22nd - 24th March 2015

Tuesday, 24th March: Cloudy and  cool after a little overnight rain, with some sunny periods and the probability of showers later. The wind remains a moderate north-westerly - never very promising for sea passage on the south coast - but yesterday delivered far more than anticipated, so we will see what today brings.....

Ferry Pool: On the pool this morning were c.190 Wigeon, 45 Shoveler, 2 Avocets, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Snipe, 3 Redshank, 1 Great Black-backed Gull and the usual Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Teal, Lapwing, Black-headed Gulls and Curlew (PH).

Wigeon on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Spotted Redshank and six Avocets were at the far end of Ferry Channel, and there were at least a dozen Chiffchaffs along the hedges, plus a few Linnets and Reed Buntings. (AH)

Linnet along the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: Along White's Creek were 140 Black-tailed Godwits, the ever present Spotted Redshank and 38 Wigeon. The thrashings of a stranded Carp attracted a Great Black-backed Gull to the Breech Pool. The Gull tried to drag the struggling fish to the bank but dropped it in deeper water and, inadvertently, possibly saved its life. 

Very little along the Wall or back fields but there were several singing Chiffchaffs. The fields behind Honer were being ploughed and had attracted many gulls - there were probably close to 600 and the vast majority were Black-headed but there were at least 8 Mediterranean Gulls amongst them. (JDW)

Spotted Redshank in White's Creek (above) & Black-headed Gulls following the plough from the North Wall (JDW)

Selsey Bill: Quiet again on the sea, though there were three or four Chiffchaffs in the Bill House garden, and the usual Great Northern Divers, Eider and Red-breasted Mergansers offshore. (AH/GH/C&ME et al)

(0700-1200)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Brent Goose - 47W
Wigeon - 9E
Eider 2os
Common Scoter - 4E, 7os
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 10os
Sandwich Tern - 2E
Meadow Pipit - 36N
Pied Wagtail - 3N
Chiffchaff - 3 in garden

Medmerry: Chainbridge-Ham - There were up to four singing Corn Buntings in the rough ground between Ham and the Breach, and numerous Skylarks displaying overhead. The odd Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit was about, but the only evidence of migration was half a dozen scattered Chiffchaffs. On the reserve the flock of c120 Golden Plovers were on the ploughed field, at least a dozen pairs of Lapwing were displaying right across the area, and three Mediterranean Gulls were among the Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Early afternoon a Marsh Harrier went over the bank near Ham. (PH)

 

Corn Bunting (above), Skylark, Chiffchaff & Mediterranean Gull at Medmerry (AH)

 

 

Monday, 23rd March: Another cold morning with cloud, though the wind had dropped as it shifted round to the north-western quadrant....then the sun came out later as the wind increased somewhat.

Selsey Bill: Birds of the morning were almost missed by everyone - a pair of Goosanders sneaked by right along the strandline and were mostly seen going away west. There was some genuine migration, too - with Brent Geese and a few Common Scoter moving east and in excess of 500 Meadow Pipits coming in off the sea by 10am. There were also seven Great Northern Divers and the five Eiders offshore.  (Obs: OM/AH/GH/C&ME/IL et al)

(0715-1330hrs): Dry and cloudy, sunnier later, wind light NW 1-2 then WNW3-4. Log.....

Red-throated Diver - 3E

Great Northern Diver - 7os

Diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Fulmar - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 1W

Brent Goose - 340E, 2W

Eider - 5os

Goosander - 2W (pair, 0835hrs)

Red-breasted Merganser - 39E, 6W, 5os

Common Scoter - 40E, 8os

Turnstone - 18W

Curlew - 2E

Kestrel - 1N

Sandwich Tern - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Meadow Pipit - 805N

Pied/alba Wagtail - 6N

Brent Geese (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers past the Bill (AH)

 

Wrong way fellas...turn around when possible! These two Brent spoiled the Log by insisting on going west when all the others knew better and headed east (OM) 

Selsey (West): The regular sites held nothing of note, the lowly best being at Northcommon Farm where there were 2 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Great Spotted Woodpecker (OM).

