4th - 6th January 2015

Tuesday, 6th January: A cloudy day in prospect with a moderate SW wind and the chance of rain later. Someone at the Dusky Warbler twitch dropped a glove yesterday (Berghaus, size L), which was found and picked up from the path by SR. If it was you and you wish to reclaim it, please contact the editors and we will put you in touch with the finder (OM). 

Chichester Pits: The Dusky Warbler was still present this morning, circuiting East Lake, though continuing to be active and elusive, but occasionally popping up to give good views. (CRJ/DP et al)
It was still present at 4.20pm, but had moved to the small lake opposite (Copse Lake, I think). (IP)

 

Dusky Warbler at Chichester GPs (David Potter)

 

Selsey Bill: (0900-1000hrs) (AH/GH/JD/DS/DF)

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Red-throated Diver - 3W, 20E (inc a flock of 13)

Gannet - 25W

Eider - 1os

Bonxie - 1W

Kiittiwake - 12W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2W

 

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: There must have been at least 1000 Lapwing on the field this morning, and a couple of huge flocks went up over the far side of the harbour- there must be 3-4000 Lapwings wintering around Pagham this year. Not much else bar the usual suspects, including 130 Shelduck, 40 Shoveler, 20 Teal and 40 Canada Geese with a single Greylag with them.

Not a bird of any species along the Long Pool, but about 5 Avocets were in view roosting in the channel. (AH)

 

Lapwings on the Ferry (above) & Avocets in the channel (AH)

 

Medmerry/Selsey: Chainbridge field - I put in a lengthy shift this afternoon after arriving a bit too early for any owls, and three hours later had logged only a Buzzard, 300 Lapwings, a couple of Golden Plover, 5 Snipe, 2 Stonechats,10 Meadow Pipits and a Reed Bunting, plus a little flock of 11 Brent Geese feeding in the wet field that spent the whole time with me. But owls were there none and I admit to feeling a tad grumpy. Cue the arrival of PC, and after us both suffering a mini bout of frustration, at 3.30pm he was first to spot our target bird - a Short-eared Owl at last - it eventually posing nicely for us on a dog poo bin. Says it all really! (OM/PC).

 

 Short-eared Owl on a dog poo bin at Chainbridge field, and Stonechat on Medmerry bank (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane-Ham - There were about eight Fieldfares on farmland towards Ham, but not much else of note. (GJT)

 

Sidlesham: The Raven went over our garden on the west of the village again this morning, at 8.50am, heading eastwards and cronking away. (AH)

 

Monday, 5th January: A dull and cloudy morning though mainly dry, with a fresh SW breeze....the dreaded return-to-work day for many after the Christmas and New Year festivities, so a degree of normality should return to the birding life of the Peninsula ...or maybe not! A Dusky Warbler was found by Ads Bowley at Chichester Gravel pits (East lake, near Ivy Lake) early this afternoon - this is a new bird for the Peninsula, and (subject to formal acceptance) takes the total to 338.

 

Chichester Pits: There was a Dusky Warbler this afternoon, in the bushes around East Lake - the last lake on the south of the path through the Ivy Lake complex, Brilliantly found by AB, it could be frustratingly elusive at times, with its call giving it away as it progressed west along the far bank of the lake, but most people were able to connect with it.

Also in the area were at least three Chiffchaffs, and along Ivy Lake there were three Bullfinches, whilst on Copse Lake there was a flock of c65 Greylag Geese.

Please park sensibly, either at the Selsey Road end of Ivy Lake, or there is limited parking around the school at North Mundham. (AH)

 

First pics of the Dusky Warbler at Chichester GPs (AB)

 

More Dusky Warbler pictures (Jacob Everitt)

 

 Selsey Bill: (0800-1000) (AH/SR/GH)

Great Northern Diver - 9os
Red-throated Diver - 4W, 1os

Black-throated Diver - 1 probable W (see pic below)

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Gannet - 63W

Eider - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 8E

Kittiwake - 5W

 

Probable Black-throated Diver with Red-throated Diver past the Bill. Any comments welcome! (AH)

 

Church Norton: Quiet today: the Whimbrel was present, there was a Red-breasted Merganser and four Little Grebes in the harbour, plenty of the commoners roosting the high tide, a Song Thrush was singing near the car-park, and two Jays were  in nearby trees. The Green Sandpiper was at Park Farm Reservoir. (AH)

 

Song Thrush (above), mixed waders and a Dunlin looking for a place to roost at Church Norton (AH)

 

North Wall: A dull grey day along the Wall. There were 3 Spotted Redshanks tucked in with 11 Black-tailed Godwits on the Breach Pool, but little else there apart from a Grey Heron, Cormorant and a few Teal. A flock of 12 Pintail was on the Harbourside and close in to the Wall which is unusual. A Cetti's Warbler was calling along Pagham Rife.

