Monday, 16th December: It was pretty dire early on, with persistent heavy drizzle and a moderate south-westerly breeze, but by midday the wind had eased and it had started to slowly dry up....
Selsey Bill: Five Sandwich Tens were about again, and a Bar-tailed Godwit and 20 Brent Geese went west, but otherwise it remains slow. Full log below. (IP/BI/AH/MO-W)
(0800-0945hrs) (SSW, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1W, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 3W
Brent Goose - 20W
Red-breasted Meganser - 8E, 3W, 3os
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Ferry Pool: There was just one Avocet present this morning, along with ten Shelducks, c30 Shoveler and Wigeon and at least 120 Teal, whilst c50 Lapwing were on/over the field. (AH)
North Wall: A Jay and a Song Thrush were near the horse paddocks this morning and about 100 Curlew were scattered around the fields adjoining the Wall.
In the field east of Marsh Farm 1,500 Brent Geese were feeding and were joined by another 200 or so from the harbour as I trekked back along the wall in light rain. (IH)
Church Norton: A Great Northern Diver went west fairly close offshore this morning and two Red-breasted Mergansers were on the sea, though the harbour held little of note beyond c100 Knot among the Dunlin and Grey Plovers.
Two Snipe were on the edge of the horse field, along with a handful of Wigeon and c30 Teal, with a Linnet and a Reed Bunting nearby.
Two Water Rails were squealing loudly at each other from the first Several, but Greenlease Farm was quiet, save a Chiffchaff and several Song Thrushes. (AH/IP)
Sunday, 15th December: A morning of sunshine and heavy showers, blown on by a very blustery south-westerly....Great Northern Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1W, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 1E, 3W
Brent Goose - 20W
Red-breasted Meganser - 8E, 3W, 3os
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1W
Mediterranean Gull - 4W
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Brent Geese (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There was just one Avocet present this morning, along with ten Shelducks, c30 Shoveler and Wigeon and at least 120 Teal, whilst c50 Lapwing were on/over the field. (AH)
Avocet (above), Teal & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)
North Wall: A Jay and a Song Thrush were near the horse paddocks this morning and about 100 Curlew were scattered around the fields adjoining the Wall.
In the field east of Marsh Farm 1,500 Brent Geese were feeding and were joined by another 200 or so from the harbour as I trekked back along the wall in light rain. (IH)
Church Norton: A Great Northern Diver went west fairly close offshore this morning and two Red-breasted Mergansers were on the sea, though the harbour held little of note beyond c100 Knot among the Dunlin and Grey Plovers.
Two Snipe were on the edge of the horse field, along with a handful of Wigeon and c30 Teal, with a Linnet and a Reed Bunting nearby.
Two Water Rails were squealing loudly at each other from the first Several, but Greenlease Farm was quiet, save a Chiffchaff and several Song Thrushes. (AH/IP)
Great Northern Diver (above) & Snipe at Church Norton (AH)
Selsey Bill: A fairly quiet morning, with a Great Northern Diver almost overhead as it attempted twice to go west past the Bill before retreating east being the highlight. Full log below. (SH/PB/SR/BI/AH/MO-W/IP)
(0730-1000hrs) (SW, F6)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Fulmar - 1W
Gannet - 7E
Shag - 2E
Brent Goose - 3E
Teal - 8W
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 19W, 4os
Sparrowhawk - 1
Kittiwake - 2E
auk sp - 1E, 1W
Great Northern Diver (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were about 50 Golden Plovers and 200 Lapwings on/over the field this morning, whilst on the pool there were a flock of 15 Avocets, 12 Shelducks, c20 Shoveler and close to 200 Teal. (AH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were 19 Cattle Egrets in the fields north of the buildings this morning, along with four Little Egrets.
