10th - 13th March 2020

Friday, 13th March: Another bright and breezy day, with a fresh westerly keeping it cool despite the sunshine......

We should mention that this Blog's seventh birthday quietly passed this week (on 11th).... we still haven't (yet!) missed a day's report and we certainly hope to continue our success for the foreseeable future. The seven years have flown by and we are grateful for the continuing interest and support from all our contributors and visitors. Here's hoping for an interesting spring.....(Eds)

Selsey Bill: Over 350 Meadow Pipits came in off the sea, but beyond just a few Common Scoters east and a Chiffchaff in the bushes there was no other hint of migration. Full log below.....
0645-1100hrs:  (wind W 6, decreasing 4-5 later) (BI/SR/OM/IP/AH/CRJ)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 4W, 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 1W
Common Scoter - 9E, 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 5W, 3os
Oystercatcher - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 1W
Common Gull - 2W
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Meadow Pipit - 358N
Long-tailed Tit - 4 Bill House garden
Chiffchaff - 1
Greenfinch - 2

Chiffchaff at the Bill on the Broadreeds estate (OM)

Ferry Pool: There was just the usual mix of half a dozen Gadwall and Shelduck and c40 Shoveler and Teal on the pool this morning. (AH/OM)

Shelducks on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The first Wheatear - a male - was seen this morning, briefly and at a distance on the spit, before it flew north and could not be re-found.. 
Also, a Red-breasted Merganser and a Little Grebe were near the old harbour mouth, a Marsh Harrier was hunting at the back of the first Several and a Snipe was seen on the flooded horse field. There were around 80 Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour a number of which were ringed.(AW)

Wheatear (above), Marsh Harrier, Snipe, Little Grebe & Red-breasted Merganser at Church Norton (AW)

Late this afternoon a Barn Owl was hunting over the Severals and the horse field, whilst up to half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers, c30 Mediterranean Gulls and a few Grey Plovers, Dunlin and Turnstones were in the harbour. (AH/S&SaH)
Also, an unusually large flock of 26 Bar-tailed Godwits was photographed this afternoon. (K Hackett per SOS)

Barn Owl at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Barn Owl was hunting early this morning and later a Marsh Harrier appeared.  A Spotted Redshank and Grey Plover could be seen from the sluice gates and four Chiffchaffs and four Reed Buntings were in the hedgerows.  
The flooded fields held about 300 Black-tailed Godwits, 75 Brent Geese, a Shoveler and two Shelduck together with Wigeon, Teal and a small number of Curlew.  
Nineteen Cattle Egrets were roosting in Owl Copse and a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were to be seen in the fields near Owl Point.  (IH/TH/SP)

Pagham Spit: The Slavonian Grebe was in the harbour again, seen from the spit. (GK)

Donnington and Chichester Canal: This afternoon there were four Egyptian Geese in the flooded field opposite The Blacksmith's Arms, whilst along the canal there were two calling Cetti's Warblers and two elusive Bullfinches. (AW)

Cetti's Warbler at Chichester Canal & Egyptian Geese at Donnington (AW)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - Two Corn Buntings were on the fences towards the breach again this morning, and a Raven went over west, and also in the area despite the blustery wind, were at least a dozen Stonechats and plenty of Skylarks with many Meadow Pipits also along the banks. (BI/AH)

Raven (above), Stonechat  (AH) & Corn Buntings (BI) at Medmerry

Chi Marina & Birdham Pool: A fairly brief visit late morning, where the flood around the reed-beds and pool was found to have receded considerably. On the pool were pairs of Greylag, Canada Goose and Tufted Duck, whilst a Cetti's Warbler was singing and a pair of Buzzards were soaring.

The path around Birdham Pool is still severely flooded at present and much of it is impassable even with Wellies on. A scan across the lake produced 10 Teal, several Tufted Ducks, about eight Little Grebes and some Mallard, plus a few roosting Cormorants, but nothing more interesting.

Nearby, on the canal at Salterns Lock, a Grey Wagtail performed well by the lock gates. (OM)

 Grey Wagtail at Chi Marina - Salterns Lock (OM)

Thursday, 12th March: A morning of sunny spells and fast moving white cloud, pushed through by a fairly cool and strong westerly, strengthening to gale force as the day progressed....

Selsey Bill: Over 100 Brent Geese east and 400 Meadow Pipits in off the sea were the only real indicators of migration this morning. The dubious highlight though was non-avian, with the unexpected arrival of a loose green marker buoy on the shoreline attracting the locals! Full log below....
0700-1300hrs:  (wind WSW 5-6, increasing 7-8)  (OM/SR/IP/AH/PC)
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Great Northern Diver - 1 os
Gannet - 2E
Brent Goose - 110E, 1W
Shelduck - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 5W, 3os
Oystercatcher - 5W
Turnstone - 15W
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W
Common Gull - 25E, 2ob
auk sp - 1E
Pied Wagtail - 1 ob
Meadow Pipit - 422N
Linnet - 1N

Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Common Gull and large green bouy on the beach (OM) 

Ferry Pool: A Spotted Redshank and five Redshank were in the channel opposite this morning, but the pool just held a couple of Gadwall and Teal, a dozen Shelducks and c40 Shoveler, with c60 Wigeon and several hundred roosting gulls on the field. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

North Wall: Twenty-five Cattle Egrets were in the vicinity of Owl Copse this morning accompanied by eight visible Grey Herons, though no doubt more were deeper in the copse.  
The fields were more flooded than ever and were a fine sight with about 400 Black-tailed Godwits, some 200 Wigeon as well as a few Teal and Curlew and a lone Brent Goose.  The hedgerows were quiet apart from an occasional Chiffchaff, a Reed Bunting and calling Cetti's Warblers.  (IH/TG/TH/GHi)

