Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 1st

Friday, 3rd March: Another cold, but sunny, morning in a fresh north-easterly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: The pair of Long-tailed Ducks were around again this morning, along with five Great Northern Divers, but again there wasn't much on the move. Full log below. (BI/AH/IP/SR/P&LH)

(0645-0845hrs) (NE, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 4os

Gannet - 3E, 2W

Long-tailed Duck - 2os

Common Scoter - 1E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 9W, 13os

Turnstone - 1

Sandwich Tern - 1os

auk sp - 3E, 11W

(1545-1645hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1e

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 1E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5os

Turnstone - 1

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Ferry Pool: There were 14 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal, with c120 Lapwings and c200 Wigeon on the field, whilst the Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite together with two Black-tailed Godwits and four Redshanks. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocet & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon there were single Water Rails showing at either end of Red Barn Ditch. (AH)

Water Rail in Red Barn Ditch (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much in the harbour this morning, with just 100 Brent Geese, c20 Shelducks, 40 Teal and c50 Wigeon, along with seven Black-ailed Godwits, a Ringed Plover, c300 Grey plovers and c500 Dunlin spread around the mud.

Also, a Firecrest and a Goldcrest were in the churchyard and a Raven went over the horse field. (P&LH)

North Wall: A Spoonbill flew north over the wall this morning and a Kestrel and both Marsh Harriers were also about, while there were still plenty of Brent Geese about, with 500 in White’s Creek along with 80 Teal, 24 Wigeon, eight Pintail, nine Black-tailed Godwits, two Grey Plovers, 16 Redshank and 50 Dunlin.
A Rock Pipit was along the wall and six Chiffchaffs were along the bushes, and in Honer 1 there were at least 80 Meadow Pipits and 12 Pied Wagtails, while four Grey Herons were also in the fields, with two more on their nests in Owl Copse. Also, at Halsey’s Farm 250 Wigeon were in and around the rife along with a few Teal and a Little Egret. (LP)

This afternoon a Cattle Egret, a Marsh Harrier and a Rock Pipit were seen from he wall, whilst there were a lot of birds in the adjacent harbour, including c1000 Brent Geese, 18 Pintail, two Shovelers, 50 Grey Plovers, 40 Lapwings, 25 Black-tailed Godwits and c200 Dunlin. (P&LH)

Spoonbill (above), Chiffchaff, Rock Pipit, Brent Geese & Black-tailed Godwits at the North wall (LP)

Hunston: A Red Kite flew over the road this morning. (P&LH)

Donnington: A Lesser Black-backed Gull was sitting out this afternoon,, where it often does, on the telegraph pole in the pub carpark. (IP)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach and Chainbridge - The female Black Redstart was still around the go-kart track, whilst a pair of Stonechats were on the banks by the breach, along with a handful of Meadow Pipits, whilst the banks towards Chainbridge held another 40 of the latter and a couple of Skylarks and Linnets.

The tidal area was very empty on the low high tide, with just half a dozen Brent Geese and a few Oystercatchers, Curlews and large gulls present. (AH)

Black Redstart (above), Stonechat & Meadow Pipit at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 2nd March: A very bright morning after a sharp frost, with the breeze moderate and still from the north-east.......

Selsey Bill: A total of eight Great Northern Divers offshore, including four together, and a single Pied Wagtail in off the sea were the best of another quiet morning. Full log below. (AH/SR/MO-W)

(0720-0850hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 8os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 4W, 9os

Turnstone - 2

Sandwich Tern - 1W

auk sp - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Common Seal - 1os

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 5os

Ferry Pool: This morning there were ten Avocets, four Lapwings and 25 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool, along with c50 Shovelers, c150 Teal and c200 Wigeon, plus two Shelducks and six Mallards. (AH)

Avocets (above), Black-tailedGodwit and Lapwing & Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Two Redwings flew out from the hedges this morning, but otherwise there were just two Reed Buntings and four Linnets seen, though up to a dozen Snipe and a couple of Skylarks came up from the adjacent fields and c200 Lapwings were on the overgrown next fields to the south.

