29th -31st January 2023

Tuesday, 31st January: A mostly grey, though fairly mild, morning in a moderate westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: A Fulmar west and a Slavonian Grebe on the sea were the highlights of a slow morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/P&LH)

(0750-0920hrs) (W, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 3E, 4os

Common Scoter - 2E, 3W, 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W

Turnstone - 1

Razorbill - 9os

auk sp - 40E, 43W

Fulmar at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A drake Gadwall was among c60 Shovelers, c20 Mallards, eight Shelducks and c100 Teal around the pool this morning, with a Grey Heron again on the bank. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Shelduck and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Little Grebe and four Tufted Ducks were the only birds along the pool, though a female Marsh Harrier hunting at the far end of Ferry Channel put up a spectacular display, including c800 Golden Plovers, c1500 Lapwings, c300 Teal and an assortment of other wildfowl and waders across the harbour. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Little Grebe, Golden Plovers and Lapwings & Teal along the Long Pool (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: A redhead Goosander was off Dell quay this morning, and there were also three Spotted Redshanks present. (KJ et al)

Later on, the Goosander and a Goldeneye were on the water, with a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, 40 Black-tailed Godwits and 500 Brent Geese along the channel. 

There were also seven Redwing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees along the harbour side. (P&LH)

 

Church Norton: Up to 1000 Brent Geese were commuting between the harbour and the fields behind the church this morning, whilst 20 Shelduck, 50 Wigeon and 150 Teal were out along the channel. 

A good selection of waders in the harbour included two Avocets, a Ringed Plover, 75 Grey Plovers and 250 Dunlin, 200 Golden Plovers and 500 Lapwings, but the hedges were quiet, with just a Goldcrest, a Jay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker of note. (P&LH)

Brent Geese at Church Norton (LH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Between Marsh and Bramber Farms this morning, a total of 17 Cattle Egrets and a single Little Egret were counted.

Also seen were a Buzzard, c100 Chaffinches, two male and a female Stonechat, and in St Mary’s Churchyard there were five Fieldfares feeding on the large berry bush next to the entrance. (CRJ)

Fieldfare in Sidlesham churchyard (CRJ)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm and Wilson's Farm - There really wasn't much to report this morning, with c100 Pied Wagtails and a couple of Chiffchaffs at Porthole Farm, and nothing in the hedges along the Medmerry Trail, though c300 Brent Geese dropped in near Ham and c40 Stock Doves were among the many Wood Pigeons.

Disappointingly, the cover crop fields at Wilson's Farm were completely dead, with just a handful of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits seen. (AH)

Skylark (above), Pied Wagtail & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)

Monday, 30th January: A fairly cool, but bright morning, in a moderate north-westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: A Velvet Scoter went west and eight Pintail and eight Red-throated Divers went east, but it was a bit quieter this morning. Full log below. (SR/AH/MO-W/ABi/IP)

(0750-0920hrs) (NW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 8E, 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Brent Goose - 1E, 1W

Pintail - 8E

Velvet Scoter - 1W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Turnstone - 3E, 20W

Kittiwake - 2W

Razorbill - 8W

auk sp - 10E, 74W

Later, the pair of Goosanders were on the sea, before flying off west, whilst a male Black Redstart was in Hillfield Road car-park. (AW/BI)

Goosanders at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: A single Black-tailed Godwit was roosting along the edge of the pool this morning, but otherwise it was just c60 Shovelers, c200 Teal, c30 Mallards and five Shelducks. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit, Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: With the tide well out, late this morning, there were six Goldeneyes, four Little Grebes, two Great Crested Grebes and c220 Lapwing off Dell Quay. Earlier a single male Goldeneye had been in the channel above Dell Quay.

Off the Lavant Outfall there were c500 Brent Geese, 11 Knot and a Spotted Redshank, whilst a Meadow Pipit was briefly at the water's edge of the outfall stream, before flying off across the harbour, whilst a second Spotted Redshank was off the Dell Quay boatyard.

Also, a Greenshank and a Kingfisher were about, whilst the shoreside vegetation held three Greenfinches and four Stonechats. (RW/AM)

Church Norton: There were no birds at all offshore this morning, but the harbour was busy, particularly with two Peregrines about, disturbing the c200 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers, c800 Dunlin, c500 Golden Plovers and c1000 Lapwings present. There were also c60 Pintail, c100 Teal and c250 Wigeon about, along with just a few Shelducks and Brent Geese.

The three Redwings were tucked away along the hedge-line in the field behind the hide, together with a couple of Song Thrushes, whilst there were four Mistle Thrushes together in Rectory Lane. (AH/MP et al)

Two Marsh harriers - both female/immature types - came in to roost at the back of the Severals at dusk this evening. (S&SaH)

Redwings (above), Mistle Thrushes, Pintail, Grey Plovers and Knot & Golden Plovers and Lapwings at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were 14 Cattle Egrets around the north fields this afternoon. (TG-P)

Pagham Spit: A pair of Peregrines were out on their island this morning and the Snow Bunting was still at the end of the spit along with a Kingfisher, a Rock Pipit and a few Skylarks.

Out in the harbour there were large numbers of Brent Geese and Wigeon along with a few Teal and Pintail, and a Goldeneye was on the water. (LP).

