20th - 21st December 2024

Saturday, 21st December: The winter solstice brought a thoroughly miserable morning of fresh westerlies pushing through belts of persistent drizzly rain under leaden skies......

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe dropped in offshore and a few Red-throated divers went west, but it was mostly quiet. Full log later. (SH/PB/IP/AH/SR)

Great Northern Diver (above) & Red-throated Divers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 11 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with c50 Lapwings, c180 Teal, c80 Wigeon and just c40 Shovelers, whilst a Kingfisher was in the channel opposite. (AH)

Kingfisher (above), Avocet & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: An Avocet and a Bar-tailed Godwit were in the harbour this morning, along with c400 Knot and Dunlin, c50 Grey Plovers and Redshanks and  c40 Wigeon, with at least 2000 Brent Geese behind the churchyard. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Knot & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 20th December: A fairly cold morning, bright early on but clouding over later in a moderate westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There was an unexpectedly good westward movement of 91 Red-throated Divers this morning, with ten Great Northern Divers about, too. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0750-0935hrs) (WSW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 6E, 4os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 91W

Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os

Gannet - 17E, 5W

Shag - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W, 4E, 3os

Turnstone - 4

Sandwich Tern - 7os

auk sp - 38E, 5W

Red-throated Divers (above), Great Northern Diver & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Three Egyptian Geese were at the back this morning, with 44 Black-tailed Godwits and c75 Lapwing around the field and pool, along with c200 Wigeon, c150 Teal and c60 Shovelers. (AH)

Egyptian Geese (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Two Bearded Tits flew across the Breech Pool and dropped into the reeds, and six Canada Geese were on the water with the usual Mallards and Teal.

Out in the harbour there were the usual large flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover and in Honer 1 two Pale-bellied Brent Geese were amongst a group of 1200 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, along with 65 Curlews, 23 Black-tailed Godwits and 12 Meadow Pipits.

Also, a Cetti’s Warbler and two Reed Buntings were along the bushes and a Kingfisher was by the Halsey’s Outfall, whilst in and around the paddock were ten Meadow Pipits, two Stonechats, two Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, a Song Thrush, a Chiffchaff and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, with two Marsh Harriers further back over the reeds. (LP/SP/TRH/CT).

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (above), Marsh Harrier, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail & Song Thrush at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: This afternoon a Greenshank and the Whimbrel were among the few waders in the harbour at high tide, though at least 2000 Brent Geese were back behind the churchyard. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: A Great White Egret flew north over the A27 from the direction of Ivy Lake this morning. (IP)

Fishbourne Creek: Highlights in the upper creek this morning were three Greenshanks, an Avocet, a Shoveler and 33 Pintail, with 36 Black-tailed Godwits by the pontoon.

Opposite Dell Quay there was a second Avocet and a Knot, whilst downstream were 14 Great Crested Grebes, four Little Grebes and two Red-breasted Mergansers. (RW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - There were a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and three Kestrels about this afternoon, with c500 Golden Plovers and Lapwings coming up from the reserve, too.

On the reserve itself, there were four Egyptian Geese, a Snipe and c20 Black-tailed Godwits, but three Yellowhammers were all that could be found on the banks. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - There were at least 80 Skylarks, 200 stock Doves and 500+ Jackdaws and Rooks in the stubble fields this morning, whilst a Raven and a Buzzard went over.

Also, a Stonechat and a couple of Meadow Pipits were along the banks and c50 Yellowhammers and c30 Reed Buntings were in the cover crop field at Wilson's Farm, along with c30 Linnets and a handful of Chaffinches and Greenfinches. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Reed Bunting, Skylark & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)

17th - 19th December 2024

Thursday, 19th December: Another very windy day, with a brisk and blustery north-westerly lowering the temperature despite plenty of sunshine...........

Selsey Bill: A minimum of ten Sandwich Terns were offshore, though, otherwise, it was quiet again. Full log below. (AH/SR)

(0750-0905hrs) (NW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 11W

Gannet - 3W

Brent Goose - 3W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 10os

auk sp - 2W

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

Ferry Pool: There were just half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings on the field, along with c200 Wigeon, with c75 Shovelers, c150 Teal and c30 Mallards on the pool. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A very distant Red Kite went west over the trees at the far end of the harbour, though, otherwise, it was similar to yesterday, with lots of birds, but not much variety, other than there were almost no Brent Geese to be seen.

The birds in the harbour, though, included at least 400 Knot, 800 Dunlin and 200 Grey Plovers out on the mud, along with a few Wigeon, Teal and Shelducks, and at least 800 Golden Plovers and 1500 Lapwing flying up from the North Wall area.. (AH)

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

Runcton: On the reservoir this morning there were 30 Shovelers, 17 Tufted Ducks and four Cormorants, and nearby there were 30 Mallards, 26 Teal, six Coots, two Moorhens, two Common Buzzards, a Chiffchaff a Jay, and eight Roe Deer. (CRJ)

North Wall: A Stonechat, a Mistle Thrush and a Pied Wagtail were along the wall this morning, and a Fox was tucked up out of thee wind, enjoying the sunshine. (EB)

Stonechat (above), Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail & Fox at the North Wall (EB)

Wednesday, 18th December: A near gale-force south-westerly was the main feature this morning, bringing some light drizzle under heavy cloud early on, before a few sunny spells later......

Selsey Bill: It was another quiet morning, with just a few of the regular species about. Full log below. (SH/SR/AH)

(0740-0910hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 3W, 1os

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 6E, 1W

Common Scoter - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 9W

Great Northern Divers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were at least 250 Lapwings and similar of Wigeon about this morning, along with 24 Avocets, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Shovelers, c150 Teal and c50 Mallards. (AH)

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

Church Norton: There were lots of birds about this morning, but not much out of the ordinary, with at least 300 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and 800 Dunlin on the mud, c500 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwings intermittently flying up from the far end, along with a handful of Mediterranean Gulls and the usual scattering of Shelducks, Wigeon and Teal, whilst huge numbers of Brent