Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 13th

Monday, 15th November: A morning of light northerly breezes and leaden skies.....

A newly updated Birding History of Selsey Bill by OM has been added to the menu tab above, and a very interesting read it is, covering over 60 years of more or less continuous observation at the Bill, the ever-changing landscape and many of the characters, past and present, that are woven into its history. (AH)

Selsey Bill: A Firecrest in the gardens in Grafton Road was the highlight this morning, with the sea fairly quiet. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH/OM)

(0715-0945hrs) (N, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W
Gannet - 3E, 31W, 20os
Brent Goose - 2W
Shelduck - 5W
Wigeon - 14W
Common Scoter - 10W, 6os
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 1
Turnstone - 14E, 9 on beach
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 5os
Razorbill - 1E, 14W, 1os
auk sp - 125W
Pied Wagtail - 4
Firecrest - 1 (in gardens)

Chaffinch - 3

Turnstones at the Bill (AH) and (below) spot the bird! Poor record shot of the Firecrest in a Grafton Road garden. (OM)

Ferry Pool: There were at least ten Snipe and c30 Lapwings present, along with half a dozen Wigeon and Shelducks and 80+ Shoveler and Teal. (AH)

Teal (above) & Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Dartford Warbler and two Stonechats were along the start of the spit this morning, and two Goosanders were in the harbour mouth. Also a Kingfisher shot through and a Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes. (SR/OM)

Dartford Warbler at the start of Norton Spit and a pair of Goosanders near the harbour entrance (OM)

East Beach Pond: There were three Chiffchaffs in the bushes this morning, with a Water Rail in the reeds and a mother Mallard with six newly hatched ducklings. (OM)

Female Mallard with a very late brood of six tiny ducklings at East beach pool - presumably very recently hatched - whilst a guilty-looking male still in partial eclipse was also present close by. (OM)

Medmerry: Coastguard Station to the Breach - The Black Redstart was still around the houses by the Coastguard Station this morning, whilst c50 Meadow Pipits were in the big field and two pairs of Stonechats were at the Windmill end of it.

At least two more pairs of Stonechats were around the rocks and banks at the breach, but the tidal area just held a roosting flock of c30 Ringed Plovers, ten Grey Plovers and 50 Dunlin, plus a few Wigeon and Teal, and three Red-breasted Mergansers heading west was all that was seen offshore. (AH).

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

Sunday, 14th November: The wind swung round to the north overnight, leaving a cooler and overcast morning.....

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe was offshore again, with a minimum of five Great Northern Divers about, whilst a few Brent Geese were going in both directions. Full log below. (SH/SR/IP/AH/CN/CRJ/RJS/AF)

(0700-0900hrs) (N, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 5os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 86W, 100os

Brent Goose - 6E, 9W

Wigeon - 13W

Common Scoter - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 5E, 2os

Pied Wagtail - 2

This afternoon, the Common Tern, seen earlier at Church Norton, was seen heading west. (SH)

(1500-1600hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Gannet - 1E, 12W, 10os

Brent Goose - 3E, 38W

Common scoter - 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 1os

Common Tern - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1

Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Spotted Redshanks were roosting among c50 Lapwings on the pool early this morning, with at least eight Snipe at the front and the usual mix of Shovelers and Teal, plus four Gadwall and a few Wigeon present, too. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Snipe and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Snow Bunting was along the spit this morning, working its way towards the far end and trying to evade the many walkers and cyclists.present.

The first-winter Common Tern was in the harbour mouth again, as were the four Goosanders and at least 300 Brent Geese, with as many again of the latter inside the harbour.

