Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 19th

Friday, 21st February: A hazily grey morning, fairly mild, but tempered by the fresh and blustery southerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: A Bonxie went east, quite close in, this morning, and 141 Brent Geese, 80 Pintail and 21 Shovelers were also on the move eastwards, whilst the Black Redstart re-appeared for the first time in a few weeks. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/SR/AW)

(0700-0930hrs) (SSE, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 18E, 1W

Gannet - 5E, 3W, 3os

Shag - 3E, 1W

Brent Goose - 141E, 2W

Pintail - 80E

Shoveler - 21E

Common Scoter - 12E, 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E

Ringed Plover - 1E

Turnstone - 19E

Great Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Common Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Rock Pipit - 1

Meadow Pipit - 1

Black Redstart - 1

Bonxie (above), Black Redstart, Rock Pipit, Pintail, Shovelers & Brent Geese at the Bill (AW)

Later in the morning, another 87 Pintail went east, taking the day's tally to an impressive 167, plus a few more Brent Geese. Full log below. (AH)
(1045-1145hrs)
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W
Brent Goose - 24E
Wigeon - 1E
Pintail - 87E
Shoveler - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Common Gull - 2W

(1315-1415hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2E
Common Scoter - 8E
Mediterranean Gull - 2E
Common Gull - 11E

Pintail at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c25 Black-tailed Godwits on the field and two Avocets on the pool this morning, with the Gadwall count up to 18, but otherwise wildfowl numbers were down to c30 Teal, c50 Shovelers, ten Mallard and six Shelducks. (AH)

Gadwall on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: There were nine Stonechats together, keeping out of the wind in one of the ditches - surely migrant birds, with, otherwise just a Chiffchaff, a Grey Wagtail and eight Skylarks about, and there were c750 Brent Geese on the fields behind the Severals. (SH)

North Wall: There were four Marsh Harriers up over the reeds early on, and a Grey Wagtail, two Pied Wagtails, two Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Song Thrush were around the paddocks.

A Spotted Redshank was by the sluice and a Little Grebe was in the channel, whilst further along White’s Creek there was still large numbers of Lapwing. Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Knot, and Dunlin, as well as two Snipe, two Mediterranean Gulls, four Common Gulls and a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, with three Red Breasted Mergansers further out. (LP/CT/MJa/SP)

Spotted Redshank (above), Marsh Harrier, Knot & Pintail at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - There were two Corn Buntings by the cover crop field at Wilson's Farm this morning, though only a dozen Yellowhammers and half a dozen Reed Buntings were about, along with c50 Linnets and a few Greenfinches.

Also, at least 70 Skylarks were along the fields from the car park, together with another 50+ Linnets, a Stonechat and a huge corvid flock, whilst c150 Brent Geese flew east along the beach. (AH)

Corn Buntings (above), Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Stonechat, Linnets & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 20th February: After light overnight rain, a murky , drizzly morning in a brisk southerly breeze, though, again, a little milder than of late.......

Selsey Bill: A Fulmar went west and the first-winter drake Eider and a flock of 14 Brent Geese went east, but that was about it this morning. Full log below. (SH/AH)

(0700-0830hrs) (SSW, F5)

Red-throated Diver - 7E

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 5W

Shag - 3E

Brent Goose - 14E, 1W

Eider - 1E

Common Scoter - 1os

Turnstone - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was briefly in view on the roadside pool this morning, before vanishing, whilst on the pool there were three Avocets, nine Gadwall, eight Shelducks and c50 Teal and Shovelers. (AH)

Teal (above) & Avocets and Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Greenshank flew down the west side, the Whimbrel was in is usual area and nine Avocets were in the main channel this morning, and there were plenty of the regular wader species present, including at least 1000 Golden Plovers and Lapwings, c400 Knot and lots of Dunlin and Grey Plovers.

