Saturday, 14th November: After another sharp frost, a cool morning of some sun and plenty of cloud in a moderate north-easterly breeze, that freshened as it veered around to the south.......
Selsey Bill: It remains quite slow, though a few divers, Gannets and Common Scoters were about. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH)
(0700-0900hrs) (NE, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 3W, 2os
Gannet - 15E, 20W, 30os
Shag - 3E
Mute Swan - 2E
Brent Goose - 14E, 1W
Common Scoter - 19E, 8W, 6os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 5W
Common Gull - 1E
Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 1W, 2os
Kittiwake - 2E
Razorbill - 2E
auk sp - 255E, 75W
Pied Wagtail - 3
Rock Pipit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 2W
Linnet - 2
Goldfinch - 44
Selsey: What was presumably the long-staying, if elusive, Ring-necked Parakeet popped up in a garden in Croft Road in the middle of the town early this afternoon. (IP)
Ferry Pool: There were at least a dozen Snipe around the pool this morning, along with a Redshank, 41 Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Shovelers and c25 Teal, with c50 Wigeon and c250 Lapwings out on the field.
Also, there were two Spotted Redshanks, an Avocet, a Grey Plover and half a dozen Redshanks in the channel opposite, along with c80 Teal and c40 Wigeon. (AH)
Church Norton: Two Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour this morning, along with 35 Brent Geese and a few Wigeon and Teal, whilst waders included three Knot, two Ringed Plovers, a dozen Grey Plovers and c300 Dunlin, with a Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine going over, too.
The hedges were quiet, though a couple of Chiffchaffs, Stonechats and Reed Buntings were noted, along with a Meadow Pipit and a Jay. (IP/MO-W/MI)
North Wall: A Redwing was along the wall, together with a Chiffchaff, a Rock Pipit, six Yellowhammers, 13 Reed Buntings and four Song Thrushes, whilst a Water Rail was in the rife.
Also, c300 Brent Geese were in the harbour, Peregrine chased a wader over the wall, a Sparrowhawk was hunting Meadow Pipits at Halsey's Farm, with two Marsh Harriers, two Buzzards and a Kestrel about, too, and a flock of 21 Cattle Egrets were along Rookery Lane. (S&SaH/LP/IH/MJa/MaL)
East Side: Brent Geese numbers are increasing, with c600 moving between the harbour and the fields, with the Barnacle Goose still among them, and there was a good selection of waders including two Avocets, four Turnstones, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Golden Plover, 36 Black-tailed Godwits, 28 Knot, 60 Ringed Plovers, c200 Dunlin, c100 Grey Plovers, four Snipe, and 22 Curlews.
Also, a Little Grebe, a Great Crested Grebe and a Gadwall were on the water, as well as the usual Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelducks, whilst 78 Great Black-backed Gulls were on the mud and a couple of Common Gulls were also about. (LP/IH/MaJ)
Barnacle Goose (above), Brent Geese, Avocet, Grey Plover & Knot along the East side (LP)
Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - The flock of c60 Common Scoters were offshore again this morning, but a Gannet and a Mediterranean Gull were the only other things seen, and there were just a pair of Stonechats by the windmill and a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails around the far end of the caravan park.
There was a bit more around the breach, though, including a Greenshank, a handful of Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers and c150 Golden Plovers, plus c50 Teal, and a flock of c80 Brent Geese flew in from the fields. (AH)
Common Scoters (above), Stonechat & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were four Tundra Bean Geese in the field beside the car-park this afternoon, in the company of 14 Egyptian Geese. After nine blank years, this is the second year running that they have occurred on the Peninsula, after two on the Ferry last December.
Also, a Barn Owl flew along the bank near the car-park, c200 Lapwings went over on to the reserve and there were large numbers of Wigeon and Teal by the poplars. (AH/SH/IP/MRe/RHa/SHa et al)
Tundra Bean Geese at Medmerry (AH)
Friday, 13th November: After the first frost of the autumn, a bright and sunny, if rather cold, morning in a moderate northerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: Two Redpolls went west and a Reed Bunting was along the front early on, but the sea was unsurprisingly quiet in the offshore breeze, though there were again a couple of Great Northern and Red-throated Divers about. Full log later. (SH/IP/AH/JA)
(0645-0900hrs) (N, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os
Red-throated diver - 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 3E, 15W
Brent Goose - 5W
Shelduck - 5W
Wigeon - 1E
Teal - 5E
Common Scoter - 7E, 4W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W
Oystercatcher - 1E, 2W
Sanderling - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 1W
Razorbill - 3E, 10os
auk sp - 156E, 30W
Pied Wagtail - 2E
Meadow Pipit - 1E
Long-tailed Tit - 6
Redpoll - 2W
Reed Bunting - 1
Ferry Pool: Two Snipe and an Avocet were on the pool this morning, along with c250 Lapwings, four Shelducks, c60 Shovelers and c40 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)
Church Norton: Two Dartford Warblers, two Stonechats, a Chiffchaff, half a dozen Linnets and a couple of Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits were along the front this morning, whilst a Redpoll was briefly between the Severals, along with a handful of Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits and c30 Goldfinches.
The harbour was quiet, with just an Avocet, a Ringed Plover, c30 Grey Plovers and c100 Dunlin on the mud, along with the usual Curlews, Redshanks and Oystercatchers, plus a few Wigeon and Teal. (AH)
Dartford Warbler (above), Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Avocet & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: There were a Rock Pipit and one or two Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings and a Buzzard along the wall this morning, with a Little Grebe in the Breech Pool, whilst a couple of Black-tailed Godwits and a scattering of Brent Geese, Dunlin and Grey Plovers were in the harbour. (EB)
Rock Pipit (above), Yellowhammer, Buzzard, Little Grebe and Moorhen, Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwits & Brent Geese at the North Wall (EB)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were four Dartford Warblers, nine Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler, a Yellowhammer and two Pied Wagtails along the banks this morning, whilst a Ringed Plover was on the Stilt Pool, a Snipe, c200 Lapwings and c300 Golden Plovers were on the reserve and a Peregrine, a Kestrel and two Buzzards went over. (S&SaH)
Drayton Pits: A flock of c15 Cattle Egrets were in the fields to the north, opposite the depot entrance, this afternoon. (AW)
Fishbourne Creek: A juvenile Spoonbill flew into the River Lavant outflow mid-morning and was later in the wader roost at the top of the creek, whilst earlier five Snipe and three Greenshanks were towards the top of the creek and five Red-breasted Mergansers were below Dell Quay. (RW)
Spoonbill at Fishbourne Creek (RW)

























