Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 26th

Wednesday, 28th December: A pretty miserable morning in a near gale-force south-westerly, with persistent spitty drizzle giving way to heavier rain........

Selsey Bill: There was a reasonable selection this morning, but no numbers of anything other than 175 Gannets west. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/SR)

(0800-1000hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 11W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 5W, 2os

Gannet - 175W

Brent Goose - 20E, 4W

Common Scoter - 2E, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 5W, 4os

Turnstone - 3

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 6W

Sandwich Tern - 9os

Razorbill - 11W

auk sp - 94W

Later on, two Purple Sandpipers went west, and this afternoon a Fulmar went west and 32 Common Scoters went east. Full log below.

(1200-1330hrs) (SH)

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 3W

Common Scoter - 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Purple Sandpiper - 2W

Turnstone - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

(1445-1545hrs) (AH)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 6W

Common Scoter - 32E, 14os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2os

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Terns (above), Common Scoters, Gannet & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c50 Shovelers, c50 Wigeon and c100 Teal around the pool, plus a Little Grebe, with just a couple of Redshanks in the channel opposite. (AH)

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A total of 118 Great Black-backed Gulls and 50 Mediterranean Gulls were on the fields this afternoon. (SH)

Church Norton: There really was very little to report in the dismal conditions this morning, beside the usual mix of c300 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c800 Dunlin, plus a few Curlews and Redshanks, on the mud, with wildfowl comprising just half a dozen Brent Geese, four Shelducks and a Wigeon. (AH)

Knot (above), Grey Plover and Dunlin & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Bank Holiday Tuesday, 27th December: A reasonably pleasant morning of sun and some heavy cloud in a freshening south-westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: The Red-necked Grebe went by west again and a Slavonian Grebe was on the sea, whilst another 81 Red-throated Divers went west, including an impressive 36 birds in one large, loose flock. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/SR)

(0745-1000hrs) (SW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 81W, 3os

Red-necked Grebe - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 4os

Gannet - 99W, 100os

Brent Goose - 2E, 3W

Pintail - 1W

Eider - 2E

Common Scoter - 4E, 9W, 3os

Red-breasted Merganser - 16E, 4W

Kestrel - 1

Turnstone - 13

Mediterranean Gull - 4W, 3os

Common Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 15os

auk sp - 7E, 3W

(1330-1430hrs) (SH)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 5W

Common Scoter - 6os

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 13os

auk sp - 3W

Grey Seal - 1os

Red-throated Divers (above), Sandwich Tern & Sandwich Tern and Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c150 Wigeon and Teal and c75 Shovelers on and around the pool this morning, with two Avocets and six Redshanks in the channel opposite. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat, two Pied Wagtails and three Bent Geese were around the fields this morning. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There were again very large numbers of waders in the harbour, including a huge flock of c800 Golden Plovers and c1000 Lapwings, 19 Avocets, c400 Black-tailed Godwits, c300 Knot, c150 Grey Plovers and c600 Dunlin, though rather fewer wildfowl, with just 25 Pintail, c50 Wigeon and Teal and 40 Brent Geese noted, and no small birds of note at all.

There were also a Red-breasted Merganser on the sea and a Red-throated Diver west offshore. (AH/S&SaH)

Golden Plovers (above), Grey Plover, Knot & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Red-breasted Merganser was in White’s Creek along with a few Wigeon, while four Dunlin were on the mud with the regular Redshanks.

A Kingfisher was by the sluice and a Rock Pipit was along the wall, but the Breech Pool held just a couple of Mallards, though behind the pool, two Marsh Harriers were active all morning, but it was generally quiet. (LP)

Marsh Harriers (above), Red-breasted Merganser & Mallards at the North Wall (LP)

Boxing Day, Monday, 26th December: A fairly bright morning, if a little cooler than of late, and clouding up later....

Selsey Bill: There was another good westward movement of Red-throated Divers this morning, including a flock of 19, and more Gannets, too. Full log later. (SH/SR/BI/AH/IP/RAI)

(0745-0930hrs) (WNW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 79W, 3os

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 310W

Brent Goose - 17W

Eider - 1W

Common Scoter - 6W, 9os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W, 4os

Mediterranean Gull - 6W

Kittiwake - 8W

Sandwich Tern - 8os

Razorbill - 4E, 4W

Guillemot - 2W

auk sp - 23E, 250W

Rock Pipit - 1

Meadow Pipit - 1W

Linnet - 2W

Red-throated Divers (above), Great Northern Diver, Guillemot & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

(1240-1340hrs) (SH)
Red-throated Diver - 8E, 1os
Gannet - 6E, 10W, 50os
Common Scoter - 13E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W
Turnstone - 9
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Common Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 8os
auk sp - 2E, 6W
Pied Wagtail - 1

Later, at least 20 Sandwich Tern were offshore and 14 Common Scoters went east. (AW)

Sandwich Tern (above) & Common Scoters at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: The pool just held ducks again - namely c50 Shoveler and Wigeon and c100 Teal, with just a few Redshanks in the channel opposite, whilst a Water Rail was in Red Barn Ditch and a Chiffchaff and a few Long-tailed Tits were along the Tramway. (AH)

Four Egyptian Geese were seen flying east over the fields to the south of the Ferry this morning. (S&SaH)

Water Rail (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Song Thrush and a Kestrel were in the farm area this morning, and the fields contained 150 feeding Curlews along with a small flock of Meadow Pipits and two Pied Wagtails. (IP)

Church Norton: There were a lot of waders spread out across the mud this morning, including 17 Avocets, c100 Grey Plovers, c200 Knot, c 300 Black-ailed Godwits,c800 Dunlin, c400 Golden Plovers and c200 Lapwings, with c30 Pintail among 100+ Wigeon and Teal, and c200 Brent Geese on the far side.

Four Egyptian Geese flew low oven the harbour, heading east, whilst the Greenshank was back feeding in the channels in the very southern part of the harbour, with other birds here including two male Red-breasted Mergansers, and offshore there was an immature male Eider.

There weren't too many passerines about, though, with a Mistle Thrush in the car-park, a dozen Skylarks along the spit, a dozen Long-tailed Tits and a couple Goldcrests and Cetti's Warblers around the Severals and a couple of Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings along the west side the only birds of note. (AH/IP)

Egyptian Geese (above), Mistle Thrush, Avocets & Golden Plovers and Lapwings at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Short-eared Owl was over the reserve this morning, as were three Kestrels, with c700 Golden Plovers and c1500 Lapwings being disturbed by a Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk.

Also, 500 Brent Geese were on the fields, 13 Snipe were on the Stilt Pool and the banks held two Stonechats and four Yellowhammers. (S&SaH/HB)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was present once again this morning, though it was favouring the area around the base of the old hide. (TG)

Later, a Goldeneye was on the Lagoon, along with 10 Tufted Ducks and a few Little Grebes and seven Skylarks were along the spit, with the Snow Bunting was back in its usual place, but more mobile than usual.

Out in the harbour towards the East Side there was a huge collection of all the regular harbour species together with an Avocet and a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers, whilst a Sandwich Tern was fishing near the harbour mouth, two Red-throated Divers were on the water and a Gannet went by a bit further out.

At high tide many of the waders in the harbour relocated to the new part of the spit, with about 1000 birds in total made up of Dunlin, Grey Plover, Knot, Ringed Plover, Turnstones and Oystercatchers. (LP)