1st - 3rd March 2017

Friday, 3rd March: A reasonable - if somewhat grey and breezy - day after a very wet start....

Selsey Bill: Very quiet again. (JA/AH)
(0840-0910hrs)
Fulmar - 1W
Common Scoter - 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W

Ferry Pool: There were four Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the pool this morning, along with two Black-tailed Godwits, two Shelduck and 20 Teal, with 200+ Wigeon and half a dozen Curlews on the arable Field and 100+ Lapwing on Ferry Field. (AH)

Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: There were several calling Little Grebes, a Cetti's Warbler and nine Tufted Ducks along the pool, with a couple each of Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit and Skylark along/over the west side.
The Spotted Redshank was again in Ferry Channel, along with a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a few Grey Plover, whilst at the far end there were at least 70 Avocets feeding out on the mud (rather than in the channels), six Shoveler and 30+ Curlew. (AH)

Spotted Redshank, Avocets, Reed Bunting, Shoveler & Tufted Duck from the Long Pool (AH)

Itchenor Pond: Conditions weren't exactly conducive to birding this afternoon, with a conservation workparty? felling some trees and a great bonfire blazing away  -  so all I could come up with was 2+ Treecreepers, 11 Goldcrests and 5 Long-tailed Tits. In the field at the back half a dozen Skylarks were singing, a cronking Raven unexpectedly flew across the path and two Buzzards were nearby. (SR)


Thursday, 2nd March: A very bright morning, but unfortunately the cold westerly wind was touching gale-force at times, before gradually subsiding somewhat by afternoon.....

Selsey Bill: Very little on the move - just a few wintering Sandwich Terns west and some Red-breasted Mergansers moving east,  but also the first hint of visible spring migration with the arrival of 30 Meadow Pipits from the sea. Full log below.....
0735-1235hrs: (C&ME/OM/AH/A&YF et al)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Diver sp - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 4W, 2os

Gannet - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 2os

Dunlin - c.100W

Razorbill - 1W, 2os

Auk sp - 4E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 6W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 31N

Church Norton: There was nothing offshore, and the harbour was pretty empty save c500 Dunlin, with a few Grey Plover, Redshank and Curlew among them, and the ever-reliable Whimbrel. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Grey Plover & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Walking down the west side we found a male Dartford Warbler, near the section that is very muddy, and 52 Avocets were out in the harbour. Down at Church Norton we managed to find the singleWhimbrel but the sea was very quiet. As we returned to the Centre there was a Mediterranean Gull on the water and a Kingfisher rounded off our day. (D & J Killick per SOS)
Ferry Pool: On the pool this morning were two Black-tailed Godwits, 25 Teal, a Great Black-backed Gull and 300 Black-headed Gulls, with c200 Lapwing, c.250 Wigeon and 30 Shoveler around the field and creeks. (AH)

Also, a Water Rail was showing in the creek behind the Visitor Centre. (D & J Killick per SOS)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

East Head: One Snow Bunting was still present at the far end this morning. (N.Bond)

Snow Bunting (above) & Skylark at East Head (NB)

Chichester GPs: On Ivy Lake the Long-tailed Duck and the Scaup were still around the chalet end, a single Brent Goose was on Copse Lake, there was a female Blackcap along the path and a pair of Great Crested Grebes were displaying. (N.Bond/AB)

Long-tailed Duck (NB above), Scaup, Great Crested Grebes & Long-tailed Duck (AB) at Ivy Lake

Sidlesham: On a slow day, the Rooks and Jackdaws in the garden looked splendid in the sunshine. (AH)

Rook (above) & Jackdaw in Sidlesham (AH)

Wednesday, 1st March: The first day of Spring....well, meteorologically speaking at least! Cloudy, with a light to moderate SSW breeze and starting dry, but with the expectation of showers or heavier periods of rain through the day.....

Ferry Pool: There were 285 Wigeon on the pool, along with a Black-tailed Godwit, two Shelducks and 18 Teal, with c200 Lapwing in the field and 34 Shoveler on the creek. (AH)

Shovelers (above), Lapwings & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A couple of singing Reed Buntings, and calling Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail were along the pool this morning, with 500 Brent Geese over west, and along Ferry Channel were the Spotted Redshank, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, five Grey Plover and c20 Redshank and Teal, with the Avocet flock at the end totalling a minimum of 64 birds. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocets, Reed Bunting & Teal from Long Pool (AH)

Sidlesham: The paddocks opposite the end of Mapson's Lane were quite productive again, with c50 Fieldfares and c80 Redwings in the surrounding trees, though they were not coming in to feed, and there was also a singing Yellowhammer and a Stonechat present. (AH)

Redwings (above), Fieldfares & Yellowhammer at Mapson's Lane, Sidlesham (AH)

Itchenor Pond: A Coal Tit and a Tree-creeper were both in the trees, along with a dozen Goldcrests, numerous Blue and Great Tits and a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. (AH)

Tree-creeper (above) & Goldcrest at Itchenor Pond (AH)

East Head: An early visit this morning, where I had excellent views of the 2 Snow Buntings on the northern tip, and also 2 full-summer plumaged Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Sanderlings on the beach (one of which is flagged and another has its left foot missing), a male Stonechat, c1000 Brent Geese, lots of singing/displaying Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, plus plenty of waders in the harbour. (AB)

Snow Buntings (above), Buzzard mobbed by Crow, one-legged Sanderling & Mediterranean Gulls at East Head (AB)

Snowhill Marsh: There was a Greenshank on the marsh and a surprise Jack Snipe which flew around the pools before landing out back. (AB)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - The Scaup was showing well again and a Water Rail was squealing along the path. (AB)