Friday, 31st January: The morning started with persistent heavy rain that slowly gave way to a mix of heavy cloud and some sun in a fresh and blustery north-westerly..........
Selsey Bill: Three Fulmars and 15 Red-throated Divers west was the best this morning in the poor conditions. Full log below. (AH/SR)
(0800-0930hrs) (NW, F4-5)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 15W, 3os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W
Fulmar - 3W
Gannet - 9W
Brent Goose - 4E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W
Oystercatcher - 1E
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 8W, 2os
Common Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Fulmar (above), Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Spot the lone birdwatcher sheltering from this morning's deluge! (pic SBLN)
Ferry Pool: There was a big reduction in numbers this morning, with just c30 Shovelers and c40 Teal, plus a Shelduck, on the pool, and c25 Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings and c100 Wigeon on the field. (AH)
Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were a lot of waders in the harbour this morning, including c500 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, plus the Whimbrel, four Ringed Plovers and seven Avocets, whilst the huge flock of at least 1000 Golden Plovers and similar of Lapwings was at the far end.
There weren't too many wildfowl about, though, beyond c20 Brent Geese and c40 Wigeon and Teal, with not much else seen beyond a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, with the hedges very quiet. (AH)
Avocets (above), Whimbrel, Sparrowhawk, Grey Plover, Knot & Golden Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
Chichester: A Red Kite went south over the A27 near Tesco's late this morning. (IP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - At dusk this afternoon there were c40 Fieldfares in the poplars, whilst a Marsh Harrier went over and c300 Lapwings came up from the reserve. (AH)
Fieldfares at Medmerry (AH)
Thursday, 30th January: After overnight frost, a bright, but cold, morning in a moderate to fresh northerly breeze.......
Selsey Bill: There was a westward movement of 63 Red-throated Divers this morning, but, otherwise, it was quiet. Full log below. (AH/OM/SR/GSh)
(0800-0930hrs) (N, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 2os
Red-throated Diver - 63W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 7os
Turnstone - 8
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Sandwich Tern - 7os
Red-throated Diver (above) & Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c400 Lapwings around the edge of the pool this morning, with a pair of Gadwall, six Shelducks, c20 Mallards, c60 Shovelers and c 200 Wigeon and Teal also about. (AH)
Gadwall (above) & Wgeon at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: Two Great Northern Divers on the sea, and two Red-throated Divers west were all that could be found offshore this morning, along with a handful of Mediterranean and Common Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls.
There were large numbers of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers roosting near the harbour mouth, with two Bar-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank and the Whimbrel a little closer, whilst a Red-breasted Merganser, a few Wigeon and Teal and at least 1000 Brent Geese were also present.
Also, a Raven and a Peregrine went over, and two Firecrests and two or three Goldcrests were among a mixed tit flock in the sheltered hedges. (AH/OM/RS/RBe et al)
Firecrest (above), Great Northern Divers, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Common Gull & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)
Egyptian Goose (above), Whimbrel & Skylarks at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: Two Ravens were in the trees by the paddocks this morning and later four flew across towards Sidlesham, whilst a Water Rail, a Grey Wagtail, a Pied Wagtail, two Green Woodpeckers, a Song Thrush, and a Kestrel ewre also around the paddocks, with a Marsh Harrier sitting in the trees further back.
A Sparrowhawk and two wo Rock Pipits were along the wall and three Long-tailed Tits, two Reed Buntings and a Chiffchaff were in the reeds by the Breech Pool, where a Grey Heron was enjoying the winter sunshine.
