1st - 3rd January 2023

Tuesday, 3rd January: A return to wet and windy weather this morning, increasingly rainy as the blustery south-westerly picked up towards midday......

Just a reminder that the Review of the Year for 2022 is now available on the dashboard above.

Selsey Bill: There was a reasonable selection again this morning, including a Fulmar and a few Red-throated Divers, Kittiwakes and Gannets. Full log below. (AH/KT/SR)

(0800-0930hrs) (SSW, F5-6)

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 13W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 43W

Brent Goose - 31W

Common Scoter - 11E, 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 4os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Dunlin - 30W

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Kittiwake - 8E, 15W

Sandwich Tern - 3W

Razorbill - 31W

Guillemot - 2W

auk sp - 3E, 9W

Red-throated Divers (above), Guillemot, Gannet & Kittiwake at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c80 Shovelers, c50 Wigeon, c100 Teal on the pool this morning, along with five Tufted Ducks and two Mute Swans. (AH)

Tufted Duck (above) & Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: A Goldeneye, a Tufted Duck, a Great Crested Grebe and ten Little Grebes were on the Lagoon and 12 Skylarks were along the spit, whilst the Snow Bunting was back to its usual spot and a large mixed flock of waders were roosting out on the islands, mostly Dunlin and Grey Plover with a few Turnstones among them.

At high water there wasn’t much in the harbour, just a few Wigeon, Teal and Pintail, while several hundred Brent Geese headed off inland. (LP)

Snow Bunting on Pagham Spit (above) & Goldeneye on Pagham Lagoon (LP)

North Wall: A Grey Wagtail was in the paddock and four Stock Doves were in the nearby field, but it was very quiet in the difficult conditions, with just three Tufted Ducks on the Breech Pool and no small birds along the wall, although at one point a huge flock of c2000 Lapwings together with 500 Golden Plover and 200 Black-tailed Godwits were up over the saltmarsh. (LP)

Church Norton: There were three Red-throated Divers, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Crested Grebe and a flock of ten Common Scoters offshore this morning, plus a Mediterranean Gull, but the harbour was quiet on the full tide, with just c40 Pintail, c75 Teal and c50 Wigeon, plus a couple of Little Grebes, on the water and next to no waders.

Most of the activity appeared to be on the far side of the harbour, with a vast flock of Golden Plovers and Lapwings, another of Knot, Grey Plovers and Dunlin and c1000 Brent Geese all up at various times.

A couple of Goldcrests and half a dozen Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits along the sheltered hedges were the only small birds seen. (AH)

Mediterranean Gull, Red-breasted Mergansers, Wigeon, Goldcrest & Long-tailed Tit at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 2nd January: Another pleasant morning, a little cooler, though brighter in a moderate westerly breeze.....

Just a reminder that the Review of the Year for 2022 is now available on the dashboard above.

Selsey Bill: It was quieter than yesterday, but there were still up to ten Slavonian Grebes and a few Great Northern and Red-throated Divers about. Full log below. (SH/PM/AH/IP/CN/SR/5x Bowley sp)

(0730-0945hrs) (WSW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Red-throated Diver - 10E, 23W

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 5E, 5os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 7os

Gannet -- 9W, 20os

Brent Goose - 18W

Common Scoter - 18E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 11E, 11W

Grey Plover - 30E

Dunlin - 200E

Turnstone - 40

Mediterranean Gull - 4W

Kittiwake - 7W

Sandwich Tern - 4os

Razorbill - 9W

Guillemot - 1W

auk sp - 4E, 130W

Red-throated Divers (above), Slavonian Grebes & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Spot the odd one out! Five Bowley sp and SH at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c50 Shovelers, c50 Wigeon, c150 Teal, two Gadwall, two Shelducks, two Mute Swans and six Canada Geese on the pool this morning. (AH)

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

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was still on the spit this morning, with a Dartford Warbler nearby, and the Slavonian Grebe was again in the channel. A dozen Pintail were with the Wigeon and a few Common Gulls were dotted about the mudbanks. (OM/BFF/TG/BI et al)

North Wall: A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was among the Brent Geese at the far end of White's Creek this morning and the Marsh Harrier was showing at the reedbeds whilst a Peregrine flew through putting up the numerous waders. Nearby at the WTW were c.4 Chiffchaffs and a Grey Wagtail. (GJ/BI) 

Pale-bellied Brent Goose at the North Wall (GJ)

Also, two Marsh Harriers were over the reeds behind the Breech Pool and a Sparrowhawk was in the bushes along with a Chiffchaff and a Reed Bunting, while on the water there were 14 Tufted Ducks and at Halsey’s Farm, a Kingfisher was fishing from the sluice and a Buzzard and Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the trees.

