Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 4th

Tuesday, 6th December: Another cold and breezy morning, in the persisting north-easterly airflow, though finally the sun broke through to make things more pleasant.....

Selsey Bill: The first Shag for several weeks dropped in offshore, but otherwise there was just a mix of the regular species again this morning. Full log below. (AH/IP/SR et al)

(0745-0915hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 4E, 13W

Shag - 1os, then E

Brent Goose - 1W

Common Scoter - 14E, 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 3W

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Razorbill - 2W

auk sp - 69W

Shag (above), Gannet & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 19 Avocets on the pool at high tide, along with c60 Canada Geese, c40 Wigeon and Shoveler and c60 Teal. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon, a Kingfisher and a Water Rail were in Red Barn Dich, along with a Little Egret, a Redshank and two Moorhens. (AH)

Kingfisher in Red Barn Ditch (AH)

Pagham Spit, Lagoon and East side: Just one Snow Bunting was at the end of the spit this morning, along with two Rock Pipits, a Meadow Pipit and two pairs of Stonechats, though there was no sign of the Slavonian Grebe, with just two Red-breasted Mergansers on the water there.

Also, a Marsh Harrier was out on the saltmarsh, whilst two Jack Snipe were flushed from the harbour edge and a Kingfisher, c100 Golden Plovers and c800 Lapwing were also seen, among lots of the regular waders.

Also, a Fox was sat out sunning itself at Pagham Lagoon, whilst a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, a Stonechat, nine Goldfinches, five Reed Buntings and 30 Linnets were around the Slipe Field, along with a Red Admiral butterfly.. (PB/SaH/CRJ/B&MC)

The Snow Bunting was still present late this afternoon. (TS)

Snow Bunting (above) & Rock Pipit at Pagham Spit, Linnets & Red Admiral along the East side (CRJ)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - A Black Redstart was by the Oasis Centre this morning, with another two together among the chalets towards Toe End, but the only other passerines noted were a pair of Stonechats in the rough ground near the Windmill and two Meadow Pipits on the rocks at the breach.

A Red-throated Diver was in the breach, with another close inshore further along the beach, with a Razorbill, four Common Scoters and a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers also offshore, with four more of the latter in the breach, too, but all the waders were roosting over on the far side, where there were also 50 Brent Geese. (AH)

Black Redstarts (above), Red-throated Divers, Razorbill, Red-breasted Merganser, Stonechat & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 5th December: It was slightly less breezy, though it remains from the east, leaving another cold and very grey morning.......

Selsey Bill: There were more Gannets about than of late, and up to half a dozen Great Northern Divers were about, too, but nothing was moving through. Full log below. (AH/IP/SR)

(0745-0915hrs) (ENE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2W, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Slavonian Grebe - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 65E, 18W, 12os

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Razorbill - 1E

Gannets (above) & Red-throated Diver at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c75 Canada Geese and six Gadwall on the pool this morning, along with the regular c60 Shovelers and c100 Teal, plus up to 200 Wigeon spread around the pool and the fields. (AH)

Gadwall, Shovelers, Wigeon and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: Both Snow Buntings were back at the far end this morning, whilst a Common Seal swam along the channel. (TG)

Church Norton: There were two female Goldeneyes in the harbour this morning, along with a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, four Pintail and many Wigeon and Teal, but a single male Red-breasted Merganser and two Great Crested Grebes were all that could be seen offshore.

A couple of densely-packed flocks of waders were roosting near the harbour mouth, with at least 100 Grey Plovers, 200 Knot and 500 Dunlin among them, whilst 60 Turnstones were along the beach, but the only other birds of note along the spit were a Kingfisher and dozen or so Skylarks and Greenfinches. (AH)

Goldeneyes (above), Kingfisher, Turnstone & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Ham Viewpoint - Around 50 Reed Buntings and 40 Yellowhammers joined by a good selection of the commoner finches were feeding along an uncultivated field margin, whilst a Kestrel, a Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier went over.

