Sunday, 19th December: A grey and murky morning in a fairly light north-easterly breeze, with a spell of quite dense mist drifting in for a while.....
Selsey Bill: A fairly slow morning, though a Slavonian Grebe went east and a pair of Eiders went west. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP/SR)
(0745-0900hrs) (NE, F4)
Red-throated Diver - 3E, 7W
Slavonian Grebe - 1E
Gannet - 2E, 1W
Wigeon - 3os
Eider - 2W
Common Scoter - 8E
Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W
Turnstone - 8
Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 1os
Common Gull - 1os
Guillemot - 1os
Razorbill - 1E, 1W, 1os
Guillemot (above) & Razorbill at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were at least 18 Snipe back in the roadside reeds this morning, with 22 Avocets, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal on the pool and the Kingfisher again in the channel opposite. (AH)
Shoveler (above), Kingfisher & Snipe at the Ferry
North Wall: In a very dense mist this morning the Spoonbill was feeding in White's Creek, early on, before relocating to its usual spot in the Breech Pool where there was a Snipe and ten Black-tailed Godwits. There were five Barnacle Geese in the fields with a small flock of Brent Geese, that included the regular returning white-headed bird.
Also, two Marsh Harriers were seen together behind the Breech Pool and there was a Chiffchaff down Church Lane. (LP)
This afternoon, the Spoonbill was feeding in White's Creek, close to the sluices. (K Price)
Barnacle Geese (above), aberrant Brent Goose (LP) & Spoonbill (K Price) at the North Wall
Pagham Lagoon and Spit: The Lagoon had 22 Tufted Ducks, 18 Little Grebes and a Kingfisher on it, whilst on the sea off the spit there were a Razorbill and three Red-throated Divers and in the harbour a Peregrine was hunting from its island. (LP)
Peregrine from Pagham Spit (LP)
Church Norton: There was a good selection offshore this morning, during the WeBS count,including a Black-throated Diver, seven Red-throated Divers, four Slavonian Grebes, nine Eider, five Red-breasted Mergansers, three Razorbills and a Guillemot. (IL)
Fishbourne Creek: A pair of Goldeneyes, two Kingfishers, a Spotted Redshank and c200 Brent Geese were in the creek this morning. (AHu)
Chi GPs: Drayton pits - A fairly mediocre WeBS count with generally low totals - perhaps barely meriting a mention here - the joint few highlights being three Egyptian Geese, 34 Shoveler, 57 Pochard, six Water Rails and three Chiffchaffs. (OM)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was fairly quiet this morning, with just five Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler, five Yellowhammers and 100+ Linnets along the banks, six Greylag Geese on the reserve and an Avocet, two Dunlin and 16 Ringed Plovers on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)
Later, c800 Golden Plovers were flushed by a Marsh Harrier from south of the poplars and two Dartford Warblers were singing near Marsh Barn. (HB)
Medmerry: Windmill to Toe End - There was no sign of the Purple Sandpiper this morning, though c30 Ringed Plovers, c40 Dunlin, c20 Grey Plovers and a handful of Knot and Turnstones were roosting around the Breach area.
There were also c100 Brent Geese and a few Wigeon and Teal about the tidal area, along with at least six Red-breasted Mergansers, with up to four more and a Red-throated Diver offshore, whilst three pairs of Stonechats and a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits were the only land-birds noted. (BI/AH/IP)
Ringed Plovers (above), Ringed Plovers and Dunlin, Stonechat & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)
Saturday, 18th December: A fairly cold and mostly grey morning, in a brisk north-easterly breeze.....