Medmerry: Breach: Nothing really doing this morning - a pair of Pintail on the pools, along with 20 Shelduck, six Grey Plover and two Curlew was about it, and just a handful of Linnets and Meadow Pipits on the banks. (AH)

Grey Plovers at Medmerry Breach (AH)

Medmerry: Ham - Two or three (or even four!) Corn Buntings singing from Ham viewpoint this afternoon. Spoonbill distantly on saltmarsh to the south, male Wheatear on field next to Ham and a female Wheatear on arable south of Ham viewpoint. (PH/TG-P).

Easton Lane / Stilt pool: I took a walk along the beach from the Earnley end in search of Wheatears but had no luck.  Three Spoonbills were feeding in the pools, one was bare legged, one had a green ring and the third seemed to be sporting a bright green flag with a paler green ring above.  Possibly a new bird?  Also  Peregrine, a Buzzard, a flock of c250 Golden Plover, displaying Lapwings, 2 Pintail ducks, 100 Brent Geese, 23 Yellowhammers and small flocks of Linnets and Skylarks. The stilt pool held very little; 4 Avocets, 4 Gadwall, a handful of Tufted Ducks, Teal and Wigeon (SR). 

Church Norton: Very quiet - c80 Brent Geese were still in the harbour, as were c30 Black-tailed Godwits, eight Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great Crested Grebe were offshore and a couple of Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings were around the horse field. (AH)

 

Black-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just one Avocet this morning, along with 50+ Lapwings, 3-400 Wigeon, 70+ Shoveler and 30+ Shelduck. (AH)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)
 

Sidlesham: Twenty or so Fieldfare briefly appeared in the trees at the back of our garden late this morning, apparently disturbed from the recently drilled field behind, and a pair of noisy Mediterranean Gulls went over. (AH)

Chichester Marina: Just a brief look at the marsh, where a Sparrowhawk flushed 15 Snipe and 6 Teal, plus 6 Lapwings that had been displaying and looking settled. Two rival Cetti's Warblers gave occasional bursts of song from the reed-bed area (OM).
 

Sunday, 22nd March: Another cold day, with the sharp NNE wind persisting and only occasional sunny intervals....

however, both AH and I were originally harbouring plans to head east this morning, but as Chris Seaton so ably put it in his message to me.."The premature demise of the Newhaven Richard's Pipit yesterday rather changed my plans for this morning!" Ditto Chris! (In case you didn't know a Sparrowhawk snaffled it yesterday afternoon) (OM).

Selsey Bill: The offshore breeze and a very low tide didn't help another slow morning, but a group of four Eider (a drake and three ducks) on the sea was something new, and more surprisingly, Ada the anti-social Eider joined them as they drifted off east! Full log below....

(0600-1030hrs) NE 5 (Obs: JA/SH/IP/AH/OM/RJS et al)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

diver sp - 2E

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 3os

Gannet -  8E, 3W

Teal - 1E

Mallard - 7p
Wigeon - 12E
Shoveler - 2E

Common Scoter 4E, 8os

Eider - 5os
Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 9os
Peregrine - 1N
Sandwich Tern - 2 os drifted W
Pied/alba Wagtail - 1N

Chiffchaff - 1 in gardens
 

Very low tide at the Bill, showing the exposed bar (SH)

Eiders (above) & Red-breasted Merganser off the Bill (AH)

(1630-1730) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 2os

Eider - 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 8os

Grey Plover - 3E

Curlew - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Selsey (West): Little indeed in a search for migrants at the regular sites; the only birds worth a mention were several Chiffchaffs at Northcommon Farm and a pair of Red-legged Partridges at Warner Lane paddocks (OM).

Red-legged Partridges at Warner Lane paddocks (OM).

Church Norton: The 2 Grey Partridge were in field behind new orchard, there were plenty of raptors about again, including 7 Buzzards, 3 Kestrels and 2 Sparrowhawks, there were 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and 3 Great Crested Grebes offshore and 21 Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour. (S&SaH/IP) Also a single Slavonian Grebe offshore (PJ/BJ).

