Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 27th

Tuesday, 28th February: A more overcast, if slightly milder morning, though still with the breeze brisk and from the north-east.....

Can you help the RSPB? If so, Adam Taylor, the Site Manager for the Eastern Solent Reserves, would be delighted to hear from you. He says, "We’re getting our ducks in a line for Breeding Bird Surveys this year, but with recent staff & volunteer changes we’re a bit short on counters. Would you be able to assist with this important function as we’re looking for additional support... please contact me via e-mail if you are willing to take on a sector."

Adam can be contacted via email at adam.taylor@rspb.org.uk or leave a message with staff at 01243 641508.

Selsey Bill: Another very quiet morning, with little on the move. Full log below. (IP/SR/AH)

(0720-0850hrs) (NE, F4)

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 2E, 3W

Shag - 2E

Common Scoter - 3E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W, 5os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 6

Sandwich Tern - 2os

auk sp - 7W

Common Seal - 1os

Ferry Pool: There were twelve Avocets on the pool this morning but other wise it was just c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c200 Wigeon, plus two Shelducks, present. (AH)

Late this afternoon, the Spotted Redshank was again in Ferry Channel and the Water Rail was again Red Barn Ditch. (AH)

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

Church Norton: It was very quiet here, with just a dozen Avocets in the main channel, five Black-tailed Godwits and a few Knot and Grey Plovers among c200 Dunlin on the mud, with c30 Shelducks and c50 Teal the only wildfowl present.

A distant Mash Harrier was over the North Wall and two Mistle Thrushes and two Jays were in Rectory Lane, but that really was about it. (AH)

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

Sidlesham: Well after dusk this evening a Barn Owl was sitting out on a roadside fence along Cow Lane. (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: Two Greenshank were mid-channel and 11 Pintail were off the Lavant outfall this morning, whilst a Grey Wagtail was on the stream at the Fishbourne Meadows. (RW)

Grey Wagtail at Fishbourne Creek (RW)

Monday, 27th February: A very sunny, but cold morning, with the fresh north-easterly breeze persisting.....

Fascinating report received by BI from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation regarding yesterday's White-tailed Eagle seen at the Bill -

'We can confirm that the White- tailed Eagle that you saw was a female who fledged from the Isle of Wight in 2021 and has the leg ring code G542. After you saw her yesterday she carried on West and is now in Cornwall. She travelled 250km yesterday.'

Selsey Bill: A quiet morning, though four Shags went east together and a Slavonian Grebe and three Great Northern Divers were offshore. (IP/AH/SR)

(0730-0900hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 3E

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1E, 3W

Shag - 4E

Shelduck - 1E

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 8os

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Ferry Pool: There were seven Avocets, six Black-tailed Godwits, c60 Shovelers and c150 Teal on the pool this morning, with 200 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon the Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel, along with four Black-tailed Godwits and a few Redshanks and Teal. (AH)

Spotted Redshank and Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

North Wall: Two Kestrels were around the paddock, and a Greenfinch was by the sluice, with both Marsh Harriers over the reeds, while a Little Grebe was on the Breech Pool and three Grey Herons were in Owl Copse, and in the adjacent fields there were 50 Meadow Pipits and 12 Pied Wagtails.

At Halsey’s Farm 180 Wigeon were on the fields with 12 Curlew, two Stock Doves, a Rook, and a Jackdaw, while two Buzzards were in the trees and a Marsh Harrier was overhead. On the mud in the harbour there were eight Black-tailed Godwits, 50 Dunlin, ten Grey Plovers and 20 Redshanks. (LP)

Curlews (above) & Dunlin, Teal and Wigeon at the North Wall (LP)

Pagham Spit: A flock of 20 Linnets were along the spit with a few Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, a Rock Pipit and three Stonechats, while out in the harbour at low tide there were several hundred Brent Geese and a few Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Redshank, Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Oystercatchers and Turnstones (LP)

Stonechat (above), Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher & Brent Geese, Wigeon and Curlew at Pagham Spit (LP)

Earnley to Almodington: The flock of c20 Fieldfares were still present in the stubble fields along with a Green Woodpecker and three Buzzards. (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were quiet in the breeze, with a couple of Dartford Warblers, a single Stonechat, a dozen Stock Doves, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and c50 Linnets being about it.

The Stilt Pool was quite busy though, not least when c400 Brent Geese dropped in, with otherwise a Greenshank, a Snipe, four pairs of Avocets, a Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, ten Black-tailed Godwits and c100 Teal present. (AH)