4th - 6th November 2021

Saturday, 6th November: A milder, but greyer, morning as the wind swung back round towards the south-west, freshening as it did so............

Selsey Bill: Three Eider went west this morning, along with a few Brent Geese and Kittiwakes, whilst a couple of Great Northern Divers were also about. Full log below. (SH/SR/BI/AH/IP/AW)

(0645-0845hrs) (WSW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 1E, 28W

Brent Goose - 12E, 42W

Shelduck - 4W

Pintail - 5W

Eider - 3W

Common Scoter - 7E, 18W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 1W

Dunlin - 20W

Turnstone - 16

Mediterranean Gull - 5W

Common Gull - 11W

Kittiwake - 9W

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 1E, 1W

auk sp - 2E, 9W

Wood Pigeon - 280W

Stock Dove - 12W

Meadow Pipit - 10W

Pied Wagtail - 5

Linnet - 6W

An hour this afternoon was surprisingly interesting, with a Ring-necked Parakeet seen, along with the first Black-throated Diver of the autumn and an Arctic Skua. Full log below. (SH)

(1515-1615hrs)

Black-throated Diver - 1W

Gannet - 1E

Common Scoter - 1W

Sanderling - 4E

Turnstone - 1

Arctic Skua - 1E (l/p)

Common Gull - 1W

Ring-necked Parakeet - 1

Pied Wagtail - 1

Guillemot (AW) (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Brent Geese and the new look Bill House garden (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There was nothing but ducks on the pool today, comprising four Shelducks, 12 Wigeon, c55 Shovelers and c80 Teal, though a Grey Wagtail went over. (AH)

Later on, a Common Sandpiper was on the pool, along with six Avocets and five Snipe. (NR)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail was along Manor Lane, whilst two Sparrowhawks and half a dozen Pied wagtails were around the farm. (IP)

Church Norton: The four Goosanders were in the harbour mouth again this morning, with two Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour, along with plenty of waders, including six Avocets and 40 Knot, whilst a Razorbill was close inshore off the beach.

A Woodcock, flushed from Bluebell Wood, was the first of the autumn, whilst also seen were two Chiffchaffs by the carriage houses, a Stonechat at the start of the spit, a Mistle Thrush and a couple of Jays at Greenlease Farm and a Cetti's Warbler in the Severals. (IP/S&SaH))

Goosanders (above) & Kestrel at Church Norton (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Spoonbill was on the reserve, opposite the Stilt Pools, again this morning. (AHu)

North Wall: A first-winter Marsh Harrier went over this morning and there were two Rock Pipits along the wall. (SP)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A new high count of 76 Cattle Egrets was reached this morning, with exactly 70 among the cows between Chalder and Bramber Farms and six among sheep just to the east of Chalder Farm.

Otherwise the hedges and fields were very quiet, with few passerines seen beyond a few Chaffinches, Pied Wagtails and House Sparrows around the dairy buildings.

Sidlesham churchyard was a little more interesting than of late, with a pair of Mistle Thrushes noisily defending the berry bushes, though at least half a dozen Redwings were tucked away getting their share. (AH)

A look this afternoon only found two Cattle Egrets, but a Merlin was some compensation. (S&SaH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Redwing, Mistle Thrushes & Pied Wagtail around Marsh farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Friday, 5th November: A beautiful crisp and bright morning in a light north-westerly breeze, frosty early and warmer later............

Selsey Bill: Two Redwings in off the sea early on was the highlight of a quiet morning, though a few Brent Geese were moving west again. Full log below. (BI/SR/AH/IP)

(0645-0830hrs) (NW, F3)

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Brent Goose - 63W

Wigeon - 4W

Common Scoter - 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W, 2os

Common Gull - 1W

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 2E

Wood Pigeon - 86W

Meadow Pipit - 5W

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 10W

Redwing - 2W

Greenfinch - 3

Linnet - 8W

Goldfinch - 20

Guillemot (AW) (above) & Brent Geese (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: Early on, two Cattle Egrets and two Egyptian Geese were on the little island on the pool, with otherwise five Snipe, c30 Lapwings and a few Shovelers and Wigeon present.

Later on, five Avocets and c50 Redshank were roosting on the pool and the Snipe count had risen to nine, but the only other birds present were a handful of Shovelers. (AH)

Cattle Egrets and Egyptian Geese (above), Snipe & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: The three redhead Goosanders were again in the harbour mouth, near the remnant banks of the little lagoon. 

