Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 14th

Tuesday, 16th March: A mainly grey and cool morning, though the north-westerly breeze had eased slightly.........

Selsey Bill: A total of 262 Meadow Pipits and six Pied Wagtails north this morning was the first notable 'visible migration' of the spring, though beyond 31 Brent Geese east, there was little other sign of movement.

Also, the Long-tailed Duck was offshore again, along with four Great Northern Divers and a few Sandwich Terns. (MO-W/AH/IP/SR/AW)

(0700-0930hrs) (WNW, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver – 4os
Brent Goose – 31E
Long-tailed Duck – 1os, drifting E
Red-breasted Merganser – 1E, 2W, 6os
Oystercatcher – 6W
Mediterranean Gull – 1E, 5os
Common Gull – 1os
Sandwich Tern – 2E, 5W, 4os
Meadow Pipit – 262N
Pied Wagtail – 6N

Chiffchaff - 1

Sandwich Tern (above), Mediterranean Gull (SR) & Brent Geese (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: Two Avocets were again on the pool, along with 16 Shelducks, c75 Shovelers, c30 Teal and c50 Wigeon, whilst half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Black-tailed Godwit t the Ferry (AH)

Chichester Marina: The Black Redstart was at its usual field at the farm between Dell Quay and Chichester Marina along Salterns Way this afternoon. (TB/NR)

North Wall: A male Marsh Harrier was flying over the reed beds this morning while three Curlew, a Song Thrush and a Green Woodpecker were in the horse paddocks.

Twelve Pintail were again feeding close to the sluice gates and Whites Creek also held about 30 Brent Geese as well as a Grey Plover and Wigeon, Teal and Redshank.

The Breech Pool was empty apart from two Tufted Ducks and a Great Crested Grebe but the flooded fields held several hundred Wigeon, some 20 Black-tailed Godwits and also about 30 Shelduck, ten Pintail and ten Shoveler.

At least three Reed Buntings were in the hedgerows, three Cetti's Warblers called and two Skylarks were singing overhead. (IH)

Church Norton: The Spotted Redshank was tucked away again by the horse field, but there wasn't too much to report this morning, with relatively low numbers of waders in the harbour, though including the Whimbrel and a few Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, plus at least 30 Mediterranean Gulls, five Pintail and just 40 Brent Geese.

Also, a Kingfisher was in the harbour opposite the horse field, a Chiffchaff was singing sporadically from the Priory, two Jays were in the churchyard and a dozen Meadow Pipits went over. (AH/A&YF)

Knot (above), Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Pintails & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - At least half a dozen Yellowhammers were in the hedges this evening, along with a couple of Chiffchaffs, whilst the flock of 80 or so Pied Wagtails were still on the wheat field and half a dozen Stock Doves were around the buildings. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above) & Stock Dove at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 15th March: A fairly fresh morning of hazy sunshine, but with the breeze still brisk and from the north-west.........

Selsey Bill: It was again quiet, though the Long-tailed Duck popped up offshore, along with three Great Northern Divers, whilst a flock of 28 Brent Geese went east. (MO-W/AH/IP)

(0710-840hrs) (WNW, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver – 3os
Great Crested Grebe – 4W
Gannet – 1W
Brent Goose – 28E, 1W
Long-tailed Duck – 1os
Red-breasted Merganser – 5W, 4os
Common Gull – 1E
Meadow Pipit – 1N

Great Northern Diver (above), Great Crested Grebes & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Ravens went over west together and the two Avocets were on the pool again this morning though, other than a pair of displaying Lapwings, it was just wildfowl, including two Gadwall, 25 Shelducks, c40 Teal, c70 Shovelers and c100 Wigeon. (AH/GM)

Raven (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

This evening, a Spotted Redshank was showing well in the channel opposite, along with a dozen or so Wigeon, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank. (AH/AB)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Apuldram: A Red Kite went over, heading north, late this morning. (SR)

North Wall: A probable Spoonbill was seen flying towards Ferry Channel this morning, and there was also a Marsh Harrier over the Breech Pool. (NR)

The male Blackcap was still in Church Lane this morning, whilst west of Church Barton. reservoir were ten Teal, five Shoveler, three Curlew, 11 Shelduck and 55 Black-headed Gulls.

