7th - 9th December 2022

Friday, 9th December: Another very cold and frosty morning, grey early on before brightening up, with he breeze still fairly light and from the north.................

Selsey Bill: A Long-tailed Duck going west among a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers was the most interesting thing on another quiet morning. Full log below. (BI/AH/IP/SR)

(0745-0900hrs) (NNE, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

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

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 7E, 5os

Shelduck - 2W

Teal - 10W

Long-tailed Duck - 1W

Common Scoter - 8W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 9W

Turnstone - 5

Long-tailed Duck and Red-breasted Mergansers (above) & Red-throated Diver at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a handful of Teal on the far bank of a fully frozen pool this morning. (AH)

Church Norton: This morning there were five Slavonian Grebes, two Eider, four Great Crested Grebes and ten Red-breasted Mergansers offshore from the spit. (BI)

This afternoon there were c100 Golden Plovers, c40 Curlews and c400 Lapwings in the stubble fields along Rectory Lane, together with a Grey Wagtail and a Stonechat.

There were plenty of wildfowl and waders in the harbour, including at least 100 Knot. (AH)

Grey Wagtail (above), Golden Plover, Golden Plovers and Lapwings & Knot at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were five Barnacle Geese with three 'Cackling' type Canada Geese off the end of White's Creek this morning, possibly the little group that has popped up intermittently on the Peninsula over the last few years.

Otherwise, at least 1500 Brent Geese dropped in, before heading back to the fields, and there were four Avocets, c400 Black-tailed Godwits, c300 Golden Plovers and 50+ Redshank about, along with c30 Pintail, c20 Shelducks and a lot of Wigeon and Teal.

Both the male and female Marsh Harriers appeared around the Breech Pool, but two Rock Pipits along the wall were about the only small birds noted. (AH/BI et al)

Marsh Harriers (above), Barnacle Geese and 'Cackling' type Geese, Brent Geese, Rock Pipit, Wigeon & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wall (AH)

Drayton Pits: There was no sign of any Great White Egrets this morning, though a Woodcock was flushed from nearby trees. (BI)

Ivy Lake: A Little Egret, two Egyptian Geese, 20 Gadwall, 36 Tufted Ducks, 18 Pochard and eight Shovelers were on the water, with a Jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Long-tailed Tits, a Cetti’s Warbler, a Goldcrest and a Greenfinch around the bushes. (CRJ)

Egyptian Geese and Coots (above) & Mallard at Ivy Lake (CRJ)

Chi Marina: A Kingfisher was active along the edge of the channel, whilst in the channel itself were eight Great Crested Grebes and 14 Red-breasted Mergansers, with several males of the latter busily displaying to females. There was also a surprise near Salterns Copse, where a Dartford Warbler was found in the adjacent area of set-aside.

A late afternoon watch of the reed-bed from the hide was made until dusk, which produced two Marsh Harriers - a male and a female - coming into roost and dropping into the reeds. There were also at least four Water Rails calling from various areas within the reeds, plus a Snipe, a dozen Starlings and several Reed Buntings which also came in to roost, and two Cetti's Warblers were calling. (OM)

Marsh Harrier at Chichester Marina reed-bed (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The first Grey Partridge of the autumn was seen this afternoon, along with several Dartford Warblers, and the Barn Owl showed well, too. (LP)

Grey Partridge (above), Dartford Warbler & Barn Owl at Medmerry (LP)

Thursday, 8th December: After a very sharp frost, a beautiful cold and crisp winter's day, in just a light northerly breeze............

Selsey Bill: There was very little to report again this morning! Full log below. (IP/SR/AH)

(0800-0900hrs) (NNE, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Brent Goose - 2W

Turnstone - 3

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Seal - 1W

A Blackcap was in the shrubs along the lane near Sandbanks today. (L.Moon)

Red-throated Diver at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: With the pool frozen all morning, there were just 20 Teal and a pair of Mallards on the banks at the back, but there were at least 800 Lapwings and 300 Golden Plovers on the arable fields to the south-west, with a pair of Stonechats in the adjacent hedges.. (AH)

Golden Plovers and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Both Marsh Harriers were active behind the Breech Pool this morning, and three Snipe dropped into the reeds, whilst a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were out in the harbour, with a few Wigeon, Teal and Shelducks and c1000 Brent Geese that were moved off the fields by the bird-scarers.

