Tuesday, 22nd December: A better day than yesterday, though still grey and overcast, with spells of drizzly rain, albeit mild and with just a light westerly breeze........
Selsey Bill: A few Brent Geese were going west again and four Sandwich Terns were offshore, but generally it was quiet this morning. Full log below. (IP/SR/AH)
(0800-0915hrs) (W, F45)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2os
Gannet - 1W
Brent Goose - 8E, 40W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 3W, 4os
Turnstone - 4E
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Common Gull - 2W
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Sandwich Tern (above) & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: At least ten Snipe were at the front again, with five Shelducks and 50+ Shoveler and Teal on the pool, with more of both spread around the fields, along with 100+ Wigeon and Black-tailed Godwits and 300+ Lapwings. (AH)
Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)
Chichester Marina: There were 44 White-fronted Geese in the arable fields towards Dell Quay this morning, along with a huge flock of c2500 Brent Geese, with a Barnacle Goose and a Pale-bellied Brent goose among them. (PH/GM/IP)
White-fronted Geese (above), Pale-bellied Brent Goose & Barnacle Goose at Chichester Marina (GM)
More images of the Barnacle Goose (PH, above & SR, below)
Mid-afternoon all the geese were between the Dell Quay to Chi Marina tarmac road and the main A286, but the main Brent flock with the Barnacle and Pale-bellied Brent flew off towards Chichester Harbour at 1438hrs.
The White-fronted Geese were in the same field but further south towards Chichester Marina, though the fine rain made viewing difficult. (CRJ)
Brent Geese with Pale-bellied (above) and Barnacle Goose (below) near Chi Marina this afternoon (CRJ)
Fishbourne Creek: In gloomy conditions this afternoon there were reasonable numbers of Wigeon and Redshank but otherwise it was pretty quiet, though a Spotted Redshank and a Grey Wagtail were at the Lavant outfall.
At Dell Quay four Greenshank were on the far shore, whilst in the channel there were three Great Crested Grebes and a Little Grebe. Also, a Chiffchaff was at Fishbourne Mill Pond. (RW)
Drayton Pits: A Woodcock was flushed from here this morning. (IP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The flock of 24 White-fronted Geese were on the reserve opposite the Stilt Pool, in the company of c40 Canada Geese, this morning, whilst a Greenshank, two Red-breasted Mergansers and c50 Wigeon were on the big pool. The Stilt Pool itself just held c25 Gadwall, c50 Teal and a few Mallards, along with a big gull roost, including one Lesser Black-backed and c80 Common Gulls.
A Dartford Warbler was opposite Marsh Farm in the gorse, with a few Meadow Pipits, a couple of pairs of Stonechats, a Buzzard and two Green Woodpeckers nearby, but all the Yellowhammers were around the field by the poplars, probably as many as 40 in total. (AH)
White-fronted Geese (above), Dartford Warbler, Greenshank, Stonechat, Green Woodpecker, Gadwall & Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)
Church Norton: The lone White-fronted Goose - number 69 for the Peninsula today - was still on Peregrine Island, with one of its namesakes also present. (AW)
White-fronted Goose (above) & Peregrine at Church Norton (AW)
Monday, 21st December: The shortest day, and a thoroughly miserable one, too, with persistent drizzle and a strong south-westerly breeze pushing through squalls of heavy rain....
Selsey Bill: Early on, it was completely dead, a little later a few Gannets and Kittiwakes were going west. (AH)
(0800-0845hrs) (SSW, F7)
Gannet - 2W
Brent Goose - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
(1030-1115hrs)
Gannet - 18W
Kittiwake - 6E, 22W
A Black-throated Diver, plus a single Kittiwake, went west at lunchtime today. (AW)
Black-throated Diver at the Bill (AW)
Ferry Pool: There were just ten Snipe, half a dozen Shelducks and a few Teal and Shovelers on the pool, though more Shovelers and plenty of well-concealed Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings were spread about the flooded areas of the fields. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Snipe at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: In the horse field at Welbourne there were five Song Thrushes and a Green Woodpecker, whilst further north in the flooded fields were 280 Lapwing, 126 Great Black-backed Gulls, 83 Shelduck, 11 Dunlin and a Redshank.
In the very flooded Honer 1 field were 460 Lapwing, 180 Wigeon, five Black-tailed Godwits and a Curlew, and, much to my surprise, there was a Barn Owl sitting on the lower North Wall path. (JDW)
Church Norton: There were a lot of birds in the harbour this morning, including the White-fronted Goose on Peregrine Island, the Common Scoter in the main channel and the Whimbrel near the bench.
Among the waders present were at least 400 Knot, 500 Dunlin and 100 Grey Plovers, 200 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwing, whilst there were also 500 Brent Geese and plenty of Wigeon and Teal about, along with five Little Grebes. (AH)
Common Scoter (above), Whimbrel, Knot, Grey Plover, Dunlin & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)
Sunday, 20th December: A very unsettled morning, with heavy showers and spells of bright sunshine in a brisk south-westerly breeze....
Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a selection this morning, including up to a dozen Sandwich Terns feeding along the Mile Basket Line, a Fulmar west and five different Great Northern Divers. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/IP/AH/SR)
(0745-0930hrs) (WSW, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1W, 2os
Red-throated Diver - 9E, 1W, 1os
diver sp - 2E
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 8E, 26W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 9E, 18W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W, 4os
Grey Plover - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W
Common Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 33E, 16E
Sandwich Tern - 12os
auk sp - 9E, 5W
Red-throated Diver (above), Sandwich Tern & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Three White-fronted Geese were in the field at the back of the pool this morning, along with c100 Wigeon and Black-tailed Godwits, whilst the pool itself held at least a dozen Snipe, a lone Avocet, three Gadwall, two Shelducks and about 50 Shovelers and Teal.
Also, the ringed Kingfisher was back in the channel opposite again. (A&YF/AH)
Kingfisher (above), Gadwalll and Teal & Snipe around the Ferry (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - After a week's absence, the flock of 24 White-fronted Geese returned today to the fields by Marsh Barn.
There were also 500 Brent Geese flying around some distance away, whilst the banks held a Dartford Warbler, two Stonechats and two Green Woodpeckers. (SR/S&SaH))
Park Farm, Selsey: The fields were busy this morning, with at least 200 Brent Geese, a pair of Mute Swans and plenty of Curlews and Oystercatchers feeding on them, with a Grey Wagtail, a couple of Pied Wagtails and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits also seen. (IP/S&SaH)
Church Norton: The White-fronted Goose was sharing the island with the male Peregrine this morning, whilst the Common Scoter was again in the main channel, and there were large numbers of waders seen, some just in flight, including 300 Golden Plovers, 1500 Lapwings, 100 Knot, 500 Dunlin and 100 Grey Plovers, along with a single Bar-tailed Godwit.
Several hundred Brent Geese were coming and going from the harbour, whilst offshore a Kittiwake and two Gannets went west and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the mud.
Passerines noted included a Dartford Warbler in the low brambles on the spit, with a Stonechat and a Kingfisher nearby, a Chiffchaff at the second Several, two calling Cetti's Warblers and several Goldcrests at various locations. (AH/IP/S&SaH)
Common Scoter (above), Lesser Black-backed Gull & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)
No comments:
Post a Comment