Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 7th

Thursday, 7th January: A very grey and murky morning, though a little milder than of late in the light north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A Red-necked Grebe went east and another flew in from the west and settled on the sea, where there were also three Slavonian Grebes, four Great Northern Divers and a Long-tailed Duck (not the adult male from Church Norton!).

Also, a pod of around ten Bottle-nosed Dolphins went west. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH)

(0745-0930hrs) (NW, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 4os

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 8W

Red-necked Grebe - 1E, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Shag - 16E

Brent Goose - 1W

Wigeon - 1W

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 4os

Oystercatcher - 2E, 1W

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 6os

Common Gull - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - 4W, 3os

Razorbill - 1E, 1W, 3os

auk sp - 21E, 2W

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 1W

Red-throated Diver (above), Shags & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper put in its first appearance in over a month this morning, along with an Avocet, c20 Black-tailed Godwits and c800 Lapwings, with a drake Gadwall among c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c300 Wigeon, whilst c20 Canada Geese were in the fields at the back and a Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Kingfisher & Gadwall, Teal and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank was along White’s Creek this morning, as well as three Avocets, eight Grey Plovers, 26 Redshanks, four Little Grebes, two Gadwall and numerous Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck and Pintail, whilst a Kingfisher flew into the sluice.

A Rock Pipit was along the rocks, and three Yellowhammers, two Reed Buntings, four Chiffchaffs, a Redwing and five Song Thrushes were in the reeds and bushes, while in the paddock there was a Grey Wagtail, two Pied Wagtails, two more Chiffchaffs, a Jay and two Song Thrushes, with the male Marsh Harrier and a Water Rail around, too.

At Halsey’s Farm, a Stonechat, a Goldcrest and a Buzzard were around the fields, c100 Wigeon were by the rife, as well as a Common Gull, and in the harbour there, a Kingfisher was along the banks and four Avocets were on the mud with two Grey Plovers and 18 Redshanks. (LP/IH/SP/AH/KF)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocets, Kingfisher, Stonechat, Yellowhammers, Buzzard (LP), Redwing & Marsh Harrier (AH) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Dartford Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler, a Goldcrest, six Stonechats, 16 Yellowhammers and c20 Linnets were along the banks this morning, with a Water Rail in one of the path-side pools and 43 Coots sat out on the bank of the reservoir.

Also, four Dunlin and a Ringed Plover were on the Stilt Pool, a Kestrel, two Marsh Harriers and two Buzzards went over and c200 Brent Geese were on the reserve, with a huge flock of at lest 1500 birds flying up from somewhere distantly to the west. (SH/PB)

Wednesday, 7th January: The frost lifted overnight, though it remained cold and mostly bright in a frresh and blustery north-westerly....

Selsey Bill: There was a little more activity this morning, including 14 Red-throated Divers east and nine Red-breasted Mergansers west. Full log below. (AH/KT/JDa/AT)

(0750-0920hrs) (NW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 14E, 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os

Gannet - 20os

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 1E

Common Scoter - 5W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 9W

Oystercatcher - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 2os

Razorbill - 2W

auk sp - 9E

Great Northern Diver (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Later, at around midday, a Little Gull was offshore. (AW)

Little Gull at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: With the ice thawing, there were lots of birds back around the pool, including a Merlin shooting through, a Peregrine on the radar mast and a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard at the back, with c40 Black-tailed Godwits, 500 Lapwings, c500 Wigeon, c20 Shovelers and c50 Teal around the pool and five Golden Plovers going over west.

Also, a Grey Wagtail and c50 Goldfinches were about, with three Avocets, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks, a Little Grebe and c25 Wigeon and Teal in the channel opposite. (AH/KT/JDa/AT)

Peregrine (above), Avocet, Teal & Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The three first-winter White-fronted Geese were in Honer 2 field this afternoon. (per Birdguides)

Church Norton: The drake Long-tailed Duck as offshore again this morning, along with two Great Northern Divers, two Great Crested Grebes and two Sandwich Terns, whilst in the harbour there were an Avocet, two Black-tailed Godwits, a handful of Ringed Plovers, c40 Grey Plovers, c400 Knot and c600 Dunlin, along with a few Brent Geese, Pintail, Wigeon and Teal.

Also a Marsh Harrier went over, putting up half a dozen Skylarks from the islands and a Chiffchaff was among a large mixed flock of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits. (AH/KT/JDa/AT)