Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 14th

Friday, 16th January: After a showery start, a pleasant morning of sun and white cloud in a light to moderate south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe went west, but it was surprisingly quiet, otherwise. Full log below. (AH/BI)

(0800-0900hrs) (SW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 2W

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 10W, 5os

Slavonian Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 12W, 10os

Shelduck - 5W

Common Scoter - 20os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 1E, 1W

Turnstone - 1

Great Black-backed Gull - 1os

Razorbill - 1os

auk sp - 9E, 2W

Mid-morning two Velvet Scoters went west along with two Brent Geese and a Shag, whilst a Great Northern Diver, three Red-throated Divers and four Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore. Full log below. (AW)

(1030-1130hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3os

Shag - 1W

Brent Goose - 1W

Velvet Scoter - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4os

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Velvet Scoters (above), Shag & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: A Ruff was present again, along with the Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, three Avocets, a dozen Golden Plovers, c20 Redshanks, c80 Black-tailed Godwits and c1000 Lapwings, and there were also c60 Shovelers, c40 Mallard, c150 Teal and c400 Wigeon about, but everything was very flighty this morning. (BI/JC/AH et al)

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

North Wall: There were half a dozen Redwings and c40 Fieldfares in the hedges at Halsey's Farm this morning, with another c40 of the latter along the wall, together with two Rock Pipits, two Reed Buntings and at least ten Yellowhammers, plus a Raven, a Peregrine and three Marsh Harriers going over. whilst the three first-winter White-fronted Geese were in the Honer fields again.

Also, the three first-winter White-fronted Geese were in the Honer fields again. along with a couple of Cattle Egrets and c20 Avocets were in the harbour, along with c300 Golden Plovers and c1000 Lapwings, whilst a Water Rail, a Grey wagtail and two Pied Wagtails were in the paddocks. (S&SaH/LP/IH/CT/GHi/SP/EB)

White-fronted Geese (LP) (above), Fieldfares (LP top, EB lower), Redwings (LP top, EB lower), Water Rail (LP), Cattle Egrets (EB), Yellowhammer (LP), Reed Bunting (EB) & Grey Wagtail (LP) at the North Wall

Church Norton: There were vast numbers of Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings flying around the harbour near high tide this morning, presumably unsettled by the Peregrine that finally landed on New Island, with a couple of Greenshanks on the concrete blocks among the Redshanks, and a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Black-tailed Godwit on the metalwork.

There wasn't too much else, though, with just a few Wigeon and Teal in the harbour and nothing but a few Common Gulls offshore. (AH/BI/JC eta al).

Peregrine (above), Greenshanks, Redshanks and Wigeon, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Grey Plovers & Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An Avocet was on the Stilt Pool, a Water Rai was in one of the path-side pools and c500 Brent Geese, c100 Golden Plovers and c1000 Lapwings were out on the reserve this afternoon, with a Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel about, too.

Seven Stonechats were along the banks, though it was otherwise quite, with just a Goldcrest, a Cetti's Warbler, a Pied Wagtail, five Goldfinches and c50 Linnets noted. (S&SaH)

Thursday, 15th January: Another very wet morning, with overnight rain continuing throughout, heavy at times, in a moderate south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of activity this morning, including a Fulmar west, along with a few Red-throated Divers, Gannets and Kittiwakes. Full log below. (AH)

(0800-0945hrs) (SSW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 24W, 2os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 37W

Shag - 1E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 6W, 1os

Kittiwake - 1E, 58W, 6os

Razorbill - 27W, 12os

Guillemot - 1W, 2os

auk sp - 36W

Red-throated Divers (above), Guillemot, Razorbills, Kittiwake & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Ruff re-appeared this morning among c100 Black-tailed Godwits, with the Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, a Snipe and an Avocet also about, along with c1500 Lapwings.

There were slightly fewer wildfowl than of late, but there were still c50 Shovelers and Mallard, c150 Teal and c250 Wigeon present. (AH et al),

This afternoon there were two Ruffs present on the field. (AWi)

Ruff, Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon (above), Green Sandpiper & Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings, Wigeon and Mallard at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A quick look at high tide didn't produce much in the harbour beyond a Greenshank and a few roosting Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Redshank, plus just a handful of Wigeon and Teal, with a couple of Goldcrests the only things in the hedges. (AH)

Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 14th January: A cold, but bright start in just a light northerly breeze, though slowly clouding over as the morning progressed......

Selsey Bill: Four Slavonian Grebes and four Great Northern Divers were offshore this morning, with good numbers of Red-throated Divers and Red-breasted Mergansers seen, too. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/OM)

(0740-1125hrs) (N, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 9E, 41W, 3os

Slavonian Grebe - 4os

Great Crested Grebe - 3E, 1W, 1os

Gannet - 1W

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 2E

Teal - 2E

Common Scoter - 1E, 45W, 22os

Red-breasted Merganser - 29E, 6W, 15os

Oystercatcher - 2E

Turnstone - 8E

Mediterranean Gull - 4W, 4os

Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 4W

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Guillemot - 1E

Razorbill - 2W

auk sp - 11E

Pied Wagtail - 2

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

Ferry Pool: A Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite, along with two Avocets, this morning, with another of the latter and c60 Black-tailed Godwits among at least 2000 Lapwings on the pool and fields before they started shooting in the adjacent fields and everything took flight.

There were also six Shelducks, a pair of Gadwall, c75 Shovelers, 250 Teal, c400 Wigeon and c60 Canada Geese present, too, before they also all dispersed. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocet and Lapwings, Gadwall & Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Thousands of birds were in the harbour this morning, including c1000 Brent Geese, c500 Lapwings and c500 Golden Plovers, with the three White-fronted Geese in with the Brent Goose flock on Honer 1 early on, but flew off with them when a dog walker walked across the footpath.

In the hedgerows there were five Fieldfares, four Redwing, three Yellowhammers and two Reed Buntings, with a Kingfisher near the sluice and another over Halsey’s Farm. (CRJ)

Later, a mixed flock of c75 Fieldfares and Redwings were in the trees at Halsey’s Farm this morning, and a Kingfisher was along the rife, where there were also 150 Wigeon and a few Teal.

A Rock Pipit was on the rocks, and six Yellowhammers and a couple of Reed Buntings were along the lower path, whilst out in the fields the three White-fronted Geese were with a large flock of Brent Geese who were constantly moving between the fields and the harbour.

Elsewhere, it was just the usual species along White’s Creek, a Song Thrush and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were around the paddock, and the pair of Marsh Harrier were over the reeds. (CRJ/LP/SP/EB)

Redwings and Fieldfares (above),White-fronted and Brent Geese, Rock Pipit (LP), Redwing, Marsh Harriers, Redwings and Fieldfares & Song Thrush (EB) at the North Wall

Dell Quay - Fishbourne Creek: A drake and a female Goldeneye were at the Dell Quay end, where there were also seven Red- breasted Mergansers, whilst a drake Gadwall and good numbers of Wigeon and Teal were along the creek this morning, with three Egyptian Geese at the top end, and waders included two Avocets, a Greenshank, a Snipe, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c25 Grey Plovers and many hundreds of Dunlin.

There were also a Kingfisher and a couple of Rock Pipits along the creek, whilst at least 30 Redwings and half a dozen Song Thrushes, plus a dozen Chaffinches, were in Apuldram churchyard and a pair of Firecrests and two or three Goldcrests were in the adjacent car-park. A Chiffchaff was also present, actively feeding along the path near the moored boats. (RW/AH/OM)