4th - 6th February 2023

Monday, 6th February: After a light frost, a pleasant morning, warming up slowly in the light easterly breeze and unbroken sunshine..... 

Selsey Bill: A flock of a dozen Eider dropped in on the sea this morning, as did the Velvet Scoter, but not much was on the move. Full log below. (P&LH/AH/MO-W/SR/IP)

(0725-0855hrs) (ENE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 12W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 3E

Shelduck - 4W

Eider - 12os

Velvet Scoter - 1os

Common Scoter - 1E, 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 10W, 7os

Turnstone - 3

Sandwich Tern - 4os

auk sp - 6W

Eider (above). Red-breasted Merganser, Sandwich Tern and Black-headed Gull & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was again in the roadside pool, along with a Redshank, whilst there were two Snipe and nine Avocets on the main pool, along with c60 Shovelers and c150 Teal, with c200 Wigeon mostly on the field, together with a Common Gull. (AH)

Later on, there were eight Avocets on the pool, with a further six, plus the Spotted Redshank and a Little Egret, in the channel opposite. (P&LH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Shovelers and Snipe & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - The Purple Sandpiper was again near the breach this morning, along with four Knot, c50 Grey Plovers, 200 Dunlin, a Curlew, eight Turnstones and 600 Lapwings.

The pair of Black Redstarts were also still present on the old crazy golf course by the Windmill, along with a Stonechat, with five Skylarks and a couple of Meadow Pipits nearby. (P&LH/EB)

Black Redstarts at Medmerry (EB)

North Wall: Both the male and the female Marsh Harriers were over the reeds this morning, and two Fieldfares, a Song Thrush, a Kestrel, three Greenfinches and a few Long-tailed Tits were in the nearby trees.

The lone Brent Goose was still in the paddock and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming nearby, whilst there were still huge numbers of birds out in the harbour, predominately Lapwing, but plenty of all the other regular species too, and a pair of Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool. (LP)

Earnley to Almodington: A walk across the fields today produced a flock of 23 Fieldfares, 30 Linnets, a pair of Kestrels, two Buzzards, a Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff, two Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, and 26 Stock Doves. (SR)

Also, later, c40 Fieldfares and three Buzzards went over the area. (SR)

Fieldfare (above) & Grey Wagtail at Earnley (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Dartford Warblers were singing at he top end of Easton Rife this afternoon. (AT)

Later on, a Merlin, a Peregrine, a Buzzard and a Raven wee seen over the reserve and two Barn Owls were along the banks.

Three Avocets and two Greenshanks were on the reserve, near the poplars, with the banks holding seven Yellowhammers, six Reed Buntings, seven Fieldfares, five Stonechats and seven Goldcrests, and there were also three Snipe on the Stilt Pool and c500 Brent Geese on the arable fields. (S&SaH)

Fishbourne Creek: In the area around the Lavant outfall, on the rising tide this morning, the highlights were five Goldeneye, nine Pintail, two Rock Pipits, 11 Great Crested Grebes and several hundred Black-tailed Godwits.

Also, on the pontoon near the boatyard there were 24 Turnstones, but, as on recent visits, there were only four Mute Swans - three adults and a separate juvenile - present. (RW)

Sidlesham Churchyard: There were three Fieldfares, a Song Thrush, a Jay and five Goldcrests in the churchyard today. (P&LH)

Church Norton: There were at least seven Slavonian Grebes offshore this morning, along with a Great Northern Diver, a Red-throated Diver, two Great Crested Grebes and a Red-breasted Merganser, whilst two female Goldeneye were in the harbour, on the far side and half a dozen Skylarks were along the spit.

The harbour was full of birds again, with at least 2000 Lapwings taking to the air on several occasions, whilst at least 300 Knot, 50 Ringed Plovers, 100 Grey Plovers and 500 Dunlin were on the mud, c30 Avocets and 500 Golden Plovers were along the west side and two Little Grebes and c60 Pintail were among the many Wigeon and Teal. (AH et al)

Slavonian Grebes (above), Red-throated Diver, Lapwings, Skylark, Ringed Plovers & Knot, dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 5th February: A fairly cold, but bright and sunny morning in a light to moderate north-easterly breeze..........

Selsey Bill: Over 30 Red-throated Divers went west and the Velvet Scoter dropped in on the sea again, but it was generally quite quiet this morning. Full log later. (SH/BI/PB/MRB/PM/SR/AH/IP)

(0710-0910hrs) (NNE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 39W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 3E, 12W

Teal - 2W

Velvet Scoter - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 19W, 5os

Oystercatcher - 1

Turnstone - 4

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 4os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 3E, 138W

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

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was in the roadside pool again this morning and the Spotted Redshank was in the channel opposite, along with a Brent Goose, looking a bit sorry for itself, whilst two Goldcrests were in the adjacent hedges.

The pool was full of ducks, including c200 Wigeon and Teal, c80 Shovelers, a drake Gadwall, c20 Mallards and ten Shelducks, and there were also two Avocets, a Black-tailed Godwit and two Redshank present. (AH/PB/MRB/PM/NM)

Avocet and Wigeon (above) & Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Shovelers and Mallards at the Ferry (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - The Purple Sandpiper was again among the waders near the breach this morning, and the pair of Black Redstarts were again around the tyres on the old crazy golf course by the Windmill. (S&SaH/IP)

Park Farm, Selsey: Three Pied Wagtails were feeding in the fields, along with a flock of 21 Oystercatchers, whilst two female Sparrowhawks cruised over the trees and two Buzzards were seen riding the thermals. There were also two Long-tailed Tits in the lane. (IP)

Church Norton: The pair of Long-tailed Ducks were offshore again this morning, along with at least even Red-throated Divers, whilst a female Goldeneye was in the harbour, together with plenty of Pintail, Wigeon and Teal. 