Around 1000 Lapwings, 500 Golden Plovers and 200 Black-tailed Godwits were put up by a passing Peregrine, and along the wall, three Rock Pipits were on the rocks and a Song Thrush, a couple of Yellowhammers, a Greenfinch and a Goldcrest were in the hedgerows, with a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk over..

At Halsey’s Farm there was a Meadow Pipit and a couple of Stonechats, and 20 Cattle Egrets were in Owl Copse. (LP/GHi/CT/CRJ)

Marsh Harrier (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Lapwings & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A minimum of eight Slavonian Grebes were offshore this morning, along with a redhead Goosander, five Red-breasted Mergansers, nine Teal and two Wigeon, with the two female Goldeneyes, two Red-breasted Mergansers, c50 Pintail and numerous Wigeon and Teal in the harbour.

There were eight Bar-tailed Godwits, at least 200 Knot and Grey Plovers and over 1000 Dunlin coming in to roost near the harbour mouth, as the tide rose, whilst the innumerable Brent Geese, Lapwings, Golden Plovers and Black-tailed Godwits could be seen in flight at the far end of the harbour.

Small birds were few, though, with just a dozen or so Skylarks and Greenfinches along the spit, and very little anywhere else. (AH)

Slavonian Grebes (above), Goosander, Knot and Dunlin, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Skylark & Greenfinch at Church Norton (AH)

East Side: A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, 300 Black-tailed Godwits, two Snipe, a  Rock Pipit and a Chiffchaff were along the edge of the harbour this morning, with six Linnets and 17 Reed Buntings in the Slipe Field. (CRJ)

Wigeon along the East side (CRJ)

Pagham Lagoon: There were nine Little Grebes on the water, with a Dartford Warbler and two sleeping Foxes along the banks. (CRJ)

Foxes at Pagham Lagoon (CRJ)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - A pair of Yellowhammers and a pair of Stonechats were about it in the hedges this afternoon, whilst there were also c50 Stock Doves on the fields and a pair of Egyptian Geese were in a stubble field along Ham Road. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Stonechat & Egyptian Goose at Medmerry (AH)

Wednesday, 7th December: After the first frost of the autumn, another cold morning in a moderate northerly breeze, grey early on, but brightening up later.......

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, with just a few local birds about. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0800-0900hrs) (NNE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 6E, 4W

Shag - 1E, 1os

Brent Goose - 2E, 1W

Shelduck - 1W

Common Scoter - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W

auk sp - 1E, 4W

Great Northern Diver (above), Shag & Shag and Cormorant at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Around 800 Lapwings flew out from the harbour, with about half settling on the arable fields, whilst the pool held four Gadwall, eight Shelducks, c50 Shovelers and c80 Teal, with c150 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Wigeon (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

The Water Rail was again in Red Barn Ditch this afternoon, along with two Redshanks and a Little Egret. (AH)

Water Rail in Red Barn Ditch (AH)

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

North Wall: The male Marsh Harrier put on a wonderful show over the reedbeds this morning, whilst the resident female was over the saltmarsh, seeing off another female/immature bird

There were also c600 Golden Plovers, four Snipe and a Stonechat about the harbour, with another of he latter, ten Linnets and 13 Reed Buntings around the Slipe Field. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Long-tailed Duck was still on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with three Little Grebes, six Gadwall, a few Wigeon and Teal, c30 Ringed Plovers and c80 Lapwing, whilst the reserve held four Gadwall and many more Wigeon and Teal, but not much else, though c600 Brent Geese were still on the fields to the west of Marsh Barn.

A lone Cattle Egret flew east over the poplars, and c300 Golden Plovers came up from nearby, whilst the banks and fields held a couple of Dartford Warblers, a pair of Stonechats, at least 50 Reed Buntings and 30 Yellowhammers and just a handful of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Linnets, with c50 Stock Doves, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and a couple of Green Woodpeckers also seen. (AH)

Long-tailed Duck (above), Cattle Egret, Golden Plovers, Ringed Plovers, Stock Dove & Buzzard at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - Three Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff, two Song Thrushes, three Stonechats, two Pied Wagtails, 60 Linnets, seven Yellowhammers, six Skylarks and two Reed Buntings were seen along the path, with three Kestrels and a Buzzard over, and five Tufted Ducks and a Little Grebe on the ponds at Ham. (SR)

Yellowhammer at Medmerry (SR)