Friday, 31st October: The wind freshened considerably overnight as it shifted to more or less due south, leaving it very mild, but heavily overcast and with spells of heavy rain.............
Selsey Bill: There was quite a bit of activity for a good turnout of observers this morning, including a fairly distant Sooty Shearwater west, two Black Redstarts in off the sea, an increase in Red-throated and Great Northern Diver numbers and a good westward movement of Gannets and Razorbills. Full log below. (BI/MRe/IP/AH/P&LH/LP/SP/MJa)
(0700-1120hrs) (SSW, F5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2W, 3os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 5W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 2os
Sooty Shearwater - 1W (0754hrs)
Gannet - 33E, 277W, 5os
Shag - 1E, 2W
Brent Goose - 2W
Common Scoter - 2E, 9W
Red-breasted Merganser - 3W
Oystercatcher - 2E
Turnstone - 7
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 3W
Kittiwake - 2E, 34W
Guillemot - 5W, 1os
Razorbill - 34E, 787W
auk sp - 145E, 553W
Pied Wagtail - 2
Black Redstart - 2N
Redpoll - 3N
Chaffinch - 11W
Red-throated Diver (above), Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Merganser, Brent Geese, Gannet & Razorbills at the Bill (AH)
There was more variety and interest this afternoon, including two potential Pallid Swifts going into the wind offshore at 1338hrs, though there were no further sightings.
This is a very difficult species to separate from Common Swift, though date and wind direction are on its side, so we will have to wait and see what the verdict is on them.
Also, there were a Bonxie, a Pomarine Skua, an Arctic Tern and an Eider going west to complete the interest. Full log below. (P&LH/PA/IP/SH et al)
(1210-1640hrs)
Gannet - 1E, 58W
Eider - 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Oystercatcher - 2
Ringed Plover - 4W
Turnstone - 8
Great Skua - 1W
Pomarine Skua - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 5W
Kittiwake - 114W
Sandwich Tern - 2W
Arctic Tern - 1W
Razorbill - 52W
auk sp - 14W
potential Pallid Swift - 2W
Swallow - 1W
potential Pallid Swifts (above), Pomarine Skua, Bonxie, Arctic Tern & Kittiwakes at the Bill (LH)
Ferry Pool: On the pool this morning there were 28 Shovelers, three Teal and eight Lapwings, plus a few Black-headed Gulls. (AH)
Shoveler on the Ferry (AH)
Sidlesham: There were c25 Redwings in the oaks along Cow Lane early this morning. (PA)
Church Norton: It was very quiet again this morning, with a group of nine Swallows feeding over the churchyard/hide area of most interest, with a Mistle Thrush and the odd Chiffchaff and Jay about it in the hedges and a Skylark and c80 Linnets around the islands the only other things of note.
A dozen Brent Geese, three Mediterranean Gulls, a couple of Pintail, a few Wigeon and Teal, ten Grey Plovers, 11 Knot, c20 Dunlin and half a dozen Turnstones, plus a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard over, were it for the harbour. (AH/CRJ/P&LH)
Swallow (above) & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)
Thursday, 30th October: A much better start today, with just a light to moderate westerly breeze, though freshening later, and a mix of hazy sun and cloud.............
Selsey Bill: The most unusual occurrence this morning was the reappearance of the Yellow-crowned Bishop, trapped and ringed in the gardens along the front on 15th August, but not seen since. Remarkably, what was presumably the same bird was seen shortly afterwards at the North Wall.
Beyond that, though, it was pretty slow, though the first two Sandwich Terns seen here in a while went east and 132 Razorbills went west. Full log below. (IP/AH)
(0720-0850hrs) (W, F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 2os
Shag - 3E
Turnstone - 4
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 2E
Razorbill - 132W, 14os
auk sp - 107W
Pied Wagtail - 2E, 3W
Meadow Pipit - 2W
Linnet - 1W
Greenfinch - 6E
Goldfinch - 30
Yellow-crowned Bishop - 1
Sandwich Tern (above), Shag & Yellow-crowned Bishop at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A lone Teal and a Pied Wagtail were all that was on the pool late this morning. (AH)
Pied Wagtail at the Ferry (AH)
Mill Pond Marsh: A total of four Gadwall, six Shovelers, 44 Teal and 15 Mallards were on the flooded field, with a Goldcrest and a Cetti's Warbler all the bushes had to offer. (AH)
Gadwall, Shovelers and Teal at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)
Selsey: The female-type Black Redstart was still in gardens behind the Asda store this morning. (MRe)
Medmerry: Ham viewpoint - A Short-eared Owl was out over the fields east of here this morning. (MWh)
Sidlesham: There was a bit of visible migration over Cow lane this morning, including a Brambling, 12 Redpolls, nine Siskins, two Grey Wagtails and two Redwings, along with four Egyptian Geese. (PA)
Church Norton: There was a bit of visible migration over the Severals and beach early this morning, heading in a south/west direction, including 29 Crossbills, 32 Redpolls,27 Siskins, 13 Linnets, 14 Greenfinches, 17 Chaffinches, 35 Goldfinches, 13 Reed Buntings, 11 Meadow Pipits and four Pied Wagtails, plus 35 Stock Doves, a Golden Plover and a heard only Woodlark.
