Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 25th

Saturday, 26th February: Another bright and breezy day, though with the wind shifting towards the south-east......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit more activity this morning, including four Eider east, ten Gannets west and two Slavonian Grebes and eight Great Northern Divers offshore. Full log below. (JA/PM/BI/IP/SR/AH/OM)

(0655-0900hrs) (ESE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 8os

Red-throated Diver - 1W

diver sp - 2E, 2W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 4E

Fulmar - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 10W

Brent Goose - 2W

Shelduck - 1E

Mallard - 4

Eider - 4E

Common Scoter - 1E, 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 12E, 5W, 10os

Curlew - 3W

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 10os

Common Gull - 17E

Kittiwake - 5E

Sandwich Tern - 5os

auk sp - 2W

(1030-1330hrs) (OM/SH)

Great Northern Diver - 2 os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Gannet - 2W

Eider - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 1W, 6 os (displaying flock)

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 3os

Common Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 12 os

Sandwich Tern (above), Common Gull & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just c80 Shovelers and c50 Teal on the pool, though 25 Lapwings and c100 Wigeon were on the fields and the (metal ringed) Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (OM/AH)

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

Church Norton: A Dartford Warbler was in the gorse along the beach and four Linnets were along the spit, whilst several Cetti's Warblers were calling and a few Long-tailed Tits were in Bluebell Wood.

Around 700 Golden Plovers and 1000 Brent Geese flew up from the far end of the harbour, but otherwise it was the regular mix, including a Bar-tailed Godwit, ten Avocets and a few Pintail among the commoner species and the female Peregrine on its island, and there were also two drake Shovelers on the second Several. (IP)

Runcton Mill: A Grey Wagtail and two Buzzards went over this morning.(MJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The blustery conditions kept the banks quiet, but there were a Dartford Warbler, a pair of Stonechats, a Meadow Pipit, a handful of Reed Buntings and 20+ Skylarks and Linnets seen, whilst three Fieldfares flew over the car-park.

There was little on the tidal areas, though the Stilt Pool held four Avocets, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Shovelers,a pair of Gadwall, c30 Teal, c60 Wigeon andc50 Brent Geese.

Also, there are new fences around the two main islands on the Stilt Pool - presumably in anticipation of the Avocets nesting soon. (AH)

Fieldfare (above), Skylarks, Linnet, Stonechat and Meadow Pipit, Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon & new fencing at Medmerry (AH)

Chichester Canal: A circular walk taking in the canal and flooded field revealed signs of spring in the form of a pair of Mute Swans and Coots preparing new nests and the canal also held two pairs of Little Grebes and a pair of Gadwall.

The flooded field held 27 Mute Swans, seven Black-tailed Godwits and a Stonechat, alongside Black-headed and Herring Gulls and Mallards. (SR)

Stonechat (above), Gadwall & Mute Swan at Chichester Canal (SR)

North Wall: All six Glossy Ibises were in Owl Copse, with four seen flying in and two others sat together in a slightly different area. There were also a dozen Cattle Egrets present along with nine very excitable Grey Herons that had earlier been seen sat together in Honer 2 field.

The Barn Owl was hunting over the Breech Pool at dusk, whilst earlier the male Marsh Harrier was in the same area, whilst two Jack Snipe and six Snipe flew out of the reeds and back in again and two Cetti's Warblers were calling.

Also, at least 1000 Brent Geese, 300 Wigeon and 50 Curlews flew into the harbour, where there were at least 200 Lapwings and 35 Golden Plovers. (BI/AH/LP)

Glossy Ibises (above), Marsh Harrier, Grey Herons & Curlews at the North Wall (AH)

Friday, 25th February: A bright and blustery morning, quite mild out of the persistent westerly.....

A few more archive shots to round off the week, before I give you all a bit of break! These feature the late 1980's and we'll be delving into the 1990's and beyond when this feature returns. And in case some of the newer (or older) observers think they've escaped, my lesser known archive pic's extend well into the new century, so there may be the odd surprise on the way! (OM)

20th Jan 1987 - during a period of severe cold and heavy snow - and my old birding mate Bernie Forbes poses in his new jacket whilst taking coffee at the entrance to Pagham Harbour North Wall.

