Saturday, 22nd December: A very mild and mostly sunny morning, with a freshening westerly breeze..........
One of the Black-headed Gull chicks ringed on Tern Island on 11th June was relocated at Earlswood Lakes, Redhill, Surrey on 12th December - 184 days later and 66km to the north-east. (IL)
One of the Black-headed Gull chicks ringed on Tern Island on 11th June was relocated at Earlswood Lakes, Redhill, Surrey on 12th December - 184 days later and 66km to the north-east. (IL)
Selsey Bill: Four Slavonian Grebes on the sea and a flock of Common Scoter went west were the highlight of a brief look this morning. (AH/IP)
(0800-0830hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 4os
Common Scoter - 30W
Red-breasted Merganser - 6os
Park Farm, Selsey: A Chiffchaff was again in the hedges and a Stonechat was along the track this morning, whilst at least 100 Curlews and 50 Brent Geese were on the fields. (AH/IP)
Later, two Chiffchaffs were present, along with a Grey Wagtail, 20+ Skylarks and ten Pied Wagtails, with 116 Curlews on the fields and a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)
Ferry Pool: There were 80 Redshank and 200 Lapwing roosting on the edge of the pool, with at least 30 Shovelers and 100 Teal also present and at least 100 Wigeon in the creek in the field. (AH)
Sidlesham: Marsh Farm to Chalder Farm to Bramber Farm - A Cetti's Warbler was calling at the far end of Churxh Farm Lane this morning. (A&YF)
Later, four Cattle Egrets were near Marsh Farm, and there were also a Raven, a Buzzard and a Chiffchaff in the area. (S&SaH/JDW)
Three Goldeneye and four Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour - with another half a dozen of the latter offshore - and there were at least 100 Pintail among the many Wigeon, Teal and Brent Geese present, with two or three Little and Great Crested Grebes also present.
Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and half a dozen Mediterranean and Common Gulls were about, whilst at least 20 Skylarks were around/over Tern Island and three Stonechats were in the horse field, with a dozen or so Linnets and Meadow Pipits and a calling Cetti's Warbler also in the vicinity. (AH/IP/P&JW)
Later, a Sandwich Tern was offshore (S&SaH), two female Goldeneye and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour, a large number of Knot were roosting with other waders on the old pier, while at a distance out at sea there was what appeared to be a Great Northern Diver. (AW)
(0800-0830hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 4os
Common Scoter - 30W
Red-breasted Merganser - 6os
Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Chiffchaff was again in the hedges and a Stonechat was along the track this morning, whilst at least 100 Curlews and 50 Brent Geese were on the fields. (AH/IP)
Later, two Chiffchaffs were present, along with a Grey Wagtail, 20+ Skylarks and ten Pied Wagtails, with 116 Curlews on the fields and a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)
Stonechat at Park Farm, Selsey (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 80 Redshank and 200 Lapwing roosting on the edge of the pool, with at least 30 Shovelers and 100 Teal also present and at least 100 Wigeon in the creek in the field. (AH)
Redshanks on the Ferry (AH)
Sidlesham: Marsh Farm to Chalder Farm to Bramber Farm - A Cetti's Warbler was calling at the far end of Churxh Farm Lane this morning. (A&YF)
Later, four Cattle Egrets were near Marsh Farm, and there were also a Raven, a Buzzard and a Chiffchaff in the area. (S&SaH/JDW)
Cattle Egrets at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (JDW)
Church Norton: The two Peregrines were being very active in the harbour this morning, frequently displacing the very large numbers of waders about, including at least 1000 Dunlin, 200 Knot and 100 Grey Plovers around the old harbour mouth, at least 1500 Lapwing and 200 Black-tailed Godwits at the north end and 250+ Golden Plovers that appeared over Priory Wood. Also, the Whimbrel and 13 Bar-tailed Godwits were about, as were a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk.Three Goldeneye and four Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour - with another half a dozen of the latter offshore - and there were at least 100 Pintail among the many Wigeon, Teal and Brent Geese present, with two or three Little and Great Crested Grebes also present.
Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and half a dozen Mediterranean and Common Gulls were about, whilst at least 20 Skylarks were around/over Tern Island and three Stonechats were in the horse field, with a dozen or so Linnets and Meadow Pipits and a calling Cetti's Warbler also in the vicinity. (AH/IP/P&JW)
Goldeneye (above), Peregrine, Bar-tailed Godwits, Pintail, Great Crested Grebe, Brent Geese & Knot and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
Great Northern Diver (above), Goldeneye, Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers & Knot, Dunlin, Turnstones and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AW)
North Wall: There was a good start to the morning with a Sparrowhawk, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Coal Tits in my Pagham garden.
I did a long walk round the harbour but things were very quiet, with all of the fields north of the Wall flooded and only playing host to Gulls and Corvids.
There were 1820 Brent Geese were on the fields west of Pagham Road but quite hard to see as they were well back against the southern border. Also, Pagham Rife appears to be contaminated again by the footbridge close to the pumping station. (JDW)
Brent Geese at the North Wall (JDW)
Selsey Bill: Very little again this morning. (AH)
(0800-0845hrs)
Thursday, 20th December: A bright and breezy morning, mild despite the brisk north-westerly.....(0800-0845hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Red-throated Diver - 4W
Gannet - 3E, 8W
Common Scoter - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 6os
(1340-1410hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4os
Kittiwake - 1W
Park Farm, Selsey: This afternoon a Chiffchaff was in the hedges, 106 Curlews, a Grey Wagtail and at least 20 Pied Wagtails were in the fields and a Buzzard went over. (S&SaH)
Ferry Pool: There were four Shelducks, 25 Shoveler and c80 Teal on the pool this morning, plus a handful of Redshank and Lapwing roosting on the little island. (AH)
Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in its usual haunt at high tide and there were at least 200 Knot around the old harbour mouth, along with 50+ Grey Plovers and Turnstones, but only a couple of hundred Dunlin among them.
There were at least 100 Brent Geese, plus similar of Wigeon and Teal in the harbour, along with a couple of Little and Great Crested Grebes, but nothing much was offshore. The only small birds noted were a handful of Skylarks on the spit and a few Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits along the sheltered hedges. (AH)
Later on there were two Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour and about 1000 Dunlin on the beach with 50+ Knot and Grey Plover among them. (S&SaH)
North Wall: A good start to the morning with a Sparrowhawk, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Coal Tits in my Pagham garden.
I did a long walk round the harbour but things very quiet, with all of the fields north of the Wall flooded and only playing host to Gulls and Corvids. There were, however, four Cattle Egrets just west of Marsh Farm.
A total of 1820 Brent Geese were on the fields west of Pagham Road but quite hard to see as they were well back against the southern border. Also, Pagham Rife appears to be contaminated again by the footbridge close to the pumping station. (JDW)
(1340-1410hrs) (SH)
Gannet - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4os
Kittiwake - 1W
Park Farm, Selsey: This afternoon a Chiffchaff was in the hedges, 106 Curlews, a Grey Wagtail and at least 20 Pied Wagtails were in the fields and a Buzzard went over. (S&SaH)
Ferry Pool: There were four Shelducks, 25 Shoveler and c80 Teal on the pool this morning, plus a handful of Redshank and Lapwing roosting on the little island. (AH)
Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in its usual haunt at high tide and there were at least 200 Knot around the old harbour mouth, along with 50+ Grey Plovers and Turnstones, but only a couple of hundred Dunlin among them.
There were at least 100 Brent Geese, plus similar of Wigeon and Teal in the harbour, along with a couple of Little and Great Crested Grebes, but nothing much was offshore. The only small birds noted were a handful of Skylarks on the spit and a few Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits along the sheltered hedges. (AH)
Later on there were two Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour and about 1000 Dunlin on the beach with 50+ Knot and Grey Plover among them. (S&SaH)
Whimbrel (above), Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: A good start to the morning with a Sparrowhawk, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Coal Tits in my Pagham garden.
