Pied Wheatear at Seaford

With not much going on in the local area I decoded on a nice trip out on Friday morning to try for the now long-staying Pied Wheatear at Seaford's Splash Point. A good run down there found me first on site and the bird duly oblige after about 20 minutes! It continued to show well around the ruins at the end of the esplanade, along with two or three Black Redstarts and a scattering of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, for at least 45 minutes, vet nice little bird. I liked the area so a spring seawatch here rather than Selsey is very much on the cards..!

Orchard Marsh Tit

 A Marsh Tit was with a mixed flock in the orchard this morning, only the second record in thirty years at least here, so exciting! Also a Firecrest in the flock, bonus!

199: Black-necked Grebes

 A trip to East Head, thanks AJ on the Hayling side for heads up, found the two Black-necked Grebes offshore at Chichester Harbour mouth this morning, 199 for the Selsey Peninsula area for the year and the first of the year here (wait for it...😂😂😂)....

 So come on then Goosander, Snow Bunting, SEO, Bullfinch of Caspian Gull. Where art thou?? What if any of these. let's not get complacent, will be 200????

Out & About

The seawatching has been generally dire with the ever present high pressure doing no favours but there have been a few birds around otherwise. 

Circa ten Hawfinches at Rewell Wood was nice as were the Firecrests and Marsh Tits on the wat up to Sherwood Rough, plenty of Redwings here too...a Hawfinch flew over at home as well.

Also managed to get Hawfinch onto my Peninsula list, ticked Water Pipit, Brambling and Bearded Tit for the year there and saw the four Black Redstarts at the Selsey caravan park. Still looking for Bullfinch, Short-eared Owl & Snow Bunting, or indeed anything else, to get to 200 on the Selsey Peninsula for the year, be a nice way to bow out...

Yellow-browed Warbler

Unfortunately not prolonged views of the Yellow-browed Warbler for me at Church Norton this morning but enough to be happy with in a short gap between produce packing...!

Small Mottled Willow

 A Small Mottled Willow was in the moth trap along with a few smart Black Rustics. Bird-wise little going on other than a few Grey Wagtails & Meadow Pipits moving over Oving and I suppose c.20 Chiffchaffs around the farm-the east coast seems full of birds after benign winds in that quarter with the south & west is the poor relation at the moment-will keep on looking for a Yellow-browed Warbler but no luck so far!!

Cattle Egrets

 A look for a pair of Mandarin Ducks at South Mundham didn't turn them up but c.60 Cattle Egrets and c.40 young Mallards were in the area.

At Rectory Lane and thereabouts c.100 Red-legged Partridges were on the fields, about to meet the firing squad of doom no doubt, and, at Selsey Bill, a Spotted Flycatcher was with the Chiffchaffs at Grafton Road.

At Mill Lane Marsh a Greenshank was present early on a couple of Stonechats were at Halsey's Farm where a Hobby went over.

Cattle Egrets: Mallards (hopefully not bred to be shot!); Red-legged Partridges: Spotted Flycatcher & Chiffchaff: