Tuesday, 16th January: A bit better than yesterday, though there was more rain early on, and it was cold in the brisk westerly, even when the sun did occasionally break through....
Selsey Bill: (0800-0900hrs) (AH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 6E, 3W
Gannet - 7E, 2W
Brent Goose - 1E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Turnstone - 2p
Common Gull - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 6os
auk sp - 1E
Ferry Pool: There were eight Shoveler, c150 Teal and c50 Lapwing on hte pool, with c50 Wigeon on the flooded creek in the field. (AH)
Church Norton: There was nothing unusual in the harbour on the high tide, though the Whimbrel, 17 Bar-tailed Godwits and c150 Knot were among the commoner waders, most of which were quite flighty with the big female Peregrine on patrol. The reason why the lone Knot has been so confiding was more evident today, with its left wing clearly drooping as it fed.
There were also seven Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour, along with a few Little and Great Crested Grebes, plus at least 50 Shelduck, but small birds were few and far between, though a female Bullfinch played hide and seek along the path to the harbour and a couple of Goldcrests were near the hide. (AH/MJ)
Monday, 15th January: As forecast, the weather deteriorated rapidly overnight, leaving a morning of gale force south-south-westerlies and rain varying between heavy drizzle and torrential downpours....Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 6E, 3W
Gannet - 7E, 2W
Brent Goose - 1E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2W
Turnstone - 2p
Common Gull - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 6os
auk sp - 1E
Red-throated Divers (above), Brent Goose & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were eight Shoveler, c150 Teal and c50 Lapwing on hte pool, with c50 Wigeon on the flooded creek in the field. (AH)
Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There was nothing unusual in the harbour on the high tide, though the Whimbrel, 17 Bar-tailed Godwits and c150 Knot were among the commoner waders, most of which were quite flighty with the big female Peregrine on patrol. The reason why the lone Knot has been so confiding was more evident today, with its left wing clearly drooping as it fed.
There were also seven Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour, along with a few Little and Great Crested Grebes, plus at least 50 Shelduck, but small birds were few and far between, though a female Bullfinch played hide and seek along the path to the harbour and a couple of Goldcrests were near the hide. (AH/MJ)
Peregrine (above), Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Common Gulls, Knot, Grey Plovers, Knot and Dunlin & mixed wader flock at Church Norton (AH)
Selsey Bill: Absolutely nothing was moving beyond a few Herring and Black-headed Gulls along the beach in 30 minutes from 8.15am. (AH)
Just for interest (and to prove our dedication!), JA has added up the hours of sea-watching logged in 2017, and it was..... 1,105.5 hours over 311 different days.
Once again this shows a great team effort and we thank all who have contributed. However, special thanks must go to our dedicated Log-keeper JA for keeping an accurate record throughout the year, which is no mean task, and we are most grateful for his efforts - even if we don't often actually say so! Well done to all. (Eds)
Once again this shows a great team effort and we thank all who have contributed. However, special thanks must go to our dedicated Log-keeper JA for keeping an accurate record throughout the year, which is no mean task, and we are most grateful for his efforts - even if we don't often actually say so! Well done to all. (Eds)
Stormy morning at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There was more on the pool than of late this morning, including a Black-tailed Godwit, a couple of Redshanks, eight Shelduck, c150 Teal and c200 Lapwing. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were 11 Avocets roosting off the spit this morning, and there were plenty of waders, including the Whimbrel, c40 Knot and lots of Dunlin before the tide rose too high, along with c40 Shelduck and a few Wigeon and Teal.
A Bullfinch was briefly near the Mound, a few Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Goldcrests were in the sheltered areas and c50 Goldfinches were along Rectory Lane. (AH)
A fairly brief look this afternoon turned up a Firecrest at the end of the car park path, a few Gannets offshore, half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour, the confiding Knot by the bench and the Whimbrel near the hide. (BI)
A fairly brief look this afternoon turned up a Firecrest at the end of the car park path, a few Gannets offshore, half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour, the confiding Knot by the bench and the Whimbrel near the hide. (BI)
Avocets (above), Avocets and Shelducks, Dunlin and Knot, Dunlin & Teal and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
Sunday, 14th January: A dry, cloudy and fairly grey day with a few hints of brightness, but still feeling cool in the moderate NE breeze....
Selsey Bill: A bit of variety, including three species of diver, a Slavonian Grebe and four Sandwich Terns, then later a Velvet Scoter and a Black Redstart. Full log below....