Most, though not all, of the at least 2000 Brent Geese were at the far end of the harbour, whilst there were also c30 Pintail, c50 Wigeon and c80 Teal present, along with 25 Shelducks. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Knot, Avocets, Golden Plovers and Pintail at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Around the paddocks this morning, there were four Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, two Greenfinches, a Song Thrush, a Jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Kestrel, with two Roe Deer in the field behind.
It was just the regular species out in the harbour, except for a Greenshank by the Halsey’s Outfall, whilst Curlew A7 from the Peppering Farm project was seen from the wall, and there were lots more Curlews in the fields along with 22 Black-tailed Godwits and c1500 Brent Geese.
Also, four Grey Herons were by Owl Copse, but the hedgerows were quiet, with just a Buzzard and a few Blue Tits and Great Tits seen. (LP/MJa)

Greenshank (above), Curlew, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Song Thrush and Roe Deer at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Green Sandpiper - presumably the one that visited the Ferry - was on the Stilt Pool early this afternoon, with an Avocet, five Ringed Plovers and nine Dunlin also present, and there were two Red-breasted Mergansers on the big pool opposite.

Apart from 55 Yellowhammers, the banks were quiet, with just a Reed Bunting and a Dartford Warbler of note, and a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard were all seen over the reserve. (S&SaH)

Wednesday, 19th February: It was slightly milder this morning, with some hazy sunshine and the south -easterly breeze easing slowly down after a brisk start.....

Diary notes: Pre-blog years (1975-2012) - I have now added another four years of entries as I move on to the start of the new Millennium (2000-2003). A mixture of mega-rares, a Honey Buzzard invasion, the odd hard-luck story and lots more....just click the link on the title bar.

Selsey Bill: A Cattle Egret that flew in off the sea this morning was unexpected, as were 39 Brent Geese heading west, but, otherwise, it was quiet, with a Black-throated Diver and 28 Red-throated Divers east the only other things of note. Full log below. (AH/P&LH/IP/SR)

(0730-0900hrs) (SE, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 28E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Shag - 6E, 1os

Cattle Egret - 1N

Brent Goose - 39W

Common Scoter - 2E, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W

Sanderling - 1

Turnstone - 1

Common Gull - 6E

(1300-1400hrs) (P&LH)

Great Northern Diver - 2E

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 4E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 1E

Cattle Egret (above), Sanderling, Red-throated Diver, Shags & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was just ducks again this morning, including four Shelducks, six Gadwall and c50 Shovelers and Teal on the pool and c100 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Late this afternoon, the Green Sandpiper re-appeared on the roadside pool for the first time in some weeks. (TG-P)

Shovelers and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Singles of Stonechat, Linnet and Reed Bunting, plus a handful of Blue and Long-tailed Tts was it along the pool this morning, with five Grey Plovers and c30 Redshank in Ferry Channel and c500 Golden Plovers and similar of Lapwing flying up from further out in the harbour. (AH)

Stonechat (above), Reed Bunting, Linnet, Log-tailed Tit, Grey Plover & Golden Plovers along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: There were still c2000 Brent Geese around the fields and harbour this morning, with three Avocets, c50 Grey Plovers, c25 Ringed Plovers, c100 Knot and c500 Lapwings also present, together with 17 Pintail, c40 Shelducks and a few Wigeon and Teal.

Also, a couple of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were along the front, with a Goldcrest, a Song Thrush and a couple of Buzzards also about. (P&LH)

North Wall: A Greenshank was along White’s Creek and a Kingfisher flew out from the sluice, while out on the mud there were lots of Lapwing, Golden Plover, Redshank, Grey Plover, and a Snipe.

A few Curlews and c200 Brent Geese were in the fields and around the paddock there were two Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, seven Meadow Pipits, two Greenfinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, with a Buzzard high overhead. (LP/GR/EB)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: There was a good selection along the spit today, with a Kingfisher, 14 Skylarks, two Rock Pipits, four Meadow Pipits, 15 Linnets and two Stonechats about, as well as 20 House Sparrows, a Dunnock and a couple of Wrens.

In the harbour, three Red-breasted Mergansers dropped in, with the two males vying for the attention of the female, and there were also plenty of Wigeon and Teal about, along with four Pintail and two Shovelers, whist out on the mud there were two Avocets, six Turnstones and lots of Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Oystercatchers.

On the lagoon there were just six Tufted Ducks, three Little Grebes and a Great Crested Grebe, with the usual army of Coots and Mallards. (LP)