Grey Partridges at Church Norton (SH)

Ferry Pool: Only new birds here were a couple of Snipe and a pair of Mediterranean Gulls in amongst several hundred Black-headed Gulls. There were also four Black-tailed Godwits, ten Avocets and the usual counts of Shoveler, Wigeon and Lapwing. (AH/PJ) Also, a Raven went over at midday. (RJS)

Snipe (above) & Mediterranean Gulls on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A very parky North Wall held few migrants, with a few Chiffchaffs calling more than they were singing.  Highlights was the splendid Spotted Redshank on White's Creek and a nice surprise was a Jack Snipe rising from the reeds towards Owl Copse, flying low over the wall close to me and dropping into the harbour (CS).

Pagham Spit: It was pretty quiet today, with just a flock of Linnets on the shingle of note, though there were two Pintail in the harbour. (BI)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Easton Lane - Most of the interest was around Porthole Farm, with at least 30 Reed Buntings and a dozen Chiffchaffs along the hedges, plus a calling Cetti's Warbler, and there were 100+ Meadow Pipits and a few Skylarks in the fields. There were also a dozen or more Stock Doves about and three Buzzards over, but not a single Pied Wagtail around the settling tanks. The walk to Easton Lane and back was more or less birdless, bar a few more Meadow Pipits and Stock Doves. (AH)

Reed Bunting (above), Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit and a huge hatch of flies at Porthole Farm (AH)

Windmill Field: A Short-eared Owl flew W high at 14:15 mobbed by Herring Gulls (PJ/BJ)

Easton lane to the Stilt pools - A Grey Heron, a Little Egret, two Shelduck and a few Teal around the first sluice pool, along with a few Reed Buntings. Two Buzzards went over, but not much on the way down except a Meadow Pipit and a Curlew, whilst a Snipe flew over. At the pools there were four Avocets, a large flock of Linnets and Goldfinches and there were at least 25 Pied Wagtails here, along with eight Tufted Ducks and two Mute Swans. 

In the middle of the reserve there were several Oystercatchers, two more Avocets and a few Lapwings, whilst a few Reed Buntings and Skylarks were along the fence-lines. Also, there were four Teal offshore. (BI)
 

Linnet at Medmerry (BI)
 

Ham-Chainbridge - A Short-eared Owl came up over the bank by Ham Farm and kept on going, gaining in height as it disappeared beyond the sewage farm. Not much else of note, though there were plenty of displaying Lapwings, a few Curlew and Teal on the reserve and about 20 scattered Stock Doves. (AH)
 

Short-eared Owl (above) & Stock Dove at Medmerry (AH)

Chichester Marina: A Green Sandpiper was on the marsh this morning, with 2 Snipe, 45 Curlew, 4 Teal and pair of Gadwall. A Cetti's Warbler and a Water Rail were calling from the reed-bed, where a pair of Mediterranean Gulls flew over calling (OM).

Birdham Pool: No sign again of the Mandarins in a short visit, but a pair of Shelduck and a Great Crested Grebe were new, whilst regular birds included a dozen roosting Cormorants and 4 Little Grebes (OM).

 Shelduck and Great Crested Grebe, and pair of Shelducks on Birdham Pool (OM)

19th - 21st March 2015

Saturday, 21st March: Sunshine with cloud and dry but cool, with a brisk N/NE wind 5-6....

Selsey Bill (0610 to 0900hrs): Dry, sunny, cool, NNE5  (Obs: SH/IP/PB/C&ME/AH)

Up to eight Great Northern Divers were offshore this morning, as was the long-staying Eider and half a dozen Sandwich Terns, but nothing was moving again, bar a flock of 25 Brent Geese and a flock of 11 unidentifiable ducks that were considered most likely to have been Eider. (SH/IP/PB et al) Later on, a steady flow of Meadow Pipits began, with the odd Pied Wagtail amongst them arriving off the sea; by 11.00 the total had exceeded 200. Full log....

