Monday 4 March 2024

4th - 6th March 2024

Wednesday, 6th March: A bright and sunny morning after a cold start, with the breeze light and slowly veering from north-east to south-east.......

Selsey Bill: It was very slow again this morning, though a flock of six Shags went east and a Slavonian Grebe and five Great Northern Divers were on the sea. Full log below. (IP/SR/AH)
(0710-0840hrs) (F2)
Great Northern Diver - 5os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1os
diver sp - 1E
Slavonian Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 1E, 1W
Shag - 6os
Common Scoter - 6os
Red-breasted Merganser - 3os
Turnstone - 2E
Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Spoonbill was out in the harbour, viewable from the Tramway, this morning, whilst the Green Sandpiper was again on the pool, along with 22 Avocets, four Gadwall, 12 Shelducks and c50 Shovelers and Teal, with c80 Wigeon on the field. (TG-P/AH)

Shovelers (above) & Gadwall and Shovelers at the Ferry(AH)

Church Norton: A Redwing was in the hedge by the Mound this morning, but there wasn't much else about beyond a couple of Jays, a couple of Goldcrests and a few Blue Tits.
The harbour was quiet, too, beyond c50 Wigeon and Brent Geese, c20 Shelducks seven Avocets, and a few scattered Grey Plovers, Dunlin and the other regular waders, plus a handful of Mediterranean Gulls among c50 Black-headed Gulls, and there was nothing at all offshore. (AH)

Redwing (above), Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls & Avocets at Church Norton (AH)


West Itchenor: The Black-throated Diver and three Great Northern Divers were off the jetty this morning. (PH)

Great Northern Diver at West Itchenor (PH)

Chichester GPs: Three Red-crested Pochards were on the Whyke Lakes - the largely inaccessible ones to the north of the A27 - this afternoon. (GWh/SM)

North Selsey: A Moorhen flew over our garden at dawn - a long way from any suitable habitat! (SH)

North MundhamA Coal Tit was in the garden this morning. (MJ)

East Head: A Coal Tit was singing from a garden at Roman Landing today. (SH)

Sidlesham churchyard: A Coal Tit was singing in the churchyard this morning, and a pair of Mistle Thrushes were about, but that was about it beyond the regular birds. (AH)

Coal Tit in Sidlesham churchyard (AH)

North Wall: It was busy along White’s Creek this morning, with a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers on the water, and a Spotted Redshank, a Kingfisher, eight Snipe, 36 Redshanks, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover, 60 Wigeon, 24 Teal and three Little Egrets along the banks, and 400 Brent Geese, 26 Pintail, four Shelducks and 120 Dunlin further out. 
Also, in the flooded fields, there were two Egyptian Geese, 16 Shovelers, 180 Black-tailed Godwits, 36 Curlews, 140 Wigeon and 28 Teal, and at Halsey’s Farm two Skylarks were in the fields.
A Cetti’s Warbler and a Chiffchaff were by the sluice, a Rock Pipit was along the rocks, and a few Reed Buntings and another five Cetti’s Warblers were along the wall, whilst a Green Woodpecker, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Jay and a Redwing were in the paddock and the pair of Marsh Harriers were further back over the reeds. (LP/CT)

Rock Pipit (above), Cetti's Warbler, Reed Bunting, Jay, Spotted Redshank, Red-breasted Merganser & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (LP)












Tuesday, 5th March: A return to rain this morning, with heavy and persistent drizzle under leaden skies, and cool as the moderate breeze swung round from south-west to the north... ....

Selsey Bill: It was quiet again, with little on the move, though two Slavonian Grebes and a few Great Northern ad Red-throated Divers were about. Full log below. (SH/PB/IP/LP/AH/SR)
(0645-0900hrs) (SW, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 8os
Red-throated Diver - 14E, 1W, 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 2os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 4W
Shag - 1E
Brent Goose - 4E
Shoveler - 1W
Common Scoter - 7E, 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 11E, 5W, 3os
Turnstone - 7
Mediterranean Gull - 4os
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 3os

Sandwich Tern (above) & Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Spoonbill was showing well again on the pool this morning, and the Green Sandpiper was again at the back, along with a couple of Snipe and three Redshanks, whilst 33 Avocets were busy feeding.
There were less wildfowl on the pool, apart from eight Shelducks, with most of the 50+ Wigeon, Teal and Shovelers on the flooded parts of the fields. (AH/PB/RB)


