1st - 3rd December 2023

Sunday, 3rd December: It was just a little warmer this morning, but with it, a return to persistent, at times heavy, rain and a fresh and blustery south-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was a little bit more about this morning, including three Slavonian Grebes, a few auks and Gannets, a Velvet Scoter and a few Red-throated Divers. Full log later. (SH/BI/PB/MRB/SR/MO-W/IP/AH)

(0730-0-930hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1W

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 4W, 1os

diver sp - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 50W, 9os

Shag - 1E

Velvet Scoter - 1E

Common Scoter - 11E, 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 8W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 5W

Sandwich Tern - 4W

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 5E, 25W, 5os

auk sp - 11E, 61W

Rock Pipit - 1

(1345-1445hrs) (SH)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 4E, 17W

Shag - 1W, 1os

Common Scoter - 1os

Ringed Plover - 2W

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 6W

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1E

Guillemot (above), Razorbill, Red-breasted Merganser, Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Most of the interest was away from the pool this morning, with a Kingfisher in the channel opposite, c150 Golden Plovers flying up from the fields to the south, a Marsh Harrier up towards the water treatment works and a Stonechat along the bushes.

The pool itself just held c30 Shovelers, c100 Wigeon and c100 Teal, with c100 Lapwings, c60 Canada Geese and five Little Egrets around the fields. (AH/PB/MRB)

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

Church Norton: There were plenty of waders in the harbour this morning, including the Whimbrel, three Avocets, five Bar-tailed Godwits, c400 Knot, c50 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, along with c50 Wigeon and a few Teal.

Also, a Marsh Harrier was hunting in the fields behind the churchyard, but a Mistle Thrush in the car-park was about the only passerine seen. (AH/PB/MRB)

Marsh Harrier (above), Whimbrel, Dunlin & Knot at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Barn Owl as hunting over the fields towards Honer Farm at dusk this evening. (CS)

North Wall:Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were 20 Redwings along the banks this morning, together with three Dartford Warblers, five Stonechats, five Goldcrests, a Yellowhammer, four Song Thrushes and a Pied Wagtail, whilst a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzards and four Kestrels went over.

Also, a Greenshank, seven Snipe, 22 Dunlin, 34 Golden Plovers, 300 Lapwing and c200 Brent Geese were spread around the reserve. (S&SaH)

Saturday, 2nd December: Another very cold morning, with persistent, fairly heavy, and slow to clear fog after an early frost, though with just a light northerly breeze, ........

Selsey Bill: There was, unsurprisingly, little to see in the fog this morning. Full log below. (SH/JA/SR/BI/IP)

(0715-0830hrs) (N, F2)

Shag - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Ringed Plover - 1

Sanderling - 1

Turnstone - 12

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1E

Ferry Pool: There wasn't much around the almost completely frozen pool, beyond a handful of Wigeon, Teal and Mallards, c20 Canada Geese and a few Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Mistle Thrush was around Park Lane this morning, as was a lone Chiffchaff and a considerable number of Blackbirds and Chaffinches, whilst the Brent Geese flock in the fields had increased to 92 birds. (IP)

Church Norton: The harbour was fogbound this morning, and as a result very little was seen, though three Bar-tailed Godwits were among the limited number of waders visible.

A Stonechat was between the two Severals, and nine Pied Wagtails were at Greenlease Farm, where there was also a Sparrowhawk, briefly sat on the bird feeder by the orchard. (IP)

North Wall: A Snow Bunting - the first of the autumn - was along the top path opposite the Breech Pool this morning, though it was inevitably getting disturbed by walkers and later popped up again near Owl Copse.

A Sparrowhawk, a Stonechat, two or three Reed Buntings and a couple of Rock Pipits were also along the wall, whilst at Halsey's Farm there was a little flock of c15 Fieldfares and six Redwings in the trees.

Also, a Short-eared Owl was reported from near the reservoir earlier on, at least 1000 Brent Geese were in Honer 3 field, c300 Wigeon and c50 Teal were by the creek at Halsey's Farm, and a couple of Snipe flew out of the harbour, where not much more than a few Lapwings, Dunlin, Redshanks and Curlews could be seen. (AH/CT/CRJ et al)

Three Marsh Harriers were about this afternoon, along with a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk, whilst 800 Brent Geese - 300 from Halsey's Farm and 500 from Honer Farm - flew into the harbour.