A Roe Deer was in the paddock, and a couple of Pied Wagtails and a Jay were also about, with two more Sparrowhawks seen down the lane. Out in the harbour there were a few hundred Brent Geese, with the regular Wigeon and a few Teal, and further out there were very large numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, Golden Plover and Lapwings, with two Common Seals loafing on the mud. (LP/CT)

Marsh Harrier (above), Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Tufted Ducks, Common Seals & Roe Deer at the North Wall (LP)

Park Farm, Selsey: The fields held over 100 Curlews and a similar number of both Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits along with a lone Grey Wagtail and a handful of Skylarks. (IP)

Church Norton: The female Peregrine was sat out on her island for half an hour, before flying off west and a Kestrel was also hovering over Tern Island, whilst a Kingfisher was on the metalwork and two female Goldeneyes were nearby, along with a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, and there were also a pair of the latter offshore along with two Slavonian Grebes and a small feeding party of Gannets a long way out.

There were large numbers of the common waders all over the harbour and flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover were almost continuously airborne., whilst a Song Thrush was opposite the first Several, a male Sparrowhawk flew over, a Cetti's Warbler called briefly and, as the tide fell, a flock of 100 Knot alighted on the shingle opposite the second Several.

Also, two Red Admirals were on the wing, one in Bluebell Wood and another along Park Road by the old tram cottages. (IP)

Hunston: There were up to 20 Cattle Egrets in the trees by the fields along North Mundham Road this morning. (BI)

Fishbourne Creek/Dell Quay: There were at least 14 Greenshanks roosting on the far side this morning with c.70 Redshanks and two Spotted Redshanks also in the area. (BI)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were at least 11 Dartford Warblers along the banks this morning, along with ten Stonechats, two Yellowhammers, eight Reed Buntings, a Cetti's Warbler, two Goldcrests and a Song Thrush.

Also, a Barnacle Goose was among c500 Brent Geese on the fields, whilst a Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk,  three Buzzards and three Kestrels were on the wing. (S&SaH/PB et al)

Dartford Warbler (above) & Stonechat at Medmerry (SH)

Late this afternoon, the Barnacle Goose was still with the Brent Goose flock, near the Earnley car-park, whilst the Barn Owl was out and about, and a visiting birder reported that a Short-eared Owl had been out earlier.

Also, c30 Fieldfares were in trees near the poplars, a couple of Goldcrests were along the banks and a Brown Hare was out on the reserve. (AH/S&SaH)

Barn Owl (above) & Barnacle Goose and Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm and Wilson's Farm - At Porthole Farm, there were a Grey Wagtail and c20 Pied Wagtails around the settling tanks this morning, with at least four Chiffchaffs in the adjacent hedges and a pair of Red-legged Partridges in the fields.

A Dartford Warbler was in very atypical habitat in the hedges along the Trail, between Porthole and Ham Farms, with a couple of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers, half a dozen Meadow Pipits and c50 Skylarks also about, though a Marsh Harrier, a pair of Stonechats and c50 more Skylarks were the only birds of note at Ham.

The female Black Redstart was again at Little Ham Cottages, but, again, Wilson's Farm was very quiet, with a pair of Stonechats, c80 Linnets and a couple of Greenfinches and Chaffinches being about it. (AH)

Black Redstart (above), Dartford Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit & Linnets at Medmerry (AH)

New Year's Day, Sunday, 1st January: A fairly reasonable morning to start the year, mild and with light cloud cover in a moderate south-westerly breeze.....

Just a reminder that the Review of the Year for 2022 is now available on the dashboard above.

