Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 26th

Sunday, 28th March: A mostly grey and overcast morning, fairly cool and with a near gale-force south-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: The first Manx Shearwater of the spring went east this morning, whilst other highlights of a generally quiet morning included a Bonxie and ten Fulmars west, a Merlin in off the sea and c30 Sandwich Terns offshore.

Also, three Common Terns were seen going east past the Coastguard Station, but were not seen off the Bill-tip. Full log below.. (SH/PB/JA/BI/IP/AH/AW)
(0645-1000hrs) (SW, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver – 2W, 1os
Red-throated Diver – 2E
Great Crested Grebe – 1os
Manx Shearwater – 1E (0820hrs)
Fulmar – 11W
Gannet – 6E, 49W
Shag – 4E
Mallard – 2E
Common Scoter – 11E, 2W
Red-breasted Merganser – 5E
Merlin – 1E
Grey Plover 1W
Turnstone – 23
Great Skua – 1W
Mediterranean Gull – 22E, 1W, 2os
Common Gull – 3E, 2W
Kittiwake – 10E, 1W
Sandwich Tern – 9E, 36os

Common Tern - 3E
Razorbill – 1W
Meadow Pipit – 6N

(1500-1700hrs) (SH)
Gannet – 5E, 19W
Shag – 1os
Common Scoter - 3E
Kestrel – 1W
Knot – 20W (some in summer-plumage)
Curlew – 1E
Common Gull – 1E
Kittiwake – 1E
Sandwich Tern – 1E, 36os
Chiffchaff - 2

Merlin (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets again on the pool this morning, along with c80 Black-tailed Godwits, four Gadwall, c20 Teal and Shelducks and c60 Shovelers. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Avocets and Shovelers & Gadwall and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

This afternoon a Swallow and four sand Martins went over (HB) and a Green Sandpiper was seen flying from the Ferry area towards the solar farm, in the direction of the reservoir (AW).
Later on, two Spotted Redshanks were in the channel opposite, along with two Avocets and c30 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (AW) (above), Spotted Redshank & Black-tailed Godwit (AH) around the Ferry

Park Farm: At least 100 Golden Plover went over east late this morning. (S&SaH)

This afternoon there was a Black Redstart on the buildings. (AW)

Black Redstart at Park Farm, Selsey (AW)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A Wheatear was on the rocks this afternoon. (AW)

Wheatear at Medmerry (AW)

Church Norton: At least 50 Sandwich Terns were around the harbour this morning, with several seen carrying fish and displaying, whilst a similar number of Mediterranean Gulls were among the many Black-headed Gulls.

Three Wheatears were near the concrete blocks and two Peregrines were seen mating on their island, but otherwise the harbour was very quiet, with just four Brent Geese and a handful of Teal and Wigeon seen, along with c50 Shelducks, whilst waders were restricted to a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, two Bar-tailed Godwits and a few Redshanks, Curlews and Ringed Plovers.

There was a little more interest offshore, though, including two Great Northern Divers and three Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea and six Gannets going west, whilst the only other birds of note were two or three Chiffchaffs in the sheltered hedges, a Sparrowhawk by the Severals and a pair of Mistle Thrushes in Rectory Lane. (AH/IP/HB/CRJ/S&SaH et al)

Also, this afternoon an Osprey was reported taking a fish from the harbour before flying off north. (per RSPB)

Sandwich Terns (above), Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gull & Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

Saturday, 27th March: Another morning with a fresh and blustery westerly pushing through a lot of heavy cloud, warm in the brief sunny spells but generally quite cool.......

Selsey Bill: The Long-tailed Duck popped up again this morning and a Black-tailed Godwit - a scarce bird here - went west, whilst four Eider went east, four Great Northern Divers were on the sea and a couple of Wheatears dropped in briefly. Full log below. (JA/SH/BI/IP/AH)

(0545-0845hrs) (WSW, F5)

Great Northern Diver – 1W, 4os
Red-throated Diver – 3E, 1W
diver sp – 2E
Great Crested Grebe – 1W
Fulmar – 1W
Gannet – 23E, 4W
Brent Goose – 10W
Eider – 4E
Long-tailed Duck – 1os
Common Scoter – 25os
Red-breasted Merganser – 13W, 7os
Black-tailed Godwit – 1W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 6os
Meadow Pipit – 23N
Pied Wagtail – 2N
Wheatear - 2
Linnet – 9N

(1500-1630hrs) (SW5) (SH)

Gannet - 2E, 6W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Common Scoter - 3E, 25 os

Sandwich Tern - 34 os (including 25 on the rocks by the 'mile basket')

Wheatear at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets and c150 Black-tailed Godwits around the pool this morning, along with c75 Shovelers, six Gadwall, c20 Teal and 24 Shelducks, whilst a Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite.

