Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 26th

Friday, 28th January: A pleasant frosty morning of hazy sun and just a light and variable breeze.........

Selsey Bill: There were 11 Eider offshore together and at least four Bottle-nosed Dolphins went east a long way out, but it was a quiet morning. Full log below. (BI/AH/SR)

(0750-0905hrs) (NNE, F1)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 3W

Shag - 2E

Eider - 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Oystercatcher - 1E, 1W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

auk sp - 4E, 9W

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 4+E

Great Northern Diver (above) & Turnstone at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least a dozen Snipe were in the roadside reeds and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were roosting on the pool, but otherwise there were just 50 or so Shovelers and Teal present, whilst there was also a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Discovery Area.. (AH)

Later, a Buzzard was in the field and the Kingfisher was back in the channel opposite (GSh), and also a Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel (RJF/DB).

Snipe and Teal (above) & Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Glossy Ibis left Owl Copse early this morning, in the company of the Cattle Egrets, whilst a Rock Pipit was along the wall. (AW)

Glossy Ibis (above), Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret & Rock Pipit at the North Wall (AW)

This evening, at about 1700hrs, two Glossy Ibises arrived to roost in Owl Copse (and it is just possible that other dark shapes may have been additional birds arriving). (GHi)

Glossy Ibises at Owl Copse (GHi)

Earlier, a Kestrel and a Song Thrush were down Church Lane, whilst in the horse field were another four Song Thrushes, a Water Rail, a pair of Stonechats and a Grey Wagtail.
White's Creek was full of Brent Geese along with the usual Wigeon, Teal and Pintail and there were c200 Lapwing out on the mud, along with a few Golden Plovers, and eight Avocets could be seen in the distance.
A Marsh Harrier was behind the Breech Pool which held a Snipe and a Little Grebe along with the regular Mallards and Teal. Along the wall it was fairly quiet with just a few Long-tailed Tits, two Dunnocks three Greenfinches and a Chiffchaff whilst in the fields were a dozen Curlew and a pair of Jays. (LP)

Water Rail (above) & Brent Geese at the north Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A total of 24 Slavonian Grebes - the best count of the winter - were offshore on a flat calm sea, along with the two Long-tailed Ducks, two Red-breasted Mergansers and a dozen or so Great Crested Grebes.

There were also two Goldeneye, five Red-breasted Mergansers and 44 Avocets seen in the harbour. (RJF/DB)

Chichester GPs: Drayton Pit - There were still c40 Redwings present in the area this morning. (BI)

Chichester GPs: Peckhams Copse Lane - A Coal Tit was along Peckhams Copse Lane this morning. (SM)

West Itchenor: Both a Nuthatch and a Tree-creeper were in the small wood at Chalkdock this morning and also six Rock Pipits were along the shore. (BI)

Fishbourne Creek: A pair of Goldeneye were on the water this morning, among the many Wigeon, Teal and Brent Geese, whilst a Spotted Redshank and two Greenshanks were also about, along with c200 Black-tailed Godwits, c100 Turnstones, c50 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin.
Also, a Kingfisher was in the Lavant outflow, at least 200 Common Gulls were among the many gulls present, three Rock Pipits were along the harbour's edge and a Firecrest was in the Apuldram church car-park. (AH)

Firecrest (above), Goldeneyes, Rock Pipit, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Grey Plover & Dunlin, Turnstones and Black-tailed Godwits at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - The big mixed flock of birds, including Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Linnets was still around the cover crops this morning. (GSh)
Later, a Dartford Warbler was along the path heading towards Marsh Barn. (H Lumley)

Linnets (above) & Skylark at Medmerry (GSh)

Thursday, 27th January: After a brief glimpse of early sun, another very grey morning, in aa freshening westerly breeze.........

