4th - 6th January 2020

Wednesday, 6th January: Yet another cold and grey morning, with a slightly lighter north-easterly breeze pushing through showers of sleety rain.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a duck bonanza on an otherwise quiet morning, with the first Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter of the year, along with the four Eider and the first Shags of the year, too. Full log below.  (NNE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 11E, 1os

Gannet - 24E

Shag - 1E, 1os

Eider - 4os, then W

Long-tailed Duck - 1E

Velvet Scoter - 1E

Common Scoter - 8E

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 2W, 2os

Common Gull - 1E

Razorbill - 8E

auk sp - 65E

Shags (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least 800 Lapwings and 200 Wigeon were on the fields, whilst the pool held a dozen Snipe at the front, but just four Shelducks, c40 Shovelers and c80 Teal.

Also, the Spotted Redshank and the Kingfisher were both in the channel opposite again, along with an Avocet, ten Redshanks and c30 Teal.

Kingfisher (above), Avocet and Redshank, Teal & Snipe around the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: This morning there were at least 18 Snipe around the gullies near the horse field and a Merlin shot along the Severals, whilst a Buzzard soared partly over the harbour before returning to Priory Wood and a Peregrine was on its island. 

There were the usual waders around the harbour and along the shore, including the Whimbrel in front of the hide, and two Goldcrests were seen briefly in the churchyard, along with two Jays.

Later, two Bar-tailed Godwits were in the harbour.

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Whimbrel (above), Snipe, Redshank & Dunlin at Church Norton (AW)

North Wall: Several groups of Brent Geese, totalling about 500, flew north-east over the wall this morning, a Marsh Harrier hunted over the reed beds, a Song Thrush was in the paddocks, a Redwing was in the hedgerows, a single Curlew was in the partially flooded fields, and about 300 Lapwing sat on the mud in the harbour accompanied by Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and a few Redshank.

Two Marsh Harriers (a male and female) were present late afternoon.

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There was no sign of either the Richard's Pipit or the Glossy Ibis this morning, though there were still 30+ Cattle Egrets about.

Also, at least 30 Yellowhammers and a dozen Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were along Church Farm Lane, along with a pair of Stock Doves and the piebald Rook, whilst 30 or so Linnets and a few Reed Buntings and Chaffinches were towards Chalder Farm.

Cattle Egret (above), Stock Dove, Yellowhammers, Linnets & Rook at Church Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Birdham, Itchenor and West Wittering along Salterns Way: Birds this morning included a small number of Fieldfares, with two Song Thrushes, well dispersed in the stubbled farmland alongside Itchenor Village Hall.

Further on were two sizeable flocks of Chaffinches, one accompanied by a good number of Goldfinches, whilst others species on West Wittering farmland included two Stonechats, a Jay and a Buzzard. 

East Head & Snowhill Creek: Little of interest at East Head itself on the very low tide, a dozen Skylarks and four Stonechats were in the dunes with eight Red-breasted Mergansers and five Great Crested Grebes offshore. 

Snowhill Marsh on the other hand was busy with the usual seasonal wildfowl including Wigeon, Teal and Shelduck alongside Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Lapwing, two Greenshank and nine Snipe.

Snipe (above) & Greenshank at Snowhill Creek (SR)

Later on, 15 Avocets were in Snowhill Creek. 

Avocets (above), Little Egret & Roe Deer at East Head  (GM)

Tuesday, 5th January: Another cold morning, despite the odd glimpse of the sun, with the breeze brisk and from the north-east.....

Selsey Bill: A quiet morning, though a few of the regular species were moving about, albeit distantly! Full log below. (AH/RP)

(0745-0845hrs) (NNE, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 5W, 1os

Gannet - 24E, 2W

Common Scoter - 8E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Common Gull - 6E

Kittiwake - 4E

Razorbill - 12E

auk sp - 75E

Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Half a dozen Snipe were tucked away at the front and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, 500 Lapwings and 200 Wigeon were on the field, whilst the pool held another 100 Wigeon, similar of Teal and c75 Shovelers.

Also, both the Spotted Redshank and the Kingfisher, along with a Little Egret and a few Teal were in the channel opposite. (AH/RP/AW)

Kingfisher (above), Little Egret (RP), Spotted Redshank, Spotted Redshank and Teal, Black-tailed Godwits & Wigeon with Lapwing (AH) around the Ferry

Long Pool: There wasn't much else beyond a handful of Reed Buntings along the hedges, whilst the first-winter Mediterranean Gull was again in the adjacent fields.