Selsey Bill: There was a good selection of species for a decent turn-out of watchers this morning, including the Red-necked Grebe and seven Slavonian Grebes, two Fulmars, four Shags, eight Guillemots and seven Great Northern Divers. Full log below. (SH/JA/PB/MRB/PM/BI/P&LH/IP/AH/CN/SR et al)

(0730-1000hrs) (SW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 7os

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 19W

diver sp - 3E

Red-necked Grebe - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 2E, 5os

Great Crested Grebe - 1w, 1os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 2E, 41W

Shag - 2E, 2os

Brent Goose - 11E, 18W

Teal - 17W

Common Scoter - 15E, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 12W

Oystercatcher - 4

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 48W

Common Gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 2E, 22W

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Guillemot - 7W, 1os

Razorbill - 1E, 16W

auk sp - 148W

This afternoon, a Black-throated Diver went west. (SH)

(1330-1430hrs) 

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Black-throated Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1E, 24W

Mediterranean Gull - 2W, 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 7W

Sandwich Tern - 5os

Guillemot - 1W

Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Diver, Kittiwake, Shag, Common Scoters & a good gathering at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were plenty of ducks again this morning, including four Gadwall, four Shelducks, c80 Shovelers, c25 Mallards, c100 Wigeon and c100 Teal, but nothing else. (AH/IP/CN)

This afternoon there were three Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest and six Long-tailed Tits around Red Barn Ditch. (P&LH)

Long Pool: This morning there were c40 Avocets at the far end of Ferry Channel and, also, six Snipe went over. (IP/CN)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was still present and showing well in its favoured area this morning, with two Rock Pipits and half a dozen Skylarks nearby, whilst a Dartford Warbler was showing and singing in gorse by the east end of the Lagoon.

A Slavonian Grebe was in the harbour entrance channel, along with two Little Grebes, and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were in the newly-forming lagoon offshore, together with c30 Mediterranean Gulls.

The harbour was full of birds, including a Bar-tailed Godwit, c50 Pintail, c30 Common Gulls, c100 Knot and vast numbers of Golden Plovers and Lapwings, but the Lagoon just held four Tufted Ducks and c20 Little Grebes. (TG/TG-P/NR/AH/BI/SP/IP/CN et al)

Dartford Warbler (above), Snow Bunting, Slavonian Grebe & Red-breasted Merganser at Pagham Spit (AH)

North Wall: A female Marsh Harrier was showing well this morning, but the wall was quiet, though at least 400 Black-tailed Godwits and similar of Golden Plovers and Lapwing were out in the harbour, with c100 Wigeon and c50 Teal along White's Creek. (AH)

Later, both Marsh Harriers were about, whilst a Rock Pipit, eight Redwings, a Grey Wagtail and a few Pied Wagtails were seen, too. (IP/CN)

Marsh Harrier (above) & a busy harbour at the North Wall (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A flock of ten Cattle Egrets were by the dairy unit this morning, along with at least 50 Pied Wagtails. (IP/CN)

Fishbourne Creek: A male and a female Goldeneye were in the main channel this morning, along with a Spotted Redshank, two Greenshanks and a Kingfisher, whilst a Firecrest and a few Redwings and Fieldfares were around Apuldram Church car-park. (BI/SM/IP/CN et al)

Hunston: Half a dozen Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets, plus an Egyptian Goose, were in the fields along the North Mundham Road, just south of the roundabout this morning (where they were three or four years ago). (CG)

Chichester GPs: There were four Great White Egrets sat along the far bank of the East Trout Lake this morning, along with three Grey Herons and seven Little Egrets, whilst a Firecrest was along Peckhams Copse Lane. (RHa/AH/SR/AB et al)

Great White Egret at Chichester GPs (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Four Dartford Warblers, six Stonechats, three Reed Buntings, six Yellowhammers, two Cetti's Warblers and 17 Greenfinches were along the banks this afternoon, with a Kingfisher, a Greenshank, two Snipe, a Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel on/over the reserve.

Also, c2000 Brent Geese were on the arable fields, c100 Golden Plovers and c500 Lapwings flew up from the reserve and eight Snipe were on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

Also, a Merlin went across the reserve (KT) and two Fieldfares, 15 Redwings and a Jay were near the poplars. (IP/CN).

Church Norton: A flock of 15 Common Scoters were offshore this morning, along with five Red-breasted Mergansers, whilst the harbour held 14 Avocets, 12 Knot, 50 Turnstones, c400 Dunlin, 300 Golden Plovers, 150 Lapwings, 14 Pintail, c30 Wigeon and Teal, 50 Shelducks and 75 Brent Geese.

A Kingfisher was also about, along with three Common and ten Mediterranean Gulls, whilst passerines included three Mistle Thrushes, two Skylarks, a Meadow Pipit and 15 Linnets. (PB/MRB/P&LH)

This afternoon at least 500  Black-tailed Godwits were along the main channel, with similar of Lapwings and Golden Plovers, plus a dozen Avocets, whilst two Goldcrests were in the churchyard and a Sparrowhawk went over. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above) & Lapwings at Church Norton (AH)