17th Sep 1988 at Church Norton and a local twitch for an American Golden Plover brings out more than just the locals. L-to-R here are John King, Dave Smith, Richard Ives, Mick Hay and Bernie Forbes, whilst hidden behind Bernie is Keith Maycock.

(below left) Yours truly sneaks in with Dave and Richard for an 'I was there' shot. Note the optics of the day.

(below right) Dec 1988-early 1989 was a busy time for development and habitat loss at the Bill. The upper photo shows the old 'horse field' with development about to start, whilst the lower pic shows the last few chalets about to be demolished at the old Pontins holiday camp.

Selsey Bill: It was again quiet though four Slavonian Grebes and a Great Northern Diver were about, and 23 Mediterranean Gulls were along the beach. Full log below. (SR/JA/BI/CRJ/AH)

(0710-0850hrs) (WSW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2os

Slavonian Grebe - 2E, 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 1W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Oystercatcher - 1

Turnstone - 28

Mediterranean Gull - 23os

Sandwich Tern - 1W

auk sp - 1E, 1W

Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just the usual Shovelers and Teal, plus a single Avocet, on the pool this morning, with c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c100 Wigeon on the fields.

Also, a Spotted Redshank and the regular Kingfisher were in the channel opposite, at least one Water Rail was in Red Barn Ditch and a Green Woodpecker was along the Tramway. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Water Rail & Green Woodpecker around the Ferry (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: A Spotted Redshank, an Avocet and three Greenshanks were along the creek this morning, among the many Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Redshank present.

Four Red-breasted Mergansers were on the water, with other wildfowl including a handful of Pintail among c100 Teal and c400 Wigeon, but there were no Brent Geese about. (AH/GJ et al)

Spotted Redshank (above), Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon & Wigeon and Teal at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Medmerry: Wilson's Farm to Marsh Barn and the Stilt Pool - With visiting birder Linda Mount, I went in search of Corn Bunting but there were none today around the cover crop although we were told some had been seen today, away from the paths in a different spot, though there were still c50 Yellowhammers, c40 Reed Buntings and c70 Linnets alongside the commoner finches feeding around the field, with two Kestrels and two Buzzards overhead.

The pair of Grey Partridges were still in the field opposite the car park, by the Poplars, although not always easy to see, and a single calling Fieldfare flew over. At Easton Viewpoint a Dartford Warbler was heard but not seen, and there were also a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a Green Woodpecker about. (SR)

Late this afternoon a Short-eared Owl was out hunting north of the Stilt Pool. (SP)

Grey Partridge at Medmerry (SR)

Medmerry: Wilson's Farm to Ham viewpoint - A Marsh Harrier was near Wilson's Farm this afternoon, whilst a Corn Bunting was near the Ham viewpoint, where there were also a couple of pairs of Stonechats and a few Skylarks. (CEv)

Corn Bunting at Medmerry (CEv)

Sidlesham: This evening a Woodcock flew across the B2145 from the vicinity of Keynor Copse. (S&SaH)

Chichester Canal: Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the flood today together with six Black-tailed Godwits and the usual Wigeon flock but there were no geese and only c.10 Mute Swans present. A few Skylarks were also singing here.

Along the canal were a good mix of commoner birds including Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, at least a dozen Wrens and two calling Cetti's Warblers whilst at the picnic benches were three Chiffchaffs. Also noted in a nearby hedge was a female Bullfinch. (BI)

North Wall: This afternoon a Short-eared Owl was out hunting over the reeds behind the Breech Pool, and there were also two Marsh Harriers about, three Avocets were in Whites Creek and c100 Black-tailed Godwits and c200 Wigeon were in the fields. Also, at least three Chiffchaffs were in the bushes and two Cetti's Warblers were calling, with a Kingfisher and a Sparrowhawk also seen.

Later, four Glossy Ibises came into roost in Owl Copse, along with 49 Cattle Egrets and at least half a dozen Little Egrets, whilst the Barn Owl was out hunting there after dusk. (AH/BI/S&SaH/NM et al)