10th February 2025

Monday, 10th February: Another cold and very grey morning in a fresh north-easterly breeze...

Selsey Bill: It was slow this morning in poor visibility, with just a nix of the regular species seen. Full log below. (AH/P&LH/IP/SR/AW)

(0740-0910hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 10W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 33E, 3W, 5os

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Turnstone - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Guillemot - 3E

Razorbill - 10E

Guillemots (above), Red-throated Diver & Shags at the Bill (AW)

This afternoon there were up to eight Sandwich Terns offshore, along with 20 Common scoters, eight Red-throated Divers and a few Common Gulls. (PA/AW)

Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AW above & PA)

Ferry Pool: There were three Avocets and c60 Black-tailed Godwits around the pool and field this morning, along with c500 Lapwings, a drake Gadwall, four Shelducks, c25 Mallard, c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c200Wigeon. (AH)

Later on, a Marsh Harrier went over. (PJ)

Avocets, Lapwing & Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Water Rail was along the fence line at the back of the paddock, but there wasn’t much else about, beyond the usual selection of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Lapwing and Golden Plover, and the large Brent Geese flock constantly moving between the harbour and the Rookery Lane area. (LP)

Pintail (above), Teal & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Coastguards - There were just a single Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver on the sea this morning, with two Red-throated Divers east and a dozen distant feeding Gannets. (AH)

Later in the morning there were nine Common Scoters and ten Red-breasted Mergansers offshore. (PJ)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - Among the waders around the breach today, there were a Sanderling. a Greenshank, a Snipe, 200 Dunlin, c50 Grey Plovers and c350 Golden Plovers, with an Egyptan Goose also about, and up to 15 Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore.

There were also a Dartford Warbler,, six Stonechats, eight Yellowhammers, four Reed Buntings and c20 Meadow Pipits about. (PA)

Yellowhammer at Medmerry (PA)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Four Little Grebes, 20 Lapwings, eight Dunlin, three Ringed Plovers, 27 Teal, 12 Tufted Ducks, eight Gadwall and a Stonechat was all I could find in the drizzle this afternoon. (SR)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Snipe, a Stonechat, three Skylarks and c40 Yellowhammers were seen today. (PJ)

Drayton: This morning there were at least 50 Cattle egrets on the fields by the Drayton railway crossing - right on (or possibly just beyond!) the borders of the Peninsula. (PJ)

This afternoon there were up to 100 birds in those fields. (SH)

Runcton: A female Blackcap was in the garden this morning. (CRJ)

Chichester Canal: A flock of around 40 Siskins were feeding in the birches on the north side, at the Birdham Road end, late this morning. (AH/BI)

Siskins at Chichester Canal (AH)