14th March 2025

Friday, 14th March: After a surprisingly sharp overnight frost, a cold, but mostly bright morning in a light north-easterly breeze...

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, but with more birds going west than east. Full log below. (BI/AH/P&LH)

(0630-0900hrs) (NE, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 6W, 1os

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 2E

Wigeon - 3W

Shoveler - 3W

Common Scoter - 8E, 3W, 5os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W

Sanderling - 1W

Curlew - 1E

Turnstone - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 3N

Chaffinch - 1N

Shag (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were still c20 Black-tailed Godwits and a handful of Lapwings, plus a couple of Redshanks, about this morning, but hardly any ducks - just four Gadwall, eight Shelducks, six Shovelers, c20 Teal and c30 Wigeon. (AH)

Gadwall (above), Shovelers, Lapwing & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: It was very quiet this morning, with just a Chiffchaff, a couple of Reed Buntings and half a dozen Linnets along the path, with a pair of Little Grebes on the pool and just a handful of Wigeon and Teal in Ferry Channel, plus two Snipe that flew ion landed in the adjacent field. (AH)

Chiffchaff (above), Reed Bunting, Linnet, Snipe & Little Grebe along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: There were two Slavonian Grebes and four Great Crested Grebes offshore this morning, whilst in the harbour there were still c400 Brent Geese, c40Teal, ten Wigeon, a dozen Knot, c40 Dunlin, two Ringed Plovers, c75 Grey Plovers, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and a good count of 92 Turnstones on the metalwork.

Also, a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard went over, two Goldcrests were in the churchyard and a pair of Mistle Thrushes and 22 Lapwings were in the field behind. (P&LH)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank and four Black-tailed Godwits were along Whites Creek this morning, along with a few Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, and c30 Redshanks, whilst a Scandinavian Rock Pipit was up by the sluice.

A Water Rail was around the reeds on the Breech Pool, and at least 20 Chiffchaffs and 5 Cetti’s Warblers were in the bushes along the wall, at Owl Copse a Cattle Egret was in the trees early on and ten Grey Herons were about, a Kingfisher flew across the harbour, and 210 Wigeon were along the rife at Halsey’s Farm.

It was busy in and around the paddocks, too, with two Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Song Thrush, a Pied Wagtail, two Jays, a Kestrel, and a Collard Dove present, while further back a flock of c100 Linnets were in the trees and a male and two female Marsh Harriers were also about. (LP/SP/MJa/GHi/CT)

Spotted Redshank (above), Marsh Harrier, Chiffchaff, Wigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Collared Dove (LP) & Scandinavian Rock Pipit (GHi) at the North Wall