Snow Bunting (above), Peregrines, Goldeneye, Kingfisher & Brent Geese and Wigeon at Pagham Spit (LP)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - There were three, Black Redstarts around the caravan park today, with two near the Windmill and another at Toe End. (AW/TG-P)

Black Redstarts at Medmerry (AW)

Sunday, 29th January: Another very grey morning, warming up a little after a cool start, with the fairly light breeze having shifted to the west....

Selsey Bill: Highlights this morning were a lone male Velvet Scoter that flew back and forth several times offshore, a Red-necked Grebe that flew west and eight Eider, including four drakes, that were on the sea. Full log below. (SH/PB/MRB/BI/AH/SR/IP/NS/OM/RAI)

(0730-1000hrs) (W, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 20E, 6W, 1os

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Red-necked Grebe - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 5E, 25W

Shag - 1os

Brent Goose - 7E, 14W

Eider - 8os

Velvet Scoter - 1os

Common Scoter - 3E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 6W, 10os

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 1

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 5os

Razorbill - 11E, 3W

auk sp - 74E, 34W

(1330-1500hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 

diver sp - 1E

Gannet - 1E, 19W

Shag - 1W

Velvet Scoter - 3os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W, 1os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 6W

auk sp - 1E, 21W

Red-necked Grebe (above), Red-throated Divers, Eider & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was just the usual mix on the pool this morning, including c60 Shovelers, c100 Teal, c40 Wigeon, c30 Mallards and five Shelducks. (AH

Also, the Water Rail was again in Red Barn Ditch. (MRB/PB)

Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - a Dartford warbler was along the banks this morning, together with three Stonechats, a Reed Bunting and a Cetti's Warbler, whilst three Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk went over.

Also, four Red-throated Divers flew east, offshore, a Greenshank, two Snipe and three Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool, 500 Brent Geese were on the arable fields and two Egyptian Geese, two Snipe and c200 Lapwings were on the reserve. (S&SaH)

Park Farm, Selsey: This morning, the farm held just a male Stonechat, a Green Woodpecker, a Kestrel and five Pied Wagtails. (IP)

Fishbourne Creek: A Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank were actively feeding in the channel at low tide, whilst amongst the masses of commoner waders were two Bar-tailed Godwits. At least 1500 Brent Geese were washing and feeding before they all took off – a wonderful sight – and there were also plenty of Wigeon and Lapwing in the channel. Passerines were few but included two Stonechats and a single Rock Pipit. (OM)     

Chichester Canal: There were plenty of the commoner waterfowl along the canal today, including Mallards. Coots & Moorhens, but the only small bird of note was a Coal Tit, calling but unseen, from the Donnington Road end. 

The field to the south-east of the canal is again flooded but all that could be found today were c.30 Black-headed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls whilst opposite a Fieldfare was along the hedgerow. (BI)

North Wall: A Green Woodpecker and a flock of 20 Goldfinches were around the paddock this morning and four Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, whilst a Kestrel, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and three Marsh Harriers were about, and 100 Lapwing and a few Curlews were on the flooded fields.

Out in the harbour there was a huge amount of birds, with a Ruff and half a dozen Knot among c400 Black-tailed Godwits, large flocks of Brent Geese, Lapwing,  Grey Plover, Golden Plover and Dunlin, while a few Pintail were among the usual Wigeon and Teal along White’s Creek. (LP/SP/CT/DH/AHu/AH)

Tufted Ducks (above), Green Woodpecker (LP), Knot Pintail and Black-tailed Godwits, Teal and Black-tailed Godwits & Lapwings (AH) at the North Wall

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The Snow Bunting was away from its usual spot this morning, feeding nearby, along the bank of the old lagoon, with a Kingfisher there, too, whilst later on,a pair of Goosanders swam into the harbour and offshore there were c25 Common Scoters and four Red-breasted Mergansers.

Also, a first-winter drake and a female Goldeneye were in the harbour, along with at least 300 Wigeon, whilst two more female Goldeneyes and c20 Little Grebes were on the Lagoon. (AH/NS/AHu/DB)

Goosanders (DB) (above), Snow Bunting, Goldeneyes & Common Scoters and Red-breasted Mergansers (AH) at Pagham Spit

Church Norton: A flock of c30 Common Scoter flew west offshore, together with eight Velvet Scoters, seven of which separated and then headed east, whilst the eighth bird remained with the Common Scoter flock. Also offshore, there were two Sandwich Terns heading east, three Slavonian Grebes and a Great Northern Diver on the sea and two Red-throated Divers flying west, but there was no sign of yesterday's Long-tailed Ducks.

A female Goldeneye was in the channel next to Tern Island, a flock of c20 Avocets were roosted in the main channel and two Little Grebes and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were also present, along with large numbers of the usual waders, ducks and Brent Geese, whilst there were also at least 500 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwings in the harbour.

On the land side, a Raven was at Greenlease Farm this morning, along with three Mistle Thrushes and a Sparrowhawk, a Cetti's Warbler was calling from the first Several and a Goldcrest was among a Long-tailed Tit in Bluebell Wood. (IP/BI)

This afternoon, the pair of Goosanders were feeding along the channel next to the spit, before flying off towards the main channel, whilst visiting birders reported the pair of Long-tailed Ducks as present again offshore. (SR)

There was no sign of the Goosanders late in the afternoon, though 42 Avocets were in the main channel and two Marsh Harriers flew over towards the first Several and possibly went to roost there at dusk. (AH/S&SaH)

Marsh Harrier at Church Norton (AH)