Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 22nd

Friday, 24th February: A cold and grey morning, though the north-westerly breeze was fairly light.....

Selsey Bill: Two Great Northern Divers and six Sandwich Terns offshore were the best of a very quiet morning. Full log below. (BI/IP/AH/SR/P&LH)

(0700-0830hrs) (NW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 1E, 2W

Brent Goose - 2E

Shelduck - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 3W, 11os

Oystercatcher - 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 6os

auk sp - 4W

Pied Wagtail - 1

Red-breasted Merganser (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocet and 22 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with c50 Shovelers, c80 Teal and four Shelducks. (AH)

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

Church Norton: Two Ravens went over, heading east this morning, whilst a singing Dartford Warbler, a Reed Bunting and a Cetti's Warbler, whilst 11 Redwings, three Mistle Thrushes and nine Chaffinches were along Rectory Lane, but there were no birds, beyond a Sparrowhawk, along the west side.

A total of 31 Avocets were along the main channel, along with c25 Pintail, 100 Teal and c50 Brent Geese, with at least 500 Golden Plovers and Lapwings further down..

Half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the mud, along with at least 300 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and 800 Dunlin all of which were spooked several times by the two Marsh Harriers that were about. (AH/P&LH)

Ravens (above), Avocets, Golden Plovers and Lapwings & Knot at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Song Thrush, a Greenfinch and two Pied Wagtails were around the paddock this morning and a Rock Pipit and two Chiffchaffs were along the wall.

The usual mix of Wigeon, Pintail, Teal, Grey Plovers and Redshank were in White’s Creek, with a few Dunlin and Brent Geese further out, but there were no Lapwings to be seen. There were c300 Wigeon, 50 Teal, two Shovelers and two Jays on the fields and a pair of Great Crested Grebes were on the Breech Pool along with a Little Grebe.

Also, five Grey Herons were in Owl Copse and at Halsey’s Farm and 13 Black-tailed Godwits were along the rife with a few Wigeon and Teal. (LP/CT)

Rock Pipit (above) & Teal and Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - There were 2 Black Redstarts (male and female) in and around the old go-kart track, with a couple of Meadow Pipits nearby and 35 Curlew in the large grassy field near the old Coastguard cottages. It was quiet offshore with just 3 Great Crested Grebes and 4 R/b Mergansers of note.

On the harbour mudflats was a resting flock of c.800 Golden Plover, these birds becoming increasingly active on the incoming tide – a wonderful sight as they wheeled around in the sky before re-settling.

However, despite my best efforts I failed to locate the recently reported Purple Sandpiper amongst the roosting wader flock of Ringed Plovers, Knot and Dunlin – probably down to my ineptitude or perhaps it really was elsewhere today! A single Greenshank on the back pools was the only other bird worthy of mention. (OM)

Earlier, there were also a pair of Ravens over and a big flock of c250 Linnets on the fields north of the breach. (MW)

Black Redstart (above) & flock of Golden Plovers at Medmerry (OM)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - This morning the first Corn Bunting of the year was singing along the banks, where there were also c.12 Stonechats, and two Ravens went over heading towards the poplars.

The cover crops near Wilson's Farm were more productive today with c.30 Chaffinches, c.50 Linnets and six Reed Buntings in the area. Also, a Buzzard went over, a Marsh Harrier came out of the reedbed at Ham and flew towards Chainbridge and a Cetti’s Warbler was at the viewpoint. (BI)

Corn Bunting (above) & Raven at Medmerry (BI)

This evening a Barn Owl was out hunting the banks, whilst c500 Brent Geese flew into the breach and c50 Lapwings flew into the fields, but two Snipe and half a dozen Meadow Pipits were the only other birds seen. (AH)

Barn Owl (above) & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 23rd February: In a freshening north-easterly breeze, a fairly cold and very overcast morning.........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety offshore this morning, including a group of three drake and two duck Eider, a Slavonian Grebe and six Great Northern Divers, but eight Red-throated Divers east were about the only things on the move.

