1st - 3rd February 2022

Thursday, 3rd February: A fairly mild morning of sunshine and heavy cloud, with the breeze a little lighter and more south-westerly............

RSPB Warden moving on: We forward herewith a message from Ivan Lang, RSPB warden at Pagham Harbour.....

"After 17 years as warden at Pagham I am moving on to a new position as warden of RSPB Crook of Baldoon in south-west Scotland, starting next week. I have had some wonderful times and seen some special birds. I wish to thank all the local birders for their help over the years. 
Also all the visiting birders that use the blog, I wish to thank you for helping to keep Pagham one of the country's premier birding sites. I will miss meeting with everyone around the reserve, but looking forward to swapping Brent for Pink-feet and Barnacles. I hope for fruitful birding for everyone in the future.                     

Ivan Lang ex-warden Pagham and Medmerry "

I feel sure all readers will join us in wishing Ivan every success in his new venture and thank him for all the good works done here on the Peninsula, in particular his efforts in monitoring and developing the Tern Island, to produce the successful results we (and the terns!) now enjoy. Good luck and well done Ivan.  (Eds)

Selsey Bill: There were a few more Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks than yesterday, but it was generally quiet. Full log below. (SR/AH/MO-W)
(0755-0905hrs) (SW, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 4E, 6W
Great Crested Grebe - 2os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 18W
Brent Goose - 11E
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 1W, 3os
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 1E
Kittiwake - 15W, 6os
Razorbill - 3W
auk sp - 6E, 178W
Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 1os

Red-throated Divers (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 58 Avocets on the pool late this morning, along with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Teal and Shoveler, whilst at least five Snipe were in the reeds, c50 Wigeon were on the fields and the Kingfisher was briefly in the channel opposite. (AH)

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

Long Pool: There was absolutely nothing along the pool, but the far end of Ferry Chanel was fulls of birds until, first a Marsh Harrier, then a Peregrine upset them all.

Among species seen were c50 Avocets (that later flew to the Ferry), c800 Golden Plovers, c1500 Lapwings, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, a dozen Pintail and Shelducks, c50 Wigeon and c100 Teal, with 20 Curlews out on the fields. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Pintail, Teal, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits & Golden Plovers from the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: The six Glossy Ibises dropped into Owl Copse at 1645hrs today, with at least 30 Cattle Egrets also going in to roost. (CM et al)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Spoonbill, now starting to acquire some breeding plumage, was on the Stilt Pool this afternoon, and 20 Snipe flew out from the southern end, too.
Also, a Raven was sat out, calling, from the poplars and a couple of calling Dartford Warblers were along the banks. (AT)

Wednesday, 2nd February: A bright and breezy morning, a little milder than of late in the moderate westerly............

Selsey Bill: A Swallow was around the houses for several minutes early this morning - we will never know for sure, but it is a distinct possibility that this was the one seen here in early January and has been overwintering around the Broadreeds Estate.

Otherwise, it was extremely quiet offshore, with not much more than a handful of Red-throated Divers on the move. Full log below. (MO-W/AH/SR)

(0750-0905hrs) (W, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 4W

diver sp - 3E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Brent Goose - 2E

Common Scoter - 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 3os

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Kittiwake - 2W

auk sp - 2E

Swallow - 1

Swallow (above), Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least 50 Black-tailed Godwits and 150 Wigeon were feeding on the field this morning, whilst c40 Avocets, plus the usual Shovelers and Teal were on the pool, and a Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Teal & Avocets around the Ferry (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham:  The six Glossy Ibises were around the farm this morning. (AW)

Glossy Ibises at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AW)

Later, at least 40 Cattle Egrets were spread between Chalder Farm and Bramber Farm, where there were also 25 Curlews and a few Stock Doves among the Wood Pigeons, plus a couple of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, but there really was very little else to report. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Meadow Pipit & Curlews at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe and three Slavonian Grebes were reported offshore from the spit by others this morning, but otherwise there were just two Great Crested Grebes and two Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea, and the harbour just held the usual mix of waders, along with c1000 Brent Geese in the main channel and plenty of Wigeon and Teal. (AH et al)

Grey Plover (above) & Teal at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall:  The six Glossy Ibises were seen leaving Owl Copse just before sunrise this morning. (AW)

Glossy Ibises at the North Wall (AW)

Apart from a Sparrowhawk, nine Yellowhammers and a Rock Pipit, it was quiet along the wall later on. 

There was a large gathering of birds in the large field south-east of Marsh Farm, including 2200 Brent Geese, 240 Wigeon, 110 Curlew and 14 Black-tailed Godwits plus a large number of various gulls including Common, whilst a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpeckers were close to Honer Farm. (JDW)

Also, two Marsh Harriers were over the wall this morning and a Weasel was seen hunting along the rocks. (PB)

Brent Geese on the North Fields (JDW)

Tuesday, 1st February: A fairly cool and grey morning, brightening up later, though still with a brisk north-westerly blowing.......

As a point of interest, the January total for the Peninsula was 140 species, the highest recorded since we started the blog. 

All the up-to-date statistics can be accessed from the header bar above. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: Inevitably, it was a much quieter morning than yesterday, but there were seven Eider and a few Common Scoters about, and still few Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks moving west. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0745-0915hrs) (NW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 10W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 19W, 10os

Brent Goose - 1W

Eider - 7E

Common Scoter - 7W, 6os

Red-breasted Merganser - 5W, 3os

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Common Gull - 5W

Kittiwake - 49W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Razorbill - 113W

auk sp - 132W

Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Divers, Kittiwake, Common Scoters, Common Gull & Gannet and Razorbills at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Five Snipe were back in the roadside reeds this morning, but beyond the 40 or so Avocets present there were just the usual Shovelers and Teal and a dozen Wigeon, with nothing on the field, save a Kestrel. (AH)

Avocet (above), Snipe & Kestrel at the Ferry (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: An adult Yellow-legged Gull was among the gulls in the creek this morning. (SM)

On a blustery afternoon there was the usual range of wildfowl and waders, including, bfore the tide dropped, several hundred Brent Geese off the Lavant outfall, along with four Goldeneye (three males) and five Pintail.

there was also a Grey Wagtail at the waters edge, and later a Spotted Redshank was in the outflow stream, whilst at Dell Quay there were three Greenshank on the far shore and 40 Turnstone near the boatyard. (RW)

Yellow-legged Gull at Fishbourne Creek (SM)

North Wall: The six Glossy Ibises came into roost again, though a bit later tonight. (MT et al)

Glossy Ibises at the North Wall (MT)

Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe was offshore again this morning, along with at least half a dozen Slavonian Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers, and there were also a handful of distant Gannets, too.

A Kittiwake inside the harbour was unusual, but otherwise there were three more Red-breasted Mergansers, plenty of Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal and the Whimbrel was among the many regular waders. 

Two Goldcrests were between the Severals and a few Long-tailed Tits were about, but Greenlease Farm just produced a Raven over, three Jays, a Green Woodpecker and a Red-legged Partridge.. (AH/ESt et al)

Red-breasted Merganser (above), Wigeon & Goldcrest Church Norton (AH)