A male and female Marsh Harrier were seen separately over the reeds behind the Breech Pool, whilst along White's Creek were 260 Wigeon, 55 Black-tailed Godwits, two Spotted Redshanks, a Great Crested Grebe and, unusually, 10 Pintail feeding on the mud close to the sluice gates. (JDW)

Pintail at the North Wall (JDW)

Long Pool: A Chiffchaff, a couple of Cetti's Warblers and a handful of Reed Buntings were all the hedges had to offer, though there were plenty of birds in Ferry Channel, including c60 Avocets, c25 Black-tailed Godwits, a lone Knot, c30 Shovelers and plenty of Wigeon, Teal and Redshanks, whilst two Snipe dropped into the saltmarsh. (AH)

Avocets (above), Black-tailed Godwit & Shovelers from the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much of note this morning, with under 100 Brent Geese seen in the harbour and few other wildfowl beyond the odd Wigeon and Teal, though there were at least 40 Mediterranean Gulls present, with large numbers of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, plus a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, being very flighty as the tide rose.

A couple of Chiffchaffs in the hedges, a handful of Skylarks at the start of the spit and three Buzzards over Priory Wood was, otherwise, about it. (AH/GM/A&YF)

Mediterranean Gulls (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Grey Plovers, Dunlin & Skylark at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 14th March: A better morning, with the wind moderating to a fresh and blustery north-westerly, with a mix of sun and white cloud.....

Selsey Bill: It remains fairly slow, though over 50 Brent Geese went east, as did a few Common Scoters, with one or two Sandwich Terns, Great Northern and Red-throated Divers about, too. (SH/BI/IP/AH)

(0615-0900hrs) (WNW, F4)
Great Northern Diver – 2E, 1W
Red-throated Dive – 2E, 1W
Great Crested Grebe – 1E, 2os
Gannet – 4E
Brent Goose – 53E
Mallard – 4
Common Scoter – 13E
Red-breasted Merganser – 7E, 3W, 4os
Turnstone – 7W
Mediterranean Gull – 8os
Common Gull – 1os
Sandwich Tern – 5os
auk p – 1E
Meadow Pipit – 11N

(1430-1600hrs) (SH)
Red-throated Diver – 1E
Slavonian Grebe – 1os
Great Crested Grebe – 1os
Common Scoter – 12os
Red-breasted Merganser – 2os
Turnstone – 17W
Sandwich Tern – 8os

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

There wasn't too much going on this afternoon, though a Slavonian Grebe and a dozen Common Scoters were offshore. (SH)

West Itchenor: A Wheatear was by the horse ponds near the edge of the harbour this morning. (GM)

Ferry Pool: Two gentlemen doing surveying in the pool meant most birds were absent, though two Avocets and four Wigeon were at the back until they, too, flew off, whilst a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and few Teal and Redshank were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The farm had a Jay, four Pied Wagtails, four Green Woodpeckers, a female Sparrowhawk and what appeared to be at least 25 recently arrived Meadow Pipits around it this morning. (IP)

Pagham: A male Blackcap was in the garden along Church Lane. (JDW)

Church Norton: The Spotted Redshank was still in the creeks near the concrete blocks, as was the Whimbrel, but there were less waders about, though still a few Knot, Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers.

The regular Peregrines chased off an interloper in a dazzling display of aeronautics and a Raven went over east, whilst the Barnacle Goose dropped in with some of the several hundred Brent Geese still present and four Red-breasted Mergansers were towards the harbour mouth, with two more and two Common Scoters offshore.

Also, two Buzzards were over Priory Wood, whilst the Severals had a number of calling Cetti's Warblers, plus at least one Reed Bunting, and a Chiffchaff and at least three Goldcrest were in Bluebell Wood..(AH/IP et al)

Spotted Redshank (IP) (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Barnacle Goose, Barnacle Goose and Brent Goose, Brent Goose & Knot (AH) at Church Norton

Chi GPs - Drayton House pits: The most obvious species by far on a WeBS count this morning was Greylag Goose, with no less than 72 having recently appeared, mainly on and around the South pit, before later dispersing to the adjacent fields. Two Egyptian Geese were present, whilst over 50 Pochard and 60 Tufted Ducks also remained, although there were just a few each of Teal and Shoveler remaining.

Two Marsh Harriers were hunting and two Buzzards likewise with some display thrown in, whilst there was an obvious fall of Chiffchaffs with a total of 20 logged around the various pits. (OM)