Also, a Stonechat was on the edge of the field and a flock of 14 Starlings appeared to fly in off the sea. Full log below. (AH/MO-W/SR)

(0730-0900hrs) (NE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Red-throated Diver - 8E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os, then E

Gannet - 1E, 10W

Eider - 5os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 4W, 13os

Oystercatcher - 1E, 2W

Turnstone - 22

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 5E, 40W

Stonechat - 1

Starling - 14N

Slavonian Grebe (above), Red-throated Diver, Stonechat, Mediterranean Gull & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There at least 250 Wigeon on the pool this morning, along with c100 Teal and c80 Shovelers, whilst, otherwise, there were just nine Avocets and two Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Avocets (above), Shovelers & Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Just one Marsh Harrier came in to roost in the Severals this evening. (S&SaH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: It was pretty quiet all round this morning, with just one Cattle Egret and two Little Egrets seen, with very little on any of the fields around the farm, though c50 Chaffinches were near he dairy buildings, and a similar number, plus a dozen Reed Buntings and two male Stonechats were in the hedges between Chalder and Bramber Farms.

There was nothing at all in the churchyard, though a Goldcrest and half a dozen Stock Doves were nearby, and a Snipe, half a dozen Meadow Pipits and a dozen Skylarks were in the fields along Church Farm Lane. (AH)

Cattle Egret and Little Egret (above), Stonechat & Reed Buntings at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

North Wall: A Pied Wagtail. 20 Goldfinches and four Greenfinches were around the paddock this morning, and the male Marsh Harrier was over the reeds further back.
In Whites Creek there were 70 Teal, 14 Wigeon, 12 Pintail, a Little Grebe, eight Black-tailed Godwits, four Grey Plovers, 30 Dunlin and 80 Lapwing, and further out a few Brent Geese and Shelducks.
A Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe were on the Breech Pool and the wet Honer fields were full of birds, with 250 Wigeon, 80 Teal, eight Shovelers, 12 Curlews, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, a Gadwall and a few Meadow Pipits, whilst in Owl Copse, five Grey Herons were busy on their nests and another five were out in the harbour, and at Halsey’s Farm, 28 Cattle Egrets were in the fields and a few Skylarks were singing overhead. (LP)

Grey Herons (above), Great Crested Grebe, Pied Wagtail, Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon & Shoveler and Teal at the North Wall (LP)

Wednesday, 22nd February: Another very murky, drizzly morning, though quite mild and the breeze fairly light and from the north.....

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, with just a few of the regular species about. Full log below. (AM/IP/AH/SR)

(0700-0900hrs) (WNW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Fulmar - 1W, then E,

Gannet - 1W

Brent Goose - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 4os

Turnstone - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Skylark - 1 (heard)

(1615-1715hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 5E

Red-breasted Merganser - 8os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Grey Plover - 5E

Turnstone - 11E

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocets, c40 Lapwings, and c30 Back-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with c60 Shovelers, c40 Teal and five Shelducks. (AH)

Later on, two Water Rails were in Red Barn Ditch. (AM)

Avocet and Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - The Purple Sandpiper was still in the breach area, but flighty, whilst the Black Redstart and an arrival of at least a dozen Stonechats were around the go-kart track. (IP/AB et al)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - A Barn Owl was briefly seen hunting along the bank with a Buzzard in pursuit and a Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Raven went over.
Eight Stonechats, ten Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting, three Linnets, two Meadow Pipits, two singing Chiffchaffs, half a dozen singing Skylarks, a Song Thrush, two Cetti's Warblers,four Stock Doves, a Pied Wagtail, two Long-tailed Tits, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were also seen. (SR)

Sidlesham: Two Ravens went over the garden, calling to each other as they headed west, at dusk this evening. (AH)

Long Pool: A Reed Bunting was singing at the far end this morning, whilst a Little Grebe, a great Crested Grebe and six Tufted Ducks were on the pool.

The Spotted Redshank was at the far end of Ferry Channel, along with a handful of Grey Plovers and Redshanks and c50 Teal, whilst c500 Lapwings came up from further out in the harbour. (AH)