At least three Avocets, three Black-tailed Godwits, half a dozen Grey Plovers and large numbers of Redshank, Wigeon and Teal were at the far end of Ferry Channel. (AH/AW/RP)

Reed Bunting (above) & Grey Plover from the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: A walk along the Wall and back yielded six Song Thrushes, a pair of Stonechats in the horse paddocks, three Redwings, two Marsh Harriers over the reed beds near Honer, a Grey Plover, groups of Brent Geese flying generally north-east, several hundred flying Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit together with distant views of Shelduck and Dunlin. The Honer fields are all partially flooded and held nothing of note.

White's Creek held 200 plus Wigeon, 80 Teal and 110 Lapwing, whilst in the flooded fields north of Welbourne were 320 Lapwing, 16 Dunlin, 12 Redshank, five Shelduck and two Shoveler. (IH/PC/JDW)

N. Mundham to Fisher: On my local walk this morning the best I could find was a Chiffchaff, several Long-tailed Tits, three Song Thrushes and a Green Woodpecker. (MJ)

Church Norton: Late this morning one of the Peregrines was sat on the beach, before flying back into the harbour. (AW)

Peregrine at Church Norton (AW)

Dell Quay: The Barnacle Goose was still amongst the massive Brent Goose flock off Salterns way area early afternoon. (TB)

Monday, 4th January: The cold snap continues, with another very grey and very chilly morning in a fresh north-easterly breeze, becoming gloomy with light rain later.

Selsey Bill: Two Slavonian Grebes, two Great Northern Divers and four Eider (the three drakes and a duck again) were on the sea and a few Gannets were going east this morning. Full log below. (AH/BI/IP)

(0745-0900hrs) (NNE, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 46E

Eider - 4os

Common Scoter - 10E, 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Common Gull - 2E

Razorbill - 14E

auk sp - 63E, 6W

Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just three Snipe were at the front, whilst 500 Lapwing and 200 Wigeon were on the field, but the pool just held c60 Shovelers and c100 Teal.

The Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite, along with the Kingfisher and c50 Teal, 20 Redshanks and ten Curlews. (AH)

Kingfisher (above), Spotted Redshank & Teal around the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: The hedges held just a few Reed Buntings and a couple of Long-tailed Tits, whilst  just a Tufted Duck was on the pool and in Ferry Channel there were four Gadwall, three Avocets, three Grey Plovers and plenty of Redshanks, Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Avocet (above), Grey Plover, Reed Bunting & Tufted Duck along the Long Pool (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: The Richard's Pipit and the Glossy Ibis were both present again this morning, along with the regular Cattle Egrets (c.30), a pair of Marsh Harriers, two Stonechats, a few Chaffinches, a Grey Wagtail and a Jay. (OM/IH)

Chichester Marina: The Barnacle Goose and the Black Brant were both among the huge Brent Geese flock along Salterns Way, whilst nearby the Black Redstart was still in the sheep paddocks where there were also two Fieldfares present. (OM/RP)

Black Redstart and (below) Barnacle Goose with Brents (apologies for distant phone-scoped cropped image of latter) at Dell Quay farm (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Dartford Warbler was showing well again near Marsh Barn this morning, and five White-fronted Geese were out on the reserve near the Stilt Pool. (TG-P)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Breach - Offshore at the Coastguard Station was a Great Northern Diver whilst further along, by the breach was a flock of 30 Common Scoter, the immature drake Eider, two Wigeon, a Shelduck, a Great Crested Grebe and six Red-breasted Mergansers. 

A flock of 20 Linnets flew over a blustery Breach Viewpoint and a pair of Stonechats was joined momentarily by a vocal Black Redstart, before it flew back across to the caravans. (SR)

Great Northern Diver (above) & Black Redstart at Medmerry (SR)

North Wall: It was generally very quiet along the Wall, with two Snipe and nine Tufted Ducks on Breech Pool, whilst 200+ Wigeon, 120 Black-tailed Godwits and 90 Lapwing were at White's Creek. 

Two Grey Wagtails and a pair of Stonechats were close to Church Barton reservoir and a Marsh Harrier was overhead flying NE. In the flooded fields west of the reservoir were 820 Lapwing, 44 Dunlin, nine Redshank, a Grey Heron and 12 Great Black-backed Gulls. (JDW)