Selsey Bill: A few Red-throated Divers were moving about, along with a mix of other regular species. Full log below. (SH/PB/PM//JA/BI/AH/IP/SR/OM)
(0730-1030hrs) (ENE, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 10E, 6W
Gannet - 4E, 2W
Shag - 2E
Wigeon - 26E
Shoveler - 1E
Common Scoter - 4E, 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 6W
Sanderling - 1
Turnstone - 8
Common Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Guillemot - 2E, 1W, 1os
Razorbill - 8E, 2W, 1os
auk sp - 7E, 6W
Red-throated Diver (above), Sanderling, Razorbill, Common Scoters, Shoveler and Wigeon and a good turn-out of the regulars at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were c80 Black-tailed Godwits, 32 Avocets, c30 Redshank, c50 Shovelers and c150 Teal on and around the pool this morning. (AH)
Shoveler (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A Swallow was again over the settling tanks this morning. (AB)
Medmerry: Toe End - A Purple Sandpiper was roosting among the Dunlin at high tide this morning. (IL)
Purple Sandpiper and Dunlin at Medmerry (IL)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Short-eared Owl was out on the reserve mid-afternoon, and there was also a Merlin present, along with two Dartford Warblers and plenty of Yellowhammers. (HB)
Also, a visiting birder reported two Barn Owls present early this morning. (Eds)_
North Wall: The Spoonbill was showing well in White's Creek this morning, and two Marsh Harriers were having an airborne tussle.. (CG/AB)
Spoonbill & Marsh Harriers at the North Wall (AB)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail was at Park farm (IP) and a Chiffchaff was in the hedges towards Selsey this morning. (S&SaH/PB)
Church Norton: There wasn't much offshore this morning on a choppy sea, beyond a Red-throated Diver and three Eider, whilst the four Goosanders were in the harbour mouth and a Razorbill and three Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour.
Both Peregrines were about and upsetting the many waders trying to roost, that included 13 Bar-tailed Godwits, a lone Golden Plover and many Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, whilst there were also c40 Pintail and c500 Brent Geese about. (AH/IP)
Grey Plover (above) Grey Plovers and Knot & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
East Head: At least 3000 Brent Geese were in the harbour this morning, north of Ella Nore. (GM)
Later on, there were also a large flock of Golden Plover circling overhead and 13 Great Crested Grebes on the water. (GSh)
Golden Plovers at East Head (GSh)
Friday, 17th December: At last, a brief bit of sunshine this morning, though cooler as the breeze shifted to the north-east.....
Selsey Bill: A few more Common Scoters than of late were about, whilst a few Red-throated Divers were going both ways. Full log below. (BI/AH/SR)
(0730-0930) (NNE, F3)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 4os
Red-throated Diver - 21E, 15W, 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Brent Goose - 1E
Wigeon - 8W, 10os
Eider - 2W
Common Scoter - 3E, 23W, 7os
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Guillemot - 1E, 1W
Razorbill - 5E, 20W, 1os
auk sp - 3E, 113W
Razorbill (above), Eiders, Red-throated Diver & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were ten Snipe, 28 Avocets, c30 Redshanks and c40 Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the pool, along with the usual mix of c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal. (AH)
Shovelers, Teal and Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Snipe and Teal at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There was still a bit of activity offshore this morning, including the Red-necked Grebe flying east and two Red-throated Divers going west, with another four or five of the latter, two Slavonian Grebes and three Eider on the sea.
The four Goosanders were around the old harbour mouth metalwork, where there were many Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, all upset several times by the Peregrine, whilst six Egyptian Geese flew in from the east and landed, but otherwise there were just lots of Brent Geese and the otter regular wildfowl and waders. (BI/AH/SP/TS/P&JW et al)
Goosanders (above), Eider, Peregrine & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: This morning, the Spoonbill flew in to roost on the Breech Pool again. Initially, it stood resolutely with its back to the audience, but it did occasionally display the bill. (GSh)
Spoonbill at the North Wall (GSh)
Medmerry: Porthole Farm - There was still at least one Swallow over the settling tanks late this afternoon, with 20 or so Pied Wagtails there, too, and a pair of Stonechats in the adjacent hedges. (AH)
Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)
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