Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Sunday, 6th February: A very windy day, with a gale-force westerly blowing through a few heavy showers and banks of heavy cloud.............

Selsey Bill: A steady stream of Gannets went west, as did 11 Fulmars, with half a dozen Sandwich Terns offshore. Full log later. (SH/JA/SR/AH/IP)

(0720-0920hrs) (WSW, F8-9)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Fulmar - 11W

Gannet - 74W

Brent Geese - 13E

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 6W

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Kittiwake - 20W

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 3W

auk - 7W

(1330-1430hrs) (SH)

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Gannet - 1E

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull -1 os

Kittiwake - 1W

Razorbill - 1W

Sandwich Terns (above) & Fulmar at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 14 Avocets and c30 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with 50+ Teal, Shovelers and Wigeon, whilst the Kingfisher was again in the channel opposite. (AH)

This afternoon the Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel. (JJE)

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

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: The six Glossy Ibises and at least six Cattle Egrets were in the field behind the rolled up astroturf this afternoon. (JJE)

North Wall: The six Glossy Ibises flew into roost in Owl Copse at 1700hrs this afternoon, along with a couple of Cattle Egrets, whilst earlier there were a male and three female Marsh Harriers around the Breech Pool and a Merlin was seen chasing a Meadow Pipit.

There were also a Rock Pipit, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, c500 Golden Plovers and Lapwing and c2000 Brent Geese about, whilst a flock of 19 Barnacle Geese, with nothing obviously different among them, flew over the wall. (S&SaH/SP et al)

Glossy Ibises at the North Wall (MT)

Church Norton: A flock of 17 Barnacle Geese flew around the harbour for about twenty minutes and may have eventually dropped in near the harbour mouth late this morning.

Also, the Red-necked Grebe and a Red-breasted Merganser were offshore and a Raven went over the first Several. (S&SaH)

Otherwise it was just the regular wildfowl and waders, though five Red-breasted Mergansers were near the harbour mouth, five Pintail were in the main channel and at least 150 Knot were among the Dunlin and Grey Plovers on the mud. (AH)

Barnacle Geese and possible 'Cackling-type' Goose at Church Norton (SH)

The Barnacle Goose flock, seemingly containing a 'Cackling-type' Goose and two possible hybrids, were out in the harbour at high tide this afternoon. (SR/JJE)

Barnacle Geese at Church Norton (SR)

Chichester Gravel Pits: Ivy Lake - A total of 110 Pochard were on the main lake, along with a dozen Shovelers, c50 Tufted Ducks, c25 Canada Geese and several hundred Coots, but there wasn't much else. (AH)

Pochard at Ivy Lake (AH)

Chichester Gravel Pits: Drayton Pits - The pits were quiet beyond a few Pochard and Tufted Ducks, whilst c20 Redwings were in the trees in the adjacent car-park and a Woodcock was flushed from nearby trees. (AH)

Redwing at Drayton Pits (AH)

Saturday, 5th February: A bright and blustery morning in a fresh south-westerly, warm in the sun, chill in the wind.............

Selsey Bill: A Bonxie and two Slavonian Grebes went east, with another of the latter on the sea, but otherwise it was just a mix of the regular species. Full log below. (PB/BI/AH/IP/SR/P&LH)

(0730-0900hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 5W

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 2E, 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 32E, 40W, 65os

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 1W

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 10E, 5W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 6W

Great Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Kittiwake - 23E, 1W

Razorbill - 15E, 29W

auk sp - 610E, 106W

(1240-1340hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Gannet - 7E, 47W

Brent Goose - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E

Turnstone - 2

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 10W

Ferry Pool: There were 42 Avocets and 37 Black-tailed Godwits on/around the pool, before they mostly flew off, with 46 Shoveler and c50 Teal and Wigeon also about, whilst the Kingfisher was in the channel opposite, the Water Rail was again in Red Barn Ditch and a Marsh Harrier was over the Long Pool. (AH/PB/MPr et al)

Kingfisher (above) Avocets, Shovelers & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Green Sandpiper was in Honer 2 this morning, whilst a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were over the north fields and in the field southeast of Marsh Farm there were a large number of Brent Geese, Wigeon, Curlew and Black-tailed Godwits.

On the mud in the harbour there were c500 Lapwing and a similar number of Golden Plover, whilst a Rock Pipit was by the Salt House and a pair of Stonechats and a Song Thrush were in the horse paddock. (LP/CT/IH)

Green Sandpiper and Wigeon at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Dartford Warblers and eight Stonechats were along the banks, along with c40 Skylarks, whilst the only waders on the Stilt Pool were 11 Ringed Plovers, a Turnstone and three Redshanks. (S&SaH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat, three Pied Wagtails, three Long-tailed Tits and a Grey Heron were it this morning. (IP)

Church Norton: There were at least 500 Brent Geese, 100 Teal, three Pintail, a single Red-breasted Merganser and 30 Wigeon were in the harbour, along with lots of Dunlin and Grey Plovers, though oddly with just two Knot among them, Also, a Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk were briefly seen, along with a single Common Gull, and the large flock of Golden Plovers and Lapwings went up from the far end.

A Red-breasted Merganser was the only bird offshore, whilst three Red-legged Partridges at Greenlease Farm and four Skylarks over the harbour were about the only land birds noted. (AH/IP/P&LH/MPr et al)

Grey Plover (above), Dunlin, Wigeon, Teal & Common Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 4th February: A cool and mixed morning in a freshening south-westerly, starting overcast, then a fairly short spell of heavy rain before a mix of sun and white cloud........

Selsey Bill: There were lots of Kittiwakes and Gannets offshore and moving west, along with a couple of Fulmars, whilst five Eider and a Great Northern Diver were on the sea. Full log below. (AH/BI/SR)

(0745-0900hrs) (SSW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 1E, 127W, 60os

Brent Goose - 15E

Eider - 5os

Common Scoter - 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Curlew - 1W

Turnstone - 1W

Kittiwake - 64W, 75os

Razorbill - 46W

auk sp - 222W

Fulmars (above), Red-throated Diver & Curlew at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Around 40 Avocets and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool, but there wasn't anything else about beyond the usual Shovelers and Teal. (AH)

Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: This morning there were four Goldeneyes, three Red-breasted Mergansers, four Greenshank and a Spotted Redshank in the creek and a Peregrine flew over carrying prey. (HB)

Church Norton: At least 30 Gannets were feeding offshore this morning, bu otherwise there were just eight Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great Crested Grebe on the sea.

Three more of the latter were in the harbour, along with c500 Brent Geese, c50 Teal and a few Wigeon, whilst waders included an Avocets, c250 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c800 Dunlin, whilst the huge flock of Golden Plovers and Lapwing went up from the far end of the harbour.

Passerines were few, but included a Chiffchaff, two Mistle Thrushes and four Song Thrushes at Greenlease Farm. (AH) This evening two Tawny Owls were calling from Priory Wood. (BI)