23rd - 25th January 2022

Tuesday, 25th January: A really gloomy morning of heavy and low cloud, with the breeze shifting towards north.......

Selsey Bill: What was promising to be a very quiet morning ended up quite interesting, with a Purple Sandpiper briefly on the shingle bar with the Turnstones, and then a flurry of 91 Brent Geese heading east. (More were seen going past Elmer, to the east of us, too, suggesting that this might be the first indication of migration). Full log below. (CRJ/AH/SR)

(0745-0915hrs) (NE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1E

Brent Goose - 91E

Red-breasted Merganser - 11os

Purple Sandpiper - 1

Turnstone - 6

(1000-1100hrs) (SR)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Brent Goose - 6E
Red-breasted Merganser - 6os
Turnstone - 6os

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much going on, with people in the adjacent field, but a handful of Snipe were in the reeds, a Stonechat, a Buzzard, a couple of Black-tailed Godwits were among c50 Lapwings on/over the fields and c40 Teal and Shovelers, including a pair of the latter doing their head-bobbing display were on the pool. (AH/CRJ)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: There were still at least 40 Cattle Egrets around the fields, with c30 Curlews, c25 Shelducks, a Grey Wagtail and a handful of Pied Wagtails in the vicinity, too, whilst c50 Chaffinches were near Chalder Farm and a pair of Stonechats and a dozen Stock Doves were along Church Farm Lane. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above) Stonechat, Stock Dove, Shelducks & Curlews around Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Monday, 24th January: Another fairly cool and very overcast morning in a moderate easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A Fulmar went west and two drake Eider went east, but otherwise it was just the usual species. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/TR)

(0755-0900hrs) (E, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 12E, 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E

Eider - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 7W, 2os

Turnstone - 3

Sandwich Tern - 3E

Fulmar (above) & Eider at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool just held a roosting flock of 19 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Shoveler and Teal, whilst half a dozen Snipe were in the reeds and c100 Wigeon and c200 Lapwing were on the fields.

The Kingfisher was again in the channel opposite, whilst the Water Rail was in Red Barn Ditch, with a Chiffchaff in the hedges and a Raven went over, heading north. (AH/SR)

Kingfisher (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

East side: The three female Goldeneye were in the harbour this morning, with an Avocet and a Bar-tailed Godwit among the many Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, but the only birds seen offshore were five Red-breasted Mergansers. (PB)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: At least 40 Cattle Egrets were around the farm this afternoon, along with two Egyptian Geese. (TG-P)

North Mundham and Runcton: This morning a male Blackcap was on the feeders, whilst three Song Thrushes and a dozen Blackbirds were in the area. (CRJ)

Church Norton: The harbour was virtually birdless, save a big flock of Brent Geese and a few Shelducks in the main channel, with all the waders - including 1000+ Dunlin, 300 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and 40 Curlews all out on the foreshore on the very low tide, mostly in several big roosting flocks,whilst the only birds offshore were seven Red-breasted Mergansers.

The bushes were generally very quiet, with the only birds of note being a Fieldfare and two Mistle Thrushes at Greenlease Farm. (AH)

And, later, there were eight Fieldfares present. (SR)

Fieldfare (above), Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush, Red-breasted Mergansers & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 23rd January: The settled spell continues, with another cool and very grey morning in a light north-easterly.....

Selsey Bill: Over 1700 auks went east, but again very distantly, whilst a flock of nine Sandwich Terns also went east. Full log below. (JA/BI/AH/CN/SR/IP et al)

(0730-0900hrs) (ENE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 2W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 1W

diver sp - 2E, 2W

Gannet - 14E, 3W

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 3E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 3W, 4os

Turnstone - 1

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 9E

auk sp - 1784E, 3W

Pied Wagtail - 1

(1100-1230hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 4E, 3W

Eider - 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W, 3os

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 2E, 5W, 6os

auk sp - 6E

Late this afternoon, at least ten Bottle-nosed Dolphins were seen, heading east offshore. (M Gillingham)

Eider at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least 500 flighty Lapwing were around and over the pool this morning, though otherwise there were just c50 Shoveler, c30 Teal and half a dozen Snipe present, whilst the Water Rail was again in Red Barn Ditch and a flock of half a dozen Long-tailed Tits were in the bushes. (AH)

Shoveler (above), Lapwing & Long-tailed Tit around the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Raven went over, whilst the male Stonechat was again in the fields, and two Shovelers flew into the farm reservoir, whilst there were also six Pied Wagtails, three Green Woodpeckers, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard also about. (IP/CN/S&SaH)

Church Norton: The Red-necked Grebe was offshore again this morning, along with three Slavonian Grebes, five Eider and 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, whilst a Gannet flew east.

At least 25 Pintail, 15 Avocets and c2000 Brent Geese were in the harbour, along with the regular waders and wildfowl. (IP/CN/S&SaH)

East side, Pagham Spit and Lagoon: There were at least 2000 Brent Geese in the harbour this morning before most departed north, whilst there were also 1000 Lapwings and Dunlin, five Avocets, a Bar-tailed and a few Black-tailed Godwits, 50+ Grey Plovers, 40+ Pintail, 500+ Wigeon, 200+ Teal and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.

A pair of Stonechats were the only birds of note on the spit, whilst the Lagoon just held the drake Pochard, five Tufted Ducks and a dozen Little Grebes. (AH)

Stonechat on Pagham Spit (above), Little Grebe on Pagham Lagoon, Dunlin, Pintail, Wigeon & Brent Geese along East Side (AH)

North Wall: Two Marsh Harriers, including an apparent young bird with no cream-cap, were around the Breech Pool this afternoon (S&SaH), whilst later, the Barn Owl was briefly out at Halsey's Farm (AH).

Barn Owl at the North Wall (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Great Northern Diver and three Red-throated Divers were on the sea, off the Stilt Pool, whilst an impressive count of 910 Golden Plovers were up over the reserve.

Also, a pod of at least six Bottle-nosed Dolphins were seen offshore, too. (HB)

Chichester GPs: Drayton House pits - Highlights were 75 Pochard and 30 Shoveler between the two pits, plus 40 Redwings in the trees and a couple each of Cetti’s Warbler and Chiffchaff on North pit.  (OM)

Chichester GPs: Vinnetrow Lake - There were 62 Pochard, four Shovelers, two Great Crested Grebes and 40 Tufted Ducks between this and Peckham Lakes. (AH)

Pochards on Vinnetrow Lake (AH)