Saturday, 9th March: Another cool morning, grey early on, and with some watery sunshine later, and still with the breeze brisk and from the east.........
Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, including a Firecrest in off the sea and seven Avocets and two Black-tailed Godwits east - all scarce birds at the Bill, along with a selection of ducks, whilst two Long-tailed Ducks went west. Full log below. (JA/IP/BI/SH/PB/AH/SR)
(0615-0930hrs) (SE, F5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 3os
Red-throated Diver - 7E, 1W
diver sp - 3W
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 2os
Gannet - 15E, 11W
Shelduck - 1W
Pintail - 6E
Shoveler - 12E
Long-tailed Duck - 2W
Common Scoter - 16E, 4W, 8os
Red-breasted Merganser - 10E, 5W, 8os
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher - 9E
Avocet - 7E
Grey Plover - 1E
Black-tailed Godwit - 2E
Curlew - 1W
Turnstone - 3
Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 1os
Black-headed Gull - 100os
Common Gull - 6E
Sandwich Tern - 3E
Meadow Pipit - 3N
Pied Wagtail - 1N
Firecrest - 1
(1430-1630hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 4E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 1E, 1W
Brent Goose - 7E
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 3os
Oystercatcher - 12E
Sanderling - 4E
Dunlin - 12E, 15W
Whimbrel - 1E
Turnstone - 9
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Pied Wagtail - 1
Common Scoters (above), Red-breasted Merganser & Pintails at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 45 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with six Dunlin, five Black-tailed Godwits, four Gadwall, c60 Teal and c80 Shovelers. (AH)
Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Gadwall, Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Medmerry: Windmill area - The first Wheatear of the year was by the old go-kart tack early this afternoon. (AW)
Wheatear at Medmerry (AW)
It was still on the nearby beach later on, and there were also two male Stonechats in the vicinity. (AH/SR/MB)
Wheatear (above) & Stonechats at Medmerry (AH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were a Dartford Warbler and two Stonechats along the banks this morning, whilst c15 Fieldfares were in bushes just along Easton Lane from the car-park.
Otherwise, it was very quiet, with six Ringed Plovers on the reserve, with another three Ringed Plovers and six Avocets on the Stilt Pool. (SH/PB)
Fishbourne Creek: The female Long-tailed Duck was again opposite the Lavant outflow, with c20 Great Crested Grebes and c40 Wigeon, with c500 Brent Geese on the far side again, and an Egyptian Goose at the Fishbourne end, whilst a Great Northern Diver was well down the harbour towards the Marina.
There were four Greenshanks about, along with a Spotted Redshank, c60 Turnstones and Redshanks and at least 300 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst up to ten Rock Pipits were present, including at least two looking like Scandinavian Rock Pipits, whilst a couple of Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were along the hedges and a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits were in the field at the top end. (AH/BI/IP/RW/PH)
Scandinavian Rock Pipits (above), Long-tailed Duck, Greenshank and Turnstones,, Black-tailed Godwits (AH), Egyptian Goose & Turnstones (RW) at Fishbourne Creek
Chichester GPs: Drayton Pits - A WeBS count today produced little out of the ordinary, with wildfowl numbers decreasing as the spring progresses. The highlights, as such, were totals of 30 Pochard, 32 Tufted Ducks, 3 Egyptian Geese, 14 Greylags and 30 Canada Geese, plus 10 Great Crested Grebes.
Unfortunately, the Grey Heron breeding success of the last two years does not appear to have continued this year - so far at least. A couple of Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were singing, but apart from a flock of Long-tailed Tits there were no other passerine highlights. (OM)
Chichester GPs: Whyke Lakes - A look this morning failed to find the Red-crested Pochards, though a very tame family of Egyptian Geese were happy being fed by the fishermen, and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on nearby rooves. (AH/BI/IP)
Egyptian Geese (above) & Lesser Black-backed Gull at Chichester GPs (AH)
West Itchenor: A flock of eight Eider were sat out on a sand bar in the harbour west of Itchenor this afternoon, and thee were also a Great Northern Diver and a few Red-breasted Mergansers about. (SM)
Eider (above) & Great Northern Diver at West Itchenor (SM)
Friday, 8th March: A morning of hazy sunshine, but cool in the blustery easterly breeze....