There were also two or three Rock Pipits about and lots of Brent Geese arriving into the harbour. (BI)

This afternoon there were four Goosanders at the end of the spit. (TG)

Goosanders in the Harbour (BI)

North Wall: Four Redwings were at the west end of the wall this morning. (JDW) 

Honer Reservoir: A walk around the Honer/Summer Lane area found c.12 Golden Plover with 50 Lapwings near the reservoir, a Grey Wagtail at the bridge and a few Chiffchaffs in the hedges. Half-a-dozen Redwings also went over here. (BI)

Grey Wagtail at Honer (BI)

Church Norton: It was generally very quiet this morning, though there were again large numbers of Brent Geese in the harbour, with more arriving and others going on through.

There were good numbers of Grey Plovers and Dunlin on the mud before high tide, along with the usual Whimbrel, with a few Teal and Wigeon about, too, but he bushes were very quiet, with a Stonechat along the path to the beach the only bird of note. 

Also, the three Goosanders were viewable from the end of the spit. (AH/CRJ/RP)

Grey Plovers (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Tern Island on the high tide at Church Norton (CRJ)

Goosanders (above) & CRJ playing at being King Canute on the very high tide at Church Norton (RP)

Late this afternoon the four Goosanders were all together in the harbour mouth and there were at least 500 Brent Geese about.

Also, the digging on the spit has created a new channel for the water to flow out of the harbour through, so we wait to see what happens next! (AH)

Goosanders (above) & the new harbour mouth at Church Norton (AH)

East Head: On a beautiful day we saw all the usual waders and sea birds along with a distant Slavonian Grebe and a male Common Scoter towards Thorney, a pair of Snow Buntings and a Rock Pipit at the north end of East Head and on Snowhill four Greenshank and a Snipe during the very high tide.

There was a fly over female Goosander and to round it off we found the two female Velvet Scoters just north of Ellanore in the afternoon. Jean also had a face to face encounter with a Weasel. (D&JK)

Snow Buntings at East Head (DK)

Medmerry: Windmill to the breach - A pair of Stonechats were the only birds at the windmill end this morning, whilst another pair and a handful of Meadow Pipits were the only things seen at the other end.

The breach area held most interest, with a Red-throated Diver, a Guillemot and a Razorbill all on the water at high tide, and five Grey Plovers, c30 Ringed Plovers, c20 Turnstones and c60 Dunlin roosting on the last bits of shingle, whilst 11 Wigeon were out on the sea and c50 Brent Geese went over west. (AH)

Razorbill (above), Guillemot, Red-throated Diver, Stonechat, Ringed Plovers, Turnstone and Dunlin, Dunlin, Turnstone, Kestrel and the view across the breach at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 4th November: A fairly grey and breezy day, after a sunny start, and quite cool in the brisk north-westerly......

Selsey Bill: It remains quiet, with many birds seeming to have dispersed after the weekend's storm, though there were a few Brent Geese going west and a Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were seen, too. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0700-0800hrs) (NNW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 6os

Brent Goose - 1E, 16W

Common Scoter - 6W

Wigeon - 1W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 3E

Chiffchaff - 1

Later on, a Red Kite was seen heading west over the Lifeboat Station. (per CW)

Ferry Pool: Eight Cattle Egrets were on the field this morning, but the pool just held c30 Lapwings and the usual mix of Shovelers, Teal and Wigeon. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

East Head: The Snow Bunting was again at the northern end of the head today. (P Rowse/JG et al)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool - A Spoonbill was roosting among the Cormorants out on the reserve, opposite the Stilt Pool, this afternoon, and there were also two Cattle Egrets in the vicinity. (P Rowse)

North Wall and East side: The wall was birdless in the strong breeze, but the harbour was very busy on the rising tide, with a big increase in Brent Goose numbers, to c700 birds, though there seemed very few young among them, and there were plenty of Wigeon and Teal and a few Pintail, too, along with a single Red-breasted Merganser.

Among the waders seen were a flock of c100 Golden Plovers, 16 Bar-tailed Godwits, c80 Knot, c150 Black-tailed Godwits and plenty of Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Redshank. 

There were also two Common Seals hauled out in the harbour.(AH)

Golden Plovers (above) Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover, Red-breasted Merganser, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks, Brent Geese & Common Seals along the East side (AH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The three redhead Goosanders were seen briefly around the harbour mouth, whilst on what remains of the spit there were six Stonecats, a couple of Skylarks and a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits.

Pagham Lagoon held c20 Little Grebes, eight Tufted Ducks and three Great Crested Grebes, but that was it. (AH)

Goosanders (above), Stonechat, Little Grebe, the remains of the lagoon on the spit & digging a new harbour entrance around Pagham Spit (AH)