26th - 28th October 2020

Wednesday, 28th October: Another grey and blustery morning, with a strong south-westerly and leaden skies, though mostly dry......

Selsey Bill: Two Merlins were seen together chasing a passerine in from the Mile Basket area, seemingly successfully just before they made land towards the Lifeboat Station. 

Also, a Peregrine went over and a Gannet was sat unusually close offshore, though it flew in and appeared uninjured and unoiled. Full log below. (MO-W/SR/RP/IP/AH)

(0700-0905hrs) (WSW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 33W

Wigeon - 1W

Merlin - 2

Peregrine - 1

Ringed Plover - 10

Turnstone - 40

Mediterranean Gull - 6os

Kittiwake - 3E

auk sp - 3E, 1W

Meadow Pipit - 47W

Pied Wagtail - 5W

Linnet - 13W

Great Northern Diver (above), Meadow Pipit & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Most of the wildfowl was disturbed by a digger going along the field, though there were still 50+ Shovelers, 100 Wigeon and Teal, along with four Gadwall and eight Shelducks moving between the pool and the harbour, along with the ten Avocets and 100+ Lapwing. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Shovelers at the Ferry

North Wall: A Short-eared Owl went over the wall this morning, heading west across the harbour. (TG-P)

Pagham Spit: The Red-throated Diver was in the newly breached little lagoon on the spit this morning. (RaH)

Church Norton: An apparent Pale-bellied Brent Goose was on the water with ten Dark-bellied Brent and a few Wigeon and Teal, but waders were restricted to a few Grey Plovers, Redshank and Curlews roosting around the concrete blocks on the big high tide.

Passerines were few, too, beyond a couple of skulking Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests in the churchyard and a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits around the beach. (AH/A&YF)

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (above), Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Teal & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 27th October: A pretty dismal morning, with a near gale force south-westerly pushing through band after band of drizzly rain......

Selsey Bill: A Merlin went out to sea his morning, whilst two Great Northern Divers dropped in and two Red-throated Divers went east, with another offshore. Full log below. (AH/SR/OM/IP)

(0700-0900hrs) (WSW backing S, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 2e, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3W

Gannet - 2E, 12W

Brent Goose - 10W

Common Scoter - 2W

Merlin - 1

Grey Plover - 1W

Turnstone - 13

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 4W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 11W

Pied Wagtail - 4W

Merlin (above), Great Northern Diver, Brent Geese, Mediterranean Gull & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

(1515-1645hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe -2w

Gannet - 1E, 8W

Shag - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Selsey East beach: On a gloomy morning in the East beach area a Sparrowhawk was seen in the garden, before feeding on a Goldfinch. (SR)

Sparrowhawk awaiting prey in an East beach garden (SR)

Ferry Pool: The ten Avocets were still on the pool this morning, along with two Snipe, five Gadwall, 56 Shovelers, 12 Shelducks, 85 Wigeon, 60 Teal and 80 Lapwing, with another 50 on the adjacent arable fields. (AH)

Shoveler (above) & Gadwall, Avocets, Lapwings, Wigeon and Mallard on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were at least six Chiffchaffs and ten Goldcrests along the sheltered hedges, but not much in the harbour on the full tide beyond five Brent Geese, ten Pintails and a couple of dozen Wigeon and Teal, plus a scattering of Redshank and Curlews. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Goldcrest & Pintails at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 26th October: A bright and breezy morning, warm in the sun but with a freshening westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: A Merlin flew in from way out, eight Swallows and three Redwings west were among a limited amount of passerine movement, whilst presumably the same Pale-bellied Brent Goose as yesterday went past west, along with two Gadwall. Full log below. (BI/RP/IP/MO-W/AH)

(0620-0835hrs) (WSW, F5)

Great Crested Grebe - 2W

Gannet - 2E, 16W

Brent Goose - 3E

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 1W

Gadwall - 2W

Common Scoter - 9E

Merlin - 1W

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 12W

Common Gull - 4W

Kittiwake - 6W

Wood Pigeon - 107W

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 8W

Meadow Pipit - 41W

Pied Wagtail - 24W

Redwing - 3W

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (above), Mediterranean Gull & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Ten Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with a Snipe, c30 Shovelers, six Shelducks and c50 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: This morning was a typical autumn day at the Wall: some 200 Wigeon, a similar number of Lapwing, about 100 Black-tailed Godwits and a few Pintail were in White's Creek and a Kingfisher flew from the sluice gates. 

The Breech Pool, very full, held a couple of Mute Swans, a few Teal, two Little Grebes and 20 or so Mallard while the hedgerows along the Wall were quiet apart from a few Reed Buntings. On leaving, the tree-lined path leading to Church Lane was occupied by a mixed flock of Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits. (IH)

Later, on the North Fields, a small flock of Fieldfares and six Cattle Egrets were present (TG-P).

Church Norton: It was pretty quiet this morning, though a Dartford Warbler was in the gorse along the path to the harbour and a Firecrest was among a big mixed flock with also included a couple of Chiffchaffs, several Goldcrests and lots of Long-tailed Tits.

Also, two pairs of Stonechats were along the front, along with a few Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Greenfinches, whilst three Swallows went over west.

A very odd-looking white-headed Brent Goose was in the harbour, but it was very quiet on the high tide beyond the regular Whimbrel and a few Grey Plovers and Turnstones. (AW/A&YF/AH)

Dartford Warbler (above), partially albino Brent Goose (AW), Swallow, Stonechat, Skylark, Greenfinches & Whimbrel (AH) at Church Norton

Medmerry: This afternoon, a Dartford Warbler was in the gorse immediately west of the path from Easton Lane car park and seven Stonechatswere in the thistly field. (IP)