Sunday 19 November 2023

19th - 21st November 2023

Tuesday, 21st November: A cold morning in a fresh northerly breeze, with a mix of sunshine and various grades of cloud from white to heavy and drizzle-laden......

Selsey Bill: Highlight of the morning was a Jack Snipe that flew west along the beach, presumably settled somewhere and then flew back east and then up over the Oval field and away. Remarkably, for a regularly migrating species, this is the first recorded at the Bill, bringing the total to 265. 
There were also two Red Kites that drifted off well out to sea with a few crows and gulls in tow, about half an hour apart, and a Slavonian Grebe was on the sea. Full log below. (IP/P&LH/AH)
(0750-0935hrs) (N, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 1os
Great crested Grebe - 2os
Gannet - 6E, 10W
Brent Goose - 4E, 6W
Shelduck - 1E
Wigeon - 4W
Eider - 1W
Common Scoter - 5W, 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 2os
Red Kite - 2E
Oystercatcher - 1W
Jack Snipe - 1N
Turnstone - 9
Mediterranean Gull - 3os
Common Gull - 1os

(1215-1345hrs) (P&LH)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W, 1os
Great crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 54os
Brent Goose - 13W
Shelduck - 2W
Wigeon -8E
Teal - 1W
Common Scoter - 12E, 2W, 40os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Turnstone - 14
Mediterranean Gull - 6os
Pied Wagtail - 2


Jack Snipe (above), Red Kite and Carrion Crows, Eider, Common Scoter & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)




Ferry Pool: There were 20 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with c100 Wigeon, c100 Teal, c50 Shovelers and c30 Canada Geese, with c200 Lapwings on and over the fields.
There was also a Marsh Harrier hunting over the channel opposite, putting up c50 Golden Plovers and at least another 200 Lapwings, plus a few Redshanks and Teal. (AH/ES et al)

Marsh Harrier (above), Teal & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)


Church Norton: A sub-adult male and a female Marsh Harrier were interacting and flying together over the horse field and Severals this morning, with a couple of Buzzards up, too.
At least three Bar-tailed Godwits were among plenty of  Redshanks, Grey Plovers and Dunlin, with c50 Brent Geese in the harbour mouth and a lone Gannet was offshore, but a Chiffchaff along the path to the beach and a Jay in the churchyard were about the only land-birds noted. (AH)


Marsh Harriers (above) & Bar-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)











Monday, 20th November: After yet more heavy rain early on, a slowly improving morning, though still with a fresh and blustery westerly breeze .....

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe going west and a Common Scoter sat close inshore were the highlights of a quiet morning. Full log below. (IP/AH)
(0740-0910hrs) (WNW, F6-7)
Slavonian Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 2W
Common Scoter - 1os
Turnstone - 5
Mediterranean Gull - 4os
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Pied Wagtail - 1W
Linnet - 1W

Slavonian Grebe (above), Common Scoter & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)



Later in the morning, the Purple Sandpiper was back on the beach. (AW)

(1245-1345hrs) (SH)
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Gannet - 5E, 71W
Common Scoter - 1os
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 3os

Purple Sandpiper at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were 22 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c50 Wigeon,with a further 50 of the latter, c300 Lapwings and c40 Canada Geese on the fields. (AH)

Wigeon (above) & Avocets, Shoveler and Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much going on in the poor conditions, with a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and c50 Knot among the regular waders, with c50 Teal and c20 Wigeon, up to 20 Mediterranean Gulls and two Sparrowhawks, one of which unsuccessfully went after a Redshank, the only other things of note.
There were also at least 400 Brent Geese - with quite a lot of juveniles among them - in the fields along Rectory Lane again. (AH) 
A Slavonian Grebe was reported offshore this afternoon (per Birdguides/RBA)

Dunlin (above), Grey Plover & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)


North Wall: Three Marsh Harriers came in to roost this evening, whilst two Tawny Owls were calling from Halsey's Farm and four Water Rails were calling from the reeds.
Also, six Snipe, two Chiffchaffs and two Goldcrests were seen and c1000 Brent Geese - 600 from the Marsh Fam area and 400 from the Honer Farm area - came into the harbour at dusk. (S&SaH)

Chichester GPs: Westhampnett Pit - A fairly brief look at this under-watched pit produced 25 Great Crested Grebes, four Little Grebes, 12 Cormorants, 155 Coots, 45 Tufted Ducks, six Pochard and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls amongst other gulls. A Chiffchaff was also in the hedgerows. (OM)

Fishbourne Creek: The highlights were a Great Northern Diver in the channel and the first two returning (drake) Goldeneye of the autumn. A flock of up to 500 Brent Geese was spread around the creek, as were several hundred Wigeon, whilst a single Greenshank and most of the commoner wader species were also present, but with nothing out of the ordinary logged. (OM)

Great Northern Diver (above) & two drake Goldeneyes in Fishbourne channel from Dell Quay (OM)

 

 










Sunday, 19th November: A fairly mild, but very blowy morning, with a strong westerly pushing through banks of cloud and the odd brief shower.....

