1st - 3rd February 2016

Wednesday, 3rd February: Some welcome sunshine this morning, with a touch of frost following a cold and clear night, giving a generally bright and dry day with a brisk W/NW wind....

Long Pool: Two Ravens went over west just before 9am, but otherwise it was fairly quiet - just half a dozen Tufted Ducks and four Little Grebes on the pool, 30 or so Avocets in the channel and a few Brent Geese and Wigeon going over west. (AH)

Raven (above), Avocets, Brent Geese and Grey Heron from Long Pool (AH)

Ferry Pool: A couple of Gadwall dropped into the rife, about 30 Teal were on the pool and c400 Brent Geese, c200 Wigeon and c400 Lapwing were on the field. (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: Very little of note this morning and certainly nothing out of the ordinary. Two Red-breasted Mergansers and a female Goldeneye were about the best on offer and they were scared off by a rampaging Alsatian dog that wanted a dip; otherwise there were 32 Tufted Ducks, 4 Pochard and c.30 Little Grebes, and only Black-headed and a few Herring Gulls. (OM) 

Pagham churchyard produced little also; a few Goldfinches and a Kestrel in the trees being the only thing worth a mention. (OM)

North Wall: A bit breezy along the Wall this morning. Just Mallard and Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, whilst alongside Pagham Rife were 320 Wigeon, 28 Teal, 32 Coot and 60 Brent Geese, but apart from 22 Coot and 2 Little Grebes Honer reservoir was devoid of birds. Nearby there was a small mixed flock of Greenfinches and Yellowhammers, and 2 Stonechats in the same vicinity. There was a very large gathering of Brent Geese in the field north of Bremere bridge, I counted 2900. Grey Herons were again busily refurbishing nests in Owl Copse; there were 11 sitting on fence posts to the east of the Copse at one time. Primroses and Celandines were in flower along Honer Lane. (JDW)

 Large flock of Brent Geese in the North fields near Bremere bridge and Primroses in flower (JDW)

 

Medmerry: Breach and Chainbridge - Around the pools by the breach there were a dozen Golden Plover and Grey Plover, a Snipe, two Red-breasted Mergansers, c60 Wigeon, c20 Teal, c30 Ringed Plover and Dunlin, plus a few Curlews, and a Stonechat was along the rocks.
A Green Sandpiper was on the flooded path near Chainbridge, a few Skylarks were along the bank, and on the field there were around 80 Curlew and 600 Brent Geese, including one with a yellow ring with 5 or 55 on the right leg and a green one on the left. (AH) 

Brent Geese - including the green and yellow ringed individual (above), Ringed Plover and Golden Plovers at Medmerry (AH)

 

 

Somerly - Bookers Lane to Almodington:  A calling Raven flew over towards Medmerry, a Sparrowhawk was around the farm and 22 Fieldfares were feeding in the stubble fields alongside 9 Stock Doves.  Also present were 2 Pied Wagtails, 12 Skylarks, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 9 Long-tailed Tits and 2 Buzzards. (SR)

Birdham Pool:  The path is less waterlogged than it has been but there is still little of interest;  7 Little Grebes, 2 Grey Herons, a Little Egret and c50 Tufted Ducks. (SR)

Tuesday, 2nd February: A blustery, bright day after a cold, damp and grey start.....but still with irritating light showers at times. Spring seems a long way off right now....! 

Selsey Bill (0805-0935hrs): Showers, WSW 5. All very slow with almost nothing moving and the sea-watching somewhat in the doldrums at present. (Obs: OM/AH) Log below......
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Common Gull - 5W
Mediterranean Gull - 5W

Common Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Church Norton: At least 1000 Lapwing were wheeling about before settling on the ploughed fields to the west of the harbour, and there were c150 Golden Plover and 80 Black-tailed Godwits among them at one stage, and another 1000 or so Lapwing came up off the North Wall area as well.

There was not too much else of note - 20 or so Shelduck and Grey Plover were on the mud, with at least 500 Dunlin, though strangely no Knot, and three Chiffchaffs were moving quickly along the sheltered hedge by the hide. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above), Golden Plovers & Shelduck at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Not much on the pool, just 30 Teal and a Kestrel overhead, but a big mixed group of around 150 Wigeon, 30 Shoveler, 30 Teal, 4 Gadwall and 10 Mallard were on the flooded creek. Also a dozen Curlew were on the field. (AH)

Wigeon and Gadwall (above), Wigeon & Kestrel at the Ferry (AH)

Monday, 1st February: Yet another grey and blustery - though mild - day, with heavy cloud and the odd squall of drizzle.....

Ferry Pool: Just 100 Lapwing and 30 Teal on the pool, but a lot of wildfowl on the field including 500 Brent Geese, 200 Wigeon, 25 Shoveler, 40 Teal and six Gadwall. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Brent Geese at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Not much on the pool - just five Tufted Ducks and a couple of Little Grebes, though a Cetti's Warbler was calling repeatedly and a couple of Reed Buntings dropped in.

Up to a dozen Yellowhammers were around the Pheasant feeding-stations and 100+ Lapwing were on the ploughed field, whilst in Ferry Channel there were 32 Avocets, 50 Teal and 20 Redshank, plus a fly-over Snipe. (AH)

Avocets in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: Really very little to report - a Peregrine on the island, a few Shelduck and Curlew on the mud and a couple of skulking Goldcrests was it. (AH)