Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 23rd

Thursday, 25th January: A very grey, but mild morning after overnight rain, with just a moderate south-westerly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: There was a constant westward passage of Red-throated Divers, totalling 235 in an hour and a half, though, beyond four Slavonian Grebes, little else was moving this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/LP/IH/SP)

(0800-0930hrs) (SSW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 4W, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 235W, 7os

Slavonian Grebe - 4W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Common Scoter - 2E, 2W, 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 4W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Guillemot - 3W

Razorbill - 2W

auk sp - 1E, 9W

Red-throated Diver and Guillemot (above), Red-throated Divers, Slavonian Grebe, Great Northern Diver & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Greenshank and two Redshanks were on the concealed pool this morning, with c500 Lapwings and c200 Wigeon on the field and 17 Avocets were on the pool, along with c50 Shovelers and c80 Teal. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Avocets & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Greenshank was roosting near the concrete slabs with a few Redshank, but most of the other waders - very many Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers - were very restless on the rising tide, and the presence of a Marsh Harrier, flying around constantly.

A few Wigeon and Teal was about it, otherwise, whilst a flock of six Red-throated Divers going west were the only birds seen offshore, and a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the car-park was about it on the land-side. (AH/LP/IH/SP)

Greenshank (above), Marsh Harrier, Knot, Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers & Great Spotted Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 24th January: After yet another overnight storm, a fairly bright and very blustery morning in a fresh westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There was good movement of over 60 Red-throated Divers heading west this morning, but there wasn't too much else about. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0800-0915hrs) (WNW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 61W

Great Crested Grebe - 2W

Gannet - 3W

Brent Goose - 1E

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

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 5os

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 4os

Guillemot - 3W

Razorbill - 7W

auk sp - 1E, 39W

Great Northern Diver (above), Guillemot & Red-throated Divers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A dozen Avocets were on the pool and c500 Lapwings were on the fields, with at least 300 Teal, 200 Wigeon, 60 Shovelers, 20 Mallards and six Shelducks about, too, until the shooting nearby put everything up, with most birds heading for the harbour. (AH/PD)

Late this afternoon, a Barn Owl was hunting over the first fields (to the north-east) between the Visitor Centre and Sidlesham village. (SH)

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

North Wall: On the rising tide there were three Red-breasted Mergansers in White’s Creek, along with plenty of Wigeon, Teal, Pintails and Brent Geese, and out on the mud there were 500 Lapwing and a few Grey Plovers and Dunlin.

Three Rock Pipits were along the wall, and at Halsey’s Farm a Little Grebe was by the outfall and a couple of Redshanks were along the banks,

Two Marsh Harriers and three Buzzards were up behind the Breech Pool, 24 Curlews were in the fields and a huge flock of Brent Geese flew up from the fields further back and dropped into the harbour, whilst a Grey Wagtail was briefly by the sluice, and in the paddock, there was a Stonechat, a Pied Wagtail and a Jay. (LP/CT)

Grey Wagtail (above), Rock Pipit, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Red-breasted Mergansers & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Around 100 Fieldfares flew in to roost in the hedges near the poplars at dusk this afternoon, with otherwise a Green Woodpecker, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Buzzard and two Cetti's Warblers noted. (S&SaH)

West Itchenor: A Black-throated Diver and two - possibly three - Great Northern Divers were in the harbour this morning on the rising tide. (PH)

Later on, just two Great Northern Divers could be found, but nothing else was on the water beyond a Great Crested Grebe.

There wasn't too much else to be seen on the high tide beyond huge numbers of Brent Geese coming and going, with otherwise just a pair of Pintail, c20 Shelducks, c30 Lapwing and a dozen or so Turnstones, Grey Plovers, Curlews and Redshanks noted, plus a Rock Pipit. (AH)

The Black-throated Diver and a Great Northern Diver were still in the harbour this afternoon. (J Cheesewright)

Great Northern Diver (above), Brent Geese, Lapwing and Grey Plover & Lapwing and Turnstone at West Itchenor (AH)

Tuesday, 23rd January: Another grey and windy morning, with intermittent drizzly rain, though fairly mild in the brisk south-westerly.......

Selsey Bill: There was no volume this morning, but a bit of variety, including a Long-tailed Duck east and two Slavonian Grebes and five Great Northern Divers west. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0810-0910hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 5W

Red-throated Diver - 4W

Slavonian Grebe - 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 4W

Long-tailed Duck - 1E

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 4W

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Razorbill - 2W

auk sp - 4W

Great Northern Diver (above), Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, Gannet & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 19 Avocets roosting at the back and at least 700 Lapwings on the field, along with c50 Wigeon, but the pool otherwise just held six Gadwall, c30 Shovelers and similar of Teal, plus a handful of Mallards. (AH)

Avocets (above), Lapwings & Gadwall a the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Greenshank was roosting with a couple of Curlews and a dozen Redshank, but they were about it for waders on the high tide, with otherwise just c50 Wigeon, a dozen Teal, two Great Crested Grebes and four Little Grebes on the water, and nothing bar a few Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls offshore.

Also, at least two Redwings were in the field by the Mound, and a Chiffchaff and a few Long-tailed Tits were in the adjacent hedges. (AH/RS)