Also, a Black-tailed Godwit and c100 Knot were among the Dunlin and Grey Plovers on the metalwork and a Bar-tailed Godwit was on Tern Island, whilst 30 Avocets and huge numbers of Lapwings and Golden Plovers were further down the harbour.

Four Ravens were around together before two went east and two went west, but the only other passerines noted were a Cetti's Warbler, a Goldcrest and two Long-tailed Tits in the Severals area. (IP/NM/PB/MRB/PM)

Runcton. Not much around the village this morning, just a pair of Egyptian Geese over, a Buzzard and the local Herring Gulls, getting ready to breed, but nice to hear a Skylark singing. (CRJ)

Herring Gulls at Runcton (CRJ)

North Wall: A Raven was around almost continuously this morning, but a single Marsh Harrier only popped up briefly, along with a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel, whilst the paddocks held a lone Brent Goose, a Grey Wagtail, six Pied Wagtails and a Jay.

Also, a Kingfisher was by the sluice, a Snipe dropped into the grass by the rife, five Grey Herons were in the fields behind the Breech Pool and a Skylark and a Meadow Pipit were at Halsey's Farm.

The harbour was spectacular on the rising tide, with a pheromonal number of birds moving around, including -  very roughly! - 3000 Lapwings, 1000 Golden Plovers, 400 Black-tailed Godwits, 300 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers, 800 Dunlin, 50 Curlews,1500 Brent Geese, 80 Pintail, 50 Teal and 300 Wigeon. (AH/LP/CT)

Raven (above), Marsh Harrier, Golden Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Knot and Grey Plovers (AH), Black-tailed Godwits and Curlew, Brent Goose, Grey Herons, Skylark & Buzzard (LP) at the North Wall

Saturday, 4th February: The north-westerly breeze had eased, but it was still a fairly cool and very overcast morning.....

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much on the move, though six Great Northern Divers were offshore this morning. Full log below:  (SH/PB/BI/AH/SR/IP)

(0720-0900hrs) (WSW, F2)

Red-throated Diver - 7W

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Gannet - 2W

Shag - 1os

Brent Goose - 2E, 5W

Shelduck - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 19W, 9os

Turnstone - 7

Oystercatcher - 2

Sandwich Tern - 2os

auk sp. - 6W

Razorbill - 1os

Fox - 2

(1350-1520hrs) (SH)

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 54W

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 5E, 11W, 1os

Shelduck - 7W

Common Scoter - 3E, 3os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 11os

auk sp. - 3E

Great Northern Diver (above), Sandwich Tern & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Snipe were in the roadside reeds for the first time since before Christmas, but the Green Sandpiper wasn't around, with, otherwise, four Avocets, a Redshank, c75 Shoveler, c150 Teal, c30 Mallards and six Shelducks on the pool and c125 Wigeon and a dozen Rooks on the fields. (AH)

Snipe (above), Teal & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The harbour was again full of the usual birds, including a flock of 30 Avocets along the west side, at least 14 Red-breasted Mergansers in small groups and a lone female Goldeneye near the harbour mouth, but there was only one Knot amongst the numerous Grey Plover and Dunlin flocks, whilst, once more, there were very large numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover present.

Two Great Crested Grebes were the only birds seen offshore, whilst on land, a Raven flew over Priory Wood, heading west, two Cetti's Warblers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a squealing Water Rail were around the first Several, a Goldcrest was in Bluebell Wood and two Fieldfares flew out from the nearby pines. (IP)

This evening a single Marsh Harrier came in to roost at the Severals, with a Dartford Warbler and a calling water Rail nearby, too. (S&SaH)

Pagham Spit: The Snow Bunting was still present on the spit this afternoon, four Goldeneye were in the main channel and a Kingfisher was on the metalwork. (TG)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The banks were busy this morning, with it less breezy, with four Dartford Warblers, five Stonechat, 16 Yellowhammers, 13 Reed Buntings, a Redwing and seven Song Thrushes all noted.

Also, a Raven went over, with two Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard and two Kestrels also seen, whilst two Avocets and c300 Lapwings were on the reserve, a Greenshank, four Snipe, two Dunlin and six Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool and c300 Brent Geese were on the arable fields. (SH/PB)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - A Purple Sandpiper was among the roosting waders - including c100 Ringed Plovers, c80 Grey Plovers, six Knot, c400 Dunlin and at least 1000 Lapwings - near the breach his morning, along with c40 Brent Geese, c100 Teal and two Red-breasted Mergansers, with at least ten more of the latter offshore.

There were three Black Redstarts around the old crazy golf course by the Windmill - what appeared to be a pair moving around together and another male, but a female Stonechat there was just about the only other bird seen. (AH/BI)

Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin and Ringed Plover (above), Black Redstarts, Stonechat, Red-breasted Merganser, Grey Plovers, Dunlin and Grey Plovers (AH), Purple Sandpiper and Dunlin & Black Redstart (BI) at Medmerry 

Hunston: Three Cattle Egrets were with the cattle opposite the stables at noon. (BI)

Fishbourne Creek:  A Kingfisher was around the outfall and creek this morning, a Grey Wagtail flew over and at least six Goldeneye were spread between here and Dell Quay but otherwise it was the usual mix of the regular wildfowl species. Oddly, there were no pipits of any type noted. (BI)

Kingfisher at Fishbourne Creek (BI)