23rd - 25th March 2018

Sunday, 25th March:  A pleasant, if rather murky, day, with light winds and a bit of hazy sunshine.....

Selsey Bill: There was not too much movement, but it included a group of four Scaup (three males and a female) going east, a Yellowhammer (very rare here) in the gardens and four Wheatears on the beach. Full log below. (JA/SH/PM/PB/IP/SR/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Fulmar - 1E, 6W

Gannet - 1E, 4W
Shoveler - 4E, 1W
Scaup - 4E
Common Scoter - 100+os
Red-breasted Merganser - 14E, 1W, 10os
Sandwich Tern - 5E, 4W
Guillemot - 1os
Wheatear - 4p
Chiffchaff - 4N, 2p
Yellowhammer - 1p

Wheatears (above), Chiffchaff, Fulmar & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

(1530-1630hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 9os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Common Scoter - 80+os
Chiffchaff - 1p (in gardens)

Ferry Pool: There were just two Gadwall, eight Shoveler, c25 Teal and c100 Wigeon around the pool. (AH)

Shoveler on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were just a Skylark and a Curlew in the fields, with a couple of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests along Park Lane. (AH/IP)

Chiffchaff at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)

Hunston: There were two Tree-creepers in 'Wilf's Copse' today. (S&SaH)

North Wall: There was a Short-eared Owl hunting near Owl Point this afternoon (BO'D)

Medmerry: West side - Two Barn Owls were hunting along the banks late this afternoon. (BO'D)

Church Norton: There were a few migrants about this morning, including two Firecrests in the Bluebell Wood, along with several Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs, three Wheatears on the  beach just beyond the end of the reserve and another half a dozen Chiffchaffs between the Severals, with a few Meadow Pipits among the Skylarks on the spit.

Two Slavonian Grebes were offshore with three Great Crested Grebes, whilst the female Eider was in the harbour and the Goosander was in the main channel before flying off west.

There were a minimum of 40 Sandwich Terns in the harbour, along with a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, c30 Brent Geese, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and eight Bar-tailed Godwits, five Shoveler were about, a Gadwall was on the second Several, a Raven appeared to drop in somewhere behind the churchyard and c100 Golden Plovers and a few Lapwing flew up from the back of Greenlease Farm. (AH/IP/S&SaH/PB)

Wheatear (SH) (above), Firecrest, Sandwich Terns & S&SaH and PB concentrating on the harbour (AH) at Church Norton

This afternoon there was a nice pair of Wheatear along the beach opposite the Severals, with a Chiffchaff and a Cetti's Warbler calling nearby, and on the second Several there was a single Gadwall along with a pair of Little Grebes and half a dozen Tufted Ducks. 

The Goosander was in the harbour entrance and out at sea there were three Slavonian Grebes as well as eight Red-breasted Mergansers and a similar number of Great Crested Grebes, whilst a Raven was along the spit. (AW)

Wheatears (above), Raven, Gadwall & Buzzard at Church Norton (AW)

Saturday, 24th March:  Still fairly mild today, with the wind veering to east- south-easterly...

Selsey Bill: The first Common Tern of the new season flew past this morning and there was the rarity of a cock Pheasant on the Oval Field, the wall and even briefly over the sea! Full log below. (JA/SR/IP/BI)

(0630-0900hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 9E, 2W

Brent Goose - 2E

Shelduck - 1E

Common Scoter - 5E, 120os

Red-breasted Meganser - 7E, 8os

Pheasant - 1p

Grey Plover - 2E

Curlew - 1E

Common Gull - 9E

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 9E, 1W

Common Tern - 1E

Pied Wagtail - 1E

SR checking out the Pheasant at Selsey Bill & a closer view below (BI)

Medmerry, Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool: The female Scaup was still on the Stilt Pool this morning, among a good selection of wildfowl, including half a dozen Tufted Duck, four Gadwall, three Pintail and a few Wigeon and Teal. The two Little Ringed Plovers were also still present on the pool, along with a dozen Ringed Plovers and half a dozen Dunlin, whilst the Common Sandpiper made a brief re-appearance before disappearing again.

A Red Kite and a couple of Buzzards drifted over west, a Great Northern Diver was offshore and along the banks and hedges there were two pairs of Stonechats, 20+ Skylarks, 30+ Yellowhammers, a couple of Reed Buntings, a dozen or so Meadow Pipits, 30+ Skylarks and at least 200 Linnets, with a Mistle Thrush singing from te poplars and a Snipe flew out from the first pool.. (AH)

Scaup (above), Little Ringed Plover, Red Kite, Yellowhammer & Linnets at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Breach Viewpoint - There was little about this morning, perhaps partly due to increased human activity, but the newly seeded areas at Toe End held two male Reed Buntings, a few Meadow Pipits and a Kestrel, whilst nearby a Corn Bunting was singing, with another along the banks.  

On the reserve Meadow Pipts, Skylarks and Lapwings were displaying, with at least two more Corn Buntings singing in the fields across at Ham. In the pools behind the viewpoint were 10 Wigeon, a pair of Pintail, two pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers, 10 Brent Geese, two Ringed Plovers, a Little Egret and a single Dunlin.  

