17th - 19th December 2022

Monday, 19th December: Despite the marked rise in temperature, a pretty miserable morning of prolonged spells of heavy rain in a blustery south-westerly, though slowly brightening up later on ........

Selsey Bill: There was very little to report in the dire conditions this morning! Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0800-0900hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Gannet - 1E, 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was finally water again this morning, but there were just six Shovelers, 25 Teal, three Shelducks and two Mallards on it, whilst the channel opposite just held a couple of Teal and Redshanks, plus a Little Grebe. (AH)

Shoveler (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still plenty of waders on the mud this morning, including c300 Knot, c50 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, whilst six Avocets were in the main channel, but wildfowl numbers were very low, with just a scattering of Shelducks, Wigeon and Teal about.

The only others birds about, beyond the regulars, were a Kingfisher and a couple of Common Gulls. (AH)

Knot (above), Dunlin & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham Spit: The Snow Bunting was still at the end of the spit this afternoon. (LP)

Snow Bunting at Pagham Spit (LP)

North Wall: Two Marsh Harriers were over the reeds behind the Breech Pool, and the now flooded Honer 1 field contained 150 Wigeon, 50 Curlew and a few Black-tailed Godwits.

At Halsey’s Farm a Buzzard was on the fence, a Sparrowhawk was in the trees and a Little Grebe was along the rife, while an Avocet was on the mud on the harbourside, along with a few Redshank, Grey Plovers and Dunlin, and a Kingfisher was sat on the bank.

It was quiet along the wall with no small birds around but in the field at the end of Church Lane there were 500 Lapwing, 100 Golden Plover, 30 Goldfinches, a group of 30 mostly Great Black-backed Gulls, 20 Pied Wagtails and a few Meadow Pipits. (LP)

Marsh Harriers (above), Avocet, Kingfisher, Buzzard, Wigeon & Curlews, Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon at the North Wall (LP)

Sunday, 18th December: The thaw set in properly this morning, though the brisk southerly bringing leaden skies and persistently drizzly rain with it........

Selsey Bill: Yesterday's Arctic Skua popped up again offshore this morning, whilst the first Black-throated Diver of the autumn and three Eiders were among the mix of birds mostly heading east. Full log later. (JA/SH/PB/BI/AH/IP)

(0730-0930hrs) (S, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 1os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 6E, 2W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 9E, 8W, 5os

Brent Goose - 1W

Shoveler - 6os

Eider - 3E

Common Scoter - 14E, 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 39E, 10W

Kestrel - 1

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 6E

Common Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 2E

Razorbill - 11E

auk sp - 18E, 4W, 2os

Eider (above) & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: An Avocet stood on the slowly thawing ice this morning was the first bid on the pool in a week, whilst, of more note, the first Spotted Redshank in two months was in the channel opposite, along with a Kingfisher, a few Redshanks, c300 Teal and 100 Wigeon, with some of the latter flying over to Ferry Field. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Kingfisher & Avocet at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey:  Two Stonechats and a Lapwing in the rain was it this morning. (S&SaH)

North Wall: There wasn’t much happening along the wall this morning, with just the usual Wigeon and Teal in White’s Creek and a few Redshank, Grey Plover and Dunlin out on the mud.

At Owl Water the Kingfisher was tucked in along the bank and a few Brent Geese flew over, but as the rain set in, that was about it. (LP/DH)

Church Norton: There were lots of waders on the mud this morning, including c300 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, whilst four Avocets were in the main channel, and nine Shovelers, two Pintail and 12 Shelducks were among at least 100 Teal and Wigeon, but that was about it.

Two Jays and two Song Thrushes in the churchyard and a handful of Greenfinches on the beach were the only passerines seen. (AH)

Knot (above), Dunlin & Grey Plover at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: On Vinnetrow Lake this morning there were 16 Shovelers, c60 Pochards, c25 Tufted Ducks and c60 Coots on the unfrozen patch, with 50 more of the latter on Leythorne Lake, opposite. (AH)

Shovelers (above) & Pochard at Chichester GPs (AH)

Saturday, 17th December: After another sharp frost, the morning slowly became milder and cloudier as the breeze swung round to the south and freshened.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, with two Slavonian Grebes, an Eider, a Merlin, six Sandwich Terns and a few Red-throated Divers, plus 34 Lapwings seen flying out to sea. Full log below. (SH/AH/IP/BI/KT/P&LH)

