29th - 31st December 2022

Saturday, 31st December: The year ends with yet another morning of strong south-westerly winds and persistent drizzly rain, and remaining unseasonably mild, too........

For those of you wanting something to read this evening, the Review of the Year 2022 is now up and ready to read on the dashboard above. Happy New Year! (Eds)

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of interest this morning, including a first-winter Little Gull lingering offshore, with two Slavonian Grebes, a Fulmar and four Guillemots also noted. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP/SR)

(0800-0930hrs) (SW, F6)

Great  Northern Diver - 2os

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

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 35W

Common Scoter - 10E, 1W, 5os

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E

Little Gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Guillemot - 3W, 1os

auk sp - 1W

Little Gull (above), Fulmar, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Gannet & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were six species of duck on the pool this morning - three Tufted Ducks, four Gadwall, 12 Wigeon, c20 Mallards, c40 Shovelers and c75 Teal, plus a Little Grebe. (AH)

Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Drayton Pits: A Great White Egret was was on the North Pit again this morning. (BI)

Park Farm, Selsey: Two Fieldfares were present this afternoon, along with a Stonechat, 20 Meadow Pipits and 62 Pied Wagtails. (S&SaH)

Long Pool: The Spotted Redshank was in Ferry Channel this afternoon, along with a few Redshanks, whilst at the far end there were c300 Lapwings, c100 Teal and c40 Shelducks. Also, two Jays flew over. (AH)

Spotted Redshank in Ferry Channel (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report this morning, with just c25 Grey Plovers, c50 Knot and c300 Dunlin on the mud, whilst a Kingfisher and a Mediterranean Gull flew through and a dozen teal dropped in, whilst a big, mixed flock of Golden Plovers and Lapwings briefly flew up from the far end of the harbour. (AH)

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

Friday, 30th December: A thoroughly wet and miserable morning, with persistent rain in a strong southerly, though quite mild and slowly drying up as the wind shifted to the west........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much on the move this morning, with 50 Kittiwakes west the most obvious activity. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/AH)

(0800-1000hrs) (SSE, F6)

Slavonian Grebe - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 1E, 4W

Brent Goose - 1E

Common Scoter - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E

Kittiwake - 2E, 50W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 1os

auk sp - 1E, 1W

(1300-1430hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 8W

Common Scoter - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 8W

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Kittiwake - 10W

Sandwich Tern - 10os

Razorbill - 2W

Guillemot - 2W

auk sp - 4W

Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was just ducks again on the pool this morning, namely four Gadwall, c40 Shovelers, c20 Wigeon, c20 Mallards and c80 Teal. (AH)

Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A dozen Brent Geese, a Stonechat and six Long-tailed Tits were around the farm today, plus a Sparrowhawk over. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: It was just the usual mix of waders this morning, including an Avocet, c40 Grey Plovers, c300 Knot and c500 Dunlin, with the only wildfowl being four Shelducks. 

Also, three Jays, a Green Woodpecker, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Kestrel were in the churchyard. (AH)

Knot (above), Avocet and Dunlin, Dunlin & Shelducks at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour, along with a few Wigeon, Teal and Brent Geese, whilst a Sandwich Tern and six Mediterranean Gulls were offshore and a Jay was by the Mound. (AH)

Red-breasted Mergansers (above) & Jay at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 29th December: A mostly bright and very breezy morning, quite chill in the brisk westerly....

Selsey Bill: The Red-necked Grebe went west again this morning, as did six Pintail, whilst 21 Common Scoters went east and 14 Sandwich Terns were offshore. Full log below. (SH/SR/P&LH/AH/IP)

(0745-0945hrs) (W, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 2os

diver sp - 1E

Red-necked Grebe - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 5E, 24W

Brent Goose - 3E, 12W

Pintail - 6W

Common Scoter - 21E, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6W, 3os

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 14os

Razorbill - 1E, 2W

auk sp - 2E, 13W

(1300-1400hrs) (P&LH)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 1os

Grey Plover - 1W, then E

Turnstone - 53

Mediterranean Gull - 5os

Sandwich Tern- 5os

(1445-1545hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Common Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

auk sp - 1W

Sandwich Tern (above), Great Northern Diver, Pintail, Common Scoters & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were lots of ducks on the pool this morning, including c80 Shovelers, c60 Wigeon, c200 Teal, a drake Gadwall and c25 Mallards, along with a Little Grebe and eight Canada Geese. (AH)

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

Pagham Spit: The Snow Bunting was still at the far end of the spit this morning. (PB)

North Wall: A Grey Wagtail, a Rock Pipit and a Kingfisher were by the sluice this morning with two Little Grebes along White’s Creek, whilst further out on the mud there were 1000 Lapwings and 500 Golden Plovers.

A Marsh Harrier was briefly behind the Breech Pool, but it was generally quiet in the blustery conditions. (LP/CT)

Grey Wagtail (above), Grey Wagtail and Rock Pipit & Little Grebe at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Dartford Warblers and three Stonechats were along the banks today, whilst c1500 Brent Geese were in the arable fields west of Marsh Barn.

Also, a Marsh Harrier, c30 Golden Plovers and c150 Lapwings were around the reserve, along with two Egyptian Geese. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm, Ham Farm and Wilson's Farm - It was generally very quiet this morning, with a female Black Redstart at Little Ham Cottages the only bird out of the ordinary.

There were no birds at Porthole Farm beyond a few Pied Wagtails and a Buzzard, though a pair of Stonechats and a Yellowhammer were along the path to Ham, whilst at Ham itself, c500 Lapwings flying up from the reserve, a Kestrel and a couple of Skylarks was about it.

The cover crop fields at Wilson's Farm were also largely devoid of birds, with half a dozen Reed Buntings and c40 Stock Doves the only things noted. (AH)

Black Redstart (above), Stonechat, Kestrel & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)

Church Norton:  A Kittiwake went west close in and a group of Redshank, Dunlin and Grey Plover were feeding along the strandline but it was generally quiet in a brief look this morning. (BI et al)