13th - 15th February 2015

Sunday, 15th February: A fairly bright morning with broken cloud, periods of sunshine and a fresh NE wind....

Selsey Bill  (07.10 - 09.00hrs): Sun and cloud, NE3-4  (Obs: SH/IP/AH/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 9 os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Slavonian Grebe - 2 os
Great Crested Grebe - 3 os
Gannet - 6E, 3 os
Brent Goose - 90W
Eider - 3 os
R/b Merganser - 12E, 1W, 9os
Mediterranean Gull - 1 os

Selsey: At Park Farm the Green Sandpiper was again present plus 2 Chiffchaffs (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There were 21 Avocets in the harbour, whilst two Spoonbills flew along the beach and dropped into the channel by the concrete spit and fed for a few minutes, before they both flew off towards Norton. They were later lost from view heading south west towards the Severals. 

Two Ravens also flew over the Severals, then later high over Park Farm heading towards East beach (though a search from the Bill to the lifeboat station failed to locate them). Also two Stonechats in the area (S&SaH).

The two Spoonbills in the harbour are unringed, so they are not the two from Medmerry. A report from Snowhill Creek would be useful, to see if they are two of the three from there. (AH)

Spoonbills at Church Norton (IP above, & BI below)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was again present at the back of the pool, and there were at least 500 Lapwings on the grass. (AH)

North Wall: Quiet this morning - a Snipe, a Water Rail and a Cetti's Warbler were lurking in the reeds, 60 Teal were on the pool and 150 Wigeon, 20 Brent Geese and 12 Curlews were on the fields. The Little Owl was in the hedgeline behind the stables.
White's Creek was almost birdless bar a few Wigeon, but a low-flying helicopter put up 1000+ Lapwing and 200+ Golden Plover from out in the harbour. (AH)

Snipe and Teal (above) & Little Owl at the North Wall (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: There were four Goldeneye, three Red-breasted Mergansers, seven Pochard, 20+ Tufted Duck and Little Grebe this morning, plus a single Mediterranean Gull and 80 Brent Geese dropped in for a wash and brush-up. There wasn't a single bird offshore from the Yacht Club, though. (AH)

Pochard (above) & Goldeneye on Pagham Lagoon (AH)

Sidlesham: What was presumably the same flock of 20+ Fieldfares that were towards Easton Lane yesterday dropped into the trees at the back of our garden at lunchtime today. (It is probably only a quarter of a mile away in a straight line.) (AH)

Fieldfare in Sidlesham (AH)

Medmerry: Chainbridge Field to Ham - The three Short-eared Owls were all on show together at one stage on the reserve, and were active on and off from 3pm onwards. 

There were approximately 30 Meadow Pipits, 40 Skylarks, 25 Linnets and 20 Goldfinches active around the banks, and up to a dozen Reed Buntings, mostly in the bushes. 

There were 800-1000 Brent Geese crammed into the small field by Ham Farm, a couple of Stonechats n the fence and half a dozen ringed Plovers and several hundred Lapwing on the tidal areas. (AH) 
Also, the Southern Pochard was still in residence, there were 300 Brents on the Chainbridge Field and 45 Curlew in the caravan park, while along the bank at Medmerry were 5 Yellowhammers, 2 Reed Buntings, 30 Meadow Pipits, 10 Skylarks, a
Stonechat and a Kestrel. (P&BJ).

Easton Lane west -  Two Spoonbills, first on the Stilt Pool then out by the Breach, were reported to me by two different couples, but I did not see them.

In addition a Kingfisher was just south of the second sluice, the Fieldfare flock flew south over Easton car park (now open!!) at approximately  3pm, a Corn Bunting was halfway between the car park and the Stilt pool and a number of Skylarks were displaying. (IP)

Short-eared Owls (above), Meadow Pipit & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)

Farmland north of the North Wall:

Church Farm had around 8 Yellowhammers and 2 singing Skylarks claiming their respective territories. 

Marsh Farm had 3 Reed Buntings, c300 Brent Geese with 16 Wigeon and c100 Curlew. Also c18 Yellowhammers,1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, and around the milking parlour were 62 Collared Doves, 13 Pied Wagtails and 17 Chaffinches.

