Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 25th -26th February 2023

Sunday 26th February: Another cold morning, but a bit brighter in the still fresh north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, considerably brightened up by a White-tailed Eagle finally being seen at the Bill, flying in off the sea with a wake of gulls and crows behind it. Full log below. (SH/IP/BI/AH)

(0630-0900hrs) (NNE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 6E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 14E, 3W

Shelduck - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W, 16os

White-tailed Eagle - 1N (0820hrs)

Turnstone - 13

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 4os

auk sp - 5E. 73W

(1240-1340hrs) (SH)

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W

Gannet - 12E, 24W

Long-tailed Duck - 1E

Common Scoter - 4E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 6W, 4os

Sandwich Tern - 4os

auk sp - 1E, 1W

White-tailed Eagle and Carrion Crows (BI) above) & White-tailed Eagle and Great Black-backed Gull (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets on the pool again this morning, but just four Black-tailed Godwits, along with c60 Shovelers and c100 Teal, with c200 Wigeon split between the pool and the field.

Also, c400 Lapwings were on the arable fields to the south, opposite Knight Fencing. (AH)

Avocet (above), Wigeon & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail was in the fields his morning and a Song Thrush fle over. (IP)

Church Norton: A quieter repeat of yesterday morning in the harbour, with large numbers of Brent Geese still present, along with a Bar-tailed Godwit, c20 Avocets and c500 Golden Plovers, though there were only about ten Teal today.

A Great Crested Grebe and a Common Seal were all that could be found offshore, whilst it was quiet on the land side, too, with a singing Dartford Warbler and a hunting Kestrel at the first Severals and three Linnets on the beach being about it. (IP)

North Wall: A pair of Stonechats were in the paddock and a Green Woodpecker was by last years nest hole in Little Welbourne, whilst the male Marsh Harrier was up over the reeds, two Chiffchaffs and a Reed Bunting were along the wall and there were still c50 Meadow Pipits in Honer 1 field.

Along White’s Creek were the usual mix of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Redshank, Grey Plover and Dunlin, and 50 Lapwing were on the mud. At Halsey’s Farm eight Black-tailed Godwits and a Little Egret were along the rife, a Skylark was singing overhead, a Kingfisher shot through, and two Buzzards were further back, while in Owl Copse the Grey Herons were again busy on and around their nests. (LP/DH)

Stonechat (above), Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Little Egret & Redshanks and Teal at the North Wall (LP)

This evening there were three Marsh Harriers around the Breech Pool, along with a couple of Snipe, with c1000 Bren Geese in the harbour, whilst 28 Cattle Egrets, six Little Egrets and four Grey Herons came in to roost at Owl Copse. (SH)

Also, the Grey Herons were seen mating in Owl Copse and two Snipe flew in and landed on the saltmarsh. (AWr)

Snipe at the North Wall (AWr)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The White-tailed Eagle was seen here, too, a little later, flying over the poplars, gaining height as it headed north, escorted by the local corvids.

Otherwise, a Merlin was about, along with two Buzzards and four Kestrels, with c500 Brent Geese in the fields, but the Stilt Pool just held four Avocets and four Black-tailed Godwits.

There weren't too many birds along the banks, though they included two Dartford Warblers, five Stonechats, four Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting and a Cetti's Warbler. (S&SaH)

White-tailed Eagle at Medmerry (SaH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - Up to ten Snipe were around various arable fields, but Porthole Farm was quiet beyond a couple of Chiffchaffs and c30 Pied Wagtails, whilst the Medmerry Trail just held half a dozen Reed Buntings,and Yellowhammers, plus a few Skylarks.

At least half a dozen Stonechats were along the banks at Ham, but otherwise there were just a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits about in the blustery conditions. (AH/BI)

Snipe (above), Chiffchaff, Stonechat & Yellowhammer at Medmerry (AH)

Saturday 25th February: Another cold and mostly grey morning in a freshening north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A good count of 42 Red-throated Divers east was the only real evidence of movement, though seven Great Northern Divers and a Slavonian Grebe were on the sea. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/IP/AH/MO-W/SR)

(0645-0900hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 7os

Red-throated Diver - 42E, 1os

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe -2E

Gannet - 16E, 16W

Common Scoter - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 11os

Oystercatcher - 1W

Curlew - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 7os

auk sp - 5E, 109W

(1200-1300hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe -1os

Gannet - 5E, 6W

Common Scoter - 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 9os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 12W

(1545-1645 hrs) (SH)

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Gannet - 30E, 4W

Shag - 1W

Common Scoter - 2W

Turnstone - 10

Sandwich Tern - 3os

auk sp - 19W

Mediterranean Gull (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just eight Avocets and 18 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with c60 Shovelers, c100 Teal and at least 250 Wigeon. (AH)

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

Park Farm, Selsey: This morning, two Red Kites and two Buzzards went south-west over the farm and then one of the former and both the latter were seen heading back over the north of the village. Also, a Sparrowhawk was about. (IP/S&SaH)

Church Norton: Most notable birds in the harbour were c1,500 Brent Geese that were largely gathered on the mud around the entrance and looked to be thinking about moving, whilst ducks numbered 20 Pintail, 50 Wigeon, 100 Teal, the female Goldeneye around Tern Island and a pair of Mallards, with a pair of red-breasted Mergansers heading being the only birds seen offshore..

The usual waders were all present in lower numbers than recently (except no Lapwing), but there was still a flock of circa 500 Golden Plover roosting on the mud; in addition a flock of 22 Avocets were present in the main channel and the lone overwintering Bar-tailed Godwit was present on the mud in front of Tern Island.

Otherwise, a Green Woodpecker flew from the stunted oak at the front of the first Several and the early male Reed Bunting was singing here again once the sun appeared, whist three Linnets and six Skylarks were around the spit. (IP)

Tgis afternoon the pair of Long-tailed Ducks flew west offshore. (DC)

North Wall: A Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker, both female, were in the same tree behind the stables this morning and two male Stonechats were on the fence posts. The mitigation fields contained only five Mediterranean Gulls, a single Curlew and a few Wigeon, while White's Creek held modest numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Dunlin as well as a Grey Plover and about ten Pintail.

Two Great Crested Grebes displayed in the Breech Pool and most birds along the Wall were found in Honer 2 field where there were 200 Wigeon, at least 50 Meadow Pipits, a dozen Curlew and a similar number of Black-tailed Godwits. Five Grey Herons were in or near Owl Copse and there were two Buzzards and a singing Skylark beyond. There was also a Skylark singing in Owl Point while a field near Marsh Farm held 53 Curlew as well as about 100 Wigeon and a Kestrel. (IH/SP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Redwing, a Song Thrush, three Yellowhammers and six Stonechats were along the banks today, whilst c100 Lapwings, c500 Golden Plovers, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, two Egyptian Geese and just four Brent Geese were on the reserve.

Also, a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzards and two Kestrels went over. (S&SaH)

Fishbourne Creek: There were lots of birds along the creek, including at least 1000 Brent Geese, 500 Wigeon, 100 Teal and 40 Pintail, with waders including two Greenshanks, c50 Grey Plovers, c20 Ringed Plovers, c400 Black-tailed Godwits and c1000 Dunlin.

Three Jack Snipe and six Snipe were along the harbour's edge, together with at least six Rock Pipits, but there wasn't much more to report beyond a Lesser Black-backed Gull and c40 Common Gulls among the roosting flock. (AH)