The nearby hedges and fields also held six Redwings, a Grey Wagtail, four Pied Wagtails, 20+ Meadow Pipits and a few Chaffinches and Greenfinches.. (S&SaH)
Pagham Sewage Works (Summer Lane): There was a probable Siberian Chiffchaff among a minimum of 15 Common Chiffchaffs this morning at the sewage works favouring the settling tank directly opposite the gate; viewing here is very limited though. Also present were three Grey Wagtails and c.15 Pied Wagtails. Further towards Honer, a Raven went over and there were more Pied Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits in an uncut maize field. (BI)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There wasn't much to report this afternoon, though c40 Fieldfares were near the poplars and 3-400 Golden Plover went up repeatedly from somewhere out on the reserve. (SH)
North Wall: A large gathering of Brent Geese was behind the Breech Pool early on, with a count of 2700.... they later moved to large grazing field east of Marsh Farm, whilst there were 117 Curlew in Honer 2 field and a further 37 in Honer 3. At least 60 Fieldfares were in the field west of Honer Reservoir, but nothing at all on Honer Reservoir, but a Snipe flew over and about 500 Lapwing wheeled overhead. Note that the footpaths to Honer Farm and the pumping station are currently impassable unless you are wearing wellingtons. (IH/JDW)
Church Norton: There were up to eight Avocets present in the harbour this morning, along with the Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit, c100 Knot and lots of Dunlin and Grey Plovers, whilst a flock of at least 400 Black-tailed Godwits along with similar of Golden Plovers and at least 1000 Lapwing came up from the North Wall area.
At least a dozen Pintail were along the main channel, along with a Red-breasted Merganser and a few Little Grebes, whilst a Peregrine was on the island, three or four Goldcrests were in the sheltered hedges and and a dozen Skylarks, two Linnets and a Meadow Pipit were along the west side. (AH/IP/P&JW)
Ivy Lake Complex: New Lake had a single Cattle Egret perched alongside Cormorants resting on the raft, 15 Pochard, 2 pairs of Gadwall, a Little Grebe and 80 - 100 Shoveler.
Copse Lake had 18 Pochard, 4 Tufted Ducks, 2 Great Crested Grebes and a Chiffchaff.
It was very windy on Ivy Lake with few birds visible and I only managed to record 1 Common Gull, 6 Pochard, 4 Shoveler, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Gadwall 18 Tufted Ducks, 39 Canada Geese and two families of Long-tailed Tits. (SR)
Saturday, 14th December: Another bright, but chill, morning, with a strong - and at times, gale-force - westerly blowing....
Avocets, Shoveler and Teal (above) & Golden Plovers at the Ferry (AH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were 19 Cattle Egrets in the fields north of the buildings this morning, along with four Little Egrets.
The nearby hedges and fields also held six Redwings, a Grey Wagtail, four Pied Wagtails, 20+ Meadow Pipits and a few Chaffinches and Greenfinches.. (S&SaH)
Pagham Sewage Works (Summer Lane): There was a probable Siberian Chiffchaff among a minimum of 15 Common Chiffchaffs this morning at the sewage works favouring the settling tank directly opposite the gate; viewing here is very limited though. Also present were three Grey Wagtails and c.15 Pied Wagtails. Further towards Honer, a Raven went over and there were more Pied Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits in an uncut maize field. (BI)
Siberian Chiffchaff (?) at Pagham SW (BI)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There wasn't much to report this afternoon, though c40 Fieldfares were near the poplars and 3-400 Golden Plover went up repeatedly from somewhere out on the reserve. (SH)
North Wall: A large gathering of Brent Geese was behind the Breech Pool early on, with a count of 2700.... they later moved to large grazing field east of Marsh Farm, whilst there were 117 Curlew in Honer 2 field and a further 37 in Honer 3. At least 60 Fieldfares were in the field west of Honer Reservoir, but nothing at all on Honer Reservoir, but a Snipe flew over and about 500 Lapwing wheeled overhead. Note that the footpaths to Honer Farm and the pumping station are currently impassable unless you are wearing wellingtons. (IH/JDW)
Church Norton: There were up to eight Avocets present in the harbour this morning, along with the Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit, c100 Knot and lots of Dunlin and Grey Plovers, whilst a flock of at least 400 Black-tailed Godwits along with similar of Golden Plovers and at least 1000 Lapwing came up from the North Wall area.
At least a dozen Pintail were along the main channel, along with a Red-breasted Merganser and a few Little Grebes, whilst a Peregrine was on the island, three or four Goldcrests were in the sheltered hedges and and a dozen Skylarks, two Linnets and a Meadow Pipit were along the west side. (AH/IP/P&JW)
Pintail (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
Ivy Lake Complex: New Lake had a single Cattle Egret perched alongside Cormorants resting on the raft, 15 Pochard, 2 pairs of Gadwall, a Little Grebe and 80 - 100 Shoveler.
