22nd - 24th November 2023

Friday, 24th November: A decidedly cold and grey morning in a freshening north-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: Three drake Eiders together, going west, was the highlight, and also the Long-tailed Duck was on the sea, five Kittiwakes and a few Razorbills went west, and a few Great Northern and Red-throated Divers were about, too. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/P&LH/AH/MMO-W)

(0715-0915hrs) (WNW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 1W, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 5W, 1os

Gannet - 8E, 38W, 6os

Brent Goose - 3E, 2W

Wigeon - 6E

Eider - 3W (all drakes)

Common Scoter - 6W, 2os

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Grey Plover - 2W

Turnstone - 35

Mediterranean Gull - 20W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 5W

Razorbill - 10E, 26W, 1os

auk sp - 10E, 32W

Pied Wagtail - 3

Chiffchaff - 1

(1220-1250hrs) (P&LH)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Ringed Plover - 4

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 1W

auk sp - 2E

Pied Wagtail - 2

Eiders (above), Common Scoter, Razorbill & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The flock of 20 roosting Avocets were back on the pool, with c200 Lapwings on the fields, but otherwise it was the usual mix, including c200 Wigeon, c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c90 Canada Geese. (AH)

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

Sidlesham Churchyard: A quick look late morning produced up to four Redwings, a pair of Mistle Thrushes, at least ten Blackbirds, four Jays and a few Greenfinches and Goldfinches, but no crests. (AH)

Redwing in Sidlesham churchyard (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: Highlight this morning was two Great Northern Divers downstream from Dell Quay, one was continually diving, the other did not dive in 15 minutes.
In the roosting waders off Dell Quay there was a Greenshank, with another and three Spotted Redshank were off the River Lavant outfall as the mud became exposed, where earlier there was a Meadow Pipit along the base of the seawall.
Out in the channel the usual Mute Swan, Brent Geese and Wigeon were accompanied by several rafts of Coot totalling 84.
There were also four Stonechats in the bushes and flooded reedbed, and a Kingfisher was perched on the bushes in the rife north of the sewage works. (RW)

North Wall: At least five Rock Pipits were along the wall at high tide and six Yellowhammers were in the hedges at the west end, but beyond a calling Cetti's Warbler, a Wren and two Reed Bunting there were no other small birds seen.

There were a lot of birds in the harbour, all upset by a low-flying Peregrine, including a female Eider, at least 1000 Brent Geese, c30 Shelducks, plus what was presumably the Cape Shelduck seen at the pits in the summer among them, c50 Pintail and Teal, c300 Wigeon, c500 Lapwings, a few Redshanks and Snipe, and lots of distant flying waders that were mostly Dunlin. (AH)

Rock Pipits (above), Yellowhammers, Eider & Cape Shelduck and shelducks at the North Wall (AH)

Thursday, 23rd November: A cool and overcast, if dry, morning in a brisk north-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: Two Long-tailed Ducks - one on its own and another with three Common Scoters - went east, whilst a Slavonian Grebe was on the sea and a Guillemot and a few Razorbills were about, too. Full log below. (KT/SR/IP/MO-W/AH)

(0730-0915hrs) (NW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 6E, 2W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 3E, 24W

Brent Goose - 1W

Long-tailed Duck - 2E

Common Scoter - 5E, 1W, 6os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 1W

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Common Gull - 2W

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 4E, 22W, 6os

auk sp - 6E, 11W

Pied Wagtail - 1

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

Ferry Pool: It was much the same as yesterday this morning, with a Redshank on the pool, c100 Lapwings on the field, and c50 Shovelers, c150 Wigeon, c150 Teal, c30 Mallards and c80 Canada Geese spread around the pool and field. (AH)

Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Peregrine landed in the fields along Rectory Lane before it was chased off by crows, but three Jays by the horse field and a couple of Linnets over the spit were the only land-birds seen.