Cattle Egrets, Little Egrets and Grey Heron at the North Wall (GHi)

A pair of Coal Tits were in my Pagham garden, whilst there were lots of birds along the very windy Wall this morning, including around 300 Wigeon hunkered down along White's Creek and 12 Tufted Duck and a Great Crested Grebe on the Breech Pool. 
All of the fields north of the Wall remain flooded and between them contained 360 Black-tailed Godwits, 58 Curlew, 12 Brent Geese and at least 700 Black-headed Gulls and at least 15 Mediterranean Gulls. The highlight was 21 Cattle Egret in Honer 3 field. Initially they were feeding at the back of the field but were spooked by a dog and then took to the trees in Owl Copse close to the Wall. There were also 12 Grey Herons in and around the copse. (JDW)

Church Norton: A fairly quiet morning, though an active Chiffchaff in the sheltered hedges and a couple of Meadow Pipits on the beach may have been new in.
Otherwise a Peregrine came off the island to go hunting, half a dozen Snipe were in the flood, along with a dozen or so Wigeon and Teal and the Red-breasted Merganser again, with another in the harbour, along with c100 Brent Geese.
There were at least 40 Mediterranean Gulls among the many Black-headed Gulls in the harbour but, again, there were few waders about. (AH/IP)

Chiffchaff (above), Mediterranean Gulls, Red-breasted Merganser, Snipe, Peregrine & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 11th March: A fairly bright and breezy morning, after a grey and drizzly start, though still with a brisk westerly......

Selsey Bill: A total of 183 Brent Geese east, including a flock of 70, were clearly migrating, though, again there was little other evidence, though three Eider and three Red-throated Divers went east. Full log below. 

(0715-0930hrs) (WSW, F4-5)  (SR/IP/AH)

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Brent Goose - 183E, 4W

Eider - 3E

Common Scoter - 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 3W, 5os

Dunlin - 2W

Turnstone - 7W

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Common Gull - 1E, 1W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Meadow Pipit - 10N

Greenfinch - 1

Also, a pair of Blackcaps have been seen in a garden in Byways, just in from the Bill, for the last couple of weeks. (per SR)

Brent Geese (above), Common Scoters & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

East Beach Pond: Just a singing Chiffchaff was of note this morning. (SR)

Ferry Pool: The six Gadwall were still present, along with ten Shelducks, c40 Shoveler, c20 Teal and a dozen Wigeon. (AH)
Late this afternoon a Barn Owl was out hunting over the fields at the back of the pool. (TG-P)

Gadwall on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were 23 Cattle Egrets, including one coming into breeding plumage, in and around Owl Copse this morning. Also seen in the fields were c400 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Shoveler, two Shelducks and many Wigeon and Curlew, but just a solitary Brent Goose was to be seen in the harbour. (TH et al)

Church Norton: A Marsh Harrier flew across the harbour, where there were 20+ Mediterranean Gulls, three or four Red-breasted Mergansers and up to 100 Brent Geese, but there were.few waders again.

A visiting birder reported the Slavonian Grebe as present, whilst otherwise a few Turnstones and Ringed Plovers were seen from the spit, along with 20+ Skylarks, a couple of Snipe and 20+ Teal were tucked in on the flood by the horse field, a Chiffchaff was by the Mound and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the car-park. (AH/IP)

Later, a probable female Garganey was seen offshore at 700m range, flying east before dropping on the sea. (TG-P/IL)

This afternoon a Great Northern Diver flew west offshore from the spit. (AT)

Marsh Harrier (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Ringed Plover, Turnstones, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 10th March: A very grey and blustery morning, with a near gale-force westerly blowing......

Selsey Bill: Eight Brent Geese that flew in from way out, before heading off east were clearly migrants, but there wasn't much other activity, through a Red-throated Diver and three Kittiwakes went east and a Fulmar went west. Full log below.... 
0715-1030hrs: (wind WSW 6-7)  (OM/SR/IP/AH/BFF/DM)
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 2E
Brent Goose - 8E
Red-breasted Merganser - 8W
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Kittiwake - 3E, 1W
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Meadow Pipit - 2N

Fulmar (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Six Gadwall were among the c40 Shoveler and Teal along the edges of the pool this morning, but that was about it. (AH)

Shoveler and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Early this morning the Slavonian Grebe was present again in the harbour mouth near the end of Pagham spit and there were also four Red-breasted Mergansers and 120 Brent Geese nearby. (AW)

Slavonian Grebe (above), Red-breasted Mergansers & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AW)

Later, a Great Northern Diver and three or four Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore, with at least another ten in the harbour and one in the flood by the horse field, which also held a pair of Gadwall and 25 Teal.

Also, a Marsh Harrier was hunting along the beach and then over the Severals before drifting off west and both Peregrines were up over the harbour, but there were few waders about, beyond the Whimbrel and a few Grey Plovers. (AH)

Great Northern Diver (above), Marsh Harrier, Red-breasted Merganser, Whimbrel, Gadwall & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Ham area - There were around 20 Yellowhammers and 40 Linnets in the fields around Ham early afternoon. (AT)

Runcton: A pair of Reed Buntings was still visiting my garden feeder today. (CRJ)

 Reed Buntings feeding in a Runcton garden. (CRJ)

Chi Marina: The reed-bed and pool margins were well flooded and 14 Canada Geese, two Greylags and the Black Swan were present, plus several Mallard and two Tufted Ducks, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
On the big high tide, the channel was full of water but very few birds were to be seen - six Red-breasted Mergansers were about the best. (OM)