A couple of Little Grebes and Coots were all that was on the pool itself, whilst the Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel, along with two Grey Plovers, c40 Dunlin and a scattering of Redshanks, Teal and Wigeon. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Grey Plover, Snipe, Reed Bunting, Skylark & Little Grebe at the Long Pool (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: Highlights along the creek this morning included a Spotted Redshank, an Avocet, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Marsh Harrier. (SM)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Porthole Farm - There was a notable increase in Chiffchaff numbers this afternoon, with at least 30 along the trail hedges but other small birds kept a low profile in the windy conditions, whilst c50 Pied Wagtails were around the water treatment works, as were a good number more Chiffchaffs.
Also, two Cetti's Warblers were heard, and a single Stonechat and Linnet were seen, along with two Long-tailed Tits, two Skylarks and a Green Woodpecker, whilst four Buzzards and a Barn Owl were over the fields, as was a flock of c750 Brent Geese. (SR)

Chichester Canal: A look either side from Donnington was very quiet, with three or four Chiffchaffs the only birds in the bushes beyond just a few of the commonest species, and nothing on the water beyond a couple of Little Grebes and plenty of Coots, Moorhens and Mallards, though there were three Buzzards over the fields. (AH)

Chiffchaffs (above) & Buzzard at Chichester Canal (AH)

Wednesday, 1st March: The first day of spring was another cool and grey, if slightly milder, morning in a fairly brisk north-easterly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: It remains quiet, though a pair of Long-tailed Ducks flew in and landed offshore and a flock of 14 Pintail went east. Full log below. (SR/P&LH/AH)

(0725-0910hrs) (NNE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 5W

Gannet - 4E, 1W, 3os

Little Egret - 1E

Pintail - 14E

Long-tailed Duck - 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 1W, 12os

Turnstone - 2

Sandwich Tern - 9os

auk sp - 2E, 6W

Pintail (above), Sandwich Tern, Red-breasted Merganser & Little Egret at the Bill (AH)

This afternoon the pair of Long-tailed Ducks were showing well, close inshore. Full log below. (P&LH)

(1300-1430hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Long-tailed Duck - 2os

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 3os

Turnstone - 18

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Guillemot - 1E

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 5os

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 9os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

auk sp - 1W

Long-tailed Ducks at the Bill (LH)

Ferry Pool: There were 12 Avocets and 32 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, but fewer wildfowl than of late, namely just c40 Shovelers, c60 Teal and five Shelducks. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was just the usual mix of waders and wildfowl in the harbour this morning, including a single Knot, a Ringed Plover, four Black-tailed Godwits, 30 Grey Plovers, two Pintail, 40 Teal, 15 Wigeon, 30 Shelducks and 30 Brent Geese, along with a Mediterranean Gull.

There were also a Mistle Thrush in Rectory Lane and there were three Green and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers about, too. (P&LH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: It was very quiet around the fields and hedges this morning, with a couple of Linnets and c50 Meadow Pipits along Church Farm Lane and a handful more of the latter, along with a couple of Pied Wagtails and Greenfinches and c30 Chaffinches around the dairy unit being the only birds seen beyond gulls and corvids.

Two Goldcrests were the only birds seen in the churchyard, though the Firecrest was showing well in the hedges opposite the gate in Church Farm Lane. (AH)

Firecrest (above) & Meadow Pipit at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

North Wall: A Pied Wagtail was in the paddock and a Kestrel, a Goldcrest, a Greenfinch and a Chiffchaff were by the sluice, while in White’s Creek there were still a few Wigeon, Teal and Pintail together with four Grey Plovers, 30 Dunlin, eight Redshank and a Stock Dove and on the Breech Pool there were two Great Crested Grebes, two Shelduck, four Teal, two Mute Swans and a Cormorant.

Both the male and female Marsh Harriers were over the reeds further back, whilst three Rock Pipits were along the wall and another Chiffchaff, a Meadow Pipit and a few Long-tailed Tits were along the bushes.

In the Honer 2 field there was a large gathering of c1200 Brent Geese including one Pale-bellied Brent Goose, whilst five Grey Herons were in Owl Copse and at Halsey’s Farm, eight Black-tailed Godwits were along the rife, a Jay and a Buzzard were in the trees and 14 Cattle Egrets were in the fields. (LP)