Also, three Water Rails were seen/heard and two Stonechats, a Chiffchaff and two Rock Pipits were along the wall. (S&SaH)

Snow Bunting (above), Reed Bunting, Redwing, Fieldfare, Redwings and Fieldfares & Brent Geese at the North Wall (AH)

West Itchenor: There were three Great Northern Divers on the water this afternoon, with a Whimbrel and two Greenshank along the shore and a Firecrest in the trees. (HB)

Chichester Canal: The walk was dominated by a flock of c30 Fieldfare and at least three Redwings that kept appearing in the treetops and holly bushes, and there were also a Firecrest, a flock of Long-tailed Tits about, along with a Grey Heron, two Pied Wagtails, a Buzzard, three Little Grebes and what appeared to be a highly vocal 'Magpie' call duck. (SR)

Redwing (above), Little Grebe & 'Magpie' call duck at Chichester canal (SR)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were three Greenshanks present this morning - one near Marsh Barn and two on the Stilt Pools, but three Dartford Warblers, a Stonechat and a Goldcrest along the banks was all that could be found in the fog. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - Most of the interest was in the fields this afternoon, with at least 300 Lapwings, 20 Golden Plovers and 50 Stock Doves and Linnets in the stubble fields at Porthole Farm and another 150 Golden Plovers and 250 Brent Geese in the big wheat field between the farms.

There wasn't anything along the hedges and banks, though a few Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Redshank were in the tidal area at Ham, along with c50 looking to go to roost in the freshwater pools. (AH)

Golden Plovers (above), Stock Dove & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)

Friday, 1st December: A very cold morning, barely rising above freezing throughout, although there was plenty of sunshine, and with the breeze brisk and from the north-east........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much on the move again this morning, though a female Eider and 38 Common Scoters went west and there were a few dabbling ducks about. Full log below. (BI/SR/MO-W/AH et al)

(0730-0915hrs) (NE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 3W, 2os

Gannet - 11E, 5W, 4os

Shag - 2E

Wigeon - 4W, 10os

Teal - 5E, 13W

Pintail - 3os

Shoveler - 1W

Eider - 1W

Common Scoter - 3E, 38W, 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 13W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Turnstone - 15

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 3os

auk sp - 3W

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Chiffchaff - 1

Gannet (above) & Shag at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least 300 Lapwings were on the field, but beyond the now regular 80 or so Canada Geese, there were far fewer wildfowl, with c100 Wigeon, c30 Teal, 50 Mallards and just a dozen Shovelers present. (AH)

Wigeon (above) & Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Kingfisher was by the sluice and 200 Lapwing were out on the mud, together with 80 Dunlin and a few Grey Plovers, with the usual mix of Wigeon and Teal along White’s Creek.

A Marsh Harrier was in the bushes behind the Breech Pool and a Peregrine was sat in the field, three Shelduck were on the Breech Pool, and along the wall there were three Rock Pipits and a pair of Stonechats.

At Halsey’s Farm, another Kingfisher was by the outfall, 1,500 Brent Geese and 46 Curlews were in the fields, a Buzzard and a Kestrel were overhead, whilst 12 Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff and two Reed Buntings were along the hedgerows. (LP/CT)

Peregrine (above), Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher, Stonechat & Brent Geese and Curlews at the North Wall (LP)

Runcton: It was very quiet around the village this morning, with just a single Sparrowhawk, two Moorhens, two Collared Doves, six Blackbirds, 30 Starlings and 23 Jackdaws noted. (CRJ)

Fishbourne Creek: There were very large numbers of birds present this morning, though nothing out of the ordinary, with a female Goldeneye, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Spotted Redshank, three Greenshanks and two Sandwich Terns the best.

Otherwise, there were at least 1000 Brent Geese and Wigeon, c200 Teal, c30 Great Crested Grebes, c700 Black-tailed Godwits, c1500 Dunlin, c100 Grey Plovers, c30 Turnstones and Ringed Plovers, c100 Redshanks and c25 Curlews, with c50 Common Gulls and c100 Mute Swans also seen, but three Rock Pipits were the only birds away from the harbour. (AH)

Red-breasted Mergansers (above), Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Sandwich Terns, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits & Brent Geese at Fishbourne Creek (AH)