Wednesday, 27th November: The wind shifted round to the south-west then west, but the wet and gloomy weather continued, with a mix of a few brief sunny spells and heavy, squally and persistent showers......
Ferry Pool: There was one Avocet on the pool this morning, along with 20 Shovelers and 40 Teal, whilst there were at least 400 Lapwing spread between the pool and the field.
A Kingfisher flew along the channel opposite, where there was also a Little Grebe, but the Tramway circuit was quiet, save a couple of Song Thrushes - one singing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a dozen Reed Buntings and c40 Goldfinches. (AH)
Fishbourne Creek and Chichester Marina: I had a look for Long-tailed Ducks at Dell Quay this morning, but no luck before the rain set in hard - c40 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Kingfisher was all I could find.
At Chichester Marina hide all I could muster were four Moorhens and two Snipe. (CRJ)
Ferry Pool: There was one Avocet on the pool this morning, along with 20 Shovelers and 40 Teal, whilst there were at least 400 Lapwing spread between the pool and the field.
A Kingfisher flew along the channel opposite, where there was also a Little Grebe, but the Tramway circuit was quiet, save a couple of Song Thrushes - one singing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a dozen Reed Buntings and c40 Goldfinches. (AH)
Reed Bunting (above), Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Little Grebe & Avocet around the Ferry (AH)
Fishbourne Creek and Chichester Marina: I had a look for Long-tailed Ducks at Dell Quay this morning, but no luck before the rain set in hard - c40 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Kingfisher was all I could find.
At Chichester Marina hide all I could muster were four Moorhens and two Snipe. (CRJ)
Drayton Pits: A quick look this morning produced 50+ Pochard and Shoveler, along with a few Tufted Ducks and Great Crested Grebes, whilst a Chiffchaff and a few Long-tailed Tits were in the hedges. (AH)
West Itchenor: A Great Northern Diver was viewable from here in the Chichester channel, somewhere between Cobnor point and Furzefield Creek. (PH)
Tuesday, 26th November: Yet another dismal morning's weather, with a blustery southerly breeze blowing through endless drizzly squalls....
Pochards at Drayton Pit (AH)
West Itchenor: A Great Northern Diver was viewable from here in the Chichester channel, somewhere between Cobnor point and Furzefield Creek. (PH)
Tuesday, 26th November: Yet another dismal morning's weather, with a blustery southerly breeze blowing through endless drizzly squalls....
Selsey Bill: There was very little to report this morning! (AH/IP)
(0745-0845hrs) (S, F5)
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 1E, 7W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W
Turnstone - 2W
Common Gull - 1W
Sidlesham Quay: A look around the periphery of Chapel Meadow produced what was presumably yesterday's pipit, seen twice at close quarters before it slipped away into long grass. It was not seen especially well, but the consensus was that it was most probably a Rock Pipit, based on a lack of an eye-stripe, a generally darker appearance and its confiding nature.
There were also several Snipe flying around at high tide and there were at least 60 Curlews in the stubble field adjacent to Yeoman's Field. (AH/BI)
Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets on the pool again, along with at least 400 Lapwings and 40 Black-tailed Godwits that dropped in briefly, whilst wildfowl included at least 100 Teal, around 40 Shovelers and ten Shelducks.
A Kingfisher was briefly in the channel opposite, whilst the very high tide was displacing the roosting birds, including at least 30 Snipe, mostly in one loose flock and a dozen Avocets out on the last refuge at the far end of Ferry Channel.
There were also a Chiffchaff, half a dozen Goldcrests and up to 20 Long-tailed Tits in the hedges. (AH)
Monday, 25th November: A pretty wet and miserable morning, after a cold and grey start, with persistent drizzly rain being pushed through by a fresh southerly breeze....(0745-0845hrs) (S, F5)
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 1E, 7W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W
Turnstone - 2W
Common Gull - 1W
Sidlesham Quay: A look around the periphery of Chapel Meadow produced what was presumably yesterday's pipit, seen twice at close quarters before it slipped away into long grass. It was not seen especially well, but the consensus was that it was most probably a Rock Pipit, based on a lack of an eye-stripe, a generally darker appearance and its confiding nature.
There were also several Snipe flying around at high tide and there were at least 60 Curlews in the stubble field adjacent to Yeoman's Field. (AH/BI)
Curlews at Sidlesham Quay (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets on the pool again, along with at least 400 Lapwings and 40 Black-tailed Godwits that dropped in briefly, whilst wildfowl included at least 100 Teal, around 40 Shovelers and ten Shelducks.
