14th - 16th January 2023

Monday, 16th January: After yet more overnight rain, a cold and mostly grey morning in a very brisk north-westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: It was pretty much just the regular species in small numbers this morning. Full log below. (ABi/AH/SR/IP/RP)

(0800-0915hrs) (NNW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 1W

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 6W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1E

Brent Goose - 2E

Common Scoter - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 6os

Oystercatcher - 1E, 5W

Turnstone - 25

Mediterranean Gull - 5os

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 1W

Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just c40 Shovelers and c20 Teal on/around the pool this morning, with c40 Lapwings and c25 Wigeon on the fields. (AH)

Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Late this afternoon, a Green Sandpiper flew up from the harbour's edge, along the Tramway by the end of Red Barn Ditch and went away over the harbour.

Also, at least 1000 Golden Plovers and 2000 Lapwings put on a spectacular show as they all took to the air together. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Golden Plovers from the Tramway (AH)

Church Norton: A Great Northern Diver, well offshore, and a flock of 105 Pintails spread along the main channel, with a few Wigeon among them,were the most notable sights, but otherwise, it was, once again, just the usual species, though in smaller numbers than of late, including c250 Knot, c50 Grey Plovers, c500 Dunlin, c20 Shelducks, c40 Brent Geese and c20 Teal.

Also, a Green Woodpecker was behind the hide and a few Goldcrests were in the sheltered hedges. (AH/ABi)

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

North Wall: A Water Rail was briefly at the back of the paddock this morning and the pair of Marsh Harriers were up over the reeds, but there were just a few Mallards and two Tufted Ducks on the Breech Pool.
There were lots of Wigeon and Teal, plus ten Shovelers on the flooded fields, along with a few Curlew and Redshank, whilst out towards Marsh Farm 500 Brent Geese were in the fields, with more Wigeon among them, and three Cattle Egrets were also around.
A flock of 12 Goldfinches flew along the wall and a Sparrowhawk was by the sluice but apart from the now regular huge amount of Lapwings that was about it. (LP)

Shovelers and Wigeon (above), Tufted Ducks, Teal & Wigeon at the North Wall (LP)

Sunday, 15th January: A cold and bright morning, in a near gale-force westerly wind...........

Selsey Bill: Two very distant shearwaters - possibly Balearics - went west at 0920hrs, but otherwise it was the usual mix, including a Slavonian Grebe east and two Pintails, a Guillemot and ten Red-throated Divers west. Full log below. (SH/JA/PB/MRB/P&LH/IP/SR/BI)

(0730-0930hrs) (W, F7)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 10W, 2os

Slavonian Grebe - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

shearwater sp - 2W

Gannet - 3E, 5W

Brent Goose - 7E, 1W

Pintail - 2W

Common Scoter - 8E, 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6W

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 6W

Common Gull - 3W

Kittiwake - 6W

Sandwich Tern - 8os

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 12E

Ferry Pool: There were lots of ducks again around the pool, including a handful of Shelducks and Tufted Ducks, c50 Shovelers, and c100 Wigeon and Teal, whilst a Sparrowhawk went through the Visitor Centre carpark. (AH/IP et al)

Teal and Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: The Water Pipit, first reported yesterday, but probably present from Friday, was still along the creek this morning, as was the Scandinavian Rock Pipit and c.10 Rock Pipits, all being very flighty and difficult in the gusty winds. There were still hundreds of gulls out in the harbour & plenty of waders, including c.100 Golden Plover, whilst in the field behind the church were 150 Brent Geese. (BI)

Hunston: There were c20 Cattle Egrets in the fields along North Mundham Road this morning (P&JW), but no sign later, with just a pair of Egyptian Geese and  few Little Egrets present (C Lee). 

Medmerry: Chainbridge to Ham Viewpoint - A Green Sandpiper flew up from a flooded field this morning and a Greenshank was near the breach, whilst c500 Brent Geese were in the fields, but the only small birds in the hedges were a Stonechat and a Reed Bunting. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Old House Farm - At dusk this evening, a Barn Owl was along Ham Road, just south of the track to Old House Farm (AH), with it or another along Easton Lane a bit later still (RP)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was still at the far end of the spit this afternoon, with a Kingfisher in the vicinity, too, whilst a female Goldeneye was again on the Lagoon. (TG)

Church Norton: Besides a Merlin reported by visiting birders, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the harbour, but there were very large numbers of waders present, including a flock of c25 Snipe that briefly flew up from the saltmarsh, at least 2000 Lapwings, 800 Golden Plovers, 400 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and probably 1000 Dunlin.

There were also at least 25 Pintail were on the far side, with lots of Wigeon and Teal among them, and more at the far end of Ferry Channel, whilst at least 500 Brent Geese went over, heading for the fields behind the church.

Three Slavonian Grebes and three Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore, with a Red-throated Diver flying west, too, whilst a Sandwich Tern was also offshore, with it, or another in the harbour, along with two or three Mediterranean Gulls and 20 Common Gulls, but the only passerines of note were a singing Chiffchaff near the Mound and a couple of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, plus a dozen Long-tailed Tits along the west side. (AH/IP/P&JW et al)

Sandwich Tern (above), Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser, Knot, Brent Geese & Golden Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Saturday, 14th January: A really full-on, wet and windy morning, with a gale-force westerly pushing through almost continuous drizzly rain, with the odd much heavier squall in-between.......

Selsey Bill: A Guillemot and three Fulmars west were the best of a very slow morning. Full log below. (SH/JA/BI/AH/SR)

(0750-0930hrs) (SW, F8)

Fulmar - 3W

Gannet - 2W

Common Scoter - 1E, 5os

Oystercatcher - 1W

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 1E, 6W

Guillemot - 1W

(1220-1400hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 8W, 2os

diver sp - 1W

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 33W

Brent Goose - 2E

Common Scoter - 1W

Oystercatcher - 1

Turnstone - 22

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 7W

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 1W

Fulmars (above), Gannets & Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Around 50 Shovelers, half a dozen Tufted Ducks and a Little Grebe were the only birds on the pool, whilst c30 Lapwings and c150 Wigeon were on the very flooded fields. (AH)

Lapwings (above), Tufted Duck & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was still at the far end of the spit his afternoon, whilst eight Red-breasted Mergansers were in the harbour and three female Goldeneyes were on the Lagoon. (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Stonechat and two  Goldcrests were the only birds along the banks, whilst c150 Golden Plovers and c300 Lapwings were on the reserve and c300 Brent Geese were on the arable fields. (S&SaH)

Fishbourne Creek: A Spotted Redshank, two Greenshanks, a Water Pipit, a Scandinavian Rock Pipit and three drake Goldeneye were along the creek today, with an estimated 1500 Brent Geese along the approach to Dell Quay. (MRE per SOS)

Chichester GPs: There were few birds about the lakes in the high winds and rain but New Lake did hold 30 Tufted Ducks, 25 Shoveler and a dozen Pochard. (BI)

Church Norton: There was very little to report from the harbour this morning, with c50 Grey Plovers, c100 Knot and c300 Dunlin, plus about 20 Redshanks, out on the mud, c150 Brent Geese and a handful of Teal along the main channel and a Sparrowhawk working its way along the sheltered hedges being the sum. (AH)

Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)