Selsey Bill: A few Kittiwakes, Gannets and auks went west this morning, whilst ten Eider and two Great Northern Divers were on he sea. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)

(0750-0920hrs) (WSW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 4W

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 13E, 34W

Brent Goose - 3E

Eider - 10os

Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 2W

Turnstone - 3

Mediterranean Gul - 1os

Common Gull - 1E, 2W

Kittiwake - 1E, 25W

Guillemot - 1E

Razorbill - 1E, 24W

auk sp - 10E, 273W

Red-throated Diver (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Mediterranean Gull & a very tame Turnstone at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A dozen or so Black--tailed Godwits were again roosting on the pool, with up to eight Snipe in the reeds, but otherwise there were just two Shelducks and c50 Teal and Shoveler about, along with the Kingfisher in the channel opposite. (AH)

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

Church Norton: There were plenty of birds in the harbour this morning, but only of the regular species, including a Peregrine, c1500 Brent Geese, 50+ Wigeon and Teal and lots of Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plovers, whilst at least 500 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwings flew up from the other end of the harbour.

The only bird on the sea was a single Great Crested Grebe, though a flock of c30 Ringed Plovers flew into the harbour from the beach. (AH/IH)

Teal (above), Brent Geese & Knot at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The Glossy Ibis came in to roost in Owl Copse at 5pm this evening. (C Downie per SOS)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Ham - Around the cover crop was a mixed flock of around 100 Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Goldfinches and Chaffinches, plus a single corn Bunting, whilst the hedges held two pairs of Stonechats, and five Fieldfares were near the WTW along with c50 Pied Wagtails. There was no sign of the Swallow, though.
he pools at Ham Viewpoint held five Gadwall and a Tufted Duck and a few Meadow Pipits, with two Buzzards and two Kestrels seen along the banks, but it was generally very quiet on the low tide. (SR/IH)

Fieldfares (above) & Gadwall at Medmerry (SR)

Ringing recovery - A colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit, seen by Graham Hicks on 21st January at the North Wall, was first ringed as a juvenile at Orwell in Suffolk on 26th November 2008, with it apparently wintering there or the Stour Estuary in Essex every winter since.

It was also recorded in South-west France on 21st September 2012, in Iceland on 5th August 2014 and in East Yorkshire on 22nd June 2019, with this week's record the first away from its regular wintering ground since the. (Eds)

Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit at the North Wall on 21st January (GHi)

Wednesday, 26th January: Another fairly overcast morning, though a bit milder as the breeze shifted to the west.....

Selsey Bill: It remains quiet, though 12 Eider (including two drakes) and up to seven Great Northern Divers were offshore. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0750-0920hrs) (NW, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 5os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 2E

Brent Goose - 7E

Eider - 12os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 5os

Turnstone - 12

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Razorbill - 3E

auk sp - 3E

Red-breasted Merganser (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A dozen Black--tailed Godwits and Lapwing and c50 Teal and Shoveler were all that were on the pool, though the Kingfisher was showing well in the channel opposite. (AH)

Kingfisher (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Honer Reservoir: A Chiffchaff was with a Long-tailed Tit flock close to Pagham Pumping Station, whilst a Jack Snipe was flushed in the flooded field south-east of the reservoir.

On the reservoir itself were 106 Coot, two Gadwall and two Little Grebes, whilst a flock of some 400 Brent Geese dropped in, but only stayed a couple of minutes - the first time I have recorded them on this reservoir.

Also, in the field due west of Marsh Farm were 180 Wigeon, 68 Curlew and 43 Cattle Egrets, with a male and a female Marsh Harrier seen separately in the area. (JDW)

Brent Geese at Honer Reservoir (JDW)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - The Swallow was still around the settling tanks this morning, along with two Grey Wagtails, half a dozen Meadow Pipits and at least 100 Pied Wagtails.

A Jack Snipe and three Snipe were in the maize stubble fields, along with c20 Skylarks and c50 Linnets, whilst the elusive flock of c40 Fieldfares dropped into the trees briefly before disappearing again. (AH)