Friday 29 October 2021

29th - 31st October 2021

Sunday, 31st October: A mild, but very windy morning, starting with a southerly gale and heavy, then squally, rain before brightening as the wind swung south-westerly.......

Selsey Bill: The most notable activity was 63 Kittiwakes west, in small flocks, whilst a couple of Red-throated Divers and a few Gannets went west, in the odd moments of respite from the rain. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/AH)
(0650-0850hrs) (S, F8)
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Gannet - 19W
Brent Goose - 2W
Turnstone - 20
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Common Gull - 6W
Kittiwake - 63W
Razorbill - 1W



Kittiwakes (above), Common Gull & Gannet at the Bill (AH)


Later, a Bonxie was offshore, then west, a Great Northern Diver went east, with another three Red-throated Divers and 101 Kittiwakes (including a flock of 23) also west, and the interesting, but impossible to definitively identify grebe went west, too. Full log below. (BI/AH)
(0945-1105hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 3W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
grebe sp - 1W
Gannet - 6W
Common Scoter - 1E
Turnstone - 12
Great Skua - 1os, then W
Mediterranean Gull - 6W,10os
Common Gull - 4W
Kittiwake - 101W
auk sp - 4W
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Linnet - 7W

Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The 16 Avocets were again on the pool this morning, along with a Spotted Redshank, c30 Lapwings, c50 Shoveler and Wigeon and at least 100 Teal. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey. The fields held a covey of five Red-legged Partridges, a Grey and a Pied Wagtail, plus two Skylarks, this afternoon. (IP/S&SaH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to see in the harbour this morning, though at least 100 Brent Geese were near the mouth, and a dozen Great Crested Grebes and a few Curlews, Grey Plovers, Wigeon and Teal were sheltering in the vicinity of the concrete spit.
Two Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gull and four Brent Geese went west offshore, whilst a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits were on the beach, but that was about it. (AH)

Brent Geese (above) & Great Crested Grebes at Church Norton (AH)

Later on, a first-winter Common Tern was feeding in the harbour - the second latest record this century after one on 11th November 2007.
Also seen were a Little Grebe along the channel with seven Great Crested Grebes, c75 Teal, c30 Wigeon, nine Brent Geese, 82 Grey Plover, 51 Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, four Turnstones, two Bar-tailed Godwits, the regular Whimbrel, c60 Curlews, 30 Lapwings and 43 roosting Great Black-backed Gulls.
Also a Red-breasted Merganser was close to Tern Island, a Buzzard went over, the Dartford Warbler was still opposite the first Several and a Chiffchaff was calling from the hedges. (IP/SR/S&SaH/AH)





1st-winter Common Tern (top two SH, lower two SR) (above) , Whimbrel and Grey Plover & Bar-tailed Godwit (AH) at Church Norton








Saturday, 30th October: The unsettled spell continues, with heavy overnight rain eventually giving way to a blustery and showery, if mild, morning and sunshine by midday.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of activity, although mostly distant, including a Great Northern Diver east and an Arctic Skua, six Brent Geese and a few Kittiwakes and auks west. Also, a very distant grebe, that might have been a Red-necked, dropped in on the sea. Full log below. (SR/BI/SR/AH/JG/AFi)
(0740-1200hrs) (SSW, F7)
Great Northern Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os
grebe sp - 1os
Gannet - 3E, 38W, 50os
Brent Goose - 6W
Teal - 2E
Common Scoter - 6W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E
Turnstone - 8
Arctic Skua - 1W (d/p)
Great Skua - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 26W
Common Gull - 3W
Kittiwake - 26W
Guillemot - 2W
Razorbill - 2E, 26W
auk sp - 1E, 35W
Linnet - 10W
finch sp - 80W

Gannet (above) & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

(1550-1700hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 9E, 12W, 50os
Shag - 1W
Wigeon - 29W
Common Scoter - 11E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 39W
Common Gull - 18W
Kittiwake - 3W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 1W
Linnet - 5W

Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocets roosting on the pool this morning, but otherwise there were just c40 Lapwings, c50 Shovelers, c80 Wigeon and c120 Teal, plus a lone Shelduck, whilst a Buzzard was at the back and a Sparrowhawk went over. (AH)

Avocets (above), Sparrowhawk, Buzzard & Teal and Wigeon around the Ferry (AH)



Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey wagtail, two Pied Wagtails, two Skylarks and 50+ Meadow Pipits were around the farm this morning, whilst a Buzzard, a Kestrel and two sparrowhawks went over. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There wasn't a lot going on this morning, though c40 Pintail and c100 Wigeon were in the harbour and c60 Brent Geese were in the harbour mouth.
Waders just comprised the usual mix of Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Redshanks and Curlews, whilst the only birds of note in the hedges were a couple of Goldcrests. (AH)

Pintails and Shelduck (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Later on, the Dartford Warbler was between the Severals again and a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit were in the harbour, near the concrete spit, whilst c50 Mediterranean Gulls were offshore. (S&saH)
Also, at around 1215hrs, two Lesser Redpolls were in the trees along the path to the harbour, whilst three Siskins also went over and a Bar-tailed Godwit was in the harbour. (JG/AFi)

Late this afternoon a Swallow flew east along the beach. (AH)

Dartford Warbler at Church Norton (SH)
Lesser Redpolls at Church Norton (JG)





Friday, 29th October: Another very blustery day, with heavy rain earlier, though clearing, and a near gale-force southerly blowing.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety again this morning, including a first-winter Little Gull, a few Kittiwakes, a Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver west, and a couple of Bonxies and an Arctic Skua were about, too. Full log below. (BI/SR/AH)
(0745-0945hrs) (SSE, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Gannet - 14E, 14W
Common Scoter - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 8W
Turnstone - 17
Great Skua - 2E, 1W
Arctic Skua - 1os
Little Gull - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 28E, 1W
Common Gull - 8E
Kittiwake - 2E, 12W
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Guillemot - 1E, 2os
Razorbill - 7E, 4W, 5os
Grey Wagtail - 2W
Pied Wagtail - 1W

(1005-1105hrs) (BI)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Gannet - 34W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Common Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 2E
Guillemot - 1W
Razorbill - 1E, 3W
auk sp - 1W
Song Thrush - 1E

Arctic Skua and Mediterranean Gull (above), Kittiwake, Gannet, Common Gull & Sea Slater at Selsey Bill (AH)




Ferry Pool: Six Avocets were on the pool this morning, along with c40 Lapwings, c40 Wigeon, c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a mix of waders about this morning, including a Greenshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit, the regular Whimbrel, a few Ringed Plovers and Turnstones, , c50 Grey Plovers, c200 Duniln and the usual Curlews and Redshanks, whilst a few Wigeon and Pintail were out in the main channel.
A couple of Chiffchaffs and a Jay were the only land-birds seen. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)










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