Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Sunday, 6th January: Another fairly cool and grey morning, with a slight north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Four redhead Goosanders west was the highlight of a fairly quiet sea-watch this morning. (SH/PB/DM/DIS)
(0740-0930hrs)

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 4W
Great Northern Diver - 3 os
diver sp - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 9W
Goosander - 4W
Red-breasted Merganser - 17W, 8os
Common Gull - 1W
Razorbill - 1W, 3os
auk sp - 25E, 11W

Ferry Pool: There were up to three Snipe among at least 500 Lapwings on the field, with c150 Wigeon and c30 Shoveler and Teal on the pool.

Also a Kingfisher (briefly!), three Black-tailed Godwits and about 50 Teal were in the channel opposite.(AH/IP & the SOS)

Wigeon on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham village: There were 2780 Brent Geese and 60 Curlews in the fields earmarked for development again this morning. (JDW)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat and a Grey Wagtail were along the fields this morning, whilst 100+ Golden Plovers came up from the west. (S&SaH/PB)

Church Norton: There were up to 17 Slavonian Grebes offshore, along with two Velvet Scoters that went west, a Shag, a couple of Red-throated Divers, three Common Scoters, half a dozen Gannets and Great Crested Grebes and 30+ Red-breasted Mergansers, whilst another pair of the latter, five female Goldeneyes and a drake and a twenty Pintail were in the harbour.
Two Peregrines, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and a Kestrel were seen, whilst the Whimbrel and up to ten Bar-tailed Godwits were present, along with large numbers of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, and up to 30 Avocets were roosting at the far end of Ferry Channel. (BI/S&SaH/PB/AH/IP & the SOS)

Whimbrel (above), Slavonian Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Grey Heron, Avocets & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Chi GPs – Drayton Pits: Another visit, but all fairly average today. Highlights were few, but the North pit held two Bullfinches, 115 Pochard and four Water Rails, whilst on the South pit were 9 Snipe, 60 Shoveler and 45 Gadwall. The most unusual event of the day was a flock of 8 Golden Plovers (presumably disturbed by shooting on nearby farmland), which dropped in very briefly before moving on. (OM)

Northcommon Farm: There were two Little Owls on the roof of the barn just after dusk this afternoon. (SR)

Medmerry: West side - The two Barn Owls were hunting along the banks at dusk again this evening. (AH/SR/NM)

Barn Owls at Medmerry (AH)

Saturday, 5th January: A cold and grey morning, with heavy cloud and a modest northerly breeze...

Selsey Bill: A couple of Great Northern Divers were offshore and a few auks were on the move, though it was generally very quiet. Full log below.....

0845-0945hrs: (OM)

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Great Northern Diver - 2 os

Gannet - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 6os

Razorbill - 2E

auk sp - 35E, 6W

Pied Wagtail - 2E

Ferry Pool: The Water Rail was in Red Barn Ditch early on, but the Ferry held just the usual mix of c30 Shoveler, c50 Teal and c200 each of Wigeon and Lapwings, plus a pair of Stock Doves in the field. (AH/IP)

Water Rail (above) & Stock Dove around the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat was in the fields and a Chiffchaff in the hedges this morning. (IP/RM)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There was just one Cattle Egret, with a Little Egret, to be found this morning, whilst along Church Farm Lane there were a pair of Stonechats, a Reed Bunting, seven Yellowhammers and 20 or so Meadow Pipits, with eight Black-tailed Godwits and a few Curlews over. (AH)

Cattle Egret and Little Egret (above), Stonechat & Yellowhammer at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Dartford Warbler was again in the gorse opposite Marsh Barn early this morning and there were two fairly distant Marsh Harriers out in the reserve. The feeding station had attracted plenty of House Sparrows and Yellow hammers and there were c.250 Brent Geese opposite the Stilt Pools. On the Stilt Pools were the usual mix of wildfowl, a dozen Lapwings and a few Black-headed Gulls. (BI)

Later on, the wintering Greenshank was present, along with a Snipe and two Stonechats, whilst the two Barn Owls were again out along the banks and a Marsh Harrier was behind Marsh Barn. (IP/RM/P&JW)

Church Norton: Two redhead Goosanders dropped in near the harbour mouth this morning before flying back out east and four Razorbills went east, whilst there were eight Slavonian Grebes and a couple of Great Crested Grebes offshore and three Goldeneye, including a drake, in the harbour, along with up to ten Little Grebes.