A probable reason for the lack of waders was the presence of a jogger who appeared to have come across the intertidal area from Ham toward the breach where she precariously climbed the breach wall on all fours before jogging off along the shore toward Bracklesham. (SR)

Corn Bunting at Medmerry (SR)

Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre: One female Brambling was around the feeder this morning though being quite elusive. There was also a Great Spotted Woodpecker nearby and plenty of House Sparrows, Dunnocks and Great & Blue Tits on the seeds. (BI)

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Pagham (BI)

Ferry Pool: There were six Gadwall, 15 Shovelers, c40 Teal and c150 Wigeon around the pool, plus a handful of Lapwing and a couple of Redshank. (AH)

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton and West Side: Pretty quiet in the easterly breeze but there were three Red-legged Partridges in the fields, a cronking Raven flew over and there were a few Jays in the trees. In the harbour were Shelduck, a few Pintail and Wigeon but wader numbers seemed down with just tens of Dunlin, Redshank and Curlew on the mud. A Peregrine could be scoped sitting out on its usual island from the hide but there was no evidence of migration around the bushes, which remained quiet. (BI)

Earlier on there were three Redwing in the churchyard, at least a dozen Lapwings were along Rectory Lane and in the harbour the Whimbrel appeared briefly and c150 Black-tailed Godwits and three Sandwich Terns were out on the mud. (AH)

Redwing (above), Lapwing & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

Late this afternoon a barn Owl was hunting along the beach arnd around the Severals, a Chiffchaff was at Greenlease Farm, three Buzzards were overhead and two Cetti's Warblers were calling.

A total of 19 Sandwich Terns were roosting on the metalwork, with another three and c50 Common Scoters offshore, and the two Peregrines were in the harbour. 
Also, the female Eider and at least ten Black-tailed Godwits were in the harbour, three Chiffchaffs were around Greenlease Farm, a Green Woodpecker was on the Mound and a Song Thrush was in the churchyard.. (S&SaH/IP/AW)

Barn Owl (top two - SH, lower- AW) & Sandwich Terns (AW) at Church Norton

Friday, 23rd March: A fairly mild day, with a fresh south-westerly breeze and a mix of sunshine and cloud.....

Selsey Bill: A pretty quiet morning, with small numbers of the usual selection of species present. (JA/SR/AH/C&ME/BI)

(0700-1030-hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 2E
Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 62E
Common Scoter - 10E, 17W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W, 4os

Common Gull - 4E

Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 3W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1E

Note: The ringed Mediterranean Gull (397A) seen at the Bill on 21st March was ringed in Antwerp, Belgium on 20/5/2017; I thought the number seemed familiar....it was also previously reported from the Bill on 8/11/2017 by me! Where has it been in the intervening period I wonder. (OM)
 

Ferry Pool: There were four Gadwall, 14 Shovelers, two Shelduck, c30 Teal and c180 Wigeon on the pool, with c40 of the latter and c60 Black-tailed Godwits in the fields at the back. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A female-type Scaup was on the Stilt Pool late this morning, before flying off onto the reserve. Also, there was at least one Little Ringed Plover with a dozen or so Ringed Plovers and Dunlin, at least 50 Avocets were still about, and there were three Pintail and a handful of Tufted Ducks among the Shovelers, Teal and Wigeon present.

One Wheatear was near the beach, and there were plenty of Skylarks, Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits along the banks. (BI/AH)

Scaup (above), Avocets & Ringed Plovers and Dunlin at Medmerry (AH)

More from Medmerry: Little Ringed Plover, below, Scaup & Wheatear (BI)

Medmerry, Toe End: There were at least two Corn Buntings, and possibly up to four, on the seeds at the building site this morning. Also present were c.10 Reed Buntings and a few Meadow Pipits although the Black Redstart didn't put in an appearance. (BI)

Singing Corn Bunting at Toe End (BI)

Church Norton: There was very little in the harbour this morning, though there were a few Grey Plovers and Dunlin and still 50+ Brent Geese and Shelducks about, plus lots of noisy Black-headed Gulls and a few Skylarks were along the spit. There were a dozen Lapwing along Rectory Lane, but no Golden Plovers this morning. (AH)

Shelduck (above), Grey Plover, Skylark & Grey Squirrel at Church Norton (AH)

At lunchtime there was a Chiffchaff behind the benches at Church Norton. There were two Buzzards over the Severals and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers near the harbour entrance. (AW)

  Chiffchaff (above) & Buzzard  at Church Norton (AW)

  

Fishbourne Creek: Highlight of a walk from Fishbourne - Dell Quay this afternoon was probably 50+ Yellowhammers in the stubble field and surrounding the hedge at Dell Quay (to the north of Dell Quay Road), with at least two Reed Buntings also present, whilst the horse paddocks at Apuldram held two Mistle Thrushes and a singing Yellowhammer. 

About 150 Black-tailed Godwits were on the field by the Lavant outflow on the high tide, whilst there were six Great Crested Grebes in the Fishbourne channel and five Little Grebes off Dell Quay. Also, two Mediterranean Gulls were in with the Black-headed/Herring Gull flock on the fields near Fishbourne church. (RW)