Saturday 20 January 2018

20th - 22nd January 2018

Monday, 22nd January: After more overnight rain, a fairly bright and breezy morning, though clouding up later....

Ferry Pool: There were c800 Lapwing on the field, with c100 Teal split between the pool and the flooded creek, where there were also eight Shoveler and c250 Wigeon. (AH)




Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe was still in the harbour mouth and the four Goldeneye were still in the main channel, but there wasn't too much else of note around, with the fairly flat sea (albeit at low tide) producing just a single distant Great Northern Diver.
The Whimbrel was still present, as was the lonely Knot, and at least 1000 Brent Geese and similar of Lapwing, plus 100 or more Golden Plovers were on the far side of the harbour, whilst the pair of Bullfinches were at the back of the churchyard and a Green Woodpecker was by the concrete wall. (AH/AW)


On the WeBS count this afternoon, 87 Knot, two Peregrine with kills and three Goldeneye in the harbour from Church Norton, a Firecrest and a Chiffchaff near the steps behind the churchyard and c 20 Avocet at roost along the west side. (CRJ/RJS)



Red-necked Grebe (above), Whimbrel, Knot, Curlew,Green Woodpecker (AH) & Bullfinches (AW) at Church Norton 






Pagham Spit: The Red-necked Grebe was viewable from here, too, and a Chiffchaff was along the side of the Lagoon. (PB)
On the Lagoon were 22 Tufted Ducks, 6 Pochard and a Great Crested Grebe. In the harbour were 2 Peregrine and 2 Sandwich Terns were around the harbour entrance. (JDW)

Lockgate Road, Sidlesham: A quick look at the paddocks here produced a Buzzard, half a dozen Linnets and 50+ Pied Wagtails. (AH)


Buzzard in Lockgate Road, Sidlesham (AH)

Medmerry: Breach Viewpoint - A brief look with the tide rising rapidly showed the breach has widened considerably since I last visited. There was a large flock of several hundred Grey Plover, Dunlin and Turnstone constantly on the move, being displaced by the tide. A flock of Meadow Pipits were in the grass but in the strong wind and with building work close at hand there was little else of interest. 
Meanwhile at Medmerry Cliffs a pair of Ravens dropped in and a Stonechat was along the fenceline. (SR)

Raven (above), Dunlin and Grey Plover & the ever-widening breach at Medmerry (SR)


North Wall: Early afternoon found a spectacle within the harbour of say 5000 birds milling about, up and down as the tide came in, big glistening flocks of waders, say 2000 Lapwing and similar for Brent Goose and some hundreds of duck, truly breath-taking in the sunshine and the air humming with the constant purring of the Brent Geese and the curlewing of Curlews. Under the Wall for a while among Lapwing were nine Ruff. (ARK per SOS)


Sunday, 21st January: The weather fully lived up to the dire forecast this morning, with persistent drizzly rain and a moderate south-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Very little moving this morning, though a couple of Great Northern Divers were on the sea and the Rock Pipit was again present. Full log later. (JA/SH/AH/IP)
(0740-0900hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Shag - 1E
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 3os
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Common Gull - 1W
Razorbill - 3E
auk sp - 1W
RockPipit - 1p
Chiffchaff - 1p


Rock Pipit at the Bill (AH)

Selsey: A Raven went over our garden to the north of the village this morning. Also, a Grey Wagtail was at Park Farm. (SH)

Ferry Pool: There were at least 500 Lapwing and 150 Teal around the pool this morning, with at least 100 Wigeon in the flooded creek in the field. (AH)
Also, the Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel. (BFF)


Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Sidlesham ChurchyardThe two Coal Tits were present again on a feeder in a garden near the church today. (SA/BI)

Ivy Lake complex: The Tree-creeper was again near New Lake today. (BI)

Church Norton: There were plenty of waders about, including the Whimbrel, at least half a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits, three Avocets,  c20 Knot, c40 Grey Plovers, c500 Dunlin and a few Redshanks and Curlews.
Also, three Goldeneye and c50 Pintail were in the main channel and at least 40 Shelduck were on the mud, but the only small birds noted were the pair of Bullfinches, briefly, and a few Goldfinches, plus the very tame Robin that was inside the hide!. (AH) Also, a Stonechat was in the horse field. (S&SaH)
Later on the three Avocets were joined by five others as they worked together in the channel by the hide, a Peregrine was perched on the island looking rather forlorn in the rain and a few Mediterranean Gulls were seen loafing in the harbour, whilst a Roe Deer dashed along the path by the hide a couple of times.
At the end of the Norton shingle spit a female Goosander was seen  rafting the incoming tide, going really fast, and there were also the Red-necked Grebe and three Red breasted Merganser.In the main channel inside the harbour and the female Eider was on the far side. (BFF).


Whimbrel (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Avocets, Goldeneye and Pintail, Shelducks & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)






A very close Robin - I was attached to the binoculars at the time! (AH)


Saturday, 20th January: An altogether better morning than forecast, after early rain, with light winds and nothing worse than a bit of light drizzle, and even a bit of sunshine later on.....

Selsey Bill: (0800-0900hrs) (JA)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 2W
diver sp - 1W
Gannet - 1W
Shelduck - 1W
Common Scoter - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 10os
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Kittiwake - 6W
Sandwich Tern - 4os, then E
Rock Pipit - 1p

Sidlesham ChurchyardThere were two Coal Tits on a feeder in a garden near the church this morning. (SA)

Ferry Pool: There were eight Shoveler, c120 Teal and three Redshank on the pool, c500 Lapwing and c200 Wigeon on the field and another 30 Lapwing and half a dozen Curlews on the adjacent arable field. (AH)


Teal (above) & Wigeon and Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)


Also, a Water Rail was feeding in Red Barn Ditch this morning, but apart from a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a few Goldcrests it was otherwise very quiet around the Tramway. (SR)

Water Rail from Tramway (SR)


Park Farm, Selsey: There was not too much about beyond 20 or so Curlews and Oystercatchers on the fields, plus a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel. (AH/IP)

Oystercatchers at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe was still around the harbour mouth area, along with a female Goosander, the female Eider, four Goldeneye and at least half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers.
Offshore there was a flock of five Velvet Scoters, along with two more Eider, a Great Northern Diver, a Red-throated Diver (plus two more west), a couple of Slavonian Grebes, a Guillemot, a Sandwich Tern, several small flocks of Teal, a couple of Wigeon and another half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers.
The harbour also held a Kingfisher, an Avocet, a Peregrine, several Bar-tailed Godwits and plenty of the commoner waders and wildfowl, plus a few Mediterranean and Common Gulls, whilst there was also a pair of Mistle Thrushes in the churchyard. (AH/IP/BI)


Red-necked Grebe and Goldeneye (above), Goosander, Velvet Scoters, Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebe, Sandwich Tern, Kingfisher & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)








IP having a bit of difficulty with the fence on the spit! (AH)


Sidlesham: There were two female Bullfinches in hedges in Cow Lane this afternoon. (AH)

Bullfinch in Sidlesham (AH)

Pagham Lagoon and Spit: There wasn't much on the Lagoon beyond nine Pochard, 16 Tufted Duck, six Little Grebes and a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, plus a Common Gull.
The Red-necked Grebe was still in the harbour mouth, with four Goldeneye, two Red-breasted Mergansers and half a dozen Little and Great Crested Grebes. A look through the gulls in the harbour and along the foreshore didn't produce much beyond 20 or so Mediterranean and Great Black-backed Gulls among a lot of Herring Gulls. (AH)

Red-necked Grebe (above), Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers & Mediterranean and Herring Gulls around Pagham Spit (AH)







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