14th - 16th December 2023

Saturday, 16th December: A  very grey and murky morning, with intermittent misty drizzle, but mild in a light westerly breeze. ......

Selsey Bill: There was quite a good selection in the end this morning, when the mist cleared, including a Long-tailed Duck, a Black-throated Diver, seven Velvet Scoters, a Fulmar and a few Red-throated Divers. Full log below. (SH/BI/JA/PB/SR/IP/AH)

(0730-1000hrs) (W, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 4os

Black-throated Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 11E, 29W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 2os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 9E, 28W, 13os

Shag - 3E

Brent Goose - 3E, 6W

Eider - :1os

Long-tailed Duck - 1W

Velvet Scoter - 1W, 6os

Common Scoter - 5E, 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5W, 3os

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 9W, 1os

auk sp - 8W

Pied Wagtail - 2

Velvet Scoter (above), Fulmar, Red-throated Diver & Great Northern Divers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Black-tailed Godwit was present again this morning, along with c50 Lapwings, four Gadwall, c40 Shovelers, c150 Teal, c30 Mallards and c200 Wigeon. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Firecrest was low down in the vegetation along the path from Drift Road this morning, and there were a Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap along Park Lane.

There was also a Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail around the farm, with a flock of 300 Brent Geese in the fields until they were flushed by a large dog. (IP)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: The female Goldeneye was again on the Lagoon, which otherwise held just a couple of Tufted Ducks and the usual Coots and Mallards.

In the harbour along the East side, there were several hundred Brent Geese along with lots of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Shelduck, Dunlin, Grey Plovers, Turnstones and Oystercatchers, and along the spit there were a Rock Pipit, three Meadow Pipits and 12 Linnets, with the Eider out on the water again. (LP)

Goldeneye (above) & Brent Geese and Wigeon at Pagham Spit (LP)

North Wall: The Short-eared Owl was around Owl Point and Halsey's Farm again this afternoon, and there were four Marsh Harriers - a male and three females - around, too.

Also, three Fieldfares were about, along with a Cetti's Warbler, a Buzzard and a Kestrel, whilst c300 Brent Geese flew in from the west. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: The harbour held large numbers of the regular waders, along with seven Avocets, two Bar-tailed Godwits and a lone Black-tailed Godwit, whilst a large flock of Lapwing, with a few Golden Plover mixed in, flew up from the North Wall on two occasions.

Waterfowl numbers were also high, with three Little Grebes amongst them, whilst offshore, near the harbour mouth, there were two Eider, but the only other bird of interest offshore was a Great Northern Diver seen on the water opposite the 2nd Several.

Also, a male Stonechat was around the concrete blocks, two Goldcrests were chasing each other around the trees between the two Severals and a Green Woodpecker flew across the horse field. (IP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the stilt Pool - A Ruff and a Greenshank were on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with three Dunlin, 19 Snipe and 43 Ringed Plovers, whilst three Avocets, another Snipe, c300 Golden Plovers and c500 Lapwings were on the reserve, along with a Kingfisher and c200 Brent Geese.

There was a good selection of raptors about, including a Merlin, a sub-adult male and a female Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard and four Kestrels, but the banks were relatively quiet, with a Dartford Warbler, two Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler and three Yellowhammers about, with 11 Song Thrushes in the hedges near the car-park. (S&SaH)

Ruff and Snipe (above) & Kingfisher at Medmerry (SH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Wilson's Farm - At least 750 Brent Geese, including good numbers of juveniles, were feeding on the fields east of the Medmerry Trail this morning, whilst a Raven and a Snipe went over, c30 Fieldfares were around the hedges before heading west and a Sparrowhawk, a Chiffchaff and c80 Pied Wagtails were around the sewage works.

The cover crops at Wilson's Farm were very quiet, though, with just a couple of pairs of Stonechats, a dozen Yellowhammers and a flock of c150 Linnets seen, whilst c40 Golden Plovers and at least 500 Lapwings came up a couple of times from out on the reserve. (AH)

Raven (above), Snipe, Brent Geese, Stonechat, Yellowhammer, Linnets & Long-tailed Tits at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 15th December: A fairly cool and grey morning in a light to moderate north-westerly breeze. ......

Selsey Bill: It was another interesting morning for a good turn-out of watchers, with a Red-necked Grebe, a Long-tailed Duck, two Velvet Scoters, the first Fulmar of the autumn, a Black-throated Diver and over 300 Red-throated Divers, including several flocks of 20+ birds - all going west. Full log later. (SH/BI/SR/PB/PM/LP/SP/KT/P&LH/AH)

(0730-1030hrs) (NW, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 6os

Black-throated Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 35E, 315W, 3os

Red-necked Grebe - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 15E, 20W

Little Egret - 1W

Brent Goose - 4W

Pintail - 9W

Eider - 1W

Long-tailed Duck - 1W

Velvet Scoter - 2W

Common Scoter - 13E, 48W, 20os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 14W, 4os

Sanderling - 1

Turnstone - 23

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Razorbill - 1E, 26W

auk sp - 19E, 81W

Pied Wagtail - 6

(1115-1230hrs) (P&LH)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 27E, 16W, 4os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 3W

Velvet Scoter - 1os

Common Scoter - 1E, 4W, 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 1os

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 1W, 1os

Razorbill - 1E, 46W

Pied Wagtail - 2

(1300-1400hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 14W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 2W

Common Scoter - 17W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 1W

Common Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 2E, 1W

auk sp - 1E, 1W

Rock Pipit - 1

Red-throated Divers (above), Common Scoters, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Razorbills (AH)

Rock Pipit & Red-throated Diver video (BI) at the Bill 

Ferry Pool: Apart from the Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit on the - now not so - concealed pool, it was just ducks this morning, comprising four Gadwall, three Shelducks, c50 Shovelers, c200 Wigeon and Teal and a dozen Mallards. (AH)

Gadwall and Wigeon (above) & Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was a good selection offshore this morning, including three Slavonian Grebes, a Great Northern Diver, the two Eider, and five Great Crested Grebes, with three Red-throated Divers going west.