(0730-0930hrs) (NE F2, veering to SSW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 9E, 6W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe -1os

Gannet - 4E, 18W, 10os

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 20E

Teal - 1E

Eider - 1E

Common Scoter - 3E, 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E 6W, 2os

Merlin - 1

Kestrel - 1

Lapwing - 34E

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 6E, 21W, 7os

auk sp - 107E, 47W

This afternoon a pale-phase Arctic Skua went right over the Bill, cutting the corner as it went west, with it, or another later seen chasing gulls in the bay, whilst nine Sandwich Terns were on the groins near the Lifeboat Station, with two more feeding offshore. Full log below. (P&LH)

(1315-1500hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 5E

Gannet - 4W

Common Scoter - 2E

Turnstone - 4

Arctic Skua - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 11os

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

Ferry Pool: The pool is still frozen, whilst a busy channel opposite held two Avocets, four Curlews, dozen Redshank, c50 Wigeon and up to 200 Teal. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Wigeon in Ferry Channel (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey:  A Grey Wagtail was around the building site this morning, with a Pied Wagtail, a Chiffchaff, a Song Thrush and c30 Linnets around the farm and 39 Golden Plovers, ten Lapwings and a Kestrel around the fields. (IP/RM)

Selsey: A Redwing was under the feeders in our garden, to the north of the village, this morning. (AW)

Redwing in a Selsey garden (AW)

Church Norton: Two Slavonian Grebes were on the sea this morning, with a Common Gull and 90 Brent Geese seen heading west, whilst the Snow Bunting was visible across the harbour mouth on Pagham Spit.

At least 20 Avocets and two Black-tailed Godwits were the only waders aside from the regulars, though a Sanderling flew out of the harbour, a Green Sandpiper flew over the Severals and a Snipe went over Priory Wood, whilst a Goldeneye and four Shovelers were among the wildfowl in the harbour, as well as a Kingfisher and a Little Grebe

Also, a Green Woodpecker was at the Severals, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and 41 Stock Doves were at Greenlease Farm and two Mistle Thrushes were along Rectory Lane. (P&LH/IP/RM)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was again present at the end of the spit, whilst two Goldeneyes were in the harbour and the third bird was on the Lagoon. (BI)

North Wall: There were still a couple of Water Rails on both the Breech Pool and Owl Water this morning, with a Kingfisher and a single Teal also at the latter, and at least six Snipe were flying about, but a Sparrowhawk, a Stonechat, a Rock Pipit and a Cetti's Warbler were the only landbirds birds of note.

There were just a dozen Teal and a few Wigeon in White's Creek, with the vast majority of the latter - at least 400 birds - on the fields at Halsey's Farm, along with c30 Curlews and c50 Black-tailed Godwits, whilst c60 Dunlin were in the harbour opposite there. (LP/AH)

Kingfisher (above), Sparrowhawk, Snipe, Teal, Dunlin & Curlew and Wigeon at the North Wall (AH)

Chi GPs – Drayton House pits: Both lakes were largely frozen over, but one area on South pit was unfrozen and packed with wildfowl…..120 Teal, 110 Shoveler, 55 Mallard, eight Gadwall and three Tufted Ducks. A Kingfisher was also present and a Water Rail called from the reeds. 

The North pit held little other than gulls resting on the ice and four Grey Herons – but it was pleasing to see the contractors have now left the site, although the profile of the area has been dramatically altered and lakeside vegetation and reed-beds much reduced. (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two female Marsh Harriers were on the reserve today, along with two Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and two Kestrels, whilst c2000 Brent Geese were still on the fields to the west.

Five Stonechats and a Song Thrush were the only passerines to speak of, apart from 50 Pied Wagtails among the sheep on the reservoir banks, whilst waders included a Greenshank, a Snipe, an Avocet, 150 Golden Plovers and c100 Lapwings. (S&SaH)

This afternoon the Barn Owl was out early, seen carrying prey, whilst the two Marsh harriers and a Peregrine were out on the reserve and a Merlin went over the reservoirs.

At least three Dartford Warblers were along the banks, together with a few Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, plus a pair of Stonechats and at least a dozen Song Thrushes, whilst 50 Black-tailed Godwits were near the poplars, half a dozen Snipe were about, too, and the huge Brent Goose flock was very unsettled, flying around repeatedly. (AH/HB/LP et al)

Barn Owl (above), Song Thrush & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)