29th - 31st December 2023

Sunday, 31st December: The year ended with yet another morning of fresh and blustery westerlies and the threat of rain never far away.......

The Blog team would like to wish everyone who contributes to and/or visits our site a very Happy New Year and a bird-filled 2024. So what of the year 2023 which now slips away.....what sort of birding year was it? Well, it was certainly varied, but you can find out what the highlights and lowlights were by clicking the title bar above, where the Review of the Year 2023 appears. Once again, AH has excelled himself by producing this annual report for all to see even before the clock strikes midnight; no mean feat given his other commitments and the team are most grateful. (OM/Eds) 

Selsey Bill: It was fairly quiet this morning, though a first-winter Little Gull popped up again and there were the odd Great Northern and Red-throated Divers about, too. Full log below. (SH/SR/SP/LP/AH/IP et al)

(0730-0945hrs) (WSW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 4W, 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 3W

Brent Goose - 4W

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 11W

Turnstone - 11

Mediterranean Gull - 9W

Kittiwake - 1W

Little Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 3W

(1435-1535hrs) (JA)

Red-throated Diver - 1os

Gannet - 1E

Turnstone - 1W

Common Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1W

Great Northern Diver (above), Little Gull & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 17 Avocets on the pool again this morning, with at least 700 Lapwings on the field, though wildfowl numbers were lower, with just c50 Wigeon and Teal and c60 Shovelers about. (AH)

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

Church Norton: A flock of c70 Golden Plovers went west over the churchyard, and there were lots of the commoner waders in the harbour this morning, including at least 400 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and 1500 Dunlin, but not much else of note, with, otherwise, just c100 Brent Geese and a few Wigeon and Teal, plus a handful of Common and Mediterranean Gulls. (AH/P&JW)

Golden Plovers (above), Knot & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There wasn't much to report this afternoon, with nothing along the banks in the windy conditions, though c300 Golden Plovers and Lapwings and c500 Brent Geese were on the reserve, with a Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel going over. (S&SaH)

West Itchenor: A moribund Razorbill was on the water this afternoon, being tossed about by the waves, and there were also c1000 Bent Geese on the arable fields. (GM)

Razorbill at West Itchenor (GM)

Saturday, 30th December: Another windy day, with a freshening south-south-westerly breeze, though fairly bright and mild.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety this morning, including half a dozen Slavonian Grebes and Great Northern Divers about, and the two Eider usually seen off the harbour were on the sea. Full log below. (SH/BI/JA/PB/AGB/PM/AH/SR/IP et al)

(0730-1030hrs) (SSW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 4E, 2W, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 28W, 6os

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 4W, 2os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 58W

Bent Goose - 1E

Pintail - 19W

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 13E, 7W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 10W

Common Gull - 7W

Kittiwake - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Guillemot - 12W

Razorbill - 7W

auk sp - 162W

Rock Pipit - 1

Eider (above), Guillemot, Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

(1245-1530hrs) (SH/AH/AW)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 3W

Gannet - 55W

Teal - 11W

Pintail - 6W

Mallard - 2W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Turnstone - 14

Mediterranean Gull - 2W, 6os

Common Gull - 8W

Kittiwake - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 4os

Guillemot - 19W, 1os

Razorbill - 11W

auk sp - 38W

Guillemot (AW) (above), Kittiwake & Mediterranean Gull (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were a lot of birds about, though all of the regular species, including 17 Avocets, c700 Lapwings, c75 Shovelers, c50 Mallards and c200 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Shovelers and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The only noteworthy birds seen were a flock of 10 Long-tailed Tits along the lane and two Grey Wagtails around the farm, plus the flock of c300 Brent Geese that were back in the south east corner of the fields. (IP/SaH)

West Itchenor: A Great Northern Diver was in the harbour this morning, off of the horse pond. (GM)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in the harbour again, along with three Bar-tailed Godwits, 12 Avocets, c80 Golden Plovers, c300 Knot, c50 Grey Plovers and 1000+ Dunlin.

Also, two Gannets, three Red-breasted Mergansers and a Guillemot went west offshore, a Great Northern Diver and a dozen Common Scoters were on the sea, three more Red-breasted Mergansers were in the main channel and there were also c50 Wigeon and c20 Teal present, whilst two Stonechats along the beach and a Goldcrest at Greenlease Farm were the only small birds of note. (AH/PB/AGB/PM/IP/SaH et al)

Just one female Marsh Harrier was seen going in to roost in the Severals this evening. (SH)

Whimbrel (above), Bar-tailed Godwits and Dunlin, Knot & Red-breasted Mergansers at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 29th December: The very unsettled weather continues, with a freshening westerly pushing through a few squalls of drizzly rain, under variable amounts of cloud........

Selsey Bill: It was a bit quieter this morning than of late, but there were still four Slavonian Grebes about, and a first-winter Little Gull and 31 Red-throated Divers went west. Full log below.  (SH/JA/SR/MO-W/AH/RJS et al)

(0730-1000hrs) (WSW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 4W, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 31W, 1os

diver sp - 4W

Slavonian Grebe - 2W, 2os

Gannet - 1E, 5W

Brent Goose - 1E, 1W

Common Scoter - 13W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 17W

Dunlin - 400W

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 5W

Black-headed Gull - 96W, 180os

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 4W

Little Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Guillemot - 1E, 1W

Razorbill - 12W

auk sp - 2E, 55W

Great Northern Diver (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just nine Avocets, plus a Redshank, on the pool, along with c70 Shovelers and c200 Teal, with at least 500 Lapwings and 100 Wigeon on the fields. (AH)

Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There was a huge number of birds out on the mud in the harbour this morning, including 500 Golden Plover among the usual large flock of Lapwings, and 1,200 Brent Geese were with lots of all the regular species.

A Meadow Pipit was on the rocks, two Stonechats were along the bushes and two Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were also about. There were also plenty of Curlew spread around the fields and five Grey Herons were around their island, but there were very few small birds about, with just a few Chaffinches and Goldfinches by the stables. (LP)

Marsh Harrier (above) & Golden Plovers and Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Easton Lane - There were around 30 Fieldfares and c20 Chaffinches on the stubble field opposite the junction of Easton Lane and Ham Road this morning, but there was very little around Porthole Farm beyond another five Fieldfares and a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtail, and the cover crops at Wilson's Farm were devoid of birds again.

Most of the activity was along the stretch from there to Easton Lane car-park, with the stubble fields holding c200 Linnets, at least 250 Stock Doves, c30 Skylarks, a Snipe and a handful of Meadow Pipits, along with a pair of Egyptian Geese and c80 Canada Geese, with a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk both upsetting everything.

There was also a bit of more distant activity out on the southern end of the reserve, too, including c300 Golden Plovers, c500 Lapwings and c300 Brent Geese taking to the air at various times. (AH)

Fieldfares (above), Stock Doves, Linnets & Egyptian Geese at Medmerry (AH)