Selsey Bill: The Long-tailed Duck was present again this morning, offshore before flying off west, and a Slavonian Grebe, three Little Gulls and a distant 'Commic' Tern also went west, whilst a big flock of c50 Common Scoter were on the sea off Hillfield Road. Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/MRB/SR/IP/RHa/AH/SM et al)
(0700-1000hrs) (WSW, F6-7)
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Slavonian Grebe - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Gannet - 11E, 18W, 6os
Brent Goose - 2W
Pintail - 5E
Long-tailed Duck - 1W
Common Scoter - 2W, c50os
Red-breasted Merganser - 3W, 1os
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 3W, 3os
Black-headed Gull - 90W
Common Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 2W
Little Gull - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 8W
Commic Tern - 1W
Pied Wagtail - 3

Later on, with the tide up, the Purple Sandpiper re-appeared, but it was otherwise quiet. Full log below. (SH)
(1320-1420hrs) 
Common Scoter - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser -3W
Purple Sandpiper - 1
Turnstone - 20
Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 2os

Red-throated Diver (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Spotted Redshank and 19 Avocets were on the pool early this morning, along with two Shelducks, three Gadwall, c40 Wigeon, c60 Shovelers and c150 Teal, with three Little Egrets, six Redshanks, c50 Lapwings and c50 Canada Geese around the fields. (AH)

Spotted Redshank, Little Egret and Teal (above) & Gadwall, Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Later on, five redhead Goosanders were briefly in the channel opposite before flying off west. (G Bagnell/BI)

Goosanders in Ferry Channel (G Bagnell)

Church Norton: A Great Northern Diver was fairly close offshore late this morning, before flying off east, whilst a Marsh Harrier was struggling in the wind to hunt over the Severals, with another seen over the harbour earlier.
There were good numbers of waders in the harbour, including six Bar-tailed Godwits, a couple of Turnstones, at least 200 Knot, c50 Grey Plovers and up to 1000 Dunlin, whilst the first-winter male Eider was in the main channel, but only a few Wigeon and Teal, plus two Shelducks were seen, with most of the 200+ Brent Geese being up over the far end of the harbour. (AH/GM/PB/MRB/G Bagnell et al)


Great Northern Diver (above), Marsh Harrier, Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)





Late this afternoon, with the tide high in the harbour, two Kingfishers were seen flying past the hide, whilst there were five Red-breasted Mergansers, the first-winter male Eider, nine Great Crested Grebes, c40 Common Gulls, c40 Wigeon and c80 Brent Geese on the water, with another c150 of the latter on the fields along Rectory Lane. (AH/RP)

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


North Wall: There wasn’t much about this morning, in the very windy conditions, with just a few Wigeon along White’s Creek, six Redshanks, three Dunlin and 40 Lapwing on the mud and a few Brent Geese and Shelducks further out.
A Pied Wagtail was in the paddock, two Rock Pipits were along the wall, two Reed Buntings were in the bushes, and a lone Gadwall was on the Breech Pool, whilst two Marsh Harriers were over the reeds and 25 Curlew were in the harbour near Halsey’s Farm. (LP/CT)

Late this afternoon 54 Cattle Egrets came into roost, with two Marsh Harriers, a  Peregrine, a Snipe and three Goldcrests also seen. (S&SaH)

Chalder and Marsh Farms, Sidlesham: A flock of 100 Brent Geese, 60 Stock Doves and two Little Grebes were on the flooded fields at Chalder Farm, along with six Pied Wagtails, five Long-tailed Tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, but there was nothing but corvids at Marsh Farm. (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There wasn't much to report in the windy conditions, with just two Yellowhammers seen on the banks and an Avocet on the Stilt Pool, with a Marsh Harrier, a sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and 34 Brent Geese around the reserve. (S&SaH)








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