16th November 2024

Saturday, 16th November: A cool and hazily grey morning in just a light north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a selection this morning, including three Velvet Scoters on the sea before they flew off west and a Long-tailed Duck and as many as nine Great Northern Divers offshore, whilst a pod of a dozen Bottle-nosed Dolphins drifted slowly east. Full log later. (SH/PB/BI/IP/AH)

(0700-0915) (NNE, F1-2)

Great Northern Diver - 9os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 3W

Gannet - 7E, 10W, 20os

Shag - 11E, 2os

Grey Heron - 1

Brent Goose -2E, 1W

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Velvet Scoter - 3os then W

Common Scoter - 22W, 41os

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 10W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 10W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 1E, 41W

auk - 34E, 327W

Pied Wagtail - 3

Chiffchaff - 1

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 12E

Velvet Scoters (above), Common Scoters, Sandwich Tern & Bottle-nosed Dolphin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just 28 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with 22 Lapwings, 14 Black-tailed Godwits, three Shelducks, c30 Wigeon and c50 Shovelers and Teal. (AH)

Lapwing (above) & Wigeon, Avocets, Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail was seen in flight over the new houses both early and late morning, whilst a juvenile Pied Wagtail was on the stable roofs at midday.

A Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk were about, with a Green Woodpecker also present along with a Goldcrest, whilst a Red-throated Diver was sat off the sea of the end of Park Lane and a Great Northern Diver flew south by the cottages. (IP)

Church Norton: There were four Slavonian Grebes on the sea this morning, along with a Great Northern Diver, two Great Crested Grebes, 15 Common Scoters and four Red-breasted Mergansers, with three more of the latter flying west and a Red-throated Diver going east.

A Jack Snipe and a Common Snipe flew up together out of the horse field area and flew around together briefly before going their separate ways, whilst in the harbour there were barely 50 Brent Geese this morning, along with a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, whilst among the large numbers of waders on the fast-rising tide were at least four Bar-tailed Godwits, c100 Knot and Grey Plovers, 50 Turnstones and 500 Dunlin, and a Kingfisher was also about.

Also, a female Reed Bunting and a couple of Green Woodpeckers were around Greenlease Farm, with a few Stock Doves feeding on the adjacent fields, whilst a female Marsh Harrier and a Mediterranean Gull went over the first Several, where a Water Rail was squealing continuously, and a male Shoveler was asleep on the second Several. (AH/IP/AW/GW/J Hodge et al)

Slavonian Grebes (above), Jack Snipe, Snipe & Bar-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were at least four Bearded Tits in the reeds around the Breech Pool this morning, where there were also four Water Rails, six Snipe, a Kingfisher, 23 Black-tailed Godwits and the usual Teal and Mallards.

Also, a juvenile Marsh Harrier was over the reeds further back and a Rock Pipit was along the rocks, whilst out in the harbour there were c200 Golden Plover with the regular Lapwings and Redshanks before they were all moved off on the rising tide. (LP/SP)

Bearded Tit (above) & Water Rail and Snipe at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were a Dartford Warbler, a Chiffchaff, two Cetti's Warblers,, a Goldcrest, six Stonechats, three Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, four Pied Wagtails,six Chaffinches and two Song Thrushes along the banks this morning, along with c50 scattered Skylarks.

A few waders were on the reserve at high tide, including a Snipe, 31 Dunlin,36 Ringed Plovers, 20+ Black-tailed Godwits, c300 Golden Plovers and c400 Lapwings, with a Water Rail and two Egyptian Geese also about, along with a Peregrine, two Kestrels, two Sparrowhawks and three Buzzards. (S&SaH/PB)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A quick look this morning found the smart male Black Redstart being very active and mobile around the first houses and caravans west of the funfair. (AH)

Black Redstart at Medmerry (AH)