7th - 9th November 2020

Monday, 9th November: Another pleasant morning, warm despite the moderate easterly breeze and just light, hazy cloud.....

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe was close offshore and there was just enough local movement to keep it interesting, though there wasn't much visible migration. (BI/RP/AH/MO-W/IP/SR)

(0705-0900hrs) (ESE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 4W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 15E, 18W

Brent Goose - 3E, 29W

Common Scoter - 12E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 10W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Common Gull - 1E

Razorbill - 6E

auk sp - 2E

Wood Pigeon - 15w

Meadow Pipit - 23E

Pied Wagtail - 16E

Chiffchaff - 1

Linnet - 2

Goldfinch - 45E

At 1220hrs three Sandwich Terns went east offshore. (ARK/MH)

Slavonian Grebe and Gannets off the Bill this morning (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Avocets were on the pool again, along with at least 200 Lapwings and 100 Shovelers, plus c50 Teal and c25 Wigeon. (AH)

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

Park farm, Selsey: Three Stonechats were in the fields, whilst a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk went over. (IP)

Church Norton: A Goosander flew in with a Red-breasted Merganser and landed in the entrance channel to the harbour this morning, before flying off west, whilst 300 Brent Geese were on the field behind the churchyard, with more out on the mud.(AW)

There were also two Gannets offshore, two Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour and a Stonechat along the Severals. (IP)

Goosander (above) & juvenile Brent Goose at Church Norton (AW)

Pagham Spit: Two Ravens went over the spit this morning, heading west. (TG-P)

North Wall: A warm, quiet day along the Wall. Early on there were lots of ducks along White's Creek - 300 Wigeon, 40 Teal plus a few Mallard and Pintail, along with at least 250 Lapwing, 90 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Redshank and a solitary Dunlin. 

Only Mallard and a few Teal were on the Breech Pool, whilst two Chiffchaffs were amongst a mixed Tit flock at Bremere Bridge and at least four Cattle Egrets were amongst the cattle in the field due north-west of the bridge. (JDW)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were 17 Cattle Egrets in the fields late this afternoon. (TG-P)

Ivy Lake: Four Egyptian Geese were on the lake today. (AB)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - There were five Black Redstarts around this morning (all female-types), with one by the first caravans from the windmill and the other two at Toe End and on the rocks nearby. There were also a couple of pairs of Stonechats at each end and lots of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails about, plus a few Linnets, whilst two Rock Pipits were around the first sea-defence rocks.

There were also probably four Purple Sandpipers present, with two among Turnstones on both the sea-defence rocks by the windmill and at the breach, whilst offshore there were a Red-throated Diver and two Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea and 35 Brent Geese went west. 

The tidal areas held a Greenshank, a snipe and plenty of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, plus a few Grey Plovers, but not much else of note.(AH/ARK/MH)

Black Redstart (above), Purple Sandpipers, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone, Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)

Sunday, 8th November: A mild and overcast morning, with the light easterly breeze dropping away to a flat calm.....

Selsey Bill: Four Swallows were still about, among a bit of visible migration and two Slavonian Grebes were offshore, whilst a pod of at least ten Bottle-nosed Dolphins of a variety of sizes made a very leisurely progress west. Full log later. (SH/BI/PB/AH/IP/MO-W/SR)

(0645-0930hrs) (E, F4, dropping to F2)

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 2E, 2W

Brent Goose - 5E, 17W

Pintail - 1W

Wigeon - 13W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 10W

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Common Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 9E

Guillemot - 3W

auk sp - 15E

Wood Pigeon - 75W

Stock Dove - 8E

Swallow - 4E

Meadow Pipit - 17E

Pied Wagtail - 16E, 1W

Grey Wagtail - 2E

Goldfinch - 255E

Linnet - 19E

Lesser Redpoll - 2E

Greenfinch - 4E

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 10+W

Swallows (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Brent Geese, Pintail and wigeon & distant Bottle-nosed Dolphins a the Bill (AH)

Also, some interesting late news regarding yesterday's colour-ringed Rock Pipit - this bird was ringed in Maletangen Ornithological Station on the west coast of Norway on 11th August 2019. This makes it a Scandinavian Rock Pipit and it will be very interesting if it hangs around long enough to see it moult into summer plumage. (Eds)

East Beach: A squealing Water Rail was heard at the pond, eight Goldcrests were high up in the trees, a Grey Heron was perched in the willow, 12 Turnstones were on the beach and 18 Brent headed west. (SR)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat and two Jays were around the farm and there were still ten or more Goldcrests along the hedges in Manor Lane. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: Two Avocets and 30 Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool this morning, along with 100+ Lapwings, ten Shelducks, c100 Shovelers and c50 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

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

North Wall: It was quiet along the wall this morning, with a Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk seen in the fields behind, but almost no passerines beyond a couple of Reed Buntings and a handful of Goldcrests.
The harbour was equally quiet, though a Spotted Redshank and c50 Black-tailed Godwits were in White's Creek, along with 100+ Wigeon, whilst at least 200 Brent Geese, 200 Lapwings, a handful of Golden and Grey Plovers and a few Curlews and Redshank were all that could be found in the harbour. (AH et al)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (AH)

Church Norton: A pair of Dartford Warblers were along the first Several again this morning, along with four Stonechats, four Reed Buntings, and three Goldcrests, whilst two Marsh Harriers were over the harbour. 

