4th - 6th November 2024

Wednesday, 6th November: Another really murky and grey morning, in a fairly light north-easterly breeze........

Selsey Bill: Three Great Northern Divers on the sea was the highlight of another fairly quiet morning. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/SR)

(0645-0900hrs) (NE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 6E, 2W

Shag - 5E, 2os

Brent Goose - 1E, 7W 

Mallard - 2W

Wigeon - 1E, 1W

Common Scoter - 18os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1os

Ringed Plover - 4

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W

Razorbill - 3E

auk sp - 48E, 17W

Pied Wagtail - 4

Meadow Pipit - 3E

Goldfinch - 12

Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 30 Avocets and 12 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with just a dozen Wigeon, c30 Shovelers and Teal and half a dozen Shelducks, plus a Kingfisher seen flying along Ferry Channel. (AH)

Avocet (above), Wigeon & Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: This afternoon there were just two Stonechats, three Reed Buntings and two Cetti's Warblers along the wall, with a Snipe and three Water Rails around the Breech Pool and two Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There were two Firecrests, two Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff, along with plenty of Long-tailed Tits, around the Mound and the path to the harbour today. (A Haines)

Firecrest at Church Norton (A Haines)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were 350 Golden Plovers and 400 Lapwings up over the reserve this morning, along with two Marsh Harriers, two Buzzards and two Kestrels.

The banks were fairly quiet, but held a Dartford Warbler, nine Stonechats, two Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler, two Goldcrests and up to seven Yellowhammers. (S&SaH/PB)

Medmerry: coastguards to the Breach - There were four Black Redstarts, two Stonechats and half a dozen Pied Wagtails around the old crazy golf course this afternoon, whilst a Chiffchaff was by the Coastguard station and a Rock Pipit and seven more Pied Wagtails were around the rocks.

Also, two Sandwich Terns, six Shelducks and 48 Brent Geese were offshore at high tide. (SR)

Tuesday, 5th November: It was the coldest morning of the autumn so far, under leaden skies, though warming up a little later as the fresh north-easterly breeze eased........

Selsey Bill: It was quiet this morning, with a Merlin in off the sea the highlight. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0710-0825hrs) (ENE, F3-4)

Shag - 3E, 1W

Brent Goose - 2E, 17W

Shelduck - 1E

Merlin - 1E

Turnstone - 4

auk sp - 4W

Pied Wagtail - 6

Meadow Pipit - 2E

Goldfinch - 22

Shag at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was back on the roadside pool this morning, but there were only 14 Avocets and 11 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool, along with six Shelducks and c60 Shovelers and Teal. (AH)

Green Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There was a Spotted Redshank along Ferry Channel this morning, along with a dozen or so Redshanks and Curlews and c50 Wigeon and Teal, and a female Marsh Harrier was hunting the salt-marsh off of the Tramway, but a pair of Stonechats and a handful of Reed Buntings were all that could be seen along the pool. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Spotted Redshank and Redshank & Marsh Harrier at the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: A pair of Bearded Tits were in the bushes above the sluice this morning, giving excellent views. (CRJ)

West Itchenor: A redhead Goosander - the first of the year - flew east past Chalkdock Marsh early this afternoon, and also, two or three Siskins went over, going north. (PH)

Fishbourne Creek: On the rising tide this morning there were seven Greenshank opposite Dell Quay, with a Sandwich Tern on a buoy mid-channel. In the bushes there were two Chiffchaffs, a Stonechat and a Meadow Pipit., and a Kingfisher flew off from the Fishbourne Meadows. (RW)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A fairly brief look this morning produced three Black Redstarts around the first caravans along the beach-front, whilst a pair of Stonechats were along the fence-line of the old crazy golf course and a Cetti's Warbler was calling from the hedge right next to the windmill. (AH)

Black Redstarts (above), Stonechat & Wren at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 4th November: A fairly cool morning in a moderate north-easterly breeze, as it remains heavily overcast......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of visible migration morning, including two Woodlarks and seven Lesser Redpolls over, with 31 Lapwings going east, well offshore, being an unusual site at the Bill, and there were a few bits moving offshore, too. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP/P&LH)

(0715-0900hrs) (ENE, F4)

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 2E, 1W, 18os

Shag - 4E

Brent Goose - 3E, 45E

Wigeon - 2E, 1W

Tufted Duck - 1os, then E

Common Scoter - 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 5W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 1W

Lapwing - 31E

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 1W, 1os

Common Gull - 2E

Razorbill - 14E, 2W

auk sp - 31E

Wood Pigeon - 75E

Woodlark - 2E

Skylark - 2E

Pied Wagtail - 8

Meadow Pipit - 32

Jackdaw - 80

Starling - 26N

Lesser Redpoll - 7E

Linnet - 6E

Chaffinch - 1

Goldfinch - 89E

Shags (above) & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

At lunch-time today, four White-fronted Geese went east. Full log below. (AW/P&LH/ML)

(1200-1315hrs) 

Gannet - 1E

Shag - 1E

White-fronted Goose - 4E (1305hrs)

Brent Goose - 2W

Sanderling - 2E, 1 on beach

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 2os

Razorbill - 4W

Meadow Pipit - 5

White-fronted Geese (AW) (above), Sanderling (AW top, LH below) & Sandwich Tern (LH) )at the Bill 

Ferry Pool: There were 27 Avocets and 18 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with six Shelducks, a drake Gadwall, c60 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c80 Mallards, whilst a Marsh Harrier went across the fields at the back. (AH)

Avocets (above), Shoveler & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a big feeding flock around the Mound and its moat this morning, including a Firecrest, two or three Goldcrests, at least half a dozen Chiffchaffs and lots of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, together with c50 Goldfinches and a single Siskin.

There were also four Swallows over the churchyard, with c600 Goldfinches, plus one Siskin east over the Severals, with a couple of Dartford Warblers along the beach and a few more Siskins and Goldfinches going over the west side.

There were still at least 300 Brent Geese about the harbour, along with a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, plus a flock of seven Greylag Geese flying over, but relatively few waders, though including a Greenshank, seven Bar-tailed Godwits, c30 Grey Plovers and c100 Dunlin. (AH/PA/CRJ/P&LH)

This evening, a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier flew into roost on the first Several at dusk and a Dartford Warbler was calling from the gorse bushes along the beach. (S&SaH)

Chiffchaffs (above), Greenshank & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Later on, the Pale-bellied Brent Goose was again in the Brent Goose flock near the harbour mouth. (AW)

Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Ham - There was a flock of around 25 Yellowhammers and 50 Goldfinches feeding in the cover crop and 20 Skylarks with 40 Stock Doves in the fields, plus a Kestrel and one Buzzard overhead.

The hedges were quiet in the windy conditions, and held eight Stonechats, a Chiffchaff, nine Meadow Pipits, eight Linnets, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. (SR)

Stonechat (above) & Kestrel at Ham (SR)