Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 20th

Wednesday, 22nd January: It remains cold and still, but it was gloomy and grey, with periods of misty fog ........

For info: Our esteemed Selsey sea-watch Log-keeper JA informs us that 1,267 hours were watched at the Bill in 2019 (beating the previous best of 1,171 in 2016), covering 333 days of watching. A great effort; well done to all involved and especially to JA for keeping and submitting the records on our behalf. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: It was very quiet again, with a Guillemot east, a Sandwich Tern west and single Great Northern and Red-throated Divers on the sea the only birds of note. Full log below. (SR/AM/MO-W/P&LH)
(0815-0915hrs) (NNW, F2)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 6E
Turnstone - 6W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Guillemot - 1E
auk sp - 2os

Great Northern Diver (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool remains frozen, with four Snipe ad a few Black-headed Gulls being the only birds present. A Buzzard and about 200 Lapwings were on the field, whilst at least another 500 of the latter were on the arable fields slightly further south, opposite Knight Fencing. (AH/SR)

Snipe (above) & Buzzard at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Marsh Harrier cruised over the harbour and eventually headed off north, upsetting an otherwise tranquil high tide wader roost, including at least 500 Black-tailed Godwits, 200 Golden Plovers and 500 Lapwings.
Otherwise it was very quiet in the murk, with few small birds seen and nothing on the fields, though a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal were around White's Creek. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Pintail, Wigeon & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (AH)

East Head: I took a circular walk along the shore this morning. Unfortunately the area was shrouded in mist so no Eider were about, but I did see a few other birds of interest. At low tide there was an impressive flock of 32 Sanderling along the shore and 20 Golden Plover were out on the mudflats alongside 9 Grey Plover, c40 Dunlin, 3 Turnstones and 11 Curlew. A Sandwich Tern flew overhead, whilst 7 Great Crested Grebes with 9 Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore and a pair of Stonechats were in the grass. There was also a mixed flock of Brent Geese and Lapwings on the green - say up to 1000 birds. Amusingly, what was presumably a Hermit Crab in a whelk shell spent some time waving at me on the shore! (SR)

Sanderlings and Golden Plover at East Head and (below) presumed Hermit crab in a whelk shell on the beach (SR)

Itchenor channel: A Great Northern Diver drifted down-channel past Itchenor early afternoon. (PH)

Tuesday, 21st January: The settled spell continues, with a sharp overnight frost giving way to a mostly bright and still morning........

Selsey Bill: It was a quiet morning on the high tide. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)
(0800-0900hrs) (NNW, F2)
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 4W, 5os
diver sp - 1W, 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 4W
Gannet - 1W
Shelduck - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 7W
Common Gull - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 1E, 6W
Razorbill - 2W
auk sp - 15E, 18W

Red-throated Diver (above), Sandwich Tern & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was frozen all morning, with just a handful of Lapwings and 30 Wigeon on the field, with another dozen of the latter, plus similar of Teal in the channel opposite. Also, the resident Buzzard was seen off by the local Jackdaws. (AH)

Buzzard and Jackdaw (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were at least two Cattle Egrets, and probably more, in Owl Copse this morning, and the Barn Owl and a Marsh Harrier were again showing well till late morning. (IH/SR)

South Mundham: The stubble field along Honer Lane held six Fieldfares, four Redwings, five Pied Wagtails, c300 Lapwing, c400 Starlings and a mixed flock of corvids plus a Buzzard. Punches Lane had a Kestrel, seven Long-tailed Tits and a Firecrest. (SR)

Park Farm, Selsey: This afternoon there were two Shovelers and five Tufted Ducks on the reservoir and c200 Golden Plovers and similar numbers of Lapwing came up from the Medmerry direction. (SH)

Drayton Pit: A Marsh Harrier was about this afternoon, but there wasn't much else beyond a Green Woodpecker and plenty of Pochard and Shovelers. (MO-W)

Church Norton: A single Slavonian Grebe, a Great Northern Diver and five Great Ctrested Grebes were all that could be found offshore this morning, whilst the harbour was quiet, too, though the regular Whimbrel and a good roosting flock of Dunlin and Grey Plovers were present, along with a Peregrine and a few Wigeon and Teal.
Also, a least 15 Snipe were on the creek by the horse field, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, but not seen, in the Priory and a few Long-tailed Tits were along the path to the harbour. (AH/IP)

Snipe (above), Teal & Long-tailed Tit at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: East side - A total of five Jack Snipe and over 150 Common Snipe were counted this morning, along with just a single Corn Bunting and several Stonechats. (HB/AW/MW)
Later, the Peregrine was on the derelict building on the reserve, a Kingfisher was out near the breach, a Greenshank was heard, but not seen, and a few Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings were along the banks.
There were also at least 75 Fieldfares on the cropped fields by Ham Farm. (AH)

Peregrine (above) & Fieldfare at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: West side - A Barn Owl was out hunting again this afternoon and a Dartford Warbler was heard along the banks. (HB/AW/MW/KJ et al)

Monday, 20th January: Another cold and almost still morning, though a little cloudier than yesterday....

Selsey Bill: It was generally quiet until a lot of auks appeared, going in both directions and settling on the sea. Full log below. (AH/IP/MO-W)

(0755-0930hrs) (NNW, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 4W

diver sp - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 5E, 2W, 3os

Gannet - 6W

Common Scoter - 3E, 9W

Red-breasted Merganser - 21E, 7W, 4os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 1os

Razorbill - 22E, 36W

auk sp - 42E, 116W, 60os

Slavonian Grebe (above), Red--throated Diver, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull & a dramatic sunrise at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was still frozen by late morning, though c100 Wigeon and c500 Lapwings, plus a Buzzard, were on the field. (AH)

Wigeon and Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Barn Owl was out and hunting for at least an hour this morning, and a Marsh Harrier was also out and about, too. (PC)

Church Norton: It was quiet here again, with just a handful of Great Crested Grebes offshore and the Whimbrel the only wader of note in the harbour beyond the regular Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plovers and Redshanks.

Otherwise, the Peregrine was on its island, a pair of Little Grebes and a few Wigeon and Teal were on the water and two Snipe were in the creek by the horse field. (AH/IP)

Whimbrel (above), Little Grebes & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester Canal: Early this afternoon there were three Bullfinches along the canal, west from Donnington. A Cetti's Warbler showed well briefly, as did a Kingfisher, a Sparrowhawk, two Buzzards and a flock of around 10 Redwing. (AW)