Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 20th

Wednesday, 22nd March: Another wet and windy morning, with a fresh and blustery south-westerly pushing through almost continuous belts of drizzly rain............

Selsey Bill: A very slow morning in poor conditions! Full log below. (SR/IP/MO-W/AH)

(0705-0835hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Gannet - 18W

Brent Goose - 8E

Turnstone - 9

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 6os

(1630-1730hrs) (SH)

Oystercatcher - 5E,

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 9os

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was in the concealed roadside pool again this morning, whilst a dozen Avocets were on the main pool, along with a drake Gadwall, eight Shelducks, c30 Teal, c50 Shovelers and a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls. (AH/TG-P/NR)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Greenfinches, Goldfinch and Blue Tit at the Ferry (AH)

The Spotted Redshank was once again in Ferry Channel this evening. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - There was very little to report from here this morning in dismal conditions - with the pair of Egyptian Geese and now just seven goslings the highlight, with otherwise just a handful of Great Crested Grebes and Pochards and c30 Tufted Ducks on the water and a couple of Chiffchaffs along the paths. (AH)

Later on, 12 Sand Martins were over Copse Lake (AB), and a House Martin and three more Sand Martins were over Ivy Lake (SR).

Egyptian Geese (above) & Pochard at Chichester GPs (AH)

Church Norton: A quick look this evening produced c125 Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour, along with c30 Teal, c50 Dunlin, c30 Sandwich Terns and lots of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, whilst half a dozen Chiffchaffs were in the hedges near the hide. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 21st March: Another very breezy morning, with rain early on, and then a mix of sunshine and cloud in a fresh south-westerly............

Selsey Bill: A pair of Wheatears were present this morning, but again, despite a bit of variety, very little was moving offshore. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/P&LH)

(0715-0900hrs) (SW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 2E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 3E, 33W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 25E

Common Scoter - 21E, 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 2W

Turnstone - 1W

Common Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 18os

Meadow Pipit - 2N

Wheatear - 2

(1215-13125hrs) (P&LH)

Gannet - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 1E

Wheatears (above), Fulmar, Sandwich Tern & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 12 Avocets, five Black-tailed Godwits and two Lapwings on the pool this morning, along with six Gadwall, 11 Shelducks, c25 Teal and c50 Shovelers. (AH)

Avocet and Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon the Spotted Redshank was once again in Ferry Channel. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake - The first Sand Martin of the year was feeding high over the lake this morning, and there was also a Blackcap singing along the path. (BI)

Later on, there were six Sand Martins over the lake, with a Common Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull on the water, along with a Black Swan, a Shoveler, c20 Pochards, with four Great Crested Grebes, c30 Tufted Ducks, two Greylag Geese and the pair of Egyptian Geese and eight goslings.

There were also six Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler and three Long-tailed Tits along the paths. (P&LH)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail - A Blackcap was in the hedge alongside Ferry Field and there were also 14 Chiffchaffs, two Long-tailed Tits, two Kestrels, and a Green Woodpecker along the trail, but it was very windy by the settling tanks, where there were just 20 Pied Wagtails and a couple more Chiffchaffs. (SR)

Fishbourne Creek: On the high tide there were only a few waders to be seen with Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit being noted, whilst on the water there were c30 Brent Geese, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 18 Pintail and reduced numbers of Wigeon and Teal.

The gull flocks contained over 100 Black-headed Gulls and Common Gulls, plus good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls, with their calls being heard frequently overhead, a few Herring Gulls and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

At the Lavant outfall a Cetti's Warbler sang briefly and on the shore nearby were a Grey Wagtail and a Rock Pipit, whilst two Yellowhammers were present towards Fishbourne and at the back of Fishbourne Mill Pond there were nine Gadwall and four roosting Little Egrets. (RW)

North Selsey: The Firecrest was still in our garden today, and there may well have been two. (AW)

Firecrest in a Selsey garden (AW)

North Wall: On a rising tide there were just a few Wigeon out on the water but further back on the mud there was a group of about 80 Grey Plovers and 30 Dunlin, along with 14 Shelduck and a pair of Pintails.

It was quiet along the wall, with just the regular Curlew by the rocks and five Goldfinches, two Chiffchaffs and two Reed Buntings in the bushes, whilst out in the fields there were 38 Curlews and nine Brent Geese, while at Halsey’s Farm 74 Wigeon and six Teal were along the rife, and 86 Black-tailed Godwits were in the harbour.

Also, the pair of Great Crested Grebes were on the Breech Pool and a Marsh Harrier and two Buzzards were over the reeds further back. (LP)

Marsh Harrier (above), Curlew, Black-tailed Godwits & Grey Plovers a the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A female Black Redstart in the churchyard was about the only migrant about, though half a dozen Chiffchaffs were still in the hedges by the Mound, with a couple of Mistle Thrushes and Green Woodpeckers also around and a dozen Skylarks and Linnets and four Meadow Pipits seen along the beach, with a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard noted, too.

A total of 43 Sandwich Terns were in the harbour among the many Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, but a dozen Teal and a couple of Wigeon and Shelducks were the only wildfowl about, and waders were few, too, though included a dozen Ringed Plovers and 21 Curlews. (P&LH/AH)

This evening two Marsh Harriers came in to roost in the first Several at 1700hrs, and there were also a Stonechat and three Cetti's Warblers nearby, whilst c40 Black-tailed Godwits were in the harbour and seven Chiffchaffs were in the hedges by the Moiund. (S&SaH)

Black Redstart (above), Chiffchaffs, Sandwich Terns & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 20th March: A fairly cold and miserable morning of intermittent drizzle under leaden skies in a fresh and blustery south-westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A Wheatear came in, five Siskins went over and 67 Brent Geese went east this morning, but otherwise most birds were heading west, including some very close Gannets. Full log below. (IP/AH/MO-W/SR)

(0705-0905hrs) (WSW, F5)

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 2E, 69W, 3os

Brent Goose - 67E

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 2W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Razorbill - 2W, 1os

Wheatear - 1

Siskin - 5N

Wheatear (above), Common Scoter & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were at least 110 Shovelers on the pool this morning, along with a pair of Gadwall, 12 Shelducks, c30 Teal and half a dozen Mallards, but only eight Avocets and four Black-tailed Godwits, plus a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls. (AH)

Gadwall and Shovelers (above) & Great Black-backed Gulls at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon the Spotted Redshank was again in Ferry Channel and there were 14 Avocets on the pool. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

West Wittering: A Firecrest was briefly outside my home office this morning, with a Mistle Thrush in song nearby, and there were still 500+ Brent Geese in the fields and on the foreshore at Rookwood. (GM)

North Selsey: The Firecrest was seen in our garden again today. (AW)

Firecrest in a Selsey garden (AW)

Church Norton: There were almost no roosting waders about on the high tide, beyond a handful of Black-tailed Godwits, though there were c25 Teal and a couple of Great Crested Grebes present, with the most conspicuous birds being c25 Sandwich Terns and large numbers of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, mostly around the island.

The bushes were quiet, too, though half a dozen Chiffchaffs were still near the Mound, with a couple more along the path to the beach, a handful of Linnets were along the beach and four Mistle Thrushes were along Rectory Lane. (AH)