17th - 19th December 2023

Tuesday, 19th December: A pretty dismal morning's weather, starting with persistent drizzle and mist before turning to heavy rain, in a fresh and blustery south-westerly......

Selsey Bill: The only thing moving this morning was Gannets, but they were streaming through more or less continuously, with 507 heading west in an hour and a half - the biggest count this year. There wasn't too much else going on, though the Guillemot was close inshore again. Full log below. (SR/AH)

(0805-0935hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 507W

Brent Goose - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 15W

Rock Pipit - 1

Guillemot (above), Brent Geese & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was quite empty this morning, with just a dozen or so Shovelers, Mallards and Canada Geese about, with c20 Wigeon and c20 Lapwings, plus three Little Egrets, on the fields. (AH)

Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Three Avocets dropped in, but there wasn't much else different to yesterday this morning, with the Whimbrel again present, along with plenty of Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plovers and the other usual waders, and just a few Wigeon, Teal, Mediterranean and Common Gulls.

Also, c500 Brent Geese were in the fields along Rectory Lane again. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Grey Plover, Knot, Teal & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 18th December: Another very grey and cool morning in a moderate south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: There were two Slavonian Grebes, three Great Northern Divers and a Guillemot on the sea this morning, whilst 138 Gannets went west. (P&LH/SR/I/AH/MO-W)

(0745-0930hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 6E, 7W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 24E, 138W, 12os

Common Scoter - 1E, 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1os

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 2W

Sandwich Tern - 5os

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 20W

auk sp - 13E, 19W, 8os

Guillemot (above), Red-throated Diver & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was just wildfowl this morning - around 400 Wigeon, 200 Teal, 75 Shovelers, 40 Mallards, a pair of Gadwall and c25 Canada Geese. (AH)

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

Pagham Spit: The two Eider were offshore from the beachside bungalows this morning. (TG)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in the harbour again this morning on the low tide, along with c400 Knot, c1000 Dunlin and c50 Grey Plovers, whilst c300 Brent Geese flew in, but there wasn't too much else about, beyond a handful of Mediterranean Gulls, and nothing was offshore.

A Goldcrest along the Severals and a Green Woodpecker and a Jay near the Mound were the only other things noted. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Knot, Grey Plovers, Mediterranean Gull & Green Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: Two Goldeneye were on the water this morning, along with at least 1200 Brent Geese, three Little Grebes, six Great Crested Grebes, 50 Teal, 150 Wigeon, eight Shelducks and 50 Mute Swans.

Waders included two Avocets, four Turnstones, 25 Grey Plovers, 20 Black-tailed Godwits, 60 Redshanks and 250 Dunlin, with three Little Egrets, a Sparrowhawks, three Meadow Pipits and a dozen Long-tailed Tits also seen. (P&LH)

Runcton: A Firecrest was only 100 metres from home this morning, with other species seen to the south of the village including a Grey Heron, four Mute Swans, a Canada Goose, 14 Mallard, 50 Teal, ten Tufted Ducks, three Coots, three Moorhens, three Stonechats, seven Starlings and 11 Long-tailed Tits. (CRJ)

Firecrest (above) & Stonechat at Runcton (CRJ)

Sunday, 17th December: After a promising start, it was another very overcast morning, though dry, in a moderate south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: There was an increase in Sandwich Terns from recently, with ten birds offshore this morning, and there was a large feeding flock of Gannets about, along with thee Slavonian Grebes and a few divers and auks. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/IP/AH)

(0730-0930hrs) (SW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 21W

Slavonian Grebe - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 38E, 81W, c100os

Shag - 2E

Brent Goose - 6E, 6W

Common Scoter - 5E, 7W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W

Kestrel - 1

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 10os

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 13W, 8os

auk sp - 19E, 21W

Chiffchaff - 1

Guillemot (above), Sandwich Tern & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were up to 800 Lapwings on/over the fields this morning, along with plenty of ducks, including c300 Teal, c200 Wigeon, c50 Shovelers and c30 Mallards. (AH)

In Red Barn Ditch this afternoon, there were a Water Rail, a single Redshank and a Little Egret. (SR)

Teal (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were two Red-throated Divers, the female Eider, three Sandwich Terns offshore this morning, but the only waders of note in the harbour, among good numbers of the commoner species were three Avocets and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

A male Stonechat was along the spit, but a Goldcrest. nine Long-tailed Tits and a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers at Greenlease Farm was about it, otherwise. (IP)

North Wall: Three Marsh Harriers were about this morning, with what was presumably the resident pair interacting over the Breech Pool reeds, along with a Buzzard.

Pairs of Stonechats were near the Breech Pool, at Halsey's Farm and in the fields at Owl Point, whilst a couple of Rock Pipits were along the wall and two Mistle Thrushes and two Fieldfares were at Halsey's Farm.

Also, a couple of Snipe flew over and c50 Curlews were in the fields, whilst the harbour held vast numbers of Brent Geese, Wigeon and  Teal, along with at least 1000 Lapwings. (AH/LP/SP/DHi)

This afternoon, a male and three female Marsh Harriers came in to roost, a Peregrine was over the harbour and the Short-eared Owl was again around Halsey's Farm at dusk, but only ten Little Egrets, and no Cattle Egrets, came in to roost at Owl Copse.

There were also three Snipe, two Water Rails and a Cetti's Warbler along the wall, c200 Knot in the harbour and c100 Brent Geese in the fields at Halsey's Farm. (S&SaH)

Marsh Harriers (above), Rock Pipit, Stonechat & Fieldfares at the North Wall (AH)

Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - A very poor WeBS count, with very low numbers of wildfowl present today (and not a single Tufted Duck recorded!) There were few highlights, but they included four Egyptian Geese, 32 Pochard, two Little Egrets, two Water Rails calling and six Snipe. (OM)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Ham - A flock of at least five Chiffchaffs were making their way along the hedgerow with a mixed flock of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, and there was also a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Kestrels and four Pied Wagtails about.

Also, there was a female Stonechat about, whose partner had sadly been killed on the path by an illegal motorcyclist.

From the banks at Ham, good numbers of Grey Plovers, half a dozen Ringed Plovers, Redshanks and Shelducks could be seen, with a flock of c200 Brent Geese on the arable fields. (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - This afternoon the Ruff was around the saltmarsh opposite the Stilt Pools, as well as an Avocet, 170 Golden Plover, 90 Lapwing, two Curlew, 14 Redshank, 45 Dunlin, three Snipe, 51 Shelduck, 145 Wigeon, 42 Teal, three Shoveler, two Gadwall, 11 Mallard, 122 Brent Geese, two Buzzards and a Marsh Harrier.

Among the usual mix on the Stilt Pools were 40 Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, nine Snipe showing well, eight Lesser Black-backed Gulls, five Great Black-backed Gulls, one Common Gull, 30 Herring Gulls and three Black-headed Gulls. (HB)