0740-0930hrs: (JA/SH/PB/DS/OM et al)
Red-throated Diver - 12E, 39W, 9os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 4os
diver sp - 1E, 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 6E, 2W, 20os
Brent Goose - 4E, 46W
Common Scoter - 9E, 26W
Red-breasted Merganser - 32E, 2W, 12os
Wigeon - 10E
Pintail - 2E
Razorbill - 2E, 1W, 3os
auk sp - 2E, 1W, 6os
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Kittiwake - 5E
Mediterranean Gull - 4os
Common Gull - 2E
Redwing - 2 feeding with Blackbirds, Broadreeds estate ornamental garden
Redwing at the Bill on the Broadreeds estate (OM)
1400-1515hrs (SH/MJ/R King/A Allum)
Red-throated Diver - 5E, 2W
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 9os
Gannet - 1E, 2W
Brent Goose - 52E
Velvet Scoter - 1os
Common Scoter - 5os
Red-breasted Merganser - 6os
Mediterranean Gull - 4E
Black Redstart - 1 p (male)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt pools - There were 30+ Teal and a Greenshank in the channel by the poplars, before the tide dropped. A Dartford Warbler was present in the gorse opposite Marsh Barn, and another was calling from gorse opposite the path to Earnley carpark. Along the track was a large flock of 200+ Linnets, and in adjacent fields a flock of 60+ Stock Doves was present and two or three Meadow Pipits. The Stilt pools held ten or so Shoveler, and a few Wigeon and Teal, but it took quite a while before the Common Sandpiper eventually confirmed it was still around by showing itself and flying around! (OM)
Ferry Pool/Long Pool: There were just a Buzzard, two Redshank, two Curlews (plus a dozen on the adjacent arable field) and a few Teal and Lapwing on the pool this morning. Along the Long Pool there were a couple of Reed Buntings and a Song Thrush, but not much else..
This morning there were over 40 Avocets at the end of Ferry Channel, along with a lot of Lapwing, Wigeon and Teal, plus a few Pintail, whilst this afternoon a Spotted Redshank was in the channel, along with two Shoveler and c200 Golden Plover went over. (AH/IP & the SOS)
This morning there were over 40 Avocets at the end of Ferry Channel, along with a lot of Lapwing, Wigeon and Teal, plus a few Pintail, whilst this afternoon a Spotted Redshank was in the channel, along with two Shoveler and c200 Golden Plover went over. (AH/IP & the SOS)
Spotted Redshank and Redshank (above), Avocets & Reed Buntings along Long Pool (AH)
Church Norton: This afternoon there were three Velvet Scoters, a Common Scoter and at least six Red-throated Divers offshore, plus one or two distant Gannets, whilst in the harbour there were four Goldeneye, at least six Red-breasted Mergansers and the female Eider, plus a few Little and Great Crested Grebes.
The Whimbrel was about, though elusive, a total of nine Bar-tailed Godwits were present, as was the oddly tame Knot by the bench and the two Peregrines around their island, whilst there were large numbers of the commoner waders and wildfowl, including 40+ Pintail, on show on the falling tide. (S&SaH/AH/IP & the SoS et al)
Also, 23 Red-thoated Divers flew west offshore (RJS), and the churchyard held at least two, and probably three, Firecrests plus a Chiffchaff and several Goldcrests. (R King/A Allum) Early in the day there were three species of diver offshore: a Great Northern Diver from the end of the spit, a Black-throated Diver nearby & a Red-throated Diver closer inshore. Seven Red-throated Divers also went west and four more went east, a Razorbill was on the sea, and three more went west, and four Red-breasted Mergansers flew into the harbour from far offshore. (BI)
The Whimbrel was about, though elusive, a total of nine Bar-tailed Godwits were present, as was the oddly tame Knot by the bench and the two Peregrines around their island, whilst there were large numbers of the commoner waders and wildfowl, including 40+ Pintail, on show on the falling tide. (S&SaH/AH/IP & the SoS et al)
Also, 23 Red-thoated Divers flew west offshore (RJS), and the churchyard held at least two, and probably three, Firecrests plus a Chiffchaff and several Goldcrests. (R King/A Allum) Early in the day there were three species of diver offshore: a Great Northern Diver from the end of the spit, a Black-throated Diver nearby & a Red-throated Diver closer inshore. Seven Red-throated Divers also went west and four more went east, a Razorbill was on the sea, and three more went west, and four Red-breasted Mergansers flew into the harbour from far offshore. (BI)
Red-throated Diver (above), Velvet Scoters, Great Crested Grebe, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits & Pintail at Church Norton (AH)
Late this afternoon, in the fading light at 3.30pm, the Red-necked Grebe appeared once again, in the harbour mouth after flying around just off the beach.
Also the strikingly white-backed Black-headed Gull that has been around for several recent winters was nearby, and two Avocets were in the harbour. (AW)
Red-necked Grebe (above) & aberrant Black-headed Gull (AW), Whimbrel and Redshank & Firecrest (BI) at Church Norton
Redshank & Whimbrel, above, & Firecrest at Church Norton (BI)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - Early this morning there were at least 200 Lapwing, c30 Stock Doves, c50 Meadow Pipits and c300 Pied Wagtails on the ploughed fields, half a dozen Linnets in the cover crops, a Grey Wagtail on the settling tanks, with c50 Golden Plover and c200 Brent Geese flying over east. (AH)
Linnets at Medmerry (AH)
Birdham Pool: Still plenty of Tufted Ducks and Mallards with a few Little Grebes and a Grey Heron also present. (BI)
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