There were also half a dozen Chiffchaffs, three Goldcrests, two Cetti's Warblers and two Stonechats along the front, three Water Rails heard from the reeds and a Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk out hunting. (MRe)
The Marsh Harrier was still around later, when a Dartford Warbler and a Blackcap were also around the Severals, and a Brent Goose dropped in on the horse field, but the bushes elsewhere were very quiet, as was the harbour, with vrey few waders or wildfowl to be seen. (AH/RS)
Marsh Harrier (above), Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler, Grey Plover & Cormorant at Church Norton (AH)
This afternoon two very late first-winter Arctic Terns were flying around the harbour, whilst a selection of waders on the high tide included three Avocets, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, 30 Knot and Grey Plovers, ten Ringed Plovers and 50 Dunlin, with a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, c70 Brent Geese, 20 Pintail, four Shovelers, 12 Shelducks, c100 Wigeon and c250 Teal also about.
There were also 45 Cattle Egrets and c150 Stock Doves seen flying over the North Wall, 95 Linnets on the islands and a couple of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests in the hedges. (PA)
Arctic Tern at Church Norton (PA)
North Wall: There was a bit of activity in the paddock this morning with a Yellowhammer, two Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, a Grey Wagtail, two Pied Wagtails, a Meadow Pipit, four House Sparrows, a Song Thrush, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and four Blackbirds, whilst further back a Jay was in the bushes and two Marsh Harriers were in their usual area.
Four Spotted Redshanks were in White’s Creek with all the regulars, and a Wheatear was along the rocks, whilst in the bushes there were two more Yellowhammers, six Reed Buntings, two Stonechats, four Skylarks, 20 Meadow Pipits and the escaped Yellow-crowned Bishop, seen earlier at the Bill. (GHi/MJa/TRH/LP/SP/CT/EB)
Yellow-crowned Bishop (above), Wheatear, Yellowhammer, Stonechat & Reed Bunting at the North Wall (LP)
Wednesday, 29th October: The westerly winds finally eased a little, but the result was a morning of almost uninterrupted drizzly rain under leaden skies........
Selsey Bill: A Velvet Scoter east with two Common Scoters was the best bird of a quiet morning, though a Great Northern Diver was on the sea again and four Swallows went west together. Full log below. (IP/AH)
(0725-0910hrs) (WSW, F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Gannet - 4E, 15W
Shag - 2E
Shelduck - 1W
Velvet Scoter - 1E
Common Scoter - 5E, 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Oystercatcher - 3
Turnstone - 22
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Kittiwake - 4W
Razorbill - 61W
auk sp - 155W
Swallow - 4W
Pied Wagtail - 2
Meadow Pipit - 2W
Red-breasted Merganser (above), Shags & Gannet at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Five Snipe flew out from the front this morning, but otherwise there were just three Shovelers and two Teal on the pool, plus a Black-tailed Godwit in the channel opposite. (AH)
This afternoon the Green Sandpiper was back on the pool, along with four Snipe, 15 Lapwings, a Redshank, 32 Shovelers, 59 Teal, four Shelducks and six Mallards.
There were also 15 Red-legged Partridges and a Cetti's Warbler around the bank, whilst a Kingfisher was in the channel opposite, along with a Redshank, a Teal, five Moorhens and 15 Mallards. (JC)
Snipe (above) & Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)
Selsey: A female Black Redstart was behind the Asda store this afternoon. (MRe)
Sidlesham: Up to ten Redpolls were in the trees along Cow Lane again early this morning. (AH)
Also, this evening, a Tawny Owl was calling actively. (PA/AH)
Church Norton: The harbour was very quiet this morning, with just a few Dunlin and Grey Plovers amongst the regulars, plus a few Wigeon and Teal.
There wasn't too much in the bushes, either, though a couple of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were about, along with three or four Jays, with two Redwings going over west the only things of note. (AH)
Chiffchaff (above) & Goldcrest at Church Norton (AH)
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