Saturday, 30th November: A grey and misty start very slowly gave way to some hazy sunshine, with it very mild in the light to moderate south-westerly breeze.......
Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe drifted west offshore and there were one or two divers about, but it was generally quiet again. Full log below. (JA/SH/PB/IP/SR/AH)
(0720-0920hrs) SW, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 4W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W
diver sp - 1E
Slavonian Grebe - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2W, 2os
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Shag - 1os
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 2E, 18W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 14W, 1os
Oystercatcher - 4W
Turnstone - 13E, 9W
Mediterranean Gull - 5W
Common Gull - 2W
Pied Wagtail - 1
Great Northern Divers (above) & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was on the small roadside pool this morning, whilst there were 24 Avocets and 40 Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the pool and four Snipe and c200 Lapwings flew over.
Also, there were plenty of wildfowl about again, including c75 Shovelers, c50 Wigeon and Mallards and c120 Teal. (AH/PB)
Green Sandpiper (above), Snipe & Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: It was pretty quiet in the harbour at high tide, though a Sanderling was among the big flock of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers roosting in the harbour mouth, with 29 of the latter on the ironwork and the Whimbrel and a Greenshank were among the many Redshank near the concrete blocks, and plenty of wildfowl, including c40 Pintail and a Little Grebe were on the water, along with a lot of Brent Geese coming and going from the fields.
Also, a Mediterranean Gull and a handful of Common Gulls were about all that was offshore, though two Red-breasted Mergansers flew out to sea, a Sandwich Tern was fishing in the harbour and a few Turnstones were along the beach.
Otherwise, a Kingfisher was along the west side, a Marsh Harrier went over, a dozen Red-legged Partridges were behind the churchyard, a Water Rail and a couple of Cetti's Warblers called from the Sevetals, with a Jay, a couple of Green Woodpeckers, a Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail in the vicinity and a flock of c50 Linnets were along the path to the spit. (IP/AH/MO-W/MI/AW)
Kingfisher (above), Greenshank, Common Gull, Grey Plovers, Brent Geese, Red-legged Partridges & Linnets at Church Norton (AH)
West Itchenor: A Great Northern Diver was in the main channel between Chalkdock and the Horse Pond. (R Ainger)
Dell Quay: A Peregrine was sat out in the fields along the road to Dell Quay this morning. (R Ainger)
Peregrine at Dell Quay (R Ainger)
Friday, 29th November: Another bright and sunny morning, and warmer than yesterday, but tempered somewhat by the fresh south-easterly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: There were up to three Slavonian Grebes about this morning, and a Black-throated Diver and a few Red-throated Divers, too, but it was generally quiet. Full log below. (IP/AH/SR/P&LH/PD/AW)
(0730-0915hrs) (SSE, F5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W, 2os
Black-throated Diver - 1W
Red-throated Diver - 8E, 8W, 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 1E, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 4E, 5W
Shelduck - 1W
Common Scoter - 3E, 5W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 8W
Oystercatcher - 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W
Common Gull - 2E, 1W
Sandwich Tern - 2E, 1W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 6W
Meadow Pipit - 4E
Black-throated Diver (above), Red-breasted Mergansers (AW), Red-throated Divers & Mediterranean Gull (AH) at the Bill
Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was roosting on the pool again this morning, along with nine Black-tailed Godwits and 28 Avocets, with lots of wildfowl present, comprising six Shelducks, c80 Shovelers, c50 Wigeon and Mallards and at least 150 Teal and, also, a Kingfisher flew over. (AH)
Kingfisher (above), Spotted Redshank and Shovelers, Shoveler & Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were out in the harbour at high tide this morning, and there were lots of all the regular species way out on mud.
A couple of Rock Pipits were along the wall, a Snipe and a Skylark flew over, and two Marsh Harriers were over the reeds behind the Breech Pool, whilst in the Honer fields there were 72 Curlews, 51 Black-tailed Godwits and 30 Meadow Pipits, and at Halsey’s Farm, six Shovelers flew around before carrying on north, and a Sparrowhawk flew over the fields.
There were just Mallards on the Breech Pool although a Kingfisher flew through, and in the paddock, there was a Stonechat, two Pied Wagtails, a Green Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff. (LP/SP/CT)
Stonechat (above), Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit & Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plovers and Dunlin at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - The stubble fields north of the bank held at least 80 Skylarks and 150 Stock Doves this morning, with a pair of Stonechats in the opposite hedge, whilst at least 300 Golden Plovers - though, unusually, no Lapwings - came up several times from the south of the reserve.
Around the cover fields at Wilson's Farm, there were only c20 Yellowhammers and half a dozen Reed Buntings, along with half a dozen Meadow Pipits and another 30 or so Skylarks, whilst two Redwings, three or four Chiffchaffs and a dozen Greenfinches were around the horse paddocks and trees at the eastern end. (AH)
Redwings (above), Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Stock Doves, Golden Plovers & the infamous Periwinkle at Medmerry (AH)
West Wittering: A Coal Tit was on the garden feeders today. (GM)
Sidlesham Common: There were eight Cattle Egrets among the cows on the roadside fields at the north end of the village this morning. (P&LH/AH)
Cattle Egrets at Sidlesham Common (AH)
Thursday, 28th November: After a sharp frost, a cold, but very bright morning in just a light northerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: There were plenty of distant auks going west and 18 Red-breasted Mergansers went east this morning, with a few Great Northern and Red-throated Divers going in both directions. Full log below. (IP/AH/SR)
(07300-0900hrs) (NNE, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 6E, 3W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 4W, 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 2W
Gannet - 2W
Shag - 1E
Grey Heron - 1
Brent Goose - 11E, 4W
Common Scoter - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 18E, 1W
Sparrowhawk - 1
Turnstone - 12
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Razorbill - 17W
auk sp - 446W
Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Diver, Shag, Red-breasted Mergansers & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)
Later in the morning, a male Black Redstart was around the eastern wall. (AW)
Black Redstart at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 31 Avocets on the pool again this morning, but just a handful of Black-tailed Godwits were at the back and c250 Lapwings were on the adjacent ploughed field, along with a dozen Stock Doves.
There were also at least 50 Wigeon and Mallards, c75 Shovelers and c150 Teal around the pool. (AH)
Avocets at the Ferry (AH)
Sidlesham: My daughter saw a Barn Owl fly out of one our sheds early this afternoon. (AH)
Church Norton: There were large numbers of waders roosting around the metalwork, Tern Island and the harbour mouth this morning, including a Greenshank, eight Bar-tailed Godwits, c100 Redshanks, c75 Turnstones, c30 Ringed Plovers, c200 Grey Plovers, c400 Knot and c800 Dunlin, but otherwise there were just a few Wigeon and Teal and four Great Crested Grebes about, with another of the latter, two Red-breasted Mergansers and half a dozen Common Gulls offshore.
There were still at least 1000 Brent Geese behind the churchyard, but a handful of Meadow Pipits along the beach and c40 Linnets around the islands was about it for passerine interest. (AH)
Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plovers, Knot and Dunlin (above), Greenshank and Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, Grey Plovers, Knot and Dunlin & Teal at Church Norton (AH)
