10th - 13th January 2023

Friday, 13th January: The wind remains close to gale-force and from the west, but it was otherwise a much brighter and cooler day than yesterday.............

Selsey Bill: A Merlin went past west this morning, and two Slavonian Grebes went east, but not much else was on the move. Full log blow. (BI/P&LH/RP/SR/AH)

(0745-0900hrs) (W, F7-8)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 3W

Slavonian Grebe - 2E

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Teal - 2W

Common Scoter - 4E, 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W, 7os

Merlin - 1W

Kestrel - 1

Turnstone - 20

Mediterranean Gull - 7W

Common Gull - 4E

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 12os

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

Ferry Pool: The Spotted Redshank was in the channel this morning, along with three Redshanks, whilst c25 Avocets and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits were on the far bank of the pool, with plenty of ducks present, including c60 Shovelers, six Tufted Ducks, c25 Mallards and c100 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above) & Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Shovelers and Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was at the end of the spit again this afternoon, with a Dartford Warbler and a few Skylarks in the nearby scrub, whilst two Slavonian Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe, two Little Grebes and a female Goldeneye were in the harbour.
The Lagoon, though, just held the usual Coots and a few Tufted ducks. (ABi)

Church Norton: A fairly quick look along the harbour this morning found at least 400 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and 800 Dunlin, plus c40 Brent Geese and a few Redshanks and Curlews, but nothing else, though a vast flock of at least 2000 Lapwings, 500 Golden Plovers and 300 Black-tailed Godwits flew up from the far end of the harbour. (AH)

Knot (above) & Lapwings at Church Norton (AH)

This afternoon, a Great Northern Diver was offshore, whilst a Sandwich Tern, a female Goldeneye, five Red-breasted Mergansers and four Bar-tailed Godwits were in the harbour. (SM/AH/RP)

Goldeneye (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at Church Norton (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: There were hundreds of gulls out in the channel at dead low water, mainly Common Gulls, but also Herring, Mediterranean, Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls too. Also in the channel were c.300 Knot and there were c.10 Rock Pipits present including an intriguing and annoyingly elusive paler bird. (BI)

Thursday, 12th January: It was yet another fairly mild - but thoroughly miserable - morning of near gale-force westerlies and persistent heavy drizzle.......

Selsey Bill: A Great Northern Diver west was the only bird of note this morning. Full log below. (IP/SR/AH)

(0800-0900hrs) (WSW, F7-8)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Grey Plover - 1E

Turnstone - 4

(1400-1500hrs) (SH)

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Common Scoter - 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W, 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 1W, 2os

Razorbill - 1W

Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just the usual mix of c60 Shovelers, c80 Teal, c20 Mallards and half a dozen Tufted Ducks on the pool, whilst c60 Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Golden Plovers and c200 Lapwing flew out from the harbour, heading west. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Golden Plovers & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: It was slim pickings in the harbour this morning, beyond the regulars, including c200 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, plus a few Redshanks and Curlews, with a flock of c50 Brent Geese the only wildfowl seen.

Otherwise, fly-by Kingfisher and Sparrowhawk, plus a couple of Goldcrests in the sheltered hedges, was about it.. (AH)

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

Wednesday, 11th January: It was back to bright and breezy this morning, with plenty of sunshine, but quite cool in the fresh and blustery westerly.......

Selsey Bill: A total of 34 Red-throated Divers - including a flock of 19 - went west this morning and 11 Sandwich Terns were offshore. Full log below. (P&LH/AH/SR/IP)

(0745-0930hrs) (W, F6)

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 34W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 6W

Common Scoter - 4E, 1W, 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 4W, 2os

Sparrowhawk - 1

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 3E

Turnstone - 36

Mediterranean Gull - 5os

Common Gull - 1E

Kittiwake - 2E, 1os

Sandwich Tern - 11os

auk sp - 1E, 2W

Red-throated Divers (above), Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were a lot of ducks on the pool this morning, including c70 Shovelers, c100 Wigeon, c80 Teal, c30 Mallards, six Shelducks and four Tufted ducks. (AH)

Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Chichester GPs: The two Great White Egrets were again on East Trout Lake this morning. (MJ)

Long Pool: On the pool there were two Little Grebes, a Teal, a Tufted Duck and two Coots, plus a heard-only Water Rail, whilst a couple of Reed Buntings were along the hedges and a few Stock Doves were in the fields.

Just a few Redshank were along Ferry Channel, but at the far end the huge flock of c1000 Golden Plovers and c2000 Lapwings were wheeling about, with c100 Teal on the water. (AH)

Little Grebe (above), Teal, Reed Bunting, Golden Plovers, Lapwings & Golden Plovers and Lapwings at the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: A total of 20 Stock Doves, 30 Curlews and five Mute Swans were in the field at the end of Church Lane, and a Stonechat was around the paddock this morning, with both the male and female Marsh Harriers behind the Breech Pool and a Rock Pipit along the wall.
The flooded fields held a few Brent Geese, Wigeon and Curlews and out in the harbour there were a large number of Lapwings and Golden Plover. (LP/CT/JDW)

Stonechat (above), Stock Doves & Tufted Ducks at the North Wall (LP)

Pagham Spit: A Rock Pipit and a few Skylarks were along the spit but there was no sign of the Snow Bunting.
Out in the harbour, a Slavonian Grebe and three Goldeneye were on the water with a Great Crested Grebe and two Little Grebes, and four Red-breasted Mergansers were in the new lagoon. (LP)

Slavonian Grebe (above), Rock Pipit & Goldeneyes at Pagham Spit (LP)

Tuesday, 10th January: A pretty dire morning in a near gale-force south-westerly, quite cool and with persistent drizzle occasionally turning to heavy rain.......

Selsey Bill: Almost nothing was moving this morning, with a Slavonian Grebe west the highlight. Full log below. (AH/SR)

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

Slavonian Grebe - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Red-breasted Mergansers (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just 50 Shovelers and 20 Teal on the pool this morning, with c50 Wigeon on the field behind. (AH)

Shoveler on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Greenshank, last seen on Boxing Day, reappeared in the harbour this morning, whilst there were also c200 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin spread across the mud, but the only wildfowl seen were a handful of Brent Geese, Shelducks and Wigeon, with nothing else really to report. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Knot at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: At high tide there were just 50 Wigeon on the water, but out on the saltmarsh there were the now usual large flocks of Lapwing, Golden Plover, Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwits, frequently being disturbed, with a Peregrine at Halsey’s Farm the likely culprit.

It was quiet along the wall in the blustery conditions with just a Marsh Harrier up over the reeds and the only small birds around were a group of 20 Long-tailed Tits down the lane. (LP)

Marsh Harrier (above) & Peregrine at the North Wall (LP)