Also, around 20 Meadow Pipits were seen and a flock of Skylarks flew overhead, with a single Curlew, six Tufted Ducks, four Pied Wagtails and three Grey Plovers noted, too. (SR)

North Wall: At high tide this morning there were just a few Wigeon, four Mute Swans and a pair of Pintails on the water, but further out there were 1000 Lapwing and 500 Golden Plover, and a steady stream of Brent Geese were heading inland.
A Song Thrush, a Green Woodpecker and a Chaffinch were around the paddock and a Grey Wagtail was by the sluice, whilst a Weasel was along the rocks, as well as three Rock Pipits and a Kingfisher, with a Sparrowhawk, six Yellowhammers and two Greenfinches along the hedges.
Also, a pair of Shelducks were on the Breech Pool, with eight Teal and a few Mallards, and there were three Marsh Harriers over the reeds. (LP/CT)

Marsh Harrier (above), Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Rock Pipit, Yellowhammer, Shelducks, Mute Swans & Weasel at the North Wall (LP)

Sunday, 4th December: Another cold and very grey morning in a brisk easterly breeze...

Selsey Bill: Seven Slavonian Grebes and three Little Gulls, all going east, were the highlights of another quiet morning. Full log below. (SH/PB/MRB/JA/BI/AH/MO-W/SR)

(0715-0930-hrs) (ENE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Slavonian Grebe - 7E

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 32E, 6W, 2os

Wigeon - 3W

Common Scoter - 6E, 6os

Red-breasted Merganser - 16E, 1W, 11os

Turnstone - 20

Little Gull - 3E

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Common Gull - 7E

auk sp - 1E, 2W

Red-throated Diver (above) & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Selsey: There was the unlikely site of a Water Rail on the lawn of our fairly small garden to the north of the village today. There are no reeds or water anywhere near! (RS)

Water Rail in a Selsey garden (RS)

Ferry Pool: It was back to ducks this morning on the pool, including two Shelducks, c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c200 Wigeon, plus a dozen Mallards, whilst a Kingfisher flew along the channel opposite. (AH)

Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: A Snow Bunting was still at the far end this morning, and a Peregrine was sat out on its island. (LP)

North Wall: At high water this morning there were 20 Avocets in the harbour along with 1000 Lapwings, 300 Golden Plovers, 200 Grey Plovers, 100 Dunlin and a few Black-tailed Godwits on the remaining dry areas, together with a few Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, and a Little Grebe, while a steady stream of Brent Geese, totalling c800, were dropping in on the water before moving off north over the fields.

A Marsh Harrier was behind the Breech Pool and a Jay, a Green Woodpecker and a Kingfisher were around the sluice, but apart from a couple of Wrens along the wall, that was about it. (LP)

This evening six Marsh Harriers were seen, including four coming into roost at the Breech Pool, whilst a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard were also about and two tawny Owls were heard at Halsey's Farm.

There were also c500 Brent Geese and c300 Golden plovers and Lapwings in the harbour. (S&SaH)

Avocets (above) & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Stonechat and two Pied Wagtails was it around the farm this morning. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: Both a male and female Peregrine were out hunting this morning, with the latter seen taking a Teal, and then both went (unsuccessfully) after a Kingfisher, whilst a female Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were also seen.

Also, the female Goldeneye was off Tern Island and at least two Kingfishers were about, butt six Red-legged Partridges behind the churchyard was about it on the land side. (PB/MRB/S&SaH)

Drayton House Pits: The four Great White Egrets were on the North Pit again today with a few Little Egrets, but the 'landscaping' works have continued and much of the reeds and scrub have disappeared. This pit remains good for herons though and 18 Cormorants were also attracted to it. A Bullfinch was heard, though not seen - the first report on the Peninsula since June - but there was little else out of the ordinary.

South pit produced two Kingfishers, 84 Pochard, 40 Teal and small numbers of other ducks, whilst a Water Rail was heard calling. (OM/CRJ)

Drayton House North pit 'landscaping' works (OM)

Fishbourne Creek: A drake Goldeneye, eight Red-breasted Mergansers, four Little Grebes and c50 Great Crested Grebes were spread out across the water at high tide, along with c200 Wigeon, whilst c20 Common Gulls were among the relatively few gulls gathered, and most of the 500+ Brent Geese were on the arable fields east of the pub.

A Spotted Redshank, three Greenshank and c60 Black-tailed Godwits were among the hundreds of waders roosting on the far side, whilst plenty of Dunlin, Grey Plovers, Ringed Plovers and Turnstone started to move about as the tide dropped.

There were very few small birds about, though a Kingfisher flew through and two Yellowhammers and two Reed Buntings were on the harbourside bushes. (AH)

Goldeneye (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, Turnstones, Yellowhammer & Reed Bunting at Fishbourne Creek (AH)