There were also 20+ Pintail, two Bar-tailed Godwits, two Black-tailed Godwits and at least 500 Brent Geese, with another 100+ west along the beach. (S&SaH/IP)

West Itchenor: A Great Northern Diver was out in the harbour this afternoon. (HB)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - There were at least two Black Redstarts, including a smart male at Toe End this morning. There were also plenty of Pied Wagtails & Meadow Pipits around the beach, five Stonechats along the banks and two Rock Pipits on the boulders. (BI)

Black Redstarts at Medmerry (BI)

Saturday, 7th November: Another lovely autumn morning, quite warm in the sun and with the easterly breeze much lighter than yesterday.....

Selsey Bill: Six House Martins and 12 Swallows over were a nice, late surprise, whilst offshore there was a reasonable selection again, including five Eider west. Full log later. (JA/SH/BI/RP,AH/IP/MO-W/SR)

(0630-0900hrs) (E, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 8E, 2W

Brent Goose - 5E, 4W

Pintail - 1E

Eider - 5W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 4W

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Guillemot - 1E

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 3E

Wood Pigeon - 163E, 315W

Skylark - 3E

Swallow - 12E

House Martin - 6E

Meadow Pipit - 24E

Rock Pipit - 1

Pied Wagtail - 19E, 1W

Grey Wagtail - 2E

Goldfinch - 473E

Linnet - 32E

Chaffinch - 7E

Greenfinch - 8E

House Martin (above), Swallow, Eiders, Red-breasted Mergansers (AH) & Rock Pipit (SR) at the Bill 

Ferry Pool: An Avocet, four Black-tailed Godwits and five Snipe were on the pool, along with c100 Lapwings, 12 Shelducks, c100 Shovelers and c50 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Also, a Water Rail was in Red Barn Ditch. (A&YF)

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

This afternoon the Kingfisher was showing well in ferry Channel. (EB)

Kingfisher in Ferry Channel (EB)

North Wall: From the stables, two Marsh Harriers were again present this morning together with a Kestrel mobbed by a Crow and a singing Wren. Whites Creek was populated by some 200 Wigeon, the same number of Lapwing, and a few Teal, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank. 

The hedgerows were quiet apart from a small number of Reed Buntings while three Cetti's Warblers called. The mud opposite Owl Copse held three Grey Plovers and a single Golden Plover while in the vicinity of Honer Farm there was flock of 12 Redwing, four Greenfinches, two Goldcrests, a Song Thrush and a Chiffchaff. (IH)

Later there were 600 Golden Plovers in White's Creek. (SP)

Wren at the North Wall (IH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat and four Pied Wagtails were around the fields, whilst at least ten Goldcrests were in the hedges in Manor Road. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: A Merlin was sat on Tern Island and later seen shooting across the harbour, whilst two Marsh Harriers were also out hunting.

There were up to 200 Brent Geese in the harbour before some moved off west, along with a few Pintail, a flyover Tufted Duck and plenty of Wigeon and Teal, whilst the Whimbrel, a few Knot and plenty of Grey Plovers and Dunlin were among the waders present.

At least two, and possibly three Dartford Warblers were along the Severals, along with three Stonechats and a Goldcrest, whilst a Grey Wagtail went over and five Snipe flew out from the corner by the horse field.. (AH/IP/RM/MO-W/MI/S&SaH)

Merlin (above), Marsh Harrier, Whimbrel, Stonechat & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A Black Redstart was on the go-kart track this morning, with a pair of Stonechats and 20+ Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails also in the vicinity. (AH)

This afternoon there were two Purple Sandpipers on the sea defence rocks nearby. (AB)

Black Redstart (above), Stonechat & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Merlin was about this afternoon, whilst along the banks there were a Chiffchaff, three Yellowhammers and four Stonechats, along with four, and possibly five, Green Woodpeckers. (S&SaH)

East Head: I photographed this pair of Curlews this morning doing the what they did at this time last year - walking very slowly around each other, picking up seaweed and tossing it, walking away and then coming back, opening up the wings. It is difficult to know if it is territorial or mating behaviour! (MR)

Curlews at East Head (MR)