Selsey Bill and East Side

The weather is deteriotating from tomorrow so I thought I'd make the most of the calm weather and did a good seven hours in the field today. I started off joining the daily Selsey Bill Seawatch HERE and then went over to East Side for the high tide HERE. 87 species across both sites (including Avocet and Shoveler on a drive by of Ferry) and nearly 7000 birds on East side marking a clear major influx recently of wintering birds. The Brents, waders and other waterbirds have seemingly been arriving at night as there have been no major movements off the coast with just numbers continung to swell in the harbour more or less day on day. 

Highlights today included 4 Velvet Scoter off the Bill (a patch tick so now on 175 HERE) , 7 Great Northern and 4 Red-throated Divers also there and on East Side highlights included 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Bearded Tit calling, 10 Rock Pipit, 1 Dartford Warbler, 1 Brambling, a late Barn Swallow and the main highlight was the sheer spectacle of the thousands of birds now gathering in the harbour.

Three different Rock Pipits today showing how variable they were. The top two with prominent superciliums are presumably littoralis- although if I remember right  the current thinking is that all UK wintering Rock Pipits (outside their breeding areas) are littoralis (from Northern Europe) which would make sense.  

As good as the views get at the Bill- Velvet Scoters

Last time I was at Pagham a week or so ago there were only about 500 Brents around and today there must have been at least 2000 (above and photos below). Epic scenes. 

Male Stonechat 

Dartford Warbler- as is customary it was loosely associating with three Stonechats in the gorse by Pagham Lagoon 

Don't always get a photo op of a Cetti's

Red-throated Diver in the harbour mouth 

Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover at the Spit- must have been nearly 2000 birds here. I could only see 2 Barwits across the whole harbour

Mystery of the day was this hybrid duck in with the Wigeon. The American wigeon looking head seems stuck on to a mystery body and bill. Not sure what combination can throw up this? Gadwall x Wigeon maybe or an American Wigeon hybrid? Maybe a hybrid with White-cheeked Pintail ? Maybe something from Arundel?  Thanks Andrew and Ed for suggestions .