Saturday, 9th January: Still very unsettled weather-wise and still relatively mild, though a bit cooler than of late. Cloudy and mainly dry this morning, with a brisk SSW wind and heavy showers and longer periods of rain due by mid-afternoon.....
Selsey Bill (07.30 to 09.00hrs): (Obs: JA/SH/PB/AB/SR)
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 2osGreat Northern Diver - 4os
Slavonian Grebe - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os
Gannet - 2E, 3W
Common Scoter - 6W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 4W, 4osKittiwake - 28W
Common Gull - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4os auk sp - 2E
Church Norton: The flock of seven Bar-tailed Godwits was flying about again, and on the water there was a Goldeneye, four Little Grebes and two redhead Red-breasted Mergansers, with two of the latter offshore, whilst a Kingfisher sped through. The two Peregrines were on the island, the Whimbrel was in its usual haunt and there were plenty of Grey Plover, Curlew and Redshank about. (AH)
Also a Common Scoter was in the harbour and a Chiffchaff was at Park Farm, Selsey. (IP)
Whimbrel (above) & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)
Ferry Pool: Large numbers of various species were present mid-morning until a Peregrine cleared the decks. Approximate counts on/over were 150 Golden Plover, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Redshank, 400 Lapwing, 1 Dunlin, 3 Gadwall, 300 Wigeon, 100 Teal, 60 Shoveler, 30 Shelduck and 50 Brent Geese. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwits (above), Golden Plovers & with Lapwing and Shelduck at the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool/Ferry Channel: Of most interest was a flock of up to a dozen Yellowhammers around the Pheasant feeding-station on the further hedges along the west side. There were also a few Reed Buntings along the nearer hedges.
Not much was along the Long Pool - just a couple of Little Grebes and Tufted Ducks, whilst a drake Red-breasted Merganser was right down by the pump early on. There were again around 30 Avocets in the high tide roost at the end of the channel, along with many of the commoner waders, and up to ten Snipe were displaced by the rising tide. (AH)
Red-breasted Merganser (above) & Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits in Ferry Channel (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: Four Jack Snipe were seen this morning, along with the wintering Whimbrel and several Goldeneye. (AB/PB)
Chichester GPs: No sign of the female Scaup this morning, though a male Bullfinch and three Chiffchaffs were present. (AB/PB/IP)
Along the footpath beside Ivy Lake were many small birds including 30 Long-tailed Tits, six Goldcrests and two Chiffchaffs. About half way along, where it is closest to an island, there were about six more Chiffchaffs and one which looked all the world like a Siberian Chiffchaff, (race tristis). It was pale, even white below, sort of pale dun above and closed wings showed a greenish panel. Also seen was a pair of bullfinches and a kingfisher. (ARK per SoS)
Along the footpath beside Ivy Lake were many small birds including 30 Long-tailed Tits, six Goldcrests and two Chiffchaffs. About half way along, where it is closest to an island, there were about six more Chiffchaffs and one which looked all the world like a Siberian Chiffchaff, (race tristis). It was pale, even white below, sort of pale dun above and closed wings showed a greenish panel. Also seen was a pair of bullfinches and a kingfisher. (ARK per SoS)
Friday, 8th January: A fairly bright start with some sunny breaks and cloud, but still with a fairly strong SW wind.... though things are likely to go downhill later with heavy showers forecast for the late afternoon.
Selsey Bill: Very little moving on a brisk SSW - just a couple of Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, a Shag and a few Kittiwakes. Full log below. (Obs: C&ME/JA/AH/PC)
(0745-0945hrs):
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Great Northern Diver - 2W, 4os
diver sp - 4E, 1W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 9W
Pintail - 4W
Common Scoter - 3E
Eider - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 7W
Kestrel - 1p
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Kittiwake 24w
auk sp - 2W
Church Norton/West Side: A Dartford Warbler was skulking low in a big bramble near the west end of the Reedy Marsh area, and there were half a dozen Reed Buntings and a couple of Meadow Pipits along the bushes, but not much else.
The Whimbrel, a drake Goldeneye and five Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour, plus two or three Little and Great Crested Grebes, and the two Peregrines were again on the island. Also a group of seven Bar-tailed Godwits flew around before settling behind Tern Island.
Towards the Long Pool there were large numbers of roosting waders, including at least 30 Avocets, 12 Snipe, 200 Black-tailed Godwits, 100 Grey Plover, 100 Curlew and 200 Redshank, plus large numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Shelduck and a few Pintail. (AH)
Whimbrel (above), Curlew, Avocets, Reed Bunting & Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Curlews at Church Norton (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were at least 150 Teal on the pool, plus 60 Shoveler and a pair of Gadwall, whilst there were a dozen Golden Plover, five Redshank and 60 Black-tailed Godwits in with 300+ Lapwing on the field. (AH)
Golden Plovers (above) & Gadwall on the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: Colder today; waders and wildfowl were spread across the Breech Pool field and Honer Fields 1, 2 and 3. Totals were 1800 Brent Geese, 480 Lapwing, 360 Wigeon, 220 Curlew, 90 Black- tailed Godwits, 4 Mute Swans and 16 Canada Geese. Just after 11am I tried to
count juveniles amongst the Brent flock in Honer 3 field but they and all the other birds were put to flight by a low flying Chinook helicopter. Cetti's Warblers were calling in Owl Copse and at Bremere bridge. (JDW)
Brent Geese and Curlews in the North Fields (JDW)
Thursday, 7th January: A worse day than forecast, with strong winds and heavy showers and the odd sunny break....
Church Norton: The three Spoonbills were still present before flying from Tern island towards Sidlesham. (BI) Also the redhead Goosander was present again this morning. (C&ME)
Record shot of the Spoonbills at Church Norton, taken in difficult conditions (BI)
Long Pool: Early this morning there were a couple of Reed Buntings and a few Goldcrests along the hedges, a couple of Little Grebes on the water and large numbers of Brent Geese and Wigeon going over west. (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were close to 100 Teal and 50 Shoveler on the water, several Redshank on the newly-exposed mud and 500 Lapwing and 200 Wigeon on the field. (AH)
Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Sidlesham: A Raven went over our garden on the west of the village mid-morning, heading east. Also a Sparrowhawk shot through and there were several Goldcrests about. (AH)
Raven over Sidlesham (AH)
Chichester GPs: 76 Pochard on Ivy Lake this afternoon with 14 Mute Swans, 7 Great Crested Grebes and 30 Tufted Ducks. (BI)
Also, there was an Egyptian Goose tucked away on the smaller of the two islands halfway along Ivy Lake, four pairs of Gadwall were on the water, and a Kingfisher and a male Bullfinch were also briefly present, plus a few Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests.
No sign of the female Scaup on New Lake, but there were 75 Shoveler and a dozen each of Pochard and Tufted Duck present. (AH)
Also, there was an Egyptian Goose tucked away on the smaller of the two islands halfway along Ivy Lake, four pairs of Gadwall were on the water, and a Kingfisher and a male Bullfinch were also briefly present, plus a few Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests.
No sign of the female Scaup on New Lake, but there were 75 Shoveler and a dozen each of Pochard and Tufted Duck present. (AH)
Pochards on Ivy Lake (BI)
Egyptian Goose (above) & Pochard and Gadwall on Ivy Lake (AH)
Pagham Village: A female Blackcap on my bird feeders this afternoon. (JDW)
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