There were lots of birds in the harbour, including two Bar-tailed Godwits, c30 Grey Plovers, c100 Knot, c500 Dunlin, c40 Pintails, 100+ Wigeon and Teal and at least 800 Brent Geese, with a Sanderling and half a dozen Common and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour mouth. (AH)

Peregrine and Carrion Crow (above), Common Gull, Brent Geese, Knot, Grey Plovers and Dunlin & Wigeon and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: This morning, more birds about than usual were about, and there seemed to have been an influx of thrushes, with totals including three Kestrels, two Coots, three Moorhens, two Collared Doves, two Green Woodpeckers, Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, four Song Thrushes, including one singing, eight Blackbirds, six Starlings, three Chaffinches and 25 Goldfinches. (CRJ)

Wednesday, 22nd November: A cool, but pleasant, morning of cloud and some sun in just a light westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit going on again this morning, including 11 Red-throated Divers and two Velvet Scoters going west, three Slavonian Grebes together on the sea and a Swallow over the Oval field. Full log below. (KT/SR/IP/MO-W/AH)

(0725-0925hrs) (W, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 11W

diver sp - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1E, 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2os

Gannet - 2E, 2W, 2os

Grey Heron - 1W

Brent Goose - 1E, 13W

Shelduck - 1E

Wigeon - 8E, 6W

Teal - 2W

Pintail - 1W

Velvet Scoter - 2W

Common Scoter - 3E, 20W, 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 2W

Turnstone - 21

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Razorbill - 1W

Swallow - 1

Pied Wagtail - 2

Meadow Pipit - 1

Swallow (above), Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Diver & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Apart from a lone Redshank on the pool and c100 Lapwings on the fields, it was just wildfowl this morning, comprising three Gadwall, c60 Shovelers, c100 Wigeon, c150 Teal, c30 Mallards and c80 Canada Geese. (AH)

Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool and West side: There were a few widely spread birds in the hedges this morning, including at least four Stonechats, a couple of Chiffchaffs, half a dozen Goldcrests, c20 Long-tailed Tits, a dozen or so Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits and a flock of c30 Linnets.

There were at least 500 Lapwings at the end of Ferry Channel, along with a fair few Redshanks, Wigeon and Teal, with c50 Brent Geese flying around the harbour, but that was about it. (AH)

Stonechat (above), Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest, Log-tailed Tit & Linnets along the Long Pool and West side (AH)

Church Norton: Around the churchyard and hide this morning there were two Chiffchaffs, four Goldcrests, four Chaffinches, ten Greenfinches and eight Goldfinches, plus three Blackbirds flying high north.

Along the beach there were a Common Buzzard, a Green Woodpecker, a Dartford Warbler and a couple of Reed Buntings. (CRJ)

North Wall: A female Marsh Harrier and two squealing Water Rails were the highlights, late in the afternoon, whilst o in the harbour at least 150 Knot and perhaps 340 Dunlin were present. (BFF/DM).

Also, a pair of Bearded Tits wee seen in the reeds by the Breech Pool. (C&GTa)

Fishbourne Creek: At least two Greenshanks and a single Spotted Redshank were amongst a throng of ducks -Wigeon and Teal in their thousands, with all of the winter common waders about, plus of course maybe a thousand Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Also, south of Dell Quay there were a male and a female Goldeneye, plus two dashing Kingfishers. (BFF/DM)

North Mundham: The first Coal Tit of the autumn was in the garden this morning. (MJ)

West Itchenor: The Great Northern Diver was again present this morning, diving constantly  opposite the jetty, with two Red-breasted Mergansers and 16 Great Crested Grebes also present.. (PH/BFF/DM)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to the Breach - A flock of 300 Brent Geese were in a field adjacent to Ham Farm, with two Dartford Warblers and two Chiffchaffs seen along the hedges there.

Also, a Merlin was hunting across the fields and a Cattle Egret flew overhead. (AW)

Merlin (above), Dartford Warbler, Cattle Egret, Stonechat & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AW)