A Kingfisher was briefly in the channel opposite, whilst the very high tide was displacing the roosting birds, including at least 30 Snipe, mostly in one loose flock and a dozen Avocets out on the last refuge at the far end of Ferry Channel.
There were also a Chiffchaff, half a dozen Goldcrests and up to 20 Long-tailed Tits in the hedges. (AH)
Avocet and Lapwings (above), Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets, Long-tailed Tits & Snipe around the Ferry (AH)
Selsey Bill: Four Slavonian Grebes together on the sea and a Goosander and a Velvet Scoter west were the highlights of another quiet morning. Full log below.
(0730-0900hrs) (S, F4) (BI/IP/MO-W/SR/AH)
(0730-0900hrs) (S, F4) (BI/IP/MO-W/SR/AH)
Red-throated Diver – 2W
Great Northern Diver – 1os
Slavonian Grebe – 4os
Great Crested Grebe – 2E, 2W, 1os
Gannet – 11E, 41W, 2os
Shag – 1E
Common Scoter – 5E, 13W, 7os
Velvet Scoter - 1W
Goosander - 1W
Goosander - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser – 12E, 15W, 4os
Common Gull – 1E
Mediterranean Gull – 6E, 2W
Kittiwake – 3E, 4W
auk sp. – 5E, 2W
Rock Pipit – 1
Pied Wagtail – 1
Grey Seal – 1 os
Goosander (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: The Long-tailed Duck was still present at Dell Quay this morning, along with two Goosanders and a few Red breasted Merganser in the drizzle and the choppy sea. It was not the best day to be out birding in fact it was dreadful....with plenty of rain and a cool SW wind making birding conditions horrible.
Fishbourne Creek had plenty of ducks and waders although it was not the best counting conditions; we tried very hard to find a Jack Snipe without any luck although 4 Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and a flock of 15 Rock Pipits (all together) were the best we could do. (BFF/DM)
This afternoon there were two Long-tailed Ducks and a Great Northern Diver downstream from the pub area. (PH)
Fishbourne Creek had plenty of ducks and waders although it was not the best counting conditions; we tried very hard to find a Jack Snipe without any luck although 4 Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and a flock of 15 Rock Pipits (all together) were the best we could do. (BFF/DM)
This afternoon there were two Long-tailed Ducks and a Great Northern Diver downstream from the pub area. (PH)
Greenshanks at Fishbourne Creek (DM)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were as many as 25 Cattle Egrets with 12 Little Egrets in fields near Chalder Farm this morning. (IL)
Sidlesham Quay: A Water Pipit was seen near dusk in Chapel Meadow - an area with no public access, unfortunately. (IL)
Drayton Pit: The Great White Egret was still present on south pit this morning (BI) though it could not be found later in the afternoon.
Birdham Pool: A female Mandarin was at the back of the pool again late this afternoon. (SR)
Sidlesham Quay: A Water Pipit was seen near dusk in Chapel Meadow - an area with no public access, unfortunately. (IL)
Drayton Pit: The Great White Egret was still present on south pit this morning (BI) though it could not be found later in the afternoon.
Birdham Pool: A female Mandarin was at the back of the pool again late this afternoon. (SR)
Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets again this morning on the high tide, along with ten Shelducks, c300 Lapwings, c30 Shoveler and c60 Teal. (AH)
Later 80 Golden Plovers went over. (IL)
Later 80 Golden Plovers went over. (IL)
Avocet and Lapwing (above) & Avocet, Shovelers and Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: There was nothing unusual, but large numbers of birds were tucked into the north-west corner on the big high tide, with much activity as the water pushed up. Among those present were at least 40 Snipe, with flocks of over a dozen flying about, c200 Golden Plovers, c300 Black-tailed Godwits, at least 1000 Lapwings and plenty of wildfowl including eight Pintail, 50 or so Shelduck and Brent Geese and at least 200 Wigeon.
There were also at least two Rock Pipits and half a dozen Reed Buntings along the wall, plus a calling Cetti's Warbler. (AH/IH/PC)
Snipe (above), Golden Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Pintail & Wigeon at the North Wall (AH)
Church Norton: The strange-looking leucistic, or possibly hybrid, Brent Goose was in the harbour this morning, before flying off towards the Ferry. Later, the
Eider appeared again this afternoon in the main harbour channel on the
Pagham side. There was also some work going on around the harbour entrance. (AW)
Leucistic Brent Goose at Church Norton (above), Eider in the harbour channel and works ongoing in the harbour mouth area (AW)
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