Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 1st

Tuesday, 3rd November: Another morning of gale-force winds, though this time from the west and bright and cold after a drizzly start.....

Selsey Bill: A Purple Sandpiper flew west along the beach, whilst two Great Northern Divers and a Red-throated Diver were also seen, though it was generally quiet. Full log below. (RP/AM/AH/IP/MO-W)

(0700-0845hrs) (W, F7-8)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 2W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 15W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Purple Sandpiper - 1W

Turnstone - 10

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Wood Pigeon - 90E, 50w

Stock Dove - 1E, 1W

Meadow Pipit - 40W

Pied Wagtail - 4W

Linnet - 15W

Goldfinch - 40

Great Northern Diver (above), Lesser Black-backed Gull, Meadow Pipits, Brent Geese & Stock Dove and Wood Pigeons at the Bill (AH)

Later on, a remarkable six Purple Sandpipers were seen on the beach before they flew off east and were seen again towards the Lifeboat Station. (AM)

Three Purple Sandpipers at the Bill (AM)

Ferry Pool: There were seven Avocets on the pool this morning, along with 25 Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Shelducks and 105 Shovelers, whilst five Redshank and 20 Teal were in the channel opposite. (AH/AM)

Avocet (above) & Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: At dusk this evening four Barnacle Geese went over the harbour, calling loudly, and carried on west in the company of three Brent Geese. (AH)

North Wall: A Rock Pipit, half a dozen Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail were all to be found along the rocks this morning while Whites Creek contained modest numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwing, a few Curlew and a single Grey Plover.

Unsurprisingly in the strong wind there was little activity in the hedgerows but a Kestrel was hunting at the stables. (IH)

Kestrel at the North Wall (IH)

Church Norton: The Wheatear was again around the concrete blocks, along with 20 Linnets, whilst a Rock Pipit went over, as did a Skylark and a couple of Meadow Pipits.

A Merlin was hunting passerines in the big fields at Rectory Lane and two Peregrines were out on the mud, one with a kill which ate its fill before flying off, leaving the remains to the other one.

There were also plenty of Dunlin and Grey Plovers on the mud, along with about ten Knot, and there were c40 Brent Geese and Wigeon also about. (AH)

Peregrine (above) & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 2nd November: Yet another windy day, with a near gale-force south-westerly blowing drizzly rain through early on, though brightening up as the morning progressed and quite warm in the sun..........

Selsey Bill: A Purple Sandpiper among the Turnstones, a Red-throated Diver east and a Great Northern Diver offshore were the meagre highlights his morning. Full log below. (BI/RP/IP/AH)

(0700-0830hrs) (SW, F7-8)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, then os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 1E, 7W

Common Scoter - 1W

Purple Sandpiper - 1

Turnstone - 10

Kittiwake - 1E

auk sp - 1E

Meadow Pipit - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1

Purple Sandpiper at the Bill (AH)

Later, there were two Purple Sandpipers together at the Bill. (AW) but later still on the very high tide there were 18 Turnstones and a few Mediterranean Gulls, but the 2 Purple Sandpipers couldn't be found, though much of the beach was impassable. (CRJ)

Two Purple Sandpipers at the Bill! (AW) and below Mediterranean Gull and a very high tide there (CRJ)

Ferry Pool: There were c70 Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the pool this morning, along with a handful of Lapwing, c20 Teal and c60 Shovelers. (AH)

Later, two Egyptian Geese went south-west over the Visitor centre, whilst eight Swallows were over the Tramway and a Marsh Harrier and 100+ Golden Plovers were out in the harbour from there. (TG-P)

Teal (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Wheatear was around the concrete blocks again this morning and a Swallow was near the hide, whilst a Stonechat and c30 Linnets were along the harbour's edge and a couple of Goldcrests were in the hedges at the back of the churchyard.

There wasn't too much in the harbour beyond c25 Brent Geese, c100 Wigeon, half a dozen Knot and about 20 Dunlin and Grey Plovers. (AH/A&YF)

Later a furtive Water Rail was along the path between the hide and the steps, whilst the regular Whimbrel was again present and six Great Crested Grebes were in the harbour. (CRJ)

Wheatear (above), Stonechat, Brent Geese, Wigeon & Grey Plover and Redshank at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 1st November: The new month started as the old ended, with gale force south-westerlies and heavy cloud bringing spells of drizzle, though there were the odd warm, sunny intervals...

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on this morning, with persistent drizzly mist keeping visibility limited, though the Purple Sandpiper went west and there were just a few Gannets and Kittiwakes about. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP)

(0645-0900hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Red-throated Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 9W

Brent Goose - 2W

Purple Sandpiper - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W, 1os

Kittiwake - 7W

Ferry Pool: There were just five Avocets on the pool this morning, along with 25 Black-tailed Godwits and c75 Shovelers, though few other wildfowl, whilst c100 Lapwings were on the fields at the back. (AH)

Later on, seven Swallows were feeding over the Tramway. (AB)

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm: There were just a Sparrowhawk and four Pied Wagtails around again today. (S&SaH/IP)

Church Norton: A Wheatear was on the concrete blocks this morning, along with c80 Linnets, with a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks along the spit, whilst a Chiffchaff was between the Severals and a Swallow went over, a couple of Goldcrests were in Bluebell Wood and the churchyard and a Redwing and a Jay were in the car-park.

A juvenile Kittiwake, four Gannets and a few Mediterranean Gulls were offshore, whilst at least 60 Brent Geese, along with a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal were in the harbour, and there were a few more waders about on the rising tide, including seven Knot, c20 Turnstones, c40 Grey Plovers and c150 Dunlin. (AH/IP/DM/DIS)

The Wheatear was still present later on, and a few Swallows were about, too, whilst a Dartford Warbler and two Reed Buntings were along the Severals, a Kingfisher was on the metalwork and the regular whimbrel was near the bench. (S&SaH/AB/AH)