Sunday 18th November

Sunday, incredibly had mild weather and wall to wall sunshine. I was able to cut the grass in the afternoon which I'd assumed I wouldn't get the chance again before next spring.

I started Sunday morning by heading early down to Selsey. With fairly calm seas and a low tide in bright sunshine, the most I was hoping for was maybe some visual winter migration over from the continent, but there was none of that . However on the sea there were 2 Great Northern Divers, a Slavonian Grebe a Red-necked Grebe, c100 Common Scoters with just 2 males in the flock, several Red-breasted Mergansers, a single Razorbill, a distant Kittiwake, a Great Skua and a Rock Pipit on the beach. 

I then went inland and headed towards Amberley and onto the downs around North Stoke, having intended to do this last weekend but being distracted by the Hooded Merganser.

The managed arable downland here is great and as soon as I got out of the car there were Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers in the shrubs and bushes, Lots of Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, 2 Lesser Redpoll all feeding on the natural seed generated by the plants in the field edge strips. I counted 28 Grey Partridge in 4 or 5 different coveys. lots of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes but no Winter Thrushes. The main viewing in this area is raptors, and it was slightly disappointing, I did have 7 Buzzards, 3 Red Kite and 2 Kestrel but no Harriers , Merlin or Peregrine which often frequent the area.

.. Home to mow,

Corn Bunting

Reed bunting

Red Kite