I did a long walk round the harbour but things very quiet, with all of the fields north of the Wall flooded and only playing host to Gulls and Corvids. There were, however, four Cattle Egrets just west of Marsh Farm.
A total of 1820 Brent Geese were on the fields west of Pagham Road but quite hard to see as they were well back against the southern border. Also, Pagham Rife appears to be contaminated again by the footbridge close to the pumping station. (JDW)
Selsey Bill: There wasn't much about this morning! Full log below. (AH)
(0750-0850hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 2W
Gannet - c25os (by Mile Basket)
Common Scoter - 2E
Red-breasted Merganser - 12E, 4W, 8os
Mediterranean Gull - 3W
Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were still 18 Cattle Egrets in the fields around the buildings, and a Raven went over. (A&YF)
Ferry Pool: Two Green Sandpipers were at the back this morning, whilst on the pool there were c30 Shoveler and c50 Teal, plus four Shelducks, and there were c200 Lapwing and c150 Wigeon on the field. (AH)
Shovelers and Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)
Long Pool: There were 38 Avocets roosting at the far end of Ferry Channel, along with 300+ Lapwings and a scattering of Redshanks, Curlews and Grey Plovers, whilst two Snipe and a dozen Skylarks were in the saltmarsh. (AH)
Avocets in Ferry Channel (AH)
Pagham Lagoon and Spit: There were a drake and three duck Goldeneye on the Lagoon, before the latter three flew off into the harbour, but otherwise there were just a handful of Tufted Ducks and Little Grebes, c80 Canada Geese, plus a Greylag, and c75 Mediterranean and ten Common Gulls present.
There were at least 200 more Mediterranean Gulls along the foreshore of the spit, but not much on the water beyond a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers, whilst around the vegetated shingle there were two or three Rock Pipits, c60 Linnets and c20 Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.
There were at least 40 Pintail in the harbour, along with plenty of Wigeon and Teal and at least 50 roosting Grey Plovers and 500 Lapwings. (AH)
Goldeneye (above) & Greylag and Canada Goose on Pagham Lagoon, Pintails, Little Grebe, Rock Pipit, Skylark & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls around Pagham Spit (AH)
North Wall & Fields: The highlight was 4 Cattle Egrets just north of Marsh Farm. On the fields west of Pagham Road where 400 houses are planned were 11 Curlew and 4 Mute Swans, whilst in the next field going westwards were a further 42 Curlews. I was en route to count the Brent Geese foraging near Honer reservoir when there was a very loud explosion. Around 400 Brent Geese took to the skies.
Two dog walkers told me that a man in a grey Landrover had driven along the east side of the reservoir and thrown something towards the geese. The explosion followed shortly afterwards. Regrettably it was a morning of bird scaring, with appliances being deployed near Honer and later the fields west of Pagham Road. Otherwise it was really quiet!
Honer reservoir is now nearly full but there were no birds there. Both Bremere and Pagham Rifes have burst their banks. The footpath along Pagham Rife is passable with care but the footpath from Bremere bridge to Sidlesham is impassable. (JDW)
Runcton area: From the concrete road south of Runcton this morning, looking south towards the farm reservoir, there were half a dozen Mute Swans and eight Geese, which I presume were the Egyptian Geese seen previously by AH, but I couldn’t be 100% certain, as they were distant, seen against the sun and only through bin's! Also 2 Song Thrushes were noted (CRJ).
Runcton area: From the concrete road south of Runcton this morning, looking south towards the farm reservoir, there were half a dozen Mute Swans and eight Geese, which I presume were the Egyptian Geese seen previously by AH, but I couldn’t be 100% certain, as they were distant, seen against the sun and only through bin's! Also 2 Song Thrushes were noted (CRJ).
East Head: This morning, with a high tide and massive rollers coming into the harbour we were struggling to find any species on the water - with just six Red-breasted Merganser and Great crested Grebe noted, along with three Sandwich Terns that drifted west. Around 35 Skylarks were feeding along the tide line and two Stonechats nearby being the only other species of note. (BFF/DM)
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