19th - 21st February 2017

Tuesday, 21st February: A mild and mostly grey day, with a rising westerly breeze, though with a few sunny spells....

Selsey Bill: It was quieter than yesterday, though there were still plenty of Gannets around, and five Slavonian Grebes were seen. Full log below. (AH/DF/JD/DS/GJ)
(0745-0930hrs)
Red-throated Diver - 7E, 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 3E, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - c150os
Brent Goose - 27E
Common Scoter - 6E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 15W, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Kittiwake - 4W
Razorbill -  60W, 10os
auk sp - 20E, 50W

Gannet (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers past the Bill (AH)

Coastguard Station: Just a dozen distant Common Scoters could be found this morning. (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 12 Shelduck, 40 Teal and 150 Lapwing on the pool this morning, plus the usual Black-tailed Godwit, and c300 Wigeon flew in and landed on the creek. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There was a very large flock of Avocets at the end of Ferry Channel - I counted exactly 80 birds from the pictures - this morning, and there were also a Spotted Redshank, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and plenty of Teal present.
There were two Little Grebes and a handful of Tufted Duck on the pool itself, four Reed Buntings along the hedges and a dozen Meadow Pipits were flying around over the saltmarsh. (AH)

Avocets (above), & Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel, Reed Bunting & Little Grebe on Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: It was generally very quiet along the Wall today, although  White's Creek was very noisy early on with some 700 Brent Geese chuntering away in company with Teal, Wigeon, 60 plus Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Redshank and a Spotted Redshank. On the Breech Pool were just a few Mallard, Teal and Wigeon, whilst along Pagham Rife were 7 Mute Swans who seemed oblivious to the bird scaring poles. Honer reservoir was full to the brim and held just 7 Tufted Ducks, 27 Coot and 3 Little Grebes, but there were signs of spring around - Mallards were mating at Owl Water, a Grey Heron was refurbishing a nest in Owl Copse and the first primroses were out.
On the negative side, I regret to report there were areas of untreated sewage along Pagham Rife (coinciding with the local Bognor Post newspaper's recent headlines). (JDW)
(Photo's of the latter provided but we'll spare you those! Eds)

North Wall this morning: Brent Geese in White's Creek, Mute Swans ignoring deterrents, Grey Heron and Primroses (JDW)

East Head: The two Snow Buntings were feeding on the tide wrack about half way along on the west side and showing well. Otherwise it was exceedingly quiet with just a few Great Crested Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers out in the channel and a few Sanderling along the tideline. (BFF/DM)

 Snow Buntings at East Head (DM)

 

Fishbourne Creek: Plenty of waders and wildfowl although nothing out of the ordinary, the highlight being a massive flock of feeding Yellowhammers in the barley field north of the paddock, with an estimated 100 birds (highest count at this site). (BFF/DM)

Medmerry Breach: From the viewpoint there were 140 Lapwing, 40 Golden Plover and 30 Dunlin, but not not much else to report. (CRJ)

Monday, 20th February: Another grey, but mild day, with a modest westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: It was another morning dominated by Gannets moving west, but there was also a Bonxie, two Slavonian Grebes and a few Kittiwakes going west, too. Full log below. (AH)

(0750-0920hrs)

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Fulmar - 1E, 4W
Gannet - 250W, 40os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E
Bonxie - 1W
Kittiwake - 8W
Razorbill 180W
auk sp - 40E, 80W

Fulmar (above), Kittiwake, Red-throated Diver & Gannets past the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 80 Lapwing, two Shelduck and 16 Teal on the pool, and c150 Wigeon on the adjacent arable field this morning. (AH)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Firecrest was with a handful of Goldcrests at the end of the path to the harbour this morning, but generally it was quiet. 

There were just two Red-breasted Mergansers and two Great Crested Grebes on the sea, and in the harbour there was nothing too unusual, though there were half a dozen Skylarks on the spit, 80+ Black-tailed Godwits among the commoner waders, and at least 500 Brent Geese were coming and going. (AH)

Firecrest (above), Skylark, Brent Geese & Turnstone at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: A flock of ten Golden Plover were making circuits over the village this afternoon. (CRJ)

Sunday, 19th February: A misty, murky start giving way to cloudy conditions, but dry and mild with a light westerly wind....

Selsey Bill: There were 300+ Gannets and similar of Razorbills heading west this morning, plus a couple of Fulmars and Guillemots and a flock of 400 Dunlin, but no eastward movement beyond a few Red-throated Divers. Full log below. (JA/SH/AH/RJS/A&YF)
(0700-0930hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 7E, 4W
Slavonian Grebe - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Fulmar - 1E, 4W
Gannet - 5E, 321W
Shag - 2E
Brent Goose - 4E, 7W
Common Scoter - 8W
Red-breasted Merganser -  16E,11W, 1 os
Dunlin - 400W in one flock
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 6W
Razorbill 15E, 306W, 10os
Guillemot - 3W, 2os
auk sp - 2E, 468W
Pied Wagtail - 1N

Razorbills (above) & Red-throated Divers past the Bill (AH)

Coastguard Station: There were just four Red-breasted Mergansers close in and eight distant Common Scoters on the sea, plus a couple of Gannets went west. In the field behind the cottages/cliffs there were 70 Curlew feeding before they all departed west towards Medmerry (AH/OM)

Red-breasted Mergansers off the Coastguard Station (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were just two Buzzards, two Kestrels, two Skylarks and 20+ Meadow Pipits this morning. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was at the back again this morning, and there were also 30 Lapwing, a Black-tailed Godwit, four Shelduck and 25 Teal present. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Offshore there was a Razorbill, a Red-throated Diver and 10+ Gannets, whilst there was a Stonechat in the horse field and a Cetti's Warbler calling from the Severals. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - It was generally quiet, but the good news was two singing Corn Buntings along the bank, and also about were a Reed Bunting, a Mistle Thrush, a dozen Skylarks and a pair of Stonechats, whilst a pair of Greylag Geese flew over east. (AH)

Corn Buntings (above), Stonechat & Greylag Geese at Ham Farm (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - Two or three Yellowhammers and Chiffchaffs were along the hedges this morning, a Grey Wagtail was among c500 Pied Wagtails, commuting between the settling tanks and the sugar-beet field, and four Stock Doves, four Skylarks and c150 Lapwing went over. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Grey Wagtail & Pied Wagtail at Porthole Farm (AH)

Chichester Marina: The Bittern wasn't to be found mid afternoon but the Marsh Harrier compensated by putting on a fine display over the reedbeds putting up at least 30 Teal and a dozen Snipe as it hunted. Two Canada Geese were by the middle reeds with a Grey Heron and a couple of Black-headed Gulls and there was a party of Long-tailed Tits along the front of the hide. (BI)

Marsh Harrier at Chichester Marina (BI)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Peregrine that caused mayhem briefly, putting up 300+ Golden Plover and 400+ Lapwing, was the only thing of note this afternoon. (S&SaH)