Thursday, 21st November: A really miserable morning's weather, with a cold and fresh easterly breeze bringing in persistent drizzle, interspersed with heavier spells of sleety rain..... ....
Selsey Bill: There was an unexpected early movement of Kittiwakes, along with a few Gannets, but not much else was going on. Full log below. (AH/SR)
(0720-0850hrs) (E, F4-5)
Gannet - 23E
Shag - 3E
Common Scoter - 4W, 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 3os
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Common Gull - 2E
Kittiwake - 78E
Razorbill - 5E
auk sp - 45W
Pied Wagtail - 2
Shags at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were just 16 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Lapwings, four Shelducks and c50 Wigeon, Teal and Shovelers on the pool this morning. (AH)
Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A quick look in the harbour in dire conditions produced a dozen Avocets, c30 Grey Plovers, c50 Knot, c80 Dunlin and the usual Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers, along with c80 Teal, whilst a huge of of c1200 Brent Geese were feeding in the fields behind the churchyard. (AH)
Brent Geese (above), Avocet & Grey Plover at Church Norton & snow on the downs (AH)
Ring-necked Parakeet in a West Wittering garden (GM)
Wednesday, 20th November: After a sharp overnight frost, a very cold, but mostly quite bright morning in a fresh north-westerly breeze..... ....
Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much about this morning in unpromising conditions, though six Red-throated Divers went east and 33 Dunlin went west. Full log below. (SH/AH/MRe)
(0700-0900hrs) (NW, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 6E
Gannet - 1E
Shag - 3E
Mute Swan - 1W
Brent Goose - 1W
Shelduck - 1E
Wigeon - 6W
Common Scoter - 6W, 20os
Red-breasted Merganser - 4W, 3os
Oystercatcher - 4E
Dunlin - 33W
Turnstone - 12
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 2E
auk sp - 41E, 13W
Pied Wagtail - 3
Ferry Pool: There were no Avocets about this morning, though there were 42 Black-tailed Godwits and 26 Lapwings present, along with four Shelducks, c30 Wigeon, c70 Shovelers and c100 Teal, plus a Little Egret in the big pine tree by the EA yard. (AH)
Little Egret (above) & Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A single Slavonian Grebe was offshore this morning. (DBo)
North Wall: There were at least four Bearded Tits feeding on the reeds around the Breech Pool this morning, and two Black-tailed Godwits and a Snipe were on the pool, along with numerous Mallards, whilst a Rock Pipit was along the rocks,a Pied Wagtail was by the sluice and a pair of Stonechats, a Chiffchaff and two Jays were in the paddock.
Along the East Side, there was a huge number of birds out on the mud including 400 Brent Geese, 150 Wigeon, 100 Teal, 50 Shelducks, four Great Crested Grebes, two Little Grebes, 800 Lapwings, 150 Golden Plover, 200 Knot, 400 Dunlin, 50 Ringed Plover, 200 Grey Plover, 13 Avocets, 20 Black-tailed Godwits and four Turnstones. (LP/CT/EB)
This evening a Little Owl was in the paddocks and a Barn Owl was at Halsey's Farm, whist 63 Cattle Egrets came in to roost in Owl Copse.
Also, two Marsh Harriers were about, along with five calling Water Rails and 400 Brent Geese, whilst the murmurration of Starlings was repeatedly interrupted by a persistent Sparrowhawk. (LP/S&SaH)
Bearded Tits (top two EB, lower two LP) (above), Snipe, Avocets & Golden Plovers and Lapwings (LP) at the North Wall
Marsh and Chalder Farms, Sidlesham: There were a minimum of 50 Cattle Egrets about this morning, mainly just north of Chalder Farm, whilst at least 50 Greenfinches and Chaffinches, plus at least a dozen Reed Buntings and100 Linnets were around the various cover crops.
Also, a Grey Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were by Marsh Farm, a pair of Stonechats, a Chiffchaff and half a dozen Goldcrest were on the path east of Chalder Farm and a Firecrest was in Church Lane, with a Mistle Thrush the only bird in the churchyard. (AH)
Cattle Egrets (above), Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, Stonechat & Reed Bunting at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)
Runcton: On private land south of the village this morning there were ten Mallard, 12 Shovelers, six Teal, a Wigeon, eight Tufted Ducks, two Grey Herons, a Barn Owl, a Common Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine, with six Meadow Pipits, two Pied Wagtails, and two Chiffchaffs feeding together in the sunshine. Also 47 Lapwing flew west,and there were three Roe Deer about. (CRJ)
Fishbourne Creek: This morning there were two Snipe at the top of the creek and a minimum of three Greenshank, whilst at the Lavant outflow there was a Kingfisher, with three Pintail and a Gadwall in the channel, and a single and a pair of Ravens flew over.
Below Dell Quay there were 11 Great-crested Grebes and two Little Grebes., whilst in the bushes and hedges there were three Yellowhammers, two Stonechats and a mixed tit flock, including 27 Long-tailed Tits. (RW)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Merlin, a Peregrine and two Kestrels were about this morning, with 75 Brent Geese and c250 Golden Plovers and c300 Lapwings on/over the reserve.
Also, along the banks there were a Dartford Warbler, three Stonechats, a Goldcrest, two Chiffchaffs, a Reed Bunting and three Yellowhammers. (S&SaH)
Tuesday, 19th November: A reminder of what the weather is usually like at this time of year, with a cold morning of persistent, drizzly rain under leaden skies in a fresh westerly breeze....
Selsey Bill: An unsurprisingly slow morning, with just a mix of the commoner species in small numbers. Full log below. (AH/IP/SR)
(0725-0840hrs) (W, F6)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Gannet - 2E, 14W
Shag - 1E
Common Scoter - 2E
Oystercatcher - 2W
Turnstone - 30
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Common Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 2os
auk sp - 9W
Sandwich Tern (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were just 27 Avocets, 24 Black-tailed G0dwits, 22 Lapwings, four Shelducks, c50 Shovelers and c120 Teal on the pool this morning. (AH)
Shoveler (above) & Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: Four Avocets were the only things out of the ordinary in the harbour this morning, with, otherwise, just a scattering of Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Redshanks and Curlews on the mud, c50 Wigeon and Teal in the channels and c200 Brent Geese that flew over to the fields to the west. (AH)
Avocets (above), Brent Geese & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: It was mostly the usual species in the rain this morning, although a Greenshank was along White’s Creek with the regular Redshanks, Wigeon, Pintail and Teal, and further out on the mud there were maybe 1000 Lapwings, along with a few Dunlin and Grey Plovers, and a few groups of Brent Geese were heading out towards Marsh Farm.
The water level on the Breech Pool has risen overnight but there was still one Water Rail showing and a couple more calling, but otherwise it was just Mallards and a few Teal on the water.
Elsewhere a Rock Pipit and a Wren were along the rocks, a Pied Wagtail was in the paddock and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was continuing to excavate a hole in the willow at Little Welbourne. (LP)
A Barn Owl was out at dusk this evening at Halsey's Farm. (AH)
Rock Pipit (above), Water Rail, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Redshank at the North Wall (LP)
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