Also, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were in the Discovery Area, with a couple more of the latter around the Tramway. (AH/IP)

Spotted Redshank (above), Chiffchaff, Avocets, Shovelers and Black-tailed Godwits & Black-tailed Godwits, Shelduck and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Dell Quay: A second-hand report was received of a White-tailed Eagle going over this morning. (per PH)

Ivy Lake: At least a dozen Swallows and 40 Sand Martins were over the lakes this morning. (CN)

Later on, a first-winter White-fronted Goose was among the Canada Geese. (S&SaH)

White-fronted Goose and Canada Geese on Ivy Lake (SH)

Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - Management work was going on here following the scrub removal of the North pit and I spent a while chatting to the ‘gardeners.’ There wasn’t much to report on today; no hirundines, but a female Marsh Harrier showed briefly, whilst wildfowl totals included 35 Greylag Geese, 60+ Tufted Ducks, 40 Pochard, 14 Shoveler and just a few Teal.
Four Cetti’s Warblers and several Chiffchaffs singing, a noisy pair of Jays and two Buzzards were the best of the rest. (OM)

Runcton: Coming to the feeders today were a Chaffinch, three Greenfinches, a Goldfinch and a male Reed Bunting, (CRJ)

Male Reed Bunting in a Runcton garden (CRJ)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Wheatear was on one of the ploughed fields this morning and three Ravens went over. (IP/S&SaH)

Church Norton: A total of 17 Sandwich Terns flew out of the harbour this morning, whilst at least 40 Mediterranean Gulls were among the many Black-headed Gulls present and seven Brent Geese flew into the harbour from offshore.

A Common Scoter and a Shag going east were the only birds offshore, though four Red-breasted Mergansers were among the few wildfowl in the harbour.

Ten Bar-tailed Godwits and 30+ Black-tailed Godwits were among the waders present, along with a handful of Knot and Ringed Plovers, whilst two separate flocks of Golden Plovers, totalling around 200 birds, went up over either end of the harbour.

The two Peregrines, plus a couple of Sparrowhawks, were seen, too, but the only passerines of note were a handful of Chiffchaffs and a couple of Reed Buntings and Linnets. (AH/IP/S&SaH)

Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls (above), Mediterranean Gulls, Sparrowhawk and Carrion Crow, Barr-tailed Godwits, Knot and Grey Plovers, Ringed Plovers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A pair of Grey Partridges were tucked away on one of the arable fields this evening, with a pair of Red-legged Partridges, a couple of Yellowhammers and half a dozen Linnets also in the vicinity. (AH)

Grey Partridges (above) & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 26th March: A bright, but very blustery, morning, with a near gale-force south-westerly blowing through banks of cloud with a bit of sunshine in between......but rainy by afternoon.

Selsey Bill: The first Common Tern of the spring went east early on, one day ahead of the average first date, but beyond a flock of 16 Brent Geese and a handful of Red-throated Divers, there was no other obvious eastward movement.

There was a steady westward movement of Gannets this morning - 146 in total, though, along with five Fulmars. Full log below. (JA/BI/IP/AH)

(0600-0845hrs) (SSW, F6-7)

Red-throated Diver – 8E, 2W

diver sp – 1E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe – 1E

Fulmar – 1E, 5W

Gannet – 6E, 146W

Shag – 1os

Brent Geese - 16E

Common Scoter – 21E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser – 7E, 2W

Turnstone – 36

Mediterranean Gull – 1E, 1W

Common Gull – 3E, 1W

Sandwich Tern – 7E, 6os

Common Tern – 1E

Razorbill – 1W

(1620-1730hrs) (SH/JA/AH)
Great Crested Grebe – 1os
Gannet – 1E, 2W
Brent Goose – 17E
Common Scoter – 25os
Red-breasted Merganser – 2E, 3os
Sandwich Tern – 6os

Fulmar (above), Mediterranean Gull & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Little Ringed Plover was present again this morning, whilst a busy pool on the full tide also contained six Avocets, two Lapwings, c150 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Gadwall, a dozen Wigeon, 35 Shelducks, c40 Teal and c80 Shovelers, along with eight Mediterranean Gulls (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, Black-tailed Godwits, Little Egret, Gadwall and Shovelers & Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Sidlesham: A Blackcap was singing in the garden late this morning. (AH)

Church Norton: Eight Wheatears were all together this morning, feeding in the sheltered part of the horse field, whilst 16 Sandwich Terns were with c40 Mediterranean Gulls and 400 Black-headed Gulls in the harbour.

Otherwise, was there was not much else to report, though 14 Brent Geese were behind the churchyard, with two more, plus c50 Shelducks and c100 Dunlin, in the harbour, whilst a pair of Mistle Thrushes were along Rectory Lane. (AH)

Wheatears (above), Mistle Thrush, Brent Geese & Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Ivy Lake: At lunchtime there were at least a dozen Sand Martins and the first Swallow of the year over the north-eastern corner of the lake. (AW)

Over the course of the afternoon, as the weather deteriorated, Sand Martin numbers increased to 30, and then 70, with at least three Swallows among them, whilst there were also two Egyptian Geese and 20 Pochards present and a Blackcap was singing near New Lake. (AB/MB/BI)