This week has seen the end of the mild weather and the first signs that the winter weather is here. This change has heralded the arrival of many of our winter specialities in particular offshore. The mild October weather has delayed the return of the wintering Slavonian Grebes but on the 17th the first birds were finally reported with a group of 6 in the harbour. This was the start for a fairly productive week offshore with a variety of typical winter visitors braving the series of windy days lashing the reserve. Great Northern and Red Throated Diver, Eider, Red Breasted Merganser, both Common and Velvet Scoter and Gannets were all reported through the week. The juvenile Spoonbill continue to be present around the reserve spending much of it’s time huddled down on the leeward side of Tern Island trying to escape the bitter wind.
The Brent Goose flock has swollen in size with up to 1500 commuting from the feeding grounds in the north of the reserve to the harbour to spruce themselves up and to have forty winks. The other waterfowl have started to arrive in earnest with numbers of wigeon, pintail, knot and dunlin all increasing through the week.
The highlight on the passerine front was the discovery of a Twite on the end on Church Norton Spit on 20th; it was accompanying a small flock of Linnet which were feverishly feeding in the gale. Other small birds over the week that are of interest were a firecrest in the churchyard at Church Norton, a number of Stonechat around site and small numbers of fieldfare. They were all keeping their eyes open for a hungry merlin, which has taken up resident on Pagham Hide roof.
The Warden, RSPB Crook of Baldoon