Copse Lake had 18 Pochard, 4 Tufted Ducks, 2 Great Crested Grebes and a Chiffchaff.
It was very windy on Ivy Lake with few birds visible and I only managed to record 1 Common Gull, 6 Pochard, 4 Shoveler, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Gadwall 18 Tufted Ducks, 39 Canada Geese and two families of Long-tailed Tits. (SR)
Cattle Egret and Cormorants (above) & Pochard at Ivy Lake (SR)
Selsey Bill: A bit of a selection this morning, including a couple of Slavonian Grebes and Kittiwakes and five Sandwich Terns. Full log below. (SH/SR/BI/AH/IP)
(0730-0930hrs) (W, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 2W
Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os
Gannet - 1E
Common Scoter - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 4W, 9os
Grey Plover - 2W
Turnstone - 21
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Kittiwake - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 5W
auk sp - 1E, 3W
Meadow Pipit - 2W
Rock Pipit - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)
(1445-1545hrs) (SH)
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 5W, 4os
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Ferry Pool: There was a huge flock of Golden Plover - best estimate was 600 birds - on the field this morning, with about half that of Lapwings among them, all constantly taking to the air.
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 5W, 4os
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Ferry Pool: There was a huge flock of Golden Plover - best estimate was 600 birds - on the field this morning, with about half that of Lapwings among them, all constantly taking to the air.
On the pool itself there were six Gadwall, ten Shelducks, c30 Shoveler and c80 Teal, whilst a Kingfisher was by the sluice in the channel opposite. (AH)
Golden Plovers and Lapwings (above) & Kingfisher around the Ferry (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: There were three Grey Partridges and six Brent Geese on the fields this morning. (S&SaH)
North Wall: The “teacher teacher” song of a Great Tit near the sluices this morning made it feel (almost) like spring! A Kestrel was hunting from fence posts at the horse paddocks but there was little along the Wal, whilst about 1,100 Brent Geese were in their currently favoured field east of Marsh Farm together with a Cattle Egret, 60 Curlew and eight Shelducks. (IH)
Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were 13 Cattle Egrets in the fields north of the dairy buildings (north-west of Chalder Farm) this afternoon. (AB)
Later, two Bramblings were reported at Chalder Farm, and the Cattle Egret count had risen to 18. (per SOS)
Later, two Bramblings were reported at Chalder Farm, and the Cattle Egret count had risen to 18. (per SOS)
Honer Reservoir: There were about a dozen Redwings and Fieldfares, plus a couple of Yellowhammers, in the adjacent hedgerows, but not a bird on the half-empty reservoir. (AH)
Redwings at Honer Reservoir (AH)
Fishbourne Creek: A Great Northern Diver was south of Dell Quay this morning. (HB)
Chichester Canal: A Water Rail was along the canal today. (AW)
Chichester Canal: A Water Rail was along the canal today. (AW)
Water Rail along Chichester Canal (AW)
Church Norton: A Goosander went west along the shore this morning and a Sparrowhawk was over the Severals. (S&SaH)
Earlier, there were three Avocets and the wintering Whimbrel in the harbour, along with c100 Knot and large numbers of Dunlin and Grey Plovers.
Large numbers of Brent Geese, Lapwing and Golden Plovers went up several times from the North Wall area, but no obvious cause could be found.
Otherwise, there was a single Red-breasted Merganser by Tern Island, five Pintail in the main channel, a few Common and Mediterranean Gulls were about, a handful of Skylarks flew across the harbour and two Jays were behind the hide. (AH/IP)
Otherwise, there was a single Red-breasted Merganser by Tern Island, five Pintail in the main channel, a few Common and Mediterranean Gulls were about, a handful of Skylarks flew across the harbour and two Jays were behind the hide. (AH/IP)
Avocets (above), Whimbrel, Pintail, Common Gull & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - I did the WeBS count today on the two pits, but it was all rather mundane, apart from a decent number of Pochard (78 on the North pit) and Shoveler (110 on the South pit).
The highlight though was the Great White Egret, which was present again in the SE corner of the South pit, before flying off north, whilst passerines were very few – just two Chiffchaffs being the best. (OM)
Great White Egret at Drayton House south pit. (OM)
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