Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 28th

Wednesday, 30th November: After a grey and murky start, an increasingly sunny, if chill, morning in a moderate north-easterly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety, but no numbers, this morning, with the most unusual bird being a Fieldfare that dropped into the trees at the back of the Oval Field before carrying on east. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0745-0900hrs) (ENE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Gannet - 1E

Brent Goose - 4W

Wigeon - 2E, 12W

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 6E, 6os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W, 6os

Oystercatcher - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Meadow Pipit - 17N

Fieldfare - 1E

Fieldfare (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was just c80 Shoveler, c40 Teal and four Shelducks this morning. (AH)

Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Firecrest and two Pied Wagtails were around the paddock this morning, with a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest were in Church Lane, a a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail and a Rock Pipit were by the sluice, but there were only a few Wigeon and Redshank along White’s Creek.

The Breech Pool held just a few Mallards and behind the pool there were two Marsh Harriers, two Sparrowhawks and a Buzzard. A flock of about 20 Yellowhammers were moving through the bushes along with 12 Reed Buntings and a Jay, four Greenfinches and a Green Woodpecker was at Owl Copse.

Also, a large number of Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew into the harbour from the north fields, estimated somewhere between 1500 – 2000.(LP/CRJ)

Brent Geese at the North Wall (CRJ)

East Side: At the Slipe Field were male and female Sparrowhawks, two Kestrels, two Skylarks and six Reed Buntings. (CRJ)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The two Snow Buntings were at the end of the spit again this morning, and the Slavonian Grebe was showing well, too, along with a handful of Great Crested Grebes in the channel.

Otherwise, there were a few Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks along the spit, with at least 400 Wigeon, a few Pintail and Teal and up to 1000 Lapwings and 200 Brent Geese out in the harbour.

The Lagoon just held half a dozen Little Grebes and lots of Coots. (AH)

Snow Buntings (above & Slavonian Grebe at Pagham Spit (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Long-tailed Duck was still on the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst two Dartford Warblers were along the banks and 500+ Brent Geese were in the fields west of Marsh Barn. (CG)

Honer Reservoir: There were just a Little Grebe and eight Coots on the reservoir, plus a Grey Wagtail, but the adjacent fields and hedges were quiet beyond a few Curlews and Lapwings. (AH)

Grey Wagtail (above) & Little Grebe at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Tuesday, 29th November: A really dank, autumnal day, with heavy and low grey cloud, distinctly cooler than of late in just a light north-easterly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: Again, very little was on the move, though three Redwings went over very early and a drake Eider went east. Full log below. (AH/IP/M Bravery)

(0730-0900hrs) (NE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 3W, 2os

Eider - 1E, 1os

Common Scoter - 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W, 4os

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 3W

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Redwing - 3N

Red-throated Diver (above), Eider & Kittiwake at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a couple of dozen Shovelers and Teal on the pool morning. (AH).

North Wall: At 1000hrs there were three Marsh Harriers over the reeds behind the Breech Pool - two females and a male, before another female was seen approaching from the Church Norton area and joined the original group. Shortly afterwards, a female drifted off towards Tern Island. (JDW)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: Remarkably, the Snow Bunting at the end of the spit was joined by a second bird, whilst the Slavonian Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe were on the water, a Kingfisher, a Curlew and a Grey Heron were nearby and 16 Oystercatchers were on the shingle.

Also, a Great Northern Diver was on Pagham Lagoon, whilst the Slipe Field just held a Skylark and six Reed Buntings. (CRJ/AM/GHi et al)

Snow Buntings (GHi, top, CRJ lower four), Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe (CRJ), Great Crested Grebe & Grey Heron (GHi) at Pagham Spit

Chichester Marina: There were three different Marsh Harriers over the reedbeds this morning, with a Kingfisher, a Cetti's Warbler and at least three Water Rails in the vicinity, along with 30 Teal, whilst five Redwings and three Fieldfares went over. (PH)

Birdham: There were two Treecreepers in a garden in the village this morning. (GT)

Fishbourne Creek: An adult and a first-winter Little Gull were still around the Lavant outflow this morning, with a Goldeneye and at least nine Red-breasted Mergansers out on the water, and a Spotted Redshank and two Greenshanks among the many waders present.. (AM/MRu)

Church Norton: The Greenshank was again in the harbour on the low tide, along with c60 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, with at least 600 Golden Plovers and similar of Lapwings further down the west side.

A Marsh Harrier came over from the North Wall before retreating, and two Sparrowhawks were seen, whilst there were plenty of Wigeon and Teal, but few Brent Geese, in the harbour and small birds were confined to a Cetti's Warbler along the harbourside and two Goldcrests in the churchyard. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Golden Plovers & Goldcrest at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 28th November: After yet more overnight rain and some early showers, a blustery grey morning finally gave way to some warm sun as the westerly breeze eased......

Selsey Bill: A Black Redstart on the garden wall of Bill Point House and two Eider, two first-winter Little Gulls and three Pintails heading west were about the only things of note on a quiet morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/ABi/AW)

(0740-1000hrs) (W, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 3W, 1os

Gannet - 2E, 3W

Brent Goose - 6W

Pintail - 3W

Common Scoter - 4W

Eider - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 2W

Turnstone - 11

Little Gull - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Black Redstart - 1

Black Redstart (above), Eider (AW) & Little Gull (AH) at the Bill

Also, a Sparrowhawk was showing well in a garden along Byways, just behind the Bill. (B Richardson)

Sparrowhawk at the Bill (B Richardson)

Ferry Pool: There were just c40 Teal and Shovelers, three Shelducks and 28 Canada Geese on the pool this morning. (AH)

Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: The Snow Bunting was still present this morning at the west end of the spit, with three Rock Pipits nearby, whilst the Slavonian Grebe was again in the harbour, along with two Little Gulls and a Kittiwake. (TG/KT)

Kittiwake at Pagham Spit (KT)

North Wall: A Sparrowhawk flew down Church Lane this morning and a Firecrest was in the trees there, a small group of Long-tailed Tits were around the paddock and a couple of Pied Wagtails flew over, whilst a Grey Wagtail was by the sluice. Also, a Rock Pipit, two Stonechats and a few Reed Buntings were along the wall, and a Kestrel was over the fields behind.

In the harbour, a few Wigeon and Teal were along White's Creek, while out on the mud there were 80 Lapwing and 20 Redshank. (LP/CT/JDW)

Grey Wagtail at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Three Marsh Harriers were over the reserve this morning, all together at one point, whilst up to four Dartford Warblers were along the banks, together with a dozen or so Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, eight Stonechats, c25 Meadow Pipits and c200 Linnets, whilst a flock of 80 Skylarks were all up high together after the harriers moved through.

The Long-tailed Duck was till on the Stilt Pool, where two pairs of Egyptian Geese had a fierce and prolonged set-to, before one pair retreated, with otherwise c150 Lapwings, six Gadwall, c20 Shovelers, c100 Wigeon and c200 Teal were also present. There were also c800 Brent Geese in the fields just west of Marsh Barn. (AH)