14th - 16th March 2019

Saturday, 16th March: The poor run of weather continues, with another very grey morning of drizzle, squally showers and south-westerly gales......

Selsey Bill: Rather surprisingly, given the conditions, over 900 Brent Geese and two Arctic Skuas had gone east by midday and over 150 Meadow Pipits had come in off the sea. Otherwise, movements were confined to local activity, including two Slavonian Grebes and half a dozen Fulmars west. Full log below..... 
(0700-1315hrs) (BI/AH/IP/OM/SH)
Slavonian Grebe - 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 7W, 1os
Fulmar - 8W
Gannet - 9E, 62W
Brent Goose - 941E
Eider - 6W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 18W, 6os
Common Scoter - 1W
Curlew - 1W
Grey Plover - 20E, 4N
Dunlin - 3W
Arctic Skua - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 4W, 2os
Kittiwake - 4E, 2W
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Common Gull - 3E
Meadow Pipit - 192N

Brent Geese (above), Fulmar, Gannet & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH) & Eider (BI)

(1600-1700hrs) (SH/AH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 5W

Gannet - 1E, 12W

Brent Goose - 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Meadow Pipit - 2N

Ferry Pool: There were six Avocets on the pool this morning, along with a couple of Snipe, four Shelducks, c20 Teal and c30 Shovelers, with c50 Lapwing and c100 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Hunston: There were still at least 15 Cattle Egrets in the fields east of the sub-station today. (BI/AH)

Cattle Egrets at Hunston (AH)

Ivy Lake: There were two singing Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler and a few Long-tailed Tits along the remaining hedgerows, with just a handful of Pochard and c20 Tufted Ducks on the water, whilst nothing out of the ordinary could be found among the 4-500 Black-headed Gulls present. (AH)

Pochards at Ivy Lake (AH)

Church Norton: There were a minimum of 80 Black-tailed Godwits present this morning, plus a few Dunlin, Curlew and Redshank, whilst around 150 Brent Geese were near the harbour mouth.
Otherwise it was quiet, with a few Shelducks, Wigeon and Teal spread about and a few Mediterranean Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Later on, two Sand Martins and four Meadow Pipits flew in off the sea, an Avocet was near the concrete blocks, four Chiffchaffs were along the Severals/Bluebell Wood, two Peregrines were over the harbour and a Sparrowhawk went over the Severals. (S&SaH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 15th March: Another very overcast morning, with yet more gale-force westerly winds......

Selsey Bill: There was a good movement of 272 Brent Geese east this morning, plus a bit of other activity, whilst a Fox and a Common Seal were also seen. (C&ME/BI)
(0700-1030hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Fulmar - 4W
Gannet - 11W
Shag - 1W
Brent Goose - 272E, 3W
Common Scoter - 20os
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 4os
Common Gull - 18E
Sandwich Tern - 3E
auk sp - 1W

(1630-1730hrs) (SH/AH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 1W
Brent Goose - 11E
Common Scoter - 13os
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 3os

Ferry Pool: At least four Snipe were at the front and the two Avocets were at the back, contesting ownership of the small island with two Gadwall and two Redshank, whilst there were still c50 Shoveler, c30 Teal, c200 Wigeon and a few Lapwing present. (AH)
Also, it is pleasing to note that the Tawny Owls have reclaimed the box in the Discovery Area and can be viewed on the CCTV camera screen in the Visitor Centre. (IL)

Snipe (above), Avocets, Gadwall, Redshank and Black-headed Gull & Shovelers and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: At least 40 Black-tailed Godwits were in the harbour early on, along with a  pair of Pintail and a few Teal, Curlews, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, plus a couple of Grey Herons, but generally it was very quiet. (AH)

Pintail (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers and Dunlin & Grey Heron at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: A surprise flock of 120 Linnets was feeding on a weedy field south of the village this morning, (CRJ)

Thursday, 14th March: The very unsettled weather continues, with another grey, if mild, morning of gale-force westerly wind and light squally showers......

Selsey Bill: Utterly dire this morning! (AH/IP/PD)
(0745-0915hrs)

Gannet - 1W

Brent Goose - 18E

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)
Slavonian Grebe - 13os (in groups of five and eight that drifted off west)
Gannet - 2E, 10W
Common Scoter - 20os
Red-breasted Merganser - 4os
Sandwich Tern - 1os

Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The two Avocets were present again, along with a pair of displaying Redshank, the pair of Gadwall, c40 Teal and c50 Shovelers, with c40 Lapwing and c100 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Gadwall, Shovelers, Teal and Redshank on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton and West Side: There were up to half a dozen Chiffchaffs in the sheltered hedges this morning, with a couple of Goldcrests and a handful of Long-tailed Tits, whilst one or two Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were along the west side and a pair of Lapwings were displaying over the ploughed fields.

The harbour was pretty bare again, though at least 60 Black-tailed Godwits were present, along with 50+ Brent Geese near the harbour mouth, a few Curlews, Ringed Plovers and Teal spread about and a handful of Mediterranean Gulls were among the Black-headed Gulls. 

There were no Avocets at the end of Ferry Channel, though at least 100 Teal and 50 Redshank were present and a Lesser Black-backed Gull went over. (AH/IP)

Chiffchaffs (above), Goldcrest & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)