On Honer reservoir was an interesting selection of Gulls namely - 62 Black-headed, 5 Herring, 5 Med and 6 Common. Also there 3 Little Grebes, 6 Coot and 1 Tufted Duck. Feeding in the field to the left were 11 Reed Buntings, 3 Yellowhammers and a Stonechat. There was a noisy pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers at Honer Farm. The greatest gathering of birds was the field east of Marsh Farm; here there were 114 Black-tailed Godwits, 80 Curlew, 11 Canada Geese and 6 Brent Geese. A party of 11 Long-tailed Tits was in Church Lane. The footpath in front of Honer Cottages is very muddy and boots or wellingtons are definitely required. (JDW)

 

Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Grey Heron from North Wall (JDW)

 

Sunday, 4th January: A fairly still day with the sun breaking through now and then...

Selsey Bill: (0740-1000) (SH/IP/SR/PC/AH)
Great Northern Diver - 13os
Red-throated Diver - 74W in total. There were 39 through in several small flocks and singles, then at 09.40 a loose flock of 35 birds flew in from the east and landed offshore, gradually moving off west
Great Crested Grebe 1W, 4os
Gannet - 41W, 12E, 20 os
Brent Goose - 11E
Shelduck - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5W, 15E, 8os
Great Skua - 1W close
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
auk sp - 1W

Great Skua (above) & Great Northern Divers off Selsey Bill (SH)

Church Norton: The Spoonbill was roosting on Tern Island, the drake Goldeneye and 60 Pintail were in the harbour and there were up to four Slavonian Grebes, four Great Crested Grebes and six Red-breasted Mergansers offshore, plus a Red-throated Diver flying west.

Also a Water Rail was on the first Several, two Stonechats were along the beach, and the Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail were still at Park Farm. (S&SaH/IP/BI)

Goldeneye at Church Norton (SH)

Ferry Pool/Long Pool: The only geese were c40 Canada Geese and a single Greylag this morning. There were c100 Shelduck and 40 Shoveler around the pool, and at least 1000 Lapwing, 80 Black-tailed Godwit and 20 Golden Plover on the field, along with at least 300 Wigeon. (AH et al)
This afternoon there were 15 Avocets in the channel at the end of the Long Pool and three Chiffchaffs were in one bush along it. (IP)

 

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

 

Fishbourne Creek: There were 10 Goldeneye and at least 20 Pintail on the water at high tide and a single Rock Pipit by the sluice. (BI)

 

Medmerry: West Sands to the breach - There were 30-40 Common Scoter offshore, about 400 Brent Geese dropped in on the pools, and there were around 20 Golden Plover, 20 Grey Plover, 50 dunlin and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits roosting on the islands. (AH)
This afternoon a Spoonbill was feeding in the Breach Channel but there was little else of note; there were two Stonechats on the rocks, a Buzzard, the Short-eared Owls had moved across and were again hunting, c12 Pintail, c50 Grey Plover, c30 Dunlin, c30 Ringed Plover, c50 Wigeon, and at least 75 Lapwing. (SR)

 

Nearby, off the Coastguard Station, there were three Great Northern Divers, one Slavonian Grebe and one Great Crested Grebe offshore. (BI)
 

Easton Lane-Greenwood Farm: Not a lot to report - three Yellowhammers, a single Skylark, possibly three pairs of Stonechat and a dozen Long-tailed Tits really was it. (AH)

Chainbridge Field to Ham: At least 2 Short-eared Owls hunting over the field just after midday, a Buzzard and a Herring Gull did their noisy best to put them off but it didn't work. Two Kestrels and 2 Stonechats also in the field along with 7 Meadow Pipits. (SR)

Late this afternoon there were definitely three and probably four Short-eard Owls hunting over the banks and out onto Medmerry. Not a lot else, though the Southern Pochard was back on its pool, a Water Rail squealed nearby and a Yellowhammer and three Reed Buntings came up off the banks. (AH/SH/SR)

Southern Pochard with Tufted Duck, Gadwall and two Mallard at Medmerry (AH)