Selsey Bill: There was a little bit of migration activity this morning, including a Stonechat in off the sea, 49 Meadow Pipits over and a few ducks going east. Full log below. (BI/IP/SR/MO-W/AH)
(0620-0900hs) (E, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 14E, 3W
Wigeon - 4E
Pintail - 9E
Shoveler - 1E
Common Scoter - 19E, 2os
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 3W, 2os
Turnstone - 10
Common Gull - 3E, 3W
Meadow Pipit - 49N
Pied Wagtail - 2N
Stonechat - 1 (in off sea)
Chiffchaff - 1
Stonechat (above), Great Northern Diver, Pintail & Shoveler and Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were a lot of birds on the pool this morning, including 33 Avocets, four Dunlin, three Black-tailed Godwits, six Redshank, eight Shelducks, c50 Wigeon, at least 100 Shovelers and Teal and 500 Black-headed Gulls, with a couple of Mediterranean Gulls going over. (AH)
Avocet (above), Mediterranean Gull & Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)
Medmerry: Ham Farm - A White-tailed Eagle was in the vicinity this morning, joined by a second bird before they headed off inland. (GR et al)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Three or four Chiffchaffs, two Dartford Warblers, two Stonechats and a Goldcrest were in the gorse this evening,but it was quiet otherwise beyond three Buzzards having a tussle over the poplars, two Kestrels and c200 Brent Geese on the reserve and four Avocets, three Ringed Plovers and four Dunlin on the Stilt Pool. (SH)
East Head: A Coal Tit was singing again from the gardens at Roman's Landing. (SH)
Runcton: Around the village this morning there were two Mute Swans, two Canada Geese, two Shelducks, 11 Mallards, 13 Shovelers, six Gadwall, 35 Teal, 15 Tufted Duck, a Little Grebe, seven Coots, two Moorhens, 15 Stock Doves, a Green Woodpecker, 18 Jackdaws, six Rooks and four Meadow Pipits. (CRJ)
Fishbourne Creek: The Long-tailed Duck was in the creek again this morning, off of the Lavant outflow with c20 Great Crested Grebes, whilst four Red-breasted Mergansers were south of Dell Quay, but wildfowl numbers were much reduced, with just 30 or so Wigeon about and c500 Brent Geese on the far side.
Five Greenshank were along the near side, as was a Spotted Redshank among c25 Redshanks, and there were also c300 Black-tailed Godwits about, plus a few Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Turnstones.
Also, at least five Chiffchaffs were along the hedges and up to a dozen Rock Pipits were along the harbour edge. (AH/S Rushmer)
Long-tailed Duck (above), Greenshanks, Spotted Redshank and Redshanks & Black-tailed Godwits at Fishbourne Creek (AH)
Thursday, 7th March: A cool, but mostly bright, morning in a brisk easterly breeze....
Selsey Bill: It remains slow, but a flock of 12 Shovelers went east and three Fulmars went west this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/P&LH)
(0725-0850hrs) (E, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 17W
Brent Goose - 9E, 13W
Shoveler - 12E
Common Scoter - 7E, 7W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W, 4os
Dunlin - 1
Turnstone - 10
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Common Gull - 8E
Meadow Pipit - 2N
(1205-1325hrs) (P&LH)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Brent Goose - 1E
Pintail - 60E
Kestrel - 1
Oystercatcher - 1E
Turnstone - 17W
Common Gull - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 3E
Meadow Pipit - 7N
Shovelers (above), Common Scoters, Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The Spoonbill was back on the pool this morning, along with the Green Sandpiper, four Redshanks, 28 Avocets, three Little Egrets, eight Shelducks and c60 Shovelers and Teal. (AH)
Spoonbill (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were three Marsh Harriers over the Severals this morning, with five Linnets and two Long-tailed Tits in the bushes, whilst in the harbour there were still c500 Brent Geese, 30 Shelducks, 25 Wigeon, just a couple of Teal, a Mediterranean Gull, two Avocets, seven Ringed Plovers and c75 Dunlin. (P&LH)
Medmerry: Ham Farm - Two Red Kites and a Peregrine went over the viewpoint this morning, and at least 300 Linnets were in the big stubble field south of the bank. (MW)
Chichester GPs: A White-tailed Eagle was over Westhampnett Pit late this afternoon. (MB)
East Head: A least 32 Avocets were on Snowhill Creek this afternoon and what was surely a migrant Chiffchaff was singing from scrub in the middle of the dunes. (PH)
West Itchenor: Two Great Northern Divers were off the jetty this morning, whilst the Black-throated Diver was further out from the Northshore boatyard, along with two Red-breasted Mergansers and four Great Crested Grebes.
There wasn't too much else to see in the harbour, though, beyond a constant toing and froing of Brent Geese, plus a few of the common waders, whilst there were also two Chiffchaffs in the hedges by the boatyard and a Peregrine went over. (AH)
Great Northern Divers at West Itchenor (AH)
Itchenor Village Pond: A pair of Tree-creepers were active in the trees around the pond, but there wasn't too much else beyond a few Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits and a handful of Chaffinches and Goldfinches. (SR/AH)
Later, a look along the paths from the pond to Redlands Lane produced two Buzzards, a Raven and seven Mediterranean Gulls overhead, with half a dozen Skylarks in the fields, whilst a Chiffchaff, two Song Thrushes, several Long-tailed Tits, a Jay, a Green Woodpecker and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker were also seen. (SR)
Tree-creepers at Itchenor Village Pond (AH)
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