There were up to ten Bar-tailed Godwits and at least 100 Knot among the waders present, 20 or so Pintail among the wildfowl and the female Peregrine was out in the middle. At least six Avocets and a Kingfisher were also viewable from part-way down the western side.(IP/RM/AH/OM)

Four Goosanders also flew east off the end of Park Lane, early afternoon. (SH) A Firecrest was along the path this afternoon (per Twitter)

Slavonian Grebes (above), Goldeneye and Little Grebe & Little Grebes at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham village: There were 2700 Brent Geese in the fields earmarked for development this morning. Potential developers and Arun District Council, take note! (JDW)

Brent Geese in Pagham fields this morning (JDW)

Runcton: The single Brent Goose was present with the 19 Mute Swans and two Canada Geese today. (BI)

North Wall: A very quick look found just a single Snipe in the reeds at a very full Breech Pool along with a few Teal and Mallards. Over the harbour there were at least 1000 Lapwings and similar of mixed waders taking occasional flight. (BI/IB)

Friday, 4th January: A beautiful cold, still and bright winter's morning after early cloud.....with just a faint hint of a northerly breeze.

Selsey Bill: Just three Red-throated Divers, two Red-breasted Mergansers and a Wigeon west in 30 minutes from 8am (AH)

Selsey: Drift Lane - Two Snipe were in the adjacent marshy area, whilst three Curlews flew over. (AH)

Chichester Marina: The three Black-necked Grebes were again present, drifting towards Dell Quay. (BI/AW)

Black-necked Grebes off Chichester Marina (AW)

Fishbourne Creek: A walk this morning from Fishbourne to Dell Quay started well with a Water Rail swimming across the stream at Fishbourne Meadow. In amongst the 120 Black-tailed Godwits and 80 Grey Plover congregating in the upper reaches of the channel was a single Golden Plover, whilst off the Lavant outfall were 7 Goldeneye (inc 3 males). A single Rock Pipit was on the shore at Apuldram, and off Dell Quay were 7 Greenshank roosting at high tide. (RW)

Goldeneyes in Fishbourne Creek (AW)

Runcton: The lone Brent Goose was again present this morning, as were the 19 Mute Swans, and a cronking Raven flew over heading east. (BI)

Ferry Pool: There were c30 Shoveler and Teal, plus 200 Lapwing along the pool's edge, with the same again of Lapwings and c100 Wigeon on the fields. (AH)

Lapwings on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were 16 Slavonian Grebes offshore this morning, but otherwise just a couple of Red-throated Divers going distantly west and a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers towards Bognor.
There were three of the latter in the harbour, along with three Goldeneyes, one of the Peregrines, about 20 Avocets at the far end and plenty of common waders and wildfowl. A few Skylarks along the spit were the only small birds of note. (AH/BI/AW)

Slavonian Grebe (above, AW), Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneyes and Red-breasted Mergansers, Peregrine & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This afternoon a Dartford Warbler was in the gorse opposite Marsh Barn, two pair of Stonechats were nearby and c20 Yellowhammers were around their favoured bushes.

A female-type Marsh Harrier was hunting over the north of the reserve, whilst a big female Peregrine stooped and killed something quite large - possibly a Lapwing - low over the Stilt Pool and then proceeded to eat it on one of the islands, with a couple of Carrion Crows in close attendance.

There wasn't too much else around, with a few Redshank and Curlews the only waders, though about 500 Brent Geese were on the reserve and four Gadwall, c20 Shoveler, c50 Teal and c200 Wigeon were on the stilt Pool, with two Red-breasted Mergansers, a Shelduck and four Great Crested Grebes offshore. (AH)

Later on, two Barn Owls were out hunting over the west of the reserve. (BI)