Wednesday, 9th February: A warm and mostly sunny morning, despite a moderate westerly breeze.........
Selsey Bill: There were a minimum of 31 Sandwich Terns offshore and around the beach this morning - though hard to tell if they were the Chichester Harbour birds or early migrants.
Three Slavonian Grebes were on the sea, but otherwise it was mostly Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks heading west. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)
(0745-0915hrs) (WSW, F4)
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 2W
diver sp - 1E
Slavonian Grebe - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 2E, 64W, 20os
Common Scoter - 2E, 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 4W
Turnstone - 9
Common Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 2E, 115W
Sandwich Tern - 31os
Razorbill - 1E, 144W, 26os
auk sp - 15E, 347W
Razorbills (above), Sandwich Terns & Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were about 15 Black-tailed Godwits and four Shelducks on the pool, along with c50 Shoveler and Teal this morning, whilst c100 Wigeon were in the fields, six Snipe were in the reeds and the Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (AH)
Kingfisher (above) & Snipe at the Ferry (AH)
Early this afternoon a White-tailed Eagle drifted over the Visitor Centre, heading for Medmerry - probably the first time one has been seen by a number of people locally, despite their regularity quite nearby. (AT/RN et al)
White-tailed Eagle over the Ferry (SRPB)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Wilson's Farm - There was no sign of the Swallow this morning, with Porthole Farm quiet beyond a Snipe, a few Stock Doves, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails and c50 Skylarks around the maize stubble fields and a Stonechat along the trail.
Thee were still plenty of birds around the cover crop field near Wilson's Farm, including at least five Corn Buntings (including one singing), c100 Reed Buntings and c200 Linnets, but with Yellowhammer numbers down to only c30-40. (AH)
Corn Buntings (above), Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Linnets, Stonechat, Skylark & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - The Spoonbill could be seen beside the creek opposite Marsh Barn this afternoon, and there was also a selection of the usual wildfowl including 40 Wigeon, 30 Teal and 25 Shelduck, along with a few Redshank, plus a Buzzard, a Green Woodpecker and a few Yellowhammers in the bushes. (SR)
Spoonbill at Medmerry (SR)
Tuesday, 8th February: A mostly grey and breezy morning, though quite mild in the brisk westerly.........
Selsey Bill: There was a lot of activity this morning, with plenty of Kittiwakes and auks, plus a few Gannets lingering offshore and drifting through west, whilst there were also three Slavonian Grebes, two Great Northern Divers and half a dozen Sandwich Terns about, too. Full log below. (AH/SR/NS)
(0745-0930hrs) (WSW, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 4W, 5os
Slavonian Grebe - 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 4os
Gannet - 3E, 43W, 5os
Brent Goose - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 1W
Turnstone - 11
Dunlin - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Kittiwake - 3E, 183W, 50os
Sandwich Tern - 6os
Razorbill - 18E, 50W, 9os
auk sp - 123E, 202W
Red-throated Diver (above), Slavonian Grebe, Gannet, Razorbills & Kittiwakes at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: Three Avocets were the only waders on the pool, otherwise dominated by c300 Wigeon, along with c75 Shoveler and c100 Teal. (AH)
Avocet and Wigeon (above), & Shoveler,s, Wigeon and Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: The six Glossy Ibises were in the field to the east of Marsh Farm close to the main barn, though surprisingly difficult to see in the long grass. In the same field moving southwards there were also 25 Cattle Egrets, two Little Egrets, five Grey Herons, 2000+ Brent Geese, 340 Wigeon, 80 Curlew and nine Black-tailed Godwits. (JDW)
Grey Herons at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (JDW)
North Wall: A Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the trees behind Welbourne stables, but very little was happening along the wall, beyond a female Marsh Harrier behind the Breech Pool (JDW)
Church Norton: Late this morning the Red-necked Grebe and a Slavonian Grebe were offshore from the spit. (DC)
Earlier, a look along the west side produced at least 800 Golden Plovers, 1500 Lapwing and 800 Brent Geese out in the harbour, along with 200 Knot and lots of Dunlin and Grey Plovers.
There were also a handful of Pintail among a few dozen Wigeon and Teal, whilst a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were towards the harbour mouth. (AH)
Pintail, Dunlin and Knot (above) & Golden Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
Monday, 7th February: A vey pleasant morning after an early frost, with plenty of sunshine and just a light north-westerly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: A loose flock of c50 Kittiwakes were feeding offshore, along with six Sandwich Terns and a few Gannets, whilst four Great Northern Divers were on the sea together. Full log below. (CRJ/AH/IP/SR)
(0740-0910hrs) (NW, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 4os
Red-throated Diver - 6E, 2W, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 3W
Gannet - 3E, 6W, 5os
Brent Goose - 7W
Common Scoter - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 5W, 5os
Turnstone - 12
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Kittiwake - 50os
Sandwich Tern - 6os
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 34E, 6os
Pied Wagtail - 1
Red-throated Diver (above), Mediterranean Gull & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: A group of 44 Black-tailed Godwits were roosting on the pool, whilst otherwise there were four Shelducks, c75 Shoveler and c60 Teal present, with at least 150 Wigeon on the field. (AH)
Also, for the second time recently, a Merlin was around the bird-feeders outside the Visitor Centre. (AT)
Black-tailed Godwits and Shelduck (above) & Shovelers and Teal on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: Most over the waders - including 500+ Golden Plovers, 1000+ Lapwings, 100+ Grey Plovers and 500+ Dunlin - were very flighty, though the two Peregrines were both sat on their island, but there wasn't much else to report beyond several hundred Brent Geese and a few Wigeon and Teal, with nothing to be seen offshore. (AH/CRJ)
Peregrines (above), Grey Plover & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Two of the six Glossy Ibises were in the field just before the track past Chalder Farm reaches Fisher Lane this afternoon. They were hidden in a dip, before they took flight and landed in the same field for a short while before flying off southwards.
When we first entered the field, there were also c30 Cattle Egrets present, whilst nearby a Buzzard was perched in a dead tree, an odd one out in a short row of Poplars. (CEv)
There were also four Egyptian Geese in the area earlier. (TG-P)
North Wall: The Barnacle Geese were seen in the harbour early on and three Water Rails and a couple of Cetti’s Warblers were heard along the wall, whilst two Marsh Harriers were active all morning, showing some courtship behaviour including an attempted food pass.
A walk down the East side saw a large number of waders out on the mud, with a few Ringed Plovers along with many Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Grey and Golden Plovers and Lapwing, and a Peregrine could be seen out on its island.
It was busy around the horse paddock with a Grey Wagtail, a pair of Stonechats, three Song Thrushes and a Great Spotted Woodpecker present, along with a few Greenfinches and Goldfinches in the surrounding bushes.
Also, a Weasel was seen making its way across the sluice gates and a Kestrel was down Church Lane. (LP/TG/PC)
The six Glossy Ibises flew into Owl Copse at 1645hrs, with 43 Cattle Egrets also flying in, and a Barn Owl was again around Halsey's Farm. (PB)
Stonechat (above) & Kestrel at the North Wall (LP)
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