13th - 15th February 2022

Tuesday, 15th February: Very windy and overcast, with a strong south-westerly bringing rain by late morning.........

Selsey Bill: A flock of 81 Brent Geese went east, well out to sea and looking like they were on the move, whilst there were 32 Sandwich Terns offshore again this morning, along with half a dozen Great Northern Divers, and a pair of Eider went west. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0745-0930hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W, 4os

Red-throated Diver - 2W, 1os

diver sp - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 2os

Brent Goose - 81E

Eider - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Common Gull - 4E

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 32os

auk sp - 2E, 1W

Eiders (above), Great Northern Divers, Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean Gull & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 45 Avocets roosting on the pool this morning, but otherwise there were just two Shelducks and c50 Shovelers and Teal. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report on the high tide, though two Pintail were on the water with a few Wigeon and Teal and at least 500 Brent Geese were widely spread throughout the harbour.

There were also plenty of Dunlin and Grey Plovers present, along with a handful of Curlews, but there was nothing offshore. (AH)

Pintail (above), Grey Plovers, Curlew & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was predictably quiet along the wall this morning with just a few Black-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, Curlew and Redshank. There were five Grey Herons around their island, but the Breech Pool held just a single Little Grebe. 

Out in the harbour there were c500 Brent Geese and c1000 Lapwing but only about 50 Wigeon and a handful of Pintail. The usual pair of Stonechats were in the horse paddock. (LP)

Grey Herons at the North Wall (LP)

East Head: The few birds I saw on my brisk walk before the weather set in were c750 Brent Geese, 40 Lapwings, a Red-breasted Merganser, c80 Teal, 11 Ringed Plover, eight Curlew, a Mediterranean Gull and six Skylarks.
Also, the sea defence works are well underway at the bottom left of the car park. (SR)

Mediterranean Gull (above), Skylark & sea-defence work at East Head (SR)

Monday, 14th February: A bright and breezy morning, quite mild despite the fresh westerly.........

Selsey Bill: Three Slavonian Grebes were seen this morning, and two Pale-bellied Geese flew in from way out and went west, but it was otherwise quiet. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP/AW)

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

Great Northern Diver -  1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 8W

diver sp - 1E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1W, 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 3W, 3os

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 16E, 18W

Grey Plover - 30W

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 14W

Sandwich Tern - 5os

auk sp - 10W

Pale-bellied Brent Geese (top one AW) (above), Great Northern Diver, Mediterranean Gull, Sandwich Terns & Grey Plovers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much on the pool this morning - just three Avocets, eight Black-tailed Godwits, three Shelducks and the usual Shovelers and Teal. (AH/OM)

Church Norton: The Merlin was out a couple of times over the harbour this morning, whilst a total of 11 Red-breasted Mergansers were on the water, along with a couple of Pintail, c50 Wigeon and Teal and c500 Brent Geese.

The Whimbrel was still present and there were plenty of Dunlin and Grey Plovers in the harbour, but the only birds seen offshore were a handful of Mediterranean and Common Gulls. (AH/OM)

Merlin (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Teal & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Chi Marina: Very little to report today, with the tide high in the channel; just a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Little and Great Crested Grebes and some Brent Geese were about it.. There was nothing on the pool and reed-beds bar seven Mallard, though a pair of Buzzards caused some disturbance with a bit of early display. (OM)

Dell Quay and Fishbourne Creek: There were four Greenshank and a single Spotted Redshank roosting among the commoner waders. Four Goldeneye (three drakes and a female) were in Fishbourne channel, together with two Red-breasted Mergansers and a dozen Great Crested Grebes, whilst there were plenty of Wigeon and  Brent Geese around but little else of note. (OM)

Sunday, 13th February: A cool and overcast morning, with a freshening southerly breeze bringing rain by midday.....

Selsey Bill: At least a dozen Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore and there was a a steady westward movement of Gannets, with a few auks and Kittiwakes among them. Full log below. (SH/JA/BI/IP/AH/SR)

(0705-0920hrs) (S, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 6W

diver sp - 5E, 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 3W, 1os

Fulmar - 9W

Gannet - 1E, 133W

Brent Goose - 8W

Common Scoter - 3os

Red-breasted Merganser - 26E, 6W

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Black-headed Gull - 500 (on Oval Field)

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 118W

Sandwich Tern - 16os

Razorbill - 16W, 1os

auk sp - 3E, 82W

(1130-1230hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 27W

Kittiwake - 1E, 9W

Sandwich Tern - 20W

auk sp - 8W

Red-throated Diver (above), Gannet & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c45 Avocets and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits on the high tide this morning, with half a dozen Snipe back in the roadside reeds, whilst there were c75 Shovelers and Teal around the edges and c200 Wigeon on the fields. (AH)

Shoveler and Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were probably 2000 Brent Geese in the harbour, mostly in the westernmost corner, before they all headed off inland, but not much else beyond a few Wigeon and Teal. 

Also, two Rock Pipits flew around, a Stonechat was in the paddocks and a Cetti's Warbler called, but that was about it. (AH)

Stonechat (above) & Brent Geese at the North Wall (AH)

East side: There were at least 120 Pintail in the harbour this morning, along with c200 Wigeon and c50 Teal. Given the date and their fidgety nature, many of them might well have been passing through.

Otherwise, there were large numbers of roosting waders, including two or three Bar-tailed Godwits, c40 Golden Plovers, c300 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers, c500 Lapwing, c50 Turnstones and c1000 Dunlin, plus the usual Curlews and Redshanks. (AH)

Pintails (above), Teal, Wigeon, Golden Plovers & Redshank along the East side (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: The lagoon was very quiet, this morning, with just a female Goldeneye, a Great Crested Grebe and up to ten Little Grebes on the water. (AH)

Goldeneye and Little Grebe on Pagham Lagoon (AH)