geese were present.

Among the few passerines seen were a couple of Reed Buntings and Skylarks and a dozen Meadow Pipits. (P&JW/AH/IP/RM/S&SaH/MO-W)

Raven (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Avocets, Peregrine, Wigeon, Dunlin & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Chi GPs - Drayton House pits: A rather uninspiring day for a WeBS count, with lower wildfowl totals than of late, probably due to the flooded conditions in the area and the comparatively mild conditions. Even so, there a few brief highlights. At least five different Water Rails were squealing from the reed-beds, a Kingfisher flashed through a couple of times, a couple of Snipe flushed from the margins - and then as dusk approached I was the solo audience for a small but delightful Starling murmuration. The first birds arrived at 1515hrs and the flock soon increased to around 2,000 or so, wheeling around the North pit for 20 minutes, until at 1535 they suddenly dropped into the trees and vegetation to roost in the south-east corner...just amazing. (OM)

Starling murmuration at Drayton House North pit. (OM)