Spoonbill (above), Green Sandpiper & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)


North Wall: Four Ruffs - two male and two female - were in the fields behind Church Barton reservoir this morning. (CRJ)

Church Norton: Up to six Long-tailed Ducks were offshore again in a loose flock this morning, but there was nothing else beyond a couple of Great Crested Grebes and a Mediterranean Gull,, whilst in the harbour, the Whimbrel was again present, along with a handful of Knot, c20 Grey Plovers, c100 Dunlin, c60 Brent Geese, 24 Shelducks and c30 Wigeon. 
Also, at least two Chiffchaffs were around the Mound, with several Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits in the churchyard and a handful of Skylarks ere along the spit. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Whimbrel & Knot at Church Norton (AH)


Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Six Redwings and eight Song Thrushes were in the fields near the car-park this morning, whilst six Yellowhammers, four Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler and a Pied Wagtail were along the banks, with another of the latter on the Stilt Pool.
Also on the Stilt Pool, there were two Avocets, three Ringed Plovers and 36 Snipe, and seven Brent Geese went over heading east. (SH)

This evening, a Raven was sat in the big fir-tree by Easton Farm until one of the resident Egyptian Goose pair took exception to it and saw it off. (AH)

Raven and Egyptian Goose at Medmerry (AH)









Monday, 4th March: A cool, but mostly hazily sunny morning in a freshening southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: It was a quiet morning, with just a few Brent Geese going east (with some west, too!) giving any indication of migration. Full log below. (SR/IP/MO-W/AH)
(0715-0930hrs) (S, F3-4)
Great Northern Diver - 7os
Red-throated Diver - 3E
Gannet - 1W
Brent Goose - 34E, 22W
Common Scoter - 5E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W, 4os
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
Common Gull - 3E
Sandwich Tern - 6os
Meadow Pipit - 1N
Pied Wagtail - 1N

Great Northern Diver (above), Common Scoters, Brent Geese, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)





This afternoon, a male Eider went east. (AW)

Eider at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were 28 Avocets on the pool this morning, plus a couple of Redshanks and a Little Egret, but, otherwise, it was just lots of ducks, namely eight Shelducks, c80 Shovelers and c150 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

The Spoonbill was back on the pool again late this afternoon. (NR)

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

Church Norton: There was a bit of activity around the sheltered hedges by the Mound and the hide this morning, including a singing Firecrest, three or four Chiffchaffs and Long-tailed Tits, a pair of Mistle Thrushes and at least eight Redwings.
The harbour was quiet, though the Whimbrel was again present, along with c20 Grey Plovers and c100 Dunlin, and there were also c250 Brent Geese and c50 Wigeon about, but nothing else beyond the regular species, and all that could be found offshore was a lone Red-breasted Merganser. (AH)


Firecrest (above), Redwings, Mistle Thrush & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)




Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A Cetti's Warbler was calling from the hedges at the start of Church Farm Lane today. (SA)

West Itchenor: The Black-throated Diver and a Great Northern Diver were off the jetty again this morning. (PH)

Great Northern Diver at West Itchenor (PH)



Runcton: South ofthe village this morning there were a pair of Mute Swans and a pair of Canada Geese, whilst two Egyptian Geese flew over.
Other wildfowl included three Shelducks, six Mallard, 17 Shovelers, 26 Gadwall, three Teal, 18 Tufted Ducks, five Moorhens and ten Coot, whilst also seen were two Common Buzzards, a Kestrel, a Little Egret and a few Skylark, with passerines seen including two Green Woodpeckers, and a very fresh looking Chiffchaff, There were also two Roe Deer and a Fox. (CRJ)

East Head: Birds were in short supply today in the windy conditions but there were a Jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Long-tailed Tits and a Cetti's Warbler in the churchyard.
Offshore there were three Red-breasted Mergansers and three Great Crested Grebes whilst half a dozen Skylarks were in the sand dunes. Snowhill Marsh had 16 Avocets, a Greenshank, c50 Teal, c30 Wigeon, c200 Brent Geese and 20 Shelduck on it, whilst around 100 Brent Geese were in the fields, with a few more out on the mud, alongside 16 Grey Plover, 20 Curlew and seven Turnstones. (SR)

Thee were also two Firecrests in the gardens at nearby Roman Landing. (SH)

Jay at East Head (SR)






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