17th - 19th December 2018

Wednesday, 19th December: A typical south-westerly wind morning, after a wet start, with a mix of sunshine and showers, though still mild....

Selsey Bill: At least 25 Red-throated Divers went west this morning, with five Great Northern Divers, three Slavonian Grebes and the Eider offshore and the Rock Pipit on the beach. Full log below...... 
0750-1030hrs:   (OM/AH)
Red-throated Diver - 5E, 26W
Great Northern Diver - 5+ os
diver sp - 1E, 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 3os
Gannet - 36W
Shag - 2os later flew off W
Eider - 1os
Common Scoter - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 12E, 6W, 20 os
Kittiwake - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 2W
Rock Pipit - 1 ob

Red-throated Divers (above), Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe & Rock Pipit at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was tucked away at the back this morning and 200 Lapwings were on the field, though the pool was quiet, with 50 or so Teal and a few Wigeon being the sum, though at least 100 of the latter were in the flooded creeks in the fields. (AH)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were many hundreds of Dunlin on the old harbour mouth at high tide this morning, along with at least 100 each of Knot, Turnstone and Grey Plover, plus a handful of Bar-tailed Godwits, but otherwise it was quiet, save a scattering of Brent Geese, Pintail, Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin, Turnstones and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 18th December: A very grey and blustery morning, with a brisk south-easterly bring drizzle and then rain, though it was fairly mild....

Selsey Bill: There were a few bits about, including six Great Northern Divers going east, plus one on the sea, along with an Eider and two Slavonian Grebes. Full log below. (AH)

(0800-0930hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 6E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 5W

Gannet - 12E, 45W, then later c30os

Eider - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 23E, 4W, 8os

Common Gull - 4E

Mediterranean Gull - 7E

Kittiwake - 2E, 1W

Great Northern Divers (above), Slavonian Grebes & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Nine Shovelers were back on the pool today, along with c60 Teal, c30 Wgeon and a handful of Lapwings. (AH) Later in the day a Green Sandpiper was on the pool and a Chiffchaff was in the bushes nearby. (ESt)

Shovelers (above) & Wigeon on the Ferry (AH) & Green Sandpiper (ESt)

Church Norton: There were four Red-breasted Mergansers and a couple of Great Crested Grebes in the harbour, along with a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, whilst there were very large numbers of waders on the falling tide, including at least 1000 Dunlin, c150 Knot and c100 Grey Plovers.

There were half a dozen Gannets well offshore, whilst a few Common and Mediterranean Gulls were among a huge gull flock along the beach, but the only land-birds of note were two Jays and a Green Woodpecker around the horse field. (AH) A 1w Yellow-legged Gull was present in the harbour this afternoon. (ESt)

Pintails (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Knot and Dunlin & Knot, Dunlin, Turnstone and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: In the fields west of Pagham Road were 830 Lapwing hunkered down on the ploughed field. On White's Creek were 240 Wigeon and 112 Teal but 3 Redshank were the only waders. The Breech Pool is very full and held 60 Mallard and less than 6 of Tufted, Wigeon, Teal and a solitary Gadwall. In the fields between the Wall and Honer were at least 1200 corvids; judging from the calls there was a high percentage of Jackdaws.  The Brent Geese were in a field north and east of Honer reservoir.... I counted 1760. Honer 1 field is currently flooded and impassable and the western end of the Wall footpath is very muddy and slippery. (JDW)

 Flooded fields at the North Wall and part of the corvid flock (JDW)

Sidlesham Marsh Farm/Church Farm Lane: There were at least ten Cattle Egrets still around the farms today. (ESt)

Cattle Egrets in Sidlesham (ESt)

Monday, 17th December: A bright and sunny morning, and quite mild after a chilly start, with a light, but freshening, westerly breeze....

Chi GPs - Ivy Lake: A Great White Egret dropped into the reeds at the north-east end this morning but otherwise it was fairly quiet with just Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebes and Tufted Ducks on the water and a small mixed Tit flock along the paths. Nunnery Lake held a few Gadwall but on New Lake were at least 120 Shoveler, c.150 Pochard, 40 Tufted Ducks and 20 Mallards. (BI)

Great White Egret with Canada Geese at Ivy Lake (BI)

Ferry Pool: A Green Sandpiper was on the concealed pool, with approximately 50 Lapwing, Teal and Wigeon along the edges, but no Shovelers. (AH)

Green Sandpiper on the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Stonechat was along the hedges, a Kingfisher was in the creek beyond the far end and four Avocets were out in the harbour. At the far end of Ferry Channel there were c40 Redshank, plus a few Wigeon and Teal, plus a couple of hundred Lapwings and 35 Brent Geese went over west. (AH/BFF)

Stonechat (above) & Redshanks, Teal and Lapwings from Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: There were seven Red-throated Divers and two Great Northern Divers offshore this morning, the wintering Whimbrel was showing nicely by the hide and a Sparrowhawk was also about. (PB/BFF) 

The Whimbrel at Church Norton (BFF)

Runcton: There were eight Egyptian Geese with ten Mute Swans and a Black Swan, viewable from the concrete road, at Runcton Farm this morning. (AH)

Egyptian Geese and Mute Swan at Runcton (AH)

Honer Reservoir: There wasn't much about this morning - just a handful of Redwings and Fieldfares, four Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer along the hedges and a Sparrowhawk and a few Lapwings over, though there was a huge flock of Brent Geese distantly viewable towards Sefter Farm. (AH)

Sparrowhawk (above), Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Selsey (north): A Merlin flashed over the White Horse caravan site after the local Starlings this afternoon. (SH)

Sidlesham: Marsh Farm, Chalder Farm and Bramber Farm - There were a minimum of 18 Cattle Egrets spread around the fields between Marsh Farm and Chalder Farm this morning, most of them not actually with the cows.

Also, there were still at least 100 Fieldfares and 30 Redwings between Chalder Farm and Bramber Farm, along with 30 Curlews, a Sparrowhawk, two Skylarks and half a dozen Reed Buntings and Skylarks. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Fieldfares & Redwings around Chalder Farm (AH)