Saturday, 6th December: After another stormy night, a mostly grey and blustery morning in a near gale-force westerly
Selsey Bill: The Red-necked Grebe went west early on, a Peregrine went over and good numbers of Great Northern Divers and Red-breasted Mergansers were about, along with seven Sandwich Terns. Full log below. (JA/SH/PB/AH/IP)
(0725-0910hrs) (W, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver - 13W, 5os
Red-throated Diver - 4W
Red-necked Grebe - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Gannet - 6W
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 8W, 30os
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 17W, 11os
Peregrine - 1
Oystercatcher - 1E
Dunlin - 104E
Turnstone - 25
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 16W, 1os
Kittiwake - 1E, 8W
Sandwich Tern - 7os
Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Diver & Peregrine at the Bill (AH)
(1145-1315hrs) (AW)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W
Shag - 1W
Wigeon - 24W
Teal - 10W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 2W
Sanderling - 1W
Turnstone - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 1W
(1340-1440hrs) (SH)
Red-necked Grebe - 1os
Shag - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 2W, 1os
Red-breasted Mergansers (above), Sanderling and Turnstones, Sandwich Tern, Shag & Wigeon and Teal at the Bill (AW)
Ferry Pool: It was busy on the pool again this morning, with 20 Avocets, c50 Black-tailed Godwits and c250 Lapwings roosting, plus another 400 of the latter, plus half a dozen Golden Plovers, on the fields, with a Great Crested Grebe, c40 Shovelers, eight Shelducks and c150 Teal also around the pool, and 100 Teal, c400 Wigeon and c60 Canada Geese on the fields.
Also, the Grey Wagtail was around the hide again, and a female Sparrowhawk was around the feeders at the Visitor Centre. (AH/GW et al)
Grey Wagtail (above) & Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Shelducks and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were plenty of waders about on the rising tide, including a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Greenshanks, an Avocet, c60 Ringed Plovers, c20 Turnstones, c100 Grey Plovers, c500 Knot and at least 1000 Dunlin, with a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, three Little Grebes, c20 Shelducks and Brent Geese and a scattering of Wigeon, Pintail and Teal, plus a Kingfisher, about, too..
The only things offshore, though, were up to ten Common Gulls and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, with up to three Goldcrests and a few Long-tailed Tits about it for the hedges, plus a couple of Green Woodpeckers, one of which flew over from the spit. (AW/AH/IP/PB et al)
Red-breasted Merganser (above), Kingfisher, Great Black-backed Gull (AW), Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Common Gull & Mediterranean Gull (AH) at Church Norton
North Wall: On the rising tide this morning there were hundreds of Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plovers and Lapwings out on the mud, as well as a lone Avocet, five Common Gulls and the usual selection of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelducks.
It was quiet along the wall with just four Rock Pipits and a couple of Reed Buntings about, while two Snipe flew out from the harbour, and a female Marsh Harrier was over the reeds, but the only other birds of note were a Water Rail and a Pied Wagtail in the paddock. (LP/MJa)
Rock Pipit (above), Pintail & Knot and Dunlin at the North Wall (LP)
Chichester Marina: There were five marsh Harriers over the reed-beds - presumably preparing to go to roost - this afternoon. (PH)
Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - It was a matter of dodging the frequent showers for this morning's WeBS count, but the milder weather didn't produce anything out of the ordinary, except perhaps the four Cattle Egrets roosting on one of the islands at North pit. A count of 72 Pochard and 70 Shovelers was reasonable for the site and other species perhaps worthy of mention were two Egyptian Geese and three Snipe. (OM)
Cattle Egrets roosting (with Grey Herons) at Drayton North pit, with Pochards below (OM)
Friday, 5th December: A morning that started with a sharp frost and bright skies in a light south-easterly ended up with a brisk and freshening south-westerly and more cloud than sun.........
Selsey Bill: There were a minimum of five Slavonian Grebes about this morning, with quite a few Great Northern and Red-throated Divers moving about. Full log below. (P&LH/AH/LP/BI/KT)
(0740-0940hrs) (SE, F3 veering to SW, F5)
Great Northern Diver - 4E, 8W, 2os
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 19W, 1os
diver sp - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 4W, 5os
Great Crested Grebe - 13W, 1os
Gannet - 24W
Shag - 11E, 1os
Wigeon - 5W
Teal - 4W
Common Scoter - 29W
Red-breasted Merganser - 10E, 7W
Turnstone - 3
Mediterranean Gull - 4W, 1os
Common Gull - 3W
Kittiwake - 9W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 3W
Pied Wagtail - 1
(1235-1535hrs) (P&LH/AH)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 16W, 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 1W, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 8W, 4os
Gannet - 39W
Common Scoter - 40os
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 10W
Grey Plover - 6E
Dunlin - 130E
Turnstone - 4
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Kittiwake - 26W
Razorbill - 14W
auk sp - 8E, 4W
Slavonian Grebes (above), Great Northern Diver & Red-throated Diver at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There was plenty of activity again this morning round the pool, including seven Snipe, 16 Avocets, c75 Black-tailed godwits and a single Golden Plover among c400 Lapwings, with c75 Canada Geese dropping in briefly, and there were also two Egyptian Geese, 15 Shelducks, c50 Shovelers, c200 Teal and c300 Wigeon present.
There were also plenty of birds on and over Ferry Channel and the adjacent harbour on the high tide, including a flock of 25 Snipe flying around together, 31 Golden Plovers, 190 Lapwings, 55 Brent Geese, a Pintail, c50 Wigeon and c60 Teal, plus a Skylark and a Meadow Pipit. (AH/P&LH)
views of the very high tide from the Tramway (LH)
Church Norton: The very high tide made viewing difficult again, though the three Greenshanks were roosting on the concrete blocks, along with c30 Redshanks and a dozen Grey Plovers, with a Kingfisher nearby, and further down the harbour there were c500 Brent Geese, along with a few Wigeon, Teal and Pintail. (AH)
Pagham Spit: Three Rock Pipits were around the old car park today, including a ringed Scandinavian-type bird, a Stonechat was along the spit, as were a few Skylarks, and there were plenty of Knot, Dunlin and Grey & Ringed Plovers roosting on the shingle bars.
The harbour this side was generally quiet on the big tide but there were a few Brent Geese, Wigeon and Great Crested Grebes to be seen on the water and a Red-breasted Merganser flew east offshore. (IH/SP/BI et al)
Sidlesham Common: There were two Cattle Egrets among the cows along Lockgate Road early this afternoon. (AH)
Cattle Egret at Sidlesham Common (AH)
Thursday, 4th December: A pretty dismal morning, with prolonged spells of heavy rain under leaden skies in a fresh southerly, slowly improving by midday as the wind shifted west.....
Selsey Bill: It was very slow early on, but a little better, later, when it stopped raining, though it was just a mix of the regulars species, including 20 Red-breasted Mergansers and a few divers. Full logs below. (AH)
(0745-0900hrs) (S, F5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Great Crested Grebe- 2W
Gannet - 1E
Common Scoter - 5E, 18W
Turnstone - 6
Great Black-backed Gull - 2os
Kittiwake 6E
Razorbill - 1E
(1020-1120hrs) (W, F6) (AH)
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 2W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 5E, 1W
Gannet - 14W
Common Scoter - 2E, 30os
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 6W, 5os
Oystercatcher - 1E
Turnstone - 42W
Mediterranean Gul - 1W
auk sp - 1E
Ferry Pool: There were 14 Avocets, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c300 Lapwings on the pool this morning, but four Shelducks and 14 Shovelers were the only wildfowl present. (AH)
Church Norton: The very high tide and the weather meant viewing was all but impossible, and the harbour looked bereft of birds, but c50 Lapwings and a few Redshanks were flying around and a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal on the water were about it, whilst a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the car-park. (AH)
Great Spotted Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)
West Wittering: A Black Redstart was on the beach at East Head this morning, along with two Sanderlings, whilst 1000 or more Dark-bellied Brent Geese were in the field east of the main beach road.
Also, in fields the other side of West Wittering there were two Egyptian Geese, which are unusual on this side of the peninsular, along with 40 Curlews, and a Coal Tit was on the feeders in my back garden. (GM)
Pagham Spit: A Water Pipit was around the old car-park this afternoon. (CS)
North Wall: Four Rock Pipits were along the wall and 20 Yellowhammers were around the hedgerows, together with 12 Reed Buntings, whilst a female Marsh Harrier was over the reeds.
At Halsey’s Farm, eight Curlews, six Black-tailed Godwits and two Stonechats were in the fields, a Kingfisher was by the outfall, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the trees, and c40 Wigeon, 12 Teal, a Pintail, and a Common Gull were along the rife.
Out over the harbour, around high tide, there were large flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plover, but there were just a few Wigeon and Mallards on the water, until c500 Brent Geese flew in from the fields, and a Water Rail was in the paddock, as well as a Grey Heron and a Little Egret. (LP)
Kingfisher (above), Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Rock Pipit, Stonechat, Wigeon and Pintail & Great Spotted Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)