Red-throated Diver - 4E
Great Northern Diver - 8os
Great Crested Grebe - 5E,1os
Fulmar - 3W
Brent Goose - 25E
Eider - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 9os
Common Scoter - 5E, 1W, 8os
Kestrel - 1 p
Turnstone - 4W
Auk sp - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 6os
Meadow Pipit - 7N
Pied/alba Wagtail - 2N

Additional watch (0900-1100) (C&ME/AH)
Gannet  - 2W
Fulmar - 1W

Brent Goose - 1W

Common Scoter - 2E
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E

Razorbill - 1E

Meadow Pipit - 209N
Pied Wagtail - 2N

Great Northern Diver off the Bill (AH)

Selsey Town: A Chiffchaff in the garden this afternoon. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There was also a modest passage of Meadow Pipits over the beach this morning - at least 100 in off the sea in small flocks, and one of the Spoonbills flew into roost on Tern Island, a Red-breasted Merganser was in the harbour, with a further two and a Great Crested Grebe offshore, where otherwise it was quiet in the sharp wind. However, a Short-eared Owl flew west over the harbour, and other raptors were well represented with 3 Sparrowhawks, 3 Kestrels, 4 Buzzards and a Peregrine which flew to its island.(AH/SH/SaH/PB)

Spoonbill in familiar pose (above) & Curlew having a wash and brush-up at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon a Short-eared Owl flew over the fields behind Park Farm before disappearing south towards Selsey, there were also two Lapwings out on the fields and in the field nearest to the sea were a pair of Grey Partridges. In five years this is only the second time I have seen this species on my regular walk from the village to Church Norton.

The Harbour was very full of water and there was no sign of this morning's Spoonbill, however a male Wheatear on the shingle spit opposite the metalwork was my first of the year. (IP)

Grey Partridges (above) & Wheatear at Church Norton (IP)

Ferry Pool: Fourteen Avocets were on the pool, and they, the dozen or so Redshank and the Lapwings were all displaying and competing around the water's edge. Otherwise, there was still a big flock of Wigeon on the field and the usual Shovelers and Shelduck. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Shelduck at the Ferry (AH)

Chichester GPs: Drayton Pits - Bird of the morning here was a Red Kite which soared over, to the annoyance of the local gulls. The only obvious migrants located were 6 Chiffchaffs, but winter lingerers still present included 75 Shoveler, 38 Pochard, 64 Tufted Duck, 20 Gadwall and 5 Snipe. Also logged were 4 pairs of Great Crested Grebe,  a Kestrel, 2 Buzzards, 31 Canada Geese, 18 Greylags. a Bar-headed Goose and a couple of Reed Buntings (OM). 

Westhampnett Pit held the usual Tufted Ducks, a pair of Great Crested Grebes, but no hirundines! (OM)

Red Kite over Chi GPs (Drayton) - and spookily just after I'd put down my scope to grab a photo, the sun must have peeped through the clouds to light it up, just as if it were filming me!

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Stilt pool - this afternoon there were 13 Yellowhammers, 7 Reed Buntings, a Skylark, 20+ Meadow Pipits, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Buzzards and 3 Kestrels along the path, and on the Stilt pool there were 7 Avocets, 12 Gadwall, 20+ Tufted Ducks, 20+ Linnets and 10 Pied Wagtails. (S&SaH)

Friday, 20th March: A dry but cloudy morning with a sunnier afternoon in prospect, and the cool NNE wind still persisting. Sadly the cloud  will probably mean anyone birding on our patch will miss the solar eclipse due at roughly 0930; never mind, it is the spring equinox today and also a perigee new moon (if like me you hadn't heard that word before, well it's basically when the moon at it closest to the earth so it looks bigger!) (OM)

Selsey Bill: Offshore, between 07.15 and 07.45hrs,  there were two Great Northern Divers, two Common Scoter, the Eider, six Brent Geese (which flew off east) and three Red-breasted Mergansers (which flew off west), and a Red-throated Diver also flew west, plus a Sanderling on the beach. (AH/GH). Later, from 0830 - 0930, the Great Northern Diver count had risen to three and the Merganser count to eight, plus a single Great Crested Grebe (JA).

Brent Geese past the Bill (AH)

Selsey Town: A male Blackcap in the garden briefly this evening. (S&SaH)

Ferry Pool: There were eight Avocets this morning, along with 12 Redshank, 40 Lapwing, 70 Shoveler and at least 400 Wigeon. (AH)

Lapwing on Ferry Field (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Amazingly, the solar eclipse was visible this morning - for barely a minute the clouds parted enough to see the crescent of the sun behind the moon before the clouds returned and it was all over for another ninety years! 

