Decided to go to Selsey early this morning rather than to Arlington to try for the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that turned up there yesterday. The weather yesterday was very wet with strong southerlys and it appeared that this morning at least would offer a brief respite and I was hoping there would be a few lingering goodies. Selsey can be a bizarre place, often with absolutely nothing to be seen, or very little and very distant, but very occassionally lots of great birds. So it was with anticipation when I set off at 6.45am and as I opened the front door just starting to lighten up and there was a Tawny Owl calling nearby . Worryingly on the journey I was driving through patches of fog. I've tried Selsey before when I've hit patchy fog to arrive at the Bill and not see beyond the shingle, luckily today it was clear by the time I arrived just before 7.30 and I stayed until through until 10.45. A couple of other birders appeared for periods but it was fairly quiet.
A large number of swallows (c150) quartered the beach, a Great Northern Diver flew W fairly close in and there was a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits mainly heading S with a single female Wheatear and a couple of Chiffchaff in the bushes being the only migrants. A few Gannets and lots of Cormorants were moving and there were up to 4 Shags on the sea along with a Razorbill. 8 Sandwich Terns moved East with 3 Common Terns and a single Black Tern. 2 Little Gulls, 3 Med Gulls went East and a single dark phase Arctic Skua W and 1 Brent Goose with 3 Red Breasted Mergansers.
The weather closed in shortly after I left and spent the rest of the day on domestics, so perfect weather for cooking Roast Pork with Sally and the girls and then Strictly and X-Factor ???!!
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