20th - 22nd December 2023

Friday, 22nd December: Another morning of near gale-force westerlies, but milder than of late and quite bright after a murky start.................

Selsey Bill: There was a good feeding flock of Gannets offshore again, along with a Fulmar, though it was generally quiet. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/AH)

(0745-0930hrs) (W, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 5W, 1os

Fulmar - 1os

Gannet - 5E, 21W, 99os

Brent Goose - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 2W

Turnstone - 12

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 5w, 2os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 2E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Razorbill - 11E, 4W

auk sp - 16E, 18W

Later, a Great Northern Diver and a Slavonian Grebe were offshore and 16 Sandwich Terns went west. (JC)

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

Ferry Pool: The flock of 26 Avocets were roosting on the pool again this morning and at least 300 Lapwings were on the field, with wildfowl comprising 60 Shovelers, a pair of Gadwall, c20 Mallards, c150 Teal, c200 Wigeon and c40 Canada Geese, plus a Little Grebe. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Little Grebe and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A female Black Redstart was on a fence around the new houses along Summer Lane this morning,  and at last a dozen Chiffchaffs and half a doze Pied Wagtails were around the adjacent sewage works, but there wasn't much else around the flooded fields except gulls. (BI)

This afternoon there were an adult male, a subadult male and two female Marsh Harriers around the Breech Pool area, with a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard in the area, too. 

Also, of note, around 60 Fieldfares were at Halsey's Farm, a Kingfisher, a Water Rail and two Snipe were seen from the wall, whilst c300 Brent Geese few in from the Marsh Farm area and c200 Knot were among the waders in the harbour. (S&SaH)

Marsh Farm and Chalder Farms, Sidlesham: There were 44 Cattle Egrets in the fields around the two farms this morning, along with eight Little Egrets and a big flock of gulls, including a few Common and Mediterranean Gulls, and a flock of c300 Brent Geese were in the fields south of Church Farm Lane.

Small birds were few, though there were c30 Fieldfares north of Chalder Farm, plus a handful near Marsh Farm, and a handful of Yellowhammers among a small flock of Greenfinches and Chaffinches along Chalder Lane. (AH)

Later, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Kestrel, a Buzzard, seven Fieldfares, a Redwing, eight Pied Wagtails, 25 Greenfinches, four Chaffinches and three Stock Doves were seen around the same circuit. (SR)

Fieldfares (above), Cattle Egrets & Brent Geese around Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Thursday, 21st December: It remains very overcast, with no hint of sunshine, in the decidedly brisk westerly...........

Selsey Bill: An Egyptian Goose - the first of the year here - went over twice in half an hour before heading off west, whilst four Slavonian Grebes and three Great Northern Divers were on the sea and over 100 Gannets went west. Full log below. (SR/LP/SP/IP/MO-W/AH)

(0800-1000hrs) (WNW, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 1W, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 4os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet -  4E, 103W

Brent Goose - 14E

Egyptian Goose - 1W

Shelduck - 1W

Common Scoter - 4W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Turnstone - 31

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 3W

auk sp - 1E, 13W

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

Ferry Pool: There were 26 Avocets back roosting on the pool this morning, with otherwise c50 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c20 Mallards and Canada Geese on the water, and just 50 or so Wigeon on the field. (AH)

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

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report in a quick look this morning, with nothing of note among the large numbers of Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Redshank present, though c50 Brent Geese flew in and back out again, and a few Wigeon and Teal were on the mud. (AH)

Late this afternoon four Marsh Harriers - an adult and a subadult males and two females - came in to roost in the Severals, with a Buzzard also about, and two Water Rails were heard calling. (S&SaH)

Grey Plover and Dunlin (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester Marina: The fields alongside the path from Dell Quay contained c300 Brent Geese, two Lapwings, 14 Oystercatchers, two Skylarks, two Kestrels and a Buzzard.

Along the shore were a flock of 25 Grey Plovers, six Curlews, nine Ringed Plovers, eight Lapwings and around 20 Shelducks, plus a few more Brent Geese.

Nearby Birdham Pool just held six Little Grebes and c20 Teal alongside the usual Mallards and Coots. (SR)

Wednesday, 20th December: Another grey and blustery morning in a fresh westerly, cooler than of late, but dry......

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe and four Great Northern Divers were on the sea, whilst a feeding flock of c120 Gannets were offshore, but not much was on the move. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0805-0920hrs) (W, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1W, 2os

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Gannet - 7E, 35W, c120os

Shag - 1E

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 16

Sandwich Tern - 2os

auk sp - 19E, 8W

At lunchtime today, a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull briefly joined the gull flock, before heading off west. (SM)

(1215-1300hrs)

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 6E

Common Scoter - 4W 15os

Yellow-legged Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

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

Ferry Pool: There were just ducks again this morning, namely c300 Wigeon, c200 Teal, c60 Shovelers and c30 Mallards, but that was it. (AH)

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

Church Norton: A Great Northern Diver, three pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers and two distant Gannets were offshore this morning, with large numbers of Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Turnstones, plus a few Knot, along the beach, but the harbour was quiet, beyond the big flock of Knot, more Dunlin and Grey Plovers, a few Redshanks and Curlews and c50 Teal.

Also, a male Sparrowhawk was near the concrete wall and c500 Brent Geese were along Rectory Lane. (AH)

Great Northern Diver (above), Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Turnstones, Sparrowhawk & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

West Itchenor: A Black-throated Diver was on the water this morning, just west of the jetty. (PH)

Fishbourne Creek: There were three Goldeneyes, including a drake, below Dell Quay this morning, and two Avocets, two Greenshanks and a Spotted Redshank were further up the creek, whilst on the low tide there were good numbers of the commoner waders and wildfowl, including 400+ Black-tailed Godwits.

Also, a flock of 20 Greenfinches were in the stubble field by Apuldram church. (RW)

North Wall: There were five Marsh Harriers up behind the Breech Pool this morning and 70 Fieldfares, a Buzzard and a Kestrel were along the hedgerows, whilst c1500 Brent Geese were constantly moving between the harbour and the fields.

Out on the mud, 20 Golden Plover were with the vast numbers of Lapwings, with lots of Wigeon, Teal, and a few Redshanks and Grey Plovers along White’s Creek.

At Halsey’s Farm, nine Canada Geese were along the rife, with the usual mix of Teal and Wigeon, and 24 Curlews were in the fields but there were no small birds about, in the windy conditions. (LP/CT/JDW)

Marsh Harriers (above), Fieldfares & Wigeon and Teal at the North Wall (LP)