Wednesday, 27th November: A very uninspiring morning's weather, starting with a near gale-force south-westerly and the end of overnight rain, before becoming colder, though still heavily overcast as the wind eased a little as it veered to the north.......
Selsey Bill: It was very quiet this morning, with three Great Northern Divers east the highlight. Full log below. (AH/IP)
(0730-0900hrs) (SW, F7)
Great Northern Diver - 3E
Red-throated diver - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Common Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 1W
Pied Wagtail - 1
Ferry Pool: There were a Spotted Redshank, 31 Avocets and 44 Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the pool his morning, whilst c300 Lapwings flew up from the field and over into the harbour.
There was also the usual mix of five Shelducks, c50 Wigeon and Shovelers and c80 Teal present, and a Kingfisher went over the pool and along Ferry Channel. (AH)
Kingfisher (above), Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There really was very little to report beyond Brent Geese this morning, with c500 in the harbour slowly drifting across to the 1000+ already in the fields behind the churchyard, with a dozen Grey Plovers on the metalwork, four Great Crested Grebes on the water just about it beyond a few distant waders roosting in the harbour mouth. (AH)
Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A Spotted Redshank was along White’s Creek and there were lots of waders further along, with good numbers of Golden Plover, Lapwing, Redshanks, Grey Plovers, Knot, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews, together with plenty of Wigeon, Teal, Shelducks, Pintail and Brent Geese and nine Canada Geese.
The Breech Pool held just Mallards and there were very few small birds about, with just two Meadow Pipits, a Skylark, and a Reed Bunting of note, whilst two Marsh Harriers were up further back along with a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and a Kestrel, and around the paddock there was a Green Woodpecker, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay. (LP)
Spotted Redshank (above), Pintail, Golden Plover and Knot & Golden Plovers and Lapwings at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Although the hedges were quiet, their was plenty of interest on the water and in the fields, with at least 500 Teal spread between the various areas of water, though this decreased as the tide went out.
Several dozen Meadow Pipits were feeding in the soggy field between the two viewpoints, and these in turn attracted the attention of a Merlin which scattered the flock several times as it swept across the field, and a Marsh Harrier was also feeding over the marsh opposite the Stilt Pool, though just the usual waders and wildfowl were on the Stilt Pool itself. (JMo)
Tuesday, 26th November: A cool, but pleasant, morning, with plenty of sunshine in just a light westerly breeze.......
Selsey Bill: Two Velvet Scoters went west again this morning, as did a Black-throated Diver and four Great Northern Divers, after a slow start. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH/SR/AW/KJ et al)
(0730-1000hrs) (W, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 4W
Black-throated Diver - 1W
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 5W, 1os
Gannet - 2os
Shag - 3E
Brent Goose - 1E
Velvet Scoter - 2E
Common Scoter - 2E, 6os
Red-breasted Merganser - 7W, 6W, 10os
Sparrowhawk - 2
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 10
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Common Gull - 5os
auk sp - 1W -
Pied Wagtail - 2
Velvet Scoters (AW) (above) & Red-breasted Merganser (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There were a Spotted Redshank, three Redshanks and 27 Avocets roosting on the pool this morning, with c30 Black-tailed Godwits on the fields at the back, and there were also at least 30 Wigeon, 60 Shovelers and 100 Teal present. (AH)
Avocets (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was among the large flock of Brent Geese behind the churchyard this morning. (KJ)
North Wall: At dusk this evening the Barn Owl was out briefly at Halsey's Farm, before quickly catching its supper and retreating.
Also a Jack Snipe and c75 Meadow Pipits went up from the fields and a Marsh Harrier went over. (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two marsh Harriers, a Buzzard and a Kestrel were up over the reserve this afternoon, with c200 Golden Plovers and c300 Lapwings also taking to the air, whilst a Whimbrel and five Egyptian Geese were on the reserve.