Also, a Red-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver, a Sandwich Tern and a Gannet went west and two of the latter and six Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore, a Kingfisher was on the old harbour mouth, a pair of Stonechats were along the beach, several Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were along the spit and the regular Whimbrel was inside the harbour, where there were many Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Knot, along with a few Wigeon and Teal and two Pintail. (AH/IP/RJS/CN/S&SaH/P&JW et al)

Snow Bunting (above), Goosanders (top pic SH), Whimbrel, Red-breasted Mergansers & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Halseys Farm and North Wall: It was very quiet here, with a Grey Wagtail and two Siskins over, and a couple of Goldcrests among a Long-tailed Tit flock the only birds of note. (S&SaH)

Pagham Spit: The Snow Bunting was briefly here, before being flushrd back across the harbour mouth to Church Norton spit, whilst the Goldeneye was still on the lagoon. (BI)

Snow Bunting (above) & Goldeneye at Pagham Spit (BI)

Medmerry: Coastguard Station - The Black Redstart was present again today. (BI)

Black Redstart at Medmerry (BI)

Chalder Farm to Fisher: This afternoon, 49 Cattle Egrets were seen along with two Kestrels, a Buzzard, a Mistle Thrush, two Stonechats, 18 Pied Wagtails, five Stock Doves, a Jay, three Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, and two flocks of Long-tailed Tits. (SR)

Cattle Egret (above) & Pied Wagtail at Chalder Farm (SR)

Saturday, 13th November: A fairly mild but grey morning in a moderate westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe, a Great Northern Diver and six Razorbills were on the sea, whilst a Shag went east and a Sanderling and seven Great Crested Grebes went west. Full log below. (SH/JA/PB/SR/BI/IP/AH/AW)

(0700-0915hrs) (W, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1W, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 7W, 1os

Gannet - 1E, 64W, 50os

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 15W

Common Scoter - 1E, 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 8W, 1os

Bar-tailed Godwit - 1W

Sanderling - 1W

Dunlin - 206W

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Common Gull - 4W

Kittiwake - 2W

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 2W, 6os

auk sp - 166E, 9W

Linnet - 5W

Red-throated Diver (above), Red-breasted Merganser & Dunlin at the Bill (AW)

There was a bit of interest this afternoon, including the first Sandwich Terns in a while, a Bonxie offshore and a large gathering of Gannets. (SH)

(1320-1420hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Gannet - 136W, to join c100os

Shag - 1E

Great Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2W

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 3E, 6W

Ferry Pool: There were eight Snipe at the front and c50 Lapwings spread between the field and the pool, which was otherwise dominated by c70 Shovelers, c30 Wigeon, c100 Teal, five Gadwall and six Shelducks. (AH)

At dusk this evening a Water Rail was in Red Barn Ditch. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Shovelers and Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: This afternoon, a Kingfisher was in Ferry Channel and two Stonechats and a Chiffchaff were along the hedges, whilst a Peregrine, a Buzzard and 22 Golden Plovers went over, with 100+ Lapwings and 300+ Brent Geese up over the North Wall (S&SaH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: A smart male Black Redstart was in front of the bungalows along the beach this morning. (TG/CRJ)

Medmerry: Coastguards Station - An elusive Black Redstart was still around the coastguard cottages. (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - At least 200 Golden Plovers and 100 Lapwing were up over the reserve, with five Snipe, a Buzzard and three Green Woodpeckers in the area, whilst the banks held three Dartford warblers, nine Stonechats, six Yellowhammers, a Song Thrush and 50+ Skylarks.

The Stilt Pool was quiet, though, with just four Snipe and a Dunlin being the only waders present. (S&SaH/PB)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail, four Pied Wagtails and a Green Woodpecker were the only birds of note today. (IP/RM)

Church Norton: A juvenile Common Tern was fishing in the harbour mouth this morning - presumably the one seen two weeks ago and the latest this century by two days.

The four Goosanders were also present again, and a Peregrine put on a show, whilst the harbour also held two Mediterranean and half a dozen Common Gulls, several hundred Brent Geese, c50 Grey Plovers, c80 Knot and 200+ Dunlin, with a pair of Stonechats on the spit and another by the horse field.

Thee was quite a bit of activity offshore, including a Great Northern Diver, two Razorbills and seven Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea and two Red-throated Divers flying west. (AH/IP/RM/MO-W/MI)