The solar eclipse, briefly viewed through a parting of the clouds at Medmerry (AH)

Most interesting thing bird-wise was a big gathering of Redwings in the poplars early on, that departed north in smaller groups, totalling around 50 birds. Other sightings included at least 10 Snipe around the area, two Spoonbills snoozing out on the reserve, six pairs of Avocets on the Stilt Pool, 40 Golden Plover which came up from the middle and a mobile flock of 30 Curlew. There were also a pair of Pintail, three Shoveler, c20 Gadwall and c100 Teal around the pools, about 30 Linnets were around the sea-defence rocks and Yellowhammers, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were present all round the bank. (AH) Also there were two Great Crested Grebes offshore and ten Brent Geese went east. (BI)

Spoonbills (above), Avocets, Linnets & Meadow Pipits at Medmerry (AH)

Chainbridge to Ham - One Short-eared Owl was out along the banks this evening, and a flock of c120 Golden Plovers (presumably the ones that have been on the Ferry) were on the newly ploughed field on the reserve. Very few passerines about - just a couple of Skylarks and about 30 Meadow Pipits which dropped into the field - though at least five Grey Herons were in the vicinity. (AH)

Short-eared Owl (above), Golden Plovers & Grey Heron at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 19th March: Mainly cloudy though dry, but with a fresh NE wind and the prospect of cooler temperatures again for the next few days...so it was back to gloves and full winter clothing again!

Selsey Bill: Just a flock of 20 Brent Geese east between 7.20 and 8.10am, and no migrants evident in the gardens. (AH/A&YF)

Pagham Spit/Lagoon: Best bird was a Merlin which shot up over Church Norton spit and disappeared at high speed across the harbour. Otherwise, there was a bright male Wheatear at the far end of the spit, and there were a dozen or more Linnets back in residence along the gorse. A Reed Bunting dropped in, and there were a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits about, plus a single Chiffchaff. There was nothing other than the usual birds in the harbour.

Wheatear (above), Linnets & Reed Bunting along Pagham Spit (AH)

Not much of note on the Lagoon - there was a Pochard in with a dozen Tufted Ducks and similar of Little Grebes, whilst around 100 Brent Geese, 30 Wigeon and a few Teal dropped in and departed again. (AH)

Pochard on Pagham Lagoon (AH)

North Wall: Surprisingly, given the high tide, the only waders on the Breech Pool were about eight Snipe, in the company of a pair of Gadwall and c50 Teal. Brent Geese were coming and going all the time and there were a pair of Shoveler and eight Pintail in the harbour, but otherwise it was very quiet. (AH)

Teal from the North Wall (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Spoonbill went over the Visitor Centre at around 8am, heading for the harbour. (PH)

On the pool itself there were a total of 11 Avocets present this morning, along with a couple of Snipe and the usual Lapwings, Wigeon and Shoveler, plus 30 or so Shelduck. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The cold wind here made viewing conditions less than comfortable and we didn't linger too long, but there were 5 Slavonian and a couple of Great Crested Grebes offshore (OM/BFF).

Late this afternoon there was a Grey Wagtail at Park Farm reservoir, the elusive Grey Partridge was near by and a Cetti's Warbler was calling from the Second Several. Best bird was a single Fieldfare at the northern end of Selsey.(S&SaH) 

Chichester Marina: A fairly brief late-morning visit; little on the marsh except 20 Curlew, 2 Snipe, several Teal and a Buzzard, though from the reed-bed a Cetti's Warbler was singing occasionally and 3 Water Rails squealed at each other in competition. Fifty or so Brent Geese were in the channel on the high tide with a selection of common waders and wildfowl in small numbers (OM/BFF).

Birdham Pool: A quick look for yesterday's Mandarins drew a blank and there was little on offer except for 4 Little Grebes and 6 Cormorants. (OM/BFF).

Fishbourne Creek: At least 25 Yellowhammers were feeding on and around the dung heap in the horse paddock. In the creek there were still plenty of birds, although numbers are dropping; there was nothing special but totals included 25 Pintail, 200+ Common Gulls, 60 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Greenshank (OM/BFF).

Medmerry: Breach viewpoint - The lagoons were nearly empty of birdlife, though c.200 Brent Geese were spread out across the area beyond. The sea held what interest there was, with three Great Northern Divers, three Red-breasted Mergansers and an Eider (possibly the Selsey regular?) offshore (OM/BFF).