Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 7th

Tuesday, 9th January: Another grey and gloomy morning, but at least the wind finally has finally abated....

Selsey Bill: A pair of Eider went west early on, and there were a couple of possible Black-throated Divers among 20 or so Red-throated Divers through after 9am. Full log below. (AH/DF/JD/DS et al)

(0800-0900hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 5W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 4E

Brent Goose - 7E

Wigeon - 11E

Eider - 2W

Common Scoter - 1E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 10os

Dunlin - 6E

Turnstone - 8W

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1W

Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe was still present in the same area along the spit, with four Great Crested Grebes....who showed a good deal of hostility to it at times. Also a Velvet Scoter went west offshore, three Goldeneye and half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour, along with plenty of the commoner waders, the Whimbrel was in its usual area and a Chiffchaff was in the moat by the Mound. (AH/BFF/DM/Seaford Bird Racers)

Red-necked Grebe at Church Norton....receiving some hostility from its local Great Crested cousins! (DM)

Red-necked Grebe (above), with Great Crested Grebe, & Dunlin and Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Later on, one of the redhead Goosanders was out in the harbour. (IL)

Goosander at Church Norton (IL)

Fishbourne Creek: A Hawfinch was briefly in the car-park at Apuldram. (BFF/DM/Seaford Bird Racers)

Around the creek a Jack Snipe was in their favoured area, two Spotted Redshanks and three Greenshanks were in the main channel, along with c40 Knot, a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, plenty of Common Gulls and lots of Wigeon. There were six Goldeneye and a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers at Dell Quay, and a pair of Stonechats and two or three Rock Pipits along the path, plus a Redwing, but no Yellowhammers by the riding school.(AH/BFF/DM/Seaford Bird Racers)

Goldeneye (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Redwing, Stonechat, Kestel & Common Gulls at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Monday, 8th January: A very grey and chilly morning, with the brisk easterly continuing, though just slightly lighter than yesterday...

Selsey Bill: Around 20 Red-throated Divers and a few Gannets went east, whilst a couple of Slavonian Grebes were offshore, though it was generally quiet. Full log below.....
0800-1015hrs: (AH/OM/SR/PD)

Red-throated Diver - 21E, 7W
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 2 os, later flew E
Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 1os
Gannet - 10E
Brent Goose - 1E, 29W
Common Scoter - 5E, 26W
Red-breasted Merganser - 15os
Wigeon - 4E
Teal - 2E
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2E
Razorbill - 1E, 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Common Gull - 3E

Slavonian Grebe (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were no birds at all on the pool, though c50 Teal and Wigeon, plus a few Redshank were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Wigeon and Teal in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe was present again, and showing very well, inside the harbour towards the end of the spit. Also there were three Goldeneye and at least eight Red-breasted Mergansers opposite Pagham Spit and a few Little and Great Crested Grebes were about, too, with the latter being fairly intolerant of the Red-necked Grebe. (AW/AH/OM/SR/IH)

Also, and unusually, three Avocets were feeding off the beach at Norton, whilst 20 Mediterranean Gulls were also present along the shore. (AW)

A video of the Red-necked Grebe at Church Norton is: here.

Red-necked Grebe (above), Goldeneyes, Red-breasted Mergansers & Little Grebe at Church Norton (AH)

Avocets just offshore from the beach at Church Norton (AW)

West Wittering: The Chiffchaff was in our garden to the north of the village again this morning. (GM)

Chiffchaff in West Wittering (GM)

Sunday, 7th January: A very cold and bright morning, with a brisk north-easterly wind blowing.....

Selsey Bill: Not too much on the move, though six Sandwich Terns appeared offshore, a few Wigeon and Pintail went west and a few Kittiwakes were about. Full log below.....
0730-0930hrs: (JA/SH/IP/AH/SR et al)
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 4W
Great Northern Diver - 3os
diver sp - 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 1W, 1os
Gannet - 5E, 5W
Brent Goose - 3E, 4W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 15os
Wigeon - 30E, 36W
Teal - 22W
Pintail - 3W
Guillemot - 1W
Razorbill - 1E, 1W
auk sp - 13E, 22W
Dunlin - 20E
Knot - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 6os
Kittiwake - 24E, 30W
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1ob
Linnet - 8p

Mediterranean Gull (above), Common Gull & CRJ and RJS sensibly dressed for the conditions at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just one Shelduck on the pool and c30 Teal in the channel opposite was the sum this morning. (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail was about, along with c40 Curlews and a few Oystercatchers. (AH/IP/S&SaH)

Curlew at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Fishbourne Creek / Dell Quay: Two Jack Snipe were the highlight of the morning, and the other surprise was a single Barnacle Goose out in the channel amongst 200 Brent Geese and 250 Wigeon - the Barnacle departing with the former, when they all took flight. There wasn't too much else of interest amongst the regular waders and wildfowl, and a scan of the gull roost - tricky in the strong NE wind - produced nothing more uncommon than a Lesser Black-backed Gull. A Stonechat was in the hedgerow and a gathering of 6 or more Yellowhammers were around the stables dung-heap, plus a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the car park. (OM)

Dell Quay held a mixed selection of commoner waders and wildfowl, plus a few Brent, but in the channel there were 5 Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Great Crested and 20 Little Grebes. (OM)

Birdham Pool: I was determined to make a visit after being flooded out a few days ago. In the event it was fairly underwhelming, with 32 Tufted Ducks, 110 Mallard and 12 Little Grebes on the water and a Grey Wagtail around the edges. (OM)

West Itchenor: There were several thousand waders along the tide line - mostly Dunlin and Knot, with a pair of Pintail amongst the Brent Geese and Shelducks, and a Kingfisher was on the horse pond. (GM)

West Wittering: In my garden north of the village there was a Chiffchaff, a Coal Tit and a Nuthatch on the feeders this morning. (GM)

North Wall: At least one Ruff was behind the North Wall and a Spotted Redshank was in White's Creek. (BI)

Church Norton: The female Eider, at least two Goldeneye and six Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour, along with a Peregrine, a few Pintail, a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and plenty of the commoner waders, wildfowl and Brent Geese, and there were more waders, plus one or two Common and Mediterranean Gulls along the beach.

A Stonechat, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a Green Woodpecker were in the horse field, along with plenty of Wigeon and Teal in the flooded bits, and a Buzzard over, whilst at least a dozen Skylarks, c40 Greenfinches and a couple of Meadow Pipits were along the spit. (AH/IP/BI/S&SaH)