There was nothing too unusual in the harbour, with highlights being an Avocet, three Bar-tailed Godwits, a Ringed Plover, c32-00 Knot and c70 Brent Geese. (PB/PM)

Runcton: To the south of the village this morning distantly 100+ duck sp and 100 Black-tailed Godwits in flight, indicating that the flooded fields between Bowley and Lagness will be worth investigating. 

Seen more locally were a Little Egret, five Moorhens, two Coots, two Common Buzzards, a Goldcrest, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, plus flocks of 15 Chaffinches and 30 Goldfinches. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were three Dartford Warblers, two Stonechats, a Goldcrest and a Yellowhammer along the banks this afternoon, but a Buzzard was the only bird of prey seen.

Six Snipe were on the Stilt Pool, with an Avocet, a Greenshank and c30 Dunlin near the poplars and c200 Golden Plovers, c400 Lapwings and c400 Brent Geese out on the reserve. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Windmill - The Black Redstart was still around the houses by the Coastguard Station this morning, though very elusive, but no other small birds were about, whilst offshore there were three Red-throated Divers and at least 16 Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea. (AH)

Red-breasted Mergansers at Medmerry (AH)

Chichester Gravel Pits: A look around the Ivy Lake complex, including all the outer pits, and then a view of both Westhampnett Pits was underwhelming today with just the following totals returned: three Canada Geese, two Egyptian Geese (on Westhampnett One); 33 Mallard; 14 Shoveler; 88 Tufted Duck; 84 Common Pochard and a solitary Little Grebe. (BI)

North Wall: A Short-eared Owl was hunting around Halsey's Farm and Owl Point this afternoon, with a Marsh Harrier upsetting the many roosting waders in the harbour.

Also, a Spotted Redshank was in the creek at the west end of the wall, along with lots of Redshank and Wigeon, whilst a dozen Fieldfares were in the trees at Halsey's Farm. (AH)

Short-eared Owl (above) & Spotted Redshank at the North Wall (AH)

Thursday, 14th December: Another mainly dull and overcast day, but feeling notably cooler in a moderate north-westerly breeze, with occasional brief drizzly showers through the morning followed by more persistent rain by early afternoon......

Selsey Bill: An interesting morning with a good bit of variety, the highlights being a drake Goldeneye, a pair of close-in Goosanders, eight Velvet Scoters and 139 Red-throated Divers, (the largest flock being 16), all heading west. Full log below (SR/OM)

(0800-1200hrs)  (WNW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 6W, 4os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 139W, 4os

diver sp - 4E, 2W

Gannet - 37W

Brent Goose - 18W

Wigeon - 2W

Eider - 6E

Common Scoter - 57W, 12os

Velvet Scoter - 8W

Goldeneye - 1W

Goosander - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 4W

Oystercatcher - 1E, 1W

Grey Plover - 40E

Dunlin - 10E

Turnstone - 19

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 11W

auk sp - 1E, 74W

Chiffchaff - 1

Red-throated Divers (above) & Velvet Scoters at the Bill (OM)

This afternoon, between 1330 and 1430hrs, a flock of six Velvet Scoters went east and a flock of 12 Red-throated Divers went west, and there was also a Rock Pipit on the beach. (AW)

Velvet Scoters (above) & Red-throated Divers at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning a Black-tailed Godwit and a Redshank were on the concealed pool, but otherwise there were just c50 Shovelers, c80 Teal, c20 Mallards and c200 Wigeon around the pool, with another c40 of the latter in the channel opposite. 

All that could be found round the Tramway circuit were a few Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits.(AH)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Wigeon & Long-tailed Tit at the Ferry (AH)

East side: Along the east side a huge flock of Brent were enjoying the saltmarsh along with hundreds of Wigeon, Teal and Pintail and many waders including Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Grey Plover, Turnstone, a few Knot and a single Golden Plover.

Out on Pagham Beach we watched a large mixed flock of Dunlin and Grey Plover flying offshore, then roosting on the shingle banks. A nice surprise was the sub-adult male Eider in the old lagoon quickly followed by good views of a Great Northern Diver and a Kingfisher.

A pair of Stonechats were on the gorse bushes, several Rock Pipits and five Meadow Pipits were along the tideline and a Peregrine was perched out on one of the small islands. 

The rain set in just after midday and the walk back produced Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. After lunch the rain really started to set in and a brief walk along the North Wall to the Breech Pool provided us with just another couple of Rock Pipits and a few Blue and Long-tailed Tits. (CRJ)

North Wall: A Goldcrest, a Jay, two Chaffinches, a Pied Wagtail, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff were by the stables this morning, and there were lots of thrushes about, with  50 Fieldfares, three Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, two Song Thrushes and many Blackbirds in the hedgerows. 

Also, a Marsh Harrier and a Green Woodpecker flew over the fields, four Buzzards were about, and a Peregrine was in one of the dead trees at Owl Point.

A Rock Pipit, a pair of Stonechats, three Meadow Pipits, a Greenfinch and a Reed Bunting were along the Wall, and out in the harbour there were two Little Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe and lots of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Brent Geese, with plenty of Lapwing, Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Redshanks out on the mud. (LP/TH/IH/SP/CT) 

Fieldfares (above) & Stonechat at the North Wall (LP)