Spread across the Honer fields were c1500 Brent Geese, 72 Curlews and c150 Black-tailed Godwits, while at Halsey’s Farm there were at least seven of the Barnacle Geese still about, and out in the harbour there were still plenty of Lapwing and Golden Plovers, and as the tide rose 18 Snipe flew off the saltmarsh and over the wall. (LP/TRH/SP/IH/EB/A Haines)
At dusk this evening, a Barn Owl was out at Halsey's Farm and a Tawny Owl could be heard, whilst c150 Black-tailed Godwits and c400 Wigeon were in the creek and seven Barnacle Geese were on the field. (AH)
Barnacle Geese (above), Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Raven (LP), Grey Heron (LP above, EB lower), Sparrowhawk, Brent and Barnacle Geese & Long-tailed Tit (EB) at the North Wall
Selsey Peninsula: At least one of the Long-eared Owls was showing today. (Eds)
Long-eared Owl on the Peninsula
Fishbourne Creek: A drake Goldeneye and three Rock Pipits were the highlights this afternoon. (PA)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Dartford Warbler was in the gorse near the Stilt Pool this afternoon, and c30 Linnets were feeding on spilt grain along the track. (G Trew)
Chichester GPs: It was very quiet around the lakes late this morning, with just four Egyptian Geese on New Lake, 31 Canada Geese and 12 Tufted Ducks on Ivy Lake, a Little Grebe on West Trout Lake, three Mute Swans, eight Gadwall and a Tufted Duck, plus a Chiffchaff on/at Nunnery Lake, a pair of Great-crested Grebes on Triangle Lake and 25 Coots and three Moorhens around Peckham’s Farmhouse. (CRJ)
Moorhen at Chichester GPs (CRJ)
Wednesday, 29th January: The wind dropped right down overnight, leaving a grey and overcast morning in just a light westerly.......
Selsey Bill: Everything was fairly distant this morning, but there was a bit of variety, including the Red-necked Grebe heading went, a Fulmar heading east and two Slavonian Grebes on the sea. Full log below. (SH/P&LH/LP/AH/SR)
(0730-0900hrs) (W, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 14W, 1os
Red-necked Grebe - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os
Fulmar - 1E
Shag - 5E
Cormorant - 62E
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 16W, 32os
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E 5W, 9os
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
(1230-1430hrs) P&LH/SH)
Great Northern Diver - 3E, 1W, 5os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Brent Goose - 1W
Wigeon - 1W
Common Scoter - 40os
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 17W, 5os
Turnstone - 21
Mediterranean Gull - 3os
Common Gull - 5E, 2os
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were just c40 Black-tailed Godwits, c75 Shovelers and c200 Wigeon and Teal about this morning, along with a pair of Great Blacked Gulls, plus a Little Egret in the rife. (AH)
Little Egret (above) & Great Black-baked Gulls at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were plenty of birds about this morning on the rising tide, including six Red-breasted Mergansers, two Tufted Ducks, a dozen Pintail, the Whimbrel, c30 Grey Plovers, six Mediterranean Gulls, a Common Gull, a Little Grebe, plenty of the usual species and at least 500 Lapwings and Brent Geese.
A Redwing by the moat was the only unusual bird around the hedges, with a Jay and two Kestrels also noted. (P&LH)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Merlin was about again today, along with two Marsh Harriers and six Buzzards, whilst a Water Rail and 14 Brent Geese were on the reserve, with two Red-breasted Mergansers on the pool opposite the Stilt Pool, a Snipe and an Avocet on the pool itself and c300 Lapwings and c100 Golden Plovers went over.
There was a very big count of 72 Yellowhammers along the banks, with ten Reed Buntings, 100 Linnets, 15 Chaffinches, a Chiffchaff and a Dartford Warblers also about. (S&SaH/PB)
Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - There were a pair of Stonechats, a few Meadow Pipits and a flock of Linnets about today, whilst there were large numbers of waders in the tidal area, including two tagged Curlews (EB)
Stonechat (above), Meadow Pipit, Linnets & Curlew at Medmerry (EB)
Runcton: Around the village this morning there were two Mute Swans, three Shelducks, c50 Mallard, 20 Shovelers, 15 Teal, two Gadwall, 14 Tufted Ducks, eight Coots, three Moorhens, a Grey Heron, a Water Rail, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Song Thrushes and half a dozen Long-tailed Tits, and there were also eight Roe Deer about. (CRJ)
West Itchenor: There wasn't much on the water this morning, beyond a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, half a dozen Great Crested Grebes, a couple of Little Grebes and c300 Brent Geese, though a Kingfisher and at least eight Rock Pipits were around the boat yard.
The only waders of note on this side of the harbour were a flock of 13 Snipe that flew up from the salt-marsh and a lone Black-tailed Godwit, but a distant vast mixed flock of many thousands of birds flew up from the far side, and included at least 150 Bar-tailed Godwits.
Also, a least one, and probably two, Tree-creepers were at Chalkdock Copse, with up to 20 Yellowhammers and three or four Redwings also in the vicinity. (AH)
Kingfisher (above), Snipe, Bar-tailed Godwits, Black-tailed Godwit, mixed waders, Rock Pipit & Yellowhammer at West Itchenor (AH)