Further along the track, between Marsh Farm and Fisher a Little Owl sat low and motionless in a tree, only giving itself away when someone went through the gate causing it to turn its head to take a look. (SR)

Saturday, 14th February: Cloudy with brighter periods but also with the chance of showers through the day; wind cool NE 3-4. 

Selsey Bill: (0715-0930hrs) (SH/JA/JF/SR)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 53E, 4os
diver spp - 2E
Slavonian Grebe - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Gannet - 79E,4W
Eider - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 15E, 5W, 17os
Kittiwake - 6E, 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 2W

Church Norton: This morning there were two Stonechats on the beach, four Red-breasted Mergansers offshore and 12 Avocets in the harbour, and at Park Farm, Selsey, the Green Sandpiper was showing well and there were also three Chiffchaffs present. (SH/PB)

Green Sandpiper at Park Farm (SH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was on the pool this morning, along with four Snipe, and a single Golden Plover was in with 350 Lapwing on the field. (JF)

Medmerry: Easton Lane west - Two Spoonbills were out on the west side of the reserve before flying into the central channel, two Ravens went over north and then re-appeared going east, there were a couple of Yellowhammers and c.20 each of Reed Bunting and Skylark along the banks, and half a dozen Stock Doves were around the flint barn.
On the Stilt pool there were 75 Brent Geese, 80 Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, 25 Wigeon, 40 Mallard and a pair of Shoveler, and there were three pairs of Stonechats about - one at Marsh Farm, one near the car-park on Easton Lane, and one near Greenwood Farm (the only birds present along that stretch of bank). (AH)

Spoonbills (above), Stock Dove, Reed Bunting & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)

This afternoon on the same route, the two Spoonbills were again on view, and also seen were a Short-eared Owl, 25+ Fieldfare, a Green Sandpiper and a Red-breasted Merganser on one of the pools. (SH/PB)

Spoonbills on/over Medmerry (SH)

Chainbridge Field - There were probably three Short-eared Owls this evening, and there wered 29 Curlews feeding on the field. The Buzzard was also there, along with a Kestrel and two Song Thrushes. (BI/SR)

Short-eared Owl on a different dog-poo bin to usual (above) & Curlews at Chainbridge Field (BI)

Friday, 13th February: Not much to cheer about on a windy day that started with a glimpse of sun before going downhill.....

Selsey Bill: (0800-0900hrs):  (Obs: AH)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 16W, 8os
Fulmar - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 3W

Kittiwake - 1E, 4W

Additional: (0930 - 1030hrs):SSE 5-6, Cloud and sun  (Obs: JA)
Great Northern Diver - 4 os
Red-throated Diver - 10E
Gannet - 1E
Fulmar - 1W
Eider - 10s
R/b Merganser - 8 os
Guillemot - 2E
Razorbill = 1E
Auk sp - 3E, 2W

Church Norton: Not much to report in the February doldrums, though the resident birds are becoming more conspicuous, including three Song Thrushes by the Mound, and plenty of Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Chaffinches about.

In the harbour there were at least four Avocets in the channel, 200+ Knot and 40 Black-tailed Godwits on the mud, and a few Pintail in with the Wigeon. (AH)

Song Thrush (above), Wren, Pintail & Knot and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: The most notable development this morning was that there were no Lapwing at all on the field for the first time in a long time, or any other waders, though there were still 300 Wigeon on the grass and c30 each of Shoveler and Shelduck around the pool. (AH)

Shoveler on the Ferry (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake complex - I can't recall ever seeing so few wildfowl at this time of year - totals around the pits were 16 Pochard, 40 Tufted Duck, 20 Mallard and 35 Canada Geese. (AH)

Pochard on Copse Lake (AH)

Chichester Marina: At Apuldram Manor Farm Marsh, 15 Black-tailed Godwits, two Snipe, and a calling Cetti's Warbler. In a brief walk to the harbour from Apuldram church in the persistent rain the highlight was a Stonechat on the fence, a Song Thrush by the stables and a small party of Long-tailed Tits by the path.
At Birdham Pool, no sign of the Mandarin but four Gadwall, a Little Grebe and a motley collection of Mallards. (BI)