7th - 9th November 2024

Saturday, 9th November: Yet another gloomy and overcast morning, though relatively mild in a light easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a selection this morning, including a Golden Plover on the Oval Field, a Merlin, 16 Shags east and c50 Common Scoters  offshore . Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP/KT)

(0700-0900hrs) (ESE, F3)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 3E, 5W

Shag - 16E

Brent Goose - 2E, 5W

Common Scoter - 3W, 50os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Merlin - 1

Golden Plover - 1

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Razorbill - 10W

Pied Wagtail - 7

Weasel - 1

Golden Plover (KT) (above), Gannet & Shags (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were just c75 Shovelers and c50 Teal on the pool, along with three Shelducks this morning, though a Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (AH/KT)

Kingfisher (KT) (above) & Shovelers (AH) at the Ferry

Selsey: A flock of c20 Fieldfares were flying around over the north of the town this morning. (AW)

Pagham Spit: There were two smart male Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour this morning, before one flew out to sea. (T Taylor)

North Wall: Two Bearded Tits were around the Breech Pool again this morning, along with two Water Rails, though it was generally quiet, with up to five Stonechats, three Rock Pipits, a couple of Cetti's Warblers and half a dozen Reed Buntings, plus a Kingfisher and a fly-over Snipe, the only other birds of note along the wall, though there were also half a dozen Song Thrushes and a flock of c50 Greenfinches about and five Redwings at Macrocarpa Copse.

There were plenty of birds far out in the harbour, though, including at least 500 Brent Geese, c40 Pintail, c200 Wigeon and Teal, at least 500 Lapwings, a handful of Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Knot and 100+ Dunlin, whilst a couple of Marsh Harriers and Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk were also present. (IP/AH/TS/JDW/MO-W et al)

Stonechat (above), Song Thrush & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were good numbers of birds showing along the banks in the still conditions, including seven Dartford Warblers, a Chiffchaff, two Cetti's Warblers, 14 Stonechats, six Reed Buntings, five Pied Wagtails, four Song Thrushes and a Redwing, together with two Chaffinches, three Greenfinches and c20 Yellowhammers.

Also, two Sandwich Terns were offshore and a Kingfisher was on the reserve, with c300 Golden Plovers flying up off the reserves, whilst a Peregrine, two female Marsh Harriers,and three Buzzards were on the wing. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Windmill area - There were again four Black Redstarts - a male and three females - present around the sea-defence rocks this morning. (KT)

Black Redstart at Medmerry (KT)

Friday, 8th November: Another really murky, grey morning in a fairly brisk north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was a little more activity this morning, including 18 Shags (including a flock of eight) and two Red-throated Divers east, 30 Brent Geese west, four Sandwich Terns offshore and a Redwing in off the sea. Full log below. (AH/IP/SR)

(0710-0840hrs) (NE, F4)

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Gannet - 9E, 1W

Shag - 18E

Grey Heron - 1E

Brent Goose - 2E, 30W, 1os

Common Scoter - 12os

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 2os

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 4os

Razorbill - 4W

auk sp - 28W

Pied Wagtail - 5

Meadow Pipit - W

Redwing - 1N

Goldfinch - 7E

Sandwich Tern (above), Shags, Brent Geese & Grey Heron at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: After a Marsh Harrier had just been over there were just ducks on the pool this morning, namely five Shelducks, c60 Wigeon, c80 Shovelers, c150 Teal and c60 Mallards. (AH)

Shoveler (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Ring-necked Parakeet was a surprise in the trees along Church Lane this morning, and the two Bearded Tits were again in the Breech Pool. (NM/BI)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake complex - A brief visit this morning found four Gadwall and three Mallards on Nunnery Pit, 12 Tufted Ducks on Ivy Lake, and a long-tailed Tit flock held a couple of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - A Corn Bunting - the first seen locally in several months - was in the hedges by the cover-crop fields, along with a couple of Chiffchaffs, half a dozen Reed Buntings and c40 Yellowhammers, with three Fieldfares flying over there, too.

There was also a huge mobile flock of at least 500 Stock Doves around the nearby stubble fields, with at least 80 Skylarks present in the vicinity, too, whilst at least 300 Lapwings flew up from the reserve. (AH)

Corn Bunting (above), Fieldfare, Yellowhammer, Red Bunting & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Coastguards to Windmill area - A Redwing was on the grass near the funfair this morning, and a Kestrel was nearby. (EB)

Redwing (above) & Kestrel at Medmerry (EB)

Thursday, 7th November: A little milder than the last few days, but still heavily overcast in a moderate easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A very quiet morning! Full log below. (AH/SR)

(0710-0810hrs) (ENE, F3-4)

Gannet - 1E, 2W

Shag - 6E

Common Scoter - 1E, 12os

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 33E, 6 present

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

auk sp - 7E

Pied Wagtail - 3

Shags at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 27 Avocets and 32 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with c50 Wigeon, c60 Shovelers, c30 Mallard and c100 Teal. (AH)

Avocets and Shovelers (above) & Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were still two Bearded Tits along the Breech pool this morning. (SP)

Church Norton: There was still a mixed flock around the car-park and path to the harbour this morning, including a Firecrest, three or four Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs and 20+ Long-tailed Tits, but there was nothing along the front.

The Whimbrel was again in the harbour, but not much else of note, with waders including a dozen Curlews, c30 Grey Plovers and Dunlin and c80 Redshanks, and there were also c120 Brent Geese and c180 Teal present. (AH)

Goldcrest (above), Chiffchaff, Whimbrel & Whimbrel and Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: South of the village this morning there were a Mute Swan, 120 Greylag Geese and five Egyptian Geese, along eight Mallards, 55 Shovelers, two Wigeon, eight Teal, four Tufted Ducks, two Coots, a Cormorant, a Common Buzzard, a Kestrel, three Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpeckers, ten Starlings, four Blackbirds, three Song Thrushes, two Redwings, five Meadow Pipits and a Stonechat. (CRJ)

Sidlesham: A pair of Egyptian Geese flew in from the west, circled over Cow Lane, before heading back the way they came at dusk his evening. (AH)

Medmerry: Two Sandwich Terns were feeding off the beach this afternoon. (SR)