Friday, 7 February 2025

Pagham Harbour- Caspian Gull

As I only did half a day on Monday, I bunked off work this morning and in very cold conditions (a large anticyclone is centred over Europe bringing in deep cold easterlies) I checked out East Side at Pagham. 61 species of over 7000 individuals in about 3 hours HERE (a very conservative estimate- likely to be 10,000 + birds in the harbour). Highlights included a second-winter Caspian Gull (a local rarity and patch tick), an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (surprisingly scarce locally), an adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose, two Long-eared Owls (in Wes's thermal), a male and female Peregrine hunting together, a Raven and one Rock Pipit. 

Now on 182 for the Selsey Peninsula and 117 for the year. Chipping away at the year list with three new ones today.  

Second-winter Caspian Gull. A nice striking indiviudal with dark beady eye on a brilliant white unmarked head framed by a shawl on the hind neck with light fine markings on the breast side. Typically for second-winter Caspian Gull the upperparts appear quite advanced with extensive grey (adult type feathers) on the upperparts and coverts with dark markings restricted to the lesser coverts with a typical grey panel on the median coverts and dark washed bases to the greater coverts with dark white thumb-nailed tertials (which indicates a 2nd-winter- some of the tertials would be adult type in a third-winter bird).
Typically the underwing was overall pale, in this indiviudal very pale/white 
The bird lacked the distinctive mirror on p10 (above and below) which is always lacking on Herring and Yellow-legged Gull in 2nd-winter plumage. According to Adriaeans et al only 50% of birds show that distinctive feature so while it was unfortunate this bird didn't show that feature, the lack of it in combination with all the other features is still within variation of Caspian. 
The black tail band is typically vermiculated on the basal edge. The indicative white underwing was pretty extreme on this bird and also typically the bird showed an extensive pale inner primary window. 
Second-winter Caspian Gull
Adult Pale-bellied Brent (top centre)
Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull with Greater Blacks (bottom far right) 
Brents- sadly won't be long before these start heading back. 

Monday, 3 February 2025

A few more year ticks

Monday is my main birding day so I targeted some more local patch year ticks today. I started off at the Bill (with Andrew, Ian ,Sarah and Co) hoping for the Red-necked Grebe (that has appeared 4-5 times out of 34 days this year so a bit of a long shot). No Red-necked Grebe but a Black-throated, a few Great Northerns and a load of Red-throated Divers plus a female Long-tailed Duck and a few Common Scoters and Mergs. Ebird list HERE .

I then went to Medmerry and walked along the west track from the car park to Stilt Pool; 61 species of nearly 3000 indiviudals in about 2 hours HERE. Local patch year ticks included Yellowhammers (about 65 of them), Dartford Warbler and finally got some Stonechats. Now on 114 (out of 143) for the Selsey Peninsula year list. 

I had to cut the day short to meet up with Holly and Issac and later with Derek and Mike, local moth-ers. We met at the RSPB visitor's centre for a couple of hours discussing a few plans for moth trapping this year. Derek and Mike both do genital dissection and have very kindly offered to do some of the coleophora and cnephasia etc that I'm catching in the garden which will be very intersting. Also we discussed targeting some Peninsula and Sussex specialities later in the year and identifying leaf mines- all new areas of lepidoptery for me, so very exciting. Looking forward to all that.

Red-throated (left) and Black-throated (right) Divers off Selsey Bill 
Yellowhammers at Medmerry
Lapwings and Golden Plovers over Medmerry

Sunday, 2 February 2025

A few bits and bobs

Been pretty busy this week  with work (including a big quote for the London Wildlife Trust at Hutchinson's Bank and Matt came over on Wednesday and we got a lot of the patio work done) but managed to get out in the field briefly a couple of times. Had a look at Dell Quay on Thursday on a Jack Snipe search but unfortunately no Jacks but did see the male Goldeneye that's been around. 

Did a bit of garden birding yesterday morning, the main change round here is Song Thrushes are now singing after being absent for a lot of the winter. Other birds like Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird and Woodpigeon were also singing- the first hint of a spring dawn chorus this year. There were about 400 Golden Plover flying around and 350 Lapwings went over too - presumably birds moving between Chichester and Pagham Harbour. 

Today Lee and Rachel visited and we had an afternoon walk to Church Norton where we found the male Long-tailed Duck that has been wintering off shore. What with Goldeneye and Long-tailed Duck, I'm now on 111 for the Selsey Peninsula for the year.  

A few moths have been attracted to the garden office window in the first hours of darkness after which the temperature has been dropping fast. I tried the moth trap yesterday night but drew a blank. 

Male Goldeneye at Dell Quay
Male Long-tailed Duck off Church Norton 
Early Moth- I think
Common Flat Body, Agonopterix heracliana 
Acleris notana/ferrugana
Lee with our Western Hognose. A great day with Lee visiting, I bought a couple of live Lobsters from the local fishermen for lunch.