Friday 25 October 2013

25th - 27th October 2013

Sunday, 27th OctoberWith the autumn storm season well upon us, sea-watching is probably going to be the only option for the next couple of days, and a severe storm is forecast for tonight. Jim Weston was out early this morning though (did you forget to put your clock back Jim?) but by mid-morning the wind was already strong-gale force SSW.  The Bill was covered this morning and again in the afternoon, producing a Red-necked Grebe, a Merlin and an Arctic Tern but little else of note.

Pagham Hbr: North Wall: (Early am, wet and windy). A pair of Stonechats in the stable field. White's Creek was busy - 210 Lapwing, 70 Black-tailed Godwits, 23 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 7 Grey Plover and 130 Wigeon. Breech Pool - 180 Teal and 2 Snipe. 1 Wheatear along the Wall. Highlight - 38 Stock Doves in the field at the top of the footpath that runs behind the stables (JW).

Not much to report at Church Norton - a Black Redstart on the concrete slabs being about the only bird of note (AH).

Selsey Bill, 0630 - 1000hrs: WSW7 showers: (Obs: JA/SH et al)
Red-necked Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 7E, 23W
Brent Goose - 4W
Common Scoter - 1W
Merlin - 1 out over the sea, heading for the Mile Basket
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 14ob
Kittiwake - 2W
Arctic Tern - 1E
Razorbill - 6W
auk sp - 4W
Linnet - 19S 
Goldfinch - 17E
Additional: 1400-1545hrs: Wind WSW 7-8 (Obs: SH)
Great Crested Grebe - 1 os
R/b Merganser - 1W
Razorbill - 1W
Kittiwake - 1E
Common Gull - 1E


Saturday, 26th October: Wild and windy conditions today with the forecast of a very stormy couple of days ahead. First reports indicate that there was not a great deal on offer this morning at Pagham Hbr, whilst sea-watching at the Bill was disappointingly slow with nothing like yesterday's variety....reports awaited.

Selsey Bill (1230-1600hrs): WSW 6-7 (Obs: SH et al)
Gannet - 2E, 144W, 70 os
Balearic Shearwater 1W @ 14.00
Shag - 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
R/b Merganser - 1W
Turnstone - 20 ob
Razorbill - 1W
Guillemot - 2W, 1 os
Auk sp - 3E
Med Gull - 1 os
Kittiwake - 5W
Meadow Pipit - 4SW
 
(morning seawatch details not yet available)


Pagham Hbr: Church Norton: Not much out of the ordinary - 3 Knot, the leucistic Curlew, 10+ Black-tailed and a few Bar-tailed Godwits in the harbour, a few Skylarks over, 4 Mediterranean Gulls on the beach and about a dozen Gannets offshore. Sidlesham: A Raven cruised low over our garden southwards at 2pm, being ushered through by the local Jackdaws and Rooks (AH).



Friday, 25th October: After several days of dire sea-watching it's good to have a nice variety of species to report today. JA and AH claimed the spoils, which included a Slavonian and a Red-necked Grebe, a Balearic Shearwater, the first proper autumn movement of R/b Mergansers and a Long-tailed Duck.

Selsey Bill, 0730 to 1030hrs: Wind SSW5, cloudy. (Obs: JA/AH)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 1E
Red-necked Grebe - 1E (with the Slavonian before returning and settling offshore)
Gannet - 14W
Balearic Shearwater - 1E @ 9.30hrs
Brent Goose - 9E, 84W
Pintail - 2W
Wigeon - 2W
Long-tailed Duck - 1E
Common Scoter - 6E, 32W,
Red-breasted Merganser - 27W
Kestrel - 1 hunting over gardens
Sanderling - 2W
Turnstone - 14ob,
Oystercatcher - 1ob
Kittiwake - 7E, 1W
Common Gull - 12W
Guillemot - 1E
Auk sp - 2E, 1W
Pied Wagtail - 4S, 1ob
Meadow Pipit - 6N, 2S
 Skylark - 21S
Swallow - 10S
Linnet - 9S. 

Pagham Hbr: Church Norton: The juvenile/female Black Redstart (reported by C & J Moore and C & M Eames on 12th Oct) is still at Greenlease Farm; it was flitting in and out of the barn next to the clock tower late this afternoon.  Great little bird!  (pic. attached) (SR).
 
Record shot of Black Redstart at Greenlease farm, Church Norton (photo: Sarah Russell)
 

No comments:

Post a Comment