Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 26th

Saturday, 28th December: Another very grey morning, reasonably mild in the light to moderate south-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: An impressive total of 134 Red-throated Divers went west this morning and there were a few Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal on the move, but not much else, though at least six Great Northern Divers and seven Sandwich Terns were offshore. Full log below.
(0800-1030hrs) (SSE, F2) (SH/PB/SR/BI/MO-W/AH/IP)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 6os
Red-throated Diver - 6E, 134W, 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2W, 2os
Gannet - 4W
Brent Goose - 55E, 19W
Shelduck - 1E, 11W
Wigeon - 3E, 45W
Teal - 6W
Pintail - 16E, 5W
Shoveler - 3E, 1W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 7W, 4os
Common Gull - 3E, 4W
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 3E, 4W
(1415-1515hrs) (wind SE2) (SH)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 4os
Red-breasted Merganser - 3W, 3os
Wigeon - 1W
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 2W
Common Gull - 1W

Red-throated Divers (above), Pintail, Shoveler and Teal & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just the regular species on and around the pool this morning, including c30 Shovelers, c50 Teal, eight Shelduck, 50 Wigeon and c100 Lapwing. (AH)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

East Head: The flock of Eider were still offshore from Chichester Harbour mouth this morning, seen from the boat. (CW)

Eider off East Head (CW)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Pied Wagtail, 20+ Meadow Pipits, two Lapwings and 24 Oystercatchers were on the fields and two Tufted Ducks were on the reservoir this morning. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: A Cetti's Warbler was calling from the first Several, whilst a Stonechat and 11 Snipe were around the flooded horse field.
Also, a lone Red-breasted Merganser went west offshore and there were large numbers of Brent Geese and Golden Plovers over the far side of the harbour. (S&SaH)

North Wall: A Kestrel was perched on a horse paddock post this morning, about 900 Brent Geese were briefly in their usual field between Marsh and Honer farms before disturbance by a car, a Green Woodpecker called and flocks of Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits made impressive shapes before settling out in the harbour. (IH)

Honer Reservoir: The reservoir was devoid of birds, but the hedges and fields held at least three Chiffchaffs among lots of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, half a dozen Reed Buntings and Linnets, a Grey Wagtail and up to a dozen flighty Redwings. There was also a big female Peregrine sat on the top of a tree. (AH)

Peregrine (above), Chiffchaff, Redwing, Grey Wagtail & Reed Bunting at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: The Long-tailed Duck was at Dell Quay again, along with at least six displaying Goldeneyes and several Red-breasted Mergansers, whilst a Jack Snipe was with a few Snip at the Lavant outflow. (GW)

Friday, 27th December: A fairly mild and almost still morning, underneath leaden skies.....

Selsey Bill: There were three Great Northern Divers, a Sandwich Tern and a few Slavonian Grebes offshore, with Red-throated Divers going both east and west. Full log below;
(0750-0930hrs) (wind N F1) (BI/SR/MO-W/AH/IP)
Red-throated Diver - 9E, 14W
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Slavonian Grebe - 1W, 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2W, 1os
Gannet - 4E, 5W
Brent Goose - 6E
Common Scoter - 1E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 5W, 7os
Common Gull - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1E

Red-throated Diver at the Bill (AH)

East Head: The flock of Eider - at least 39 but may have been more - were offshore from Chichester Harbour mouth again this morning, seen from the boat. (CW)

Eider off East Head (CW)

Ferry Pool: There were two Gadwall, eight Shelducks, c25 Shoveler and c40 Teal around the pool, with a few more Wigeon, Teal and Lapwings tucked away in the flooded parts of the field. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Marsh Harrier was present at first light this morning, patrolling the reeds beyond the horse paddocks, and along the wall a party of Long-tailed Tits passed by and a Cetti's Warbler managed a feeble call.
About 900 Brent Geese were feeding in the field between Marsh and Honer Farms and a similar number were frequently airborne somewhere to the north.
The Breech pool contained a Great Crested Grebe, in addition to the usual Mallard and Tufted Ducks, and in the harbour Knot, Dunlin, Shelduck, a Grey Plover, a Little Grebe and a few Pintail were visible as well as Wigeon, Teal and Redshank.
The morning ended as it started, with a bird of prey - this time a Sparrowhawk. (IH)

Not much out of the ordinary this afternoon, but there must have been at least 2000 Brent Geese in the harbour and around Owl Point, with flocks coming and going all the time. (AH)

Brent Geese at the North Wall (AH)

Northcommon Farm: Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming continually this morning. (SH)

Fishbourne Creek: The Long-tailed Duck was viewable distantly south of Dell Quay, whilst there were also six Goldeneye, up to ten Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Little and Great Crested Grebes along the channel, plus many Wigeon and Brent Geese.
At least two Greenshank were among the large numbers of Redshank, Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Turnstone roosting at high tide, whilst a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail, a Goldcrest and at least three Rock Pipits were around the Lavant outflow. (AH/IP)

Goldeneyes (above), Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Brent Geese, Wigeon & Red-breasted Mergansers at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Boxing Day, Thursday, 26th December: A thoroughly wet and miserable morning, with leaden grey skies, dry early on, but giving way to persistent and often heavy rain and strong to gale force W/SW winds.....

Selsey Bill: There were a few bits around this morning, including two drake Eiders, up to seven Sandwich Terns and a few Slavonian Grebes, Red-throated Divers, Gannets and Kittiwakes. Full log below....
(0740-1000hrs) (SE, F5, veering to S, F5) (SH/BI/SR/AH)
Great Northern Diver - 1W
Red-throated Diver - 10E, 3W
diver sp - 1W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 4W, 1os
Gannet 25E, 22W
Brent Goose - 114E, 3W
Pintail - 5E
Shoveler - 3W
Eider - 2os
Common Scoter - 2E, 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 6W, 3os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 7W
Common Gull - 5E
Kittiwake - 8E,
Sandwich Tern - 7E, 1W

auk sp - 3W

(1330-1530hrs) (wind SW7) (SH/SR)

Gannet - 4E, 2W
Brent Goose - 1E
Eider - 1W
Common Scoter - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 10W
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1W

Eider (above), Kittiwake, Red-throated Diver, Common Scoters, Red-breasted Merganser and Pintails, Gannet, Red-breasted Mergansers & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: About 60 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in on the field, whilst around the pool and field there were c20 Shoveler, ten Shelducks, c80 Teal and c150 Wigeon. (AH)

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

Late this afternoon there were ten Avocets on the pool and a Kingfisher in the channel opposite. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Kingfisher at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much about on the high tide in the dismal conditions, but the Whimbrel, half a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits and a fair few Dunlin and Grey Plover were spread about, along with a pair of Little Grebes and a few Brent Geese, Teal and Wigeon.

The only land birds noted were a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. (AH)