The banks were fairly quiet, with just a Dartford Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, four Stonechats, four Reed Buntings, seven Yellowhammers and two Pied Wagtails seen or heard. (S&SaH)
West Itchenor: A Redpoll and a couple of Fieldfares were flying over, calling, early this morning and a Great Northern Diver and what looked like two Common Scoters were on the water off Chalkdock. (PH)
Fishbourne Creek: There were large numbers of Brent Geese and Wigeon along the creek this morning, but a handful of Great Crested Grebes and a couple of Little Grebes was about it, otherwise, whilst a Spotted Redshank off the Lavant outflow and five Greenshanks were the only waders beyond the usual mix of Redshanks, Curlews, Grey Plovers, Dunlin and Turnstones.
Also of note, a Bullfinch and three Yellowhammers, plus two Stonechats, were in the fields at the top of the creek, with a couple of Chiffchaffs among the Long-tailed Tits in the hedges. (RW/AH)
Greenshank and Teal (above), Turnstone, Redshanks, Great Crested Grebes, Wigeon & Brent Geese at Fishbourne Creek (AH)
Monday, 25th November: The weekend's storm finally subsided overnight, leaving a fairly mild and - after a grey start - bright and breezy morning in a moderate to fresh westerly....
Selsey Bill: There was a noticeable westward movement of Great Northern Divers this morning - 19 in total, including a flock of six, with four more dropping in on the sea and two going back east. The minimum count of 23 is the highest yet recorded at the Bill (and, indeed, the county).
There were also a Long-tailed Duck, two Velvet Scoters and a Slavonian Grebe going west, along with a few Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes. Full log below. (PB/BI/IP/AH/P&LH/PA/SR/KT/CRJ)
(0710-1010hrs) (W, F5)
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 19W, 4os
Red-throated Diver - 6E, 2W, 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 14W, 1os
Gannet - 2E, 7W
Shag - 8E, 3W
Brent Goose - 1E, 17W
Eider - 1E
Long-tailed Duck - 1W
Velvet Scoter - 2W
Common Scoter - 2E, 6W
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 18W, 3os
Oystercatcher - 1W
Dunlin - 3W
Turnstone - 42
Mediterranean Gull - 8E, 7W
Common Gull - 5E, 2W
Kittiwake - 2W
Auk sp - 4W
Pied Wagtail - 4W
Meadow Pipit - 3W
Chiffchaff - 1
(1330-1500hrs) (P&LH)
Great Crested Grebe - 3W
Gannet - 2E, 2W
Curlew - 1W
Common Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Great Northern Divers (above), Long-tailed Duck, Velvet Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, Shags (AH) & Great Northern Divers (PA) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: There were c20 Black-tailed Godwits and a handful of Lapwings at the back this morning, with, otherwise, just five Shelducks, c50 Wigeon and Shovelers and c75 Teal. (AH)
Shovelers and Teal (above) & Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: At least 1500 Brent Geese were in the harbour before they started drifting back over to the nearby fields, whilst waders included the Whimbrel, three Bar-tailed Godwits, 16 Avocets, c200 Knot, c50 Grey Plovers, c25 Ringed Plovers, c50 Turnstones and c500 Dunlin, along with c300 Golden Plovers and c500 Lapwings put up from the north of the harbour by a Marsh Harrier.
There were also three Sandwich Terns, a dozen Common Gulls and 30 Mediterranean Gulls present in the harbour, along with seven Red-breasted Mergansers and eight Pintail, whilst a Chiffchaff and a couple of Goldcrests were among a Long-tailed and Blue Tit flock along the path to the harbour. (PB/AH/CRJ/P&LH)
Sandwich Tern (above), Common Gull, Whimbrel, Knot, Brent Geese & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: There were c500 Brent Geese in the harbour around high tide, with many small groups heading inland to the fields, but otherwise it was just the regular Shelducks, Wigeon, Teal, Lapwings, and Redshanks along White’s Creek, and good numbers of Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plovers further out.
A Grey Wagtail, a Pied Wagtail and a flock of 20 Long-tailed Tits were by the sluice, two Stonechats, a Jay and a Meadow Pipit were in the paddock, and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were in the willow at Little Welbourne.
Two Rock Pipits were along the rocks, but there was just a Chiffchaff and five Goldfinches in the bushes, while in Honer 1, 30 Black-tailed Godwits were with 24 Curlew and 12 Brent Geese., but it was just Mallards on the Breech Pool, where the water level is again very high, and a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were further back. (LP/GHi/CT)
Rock Pipit (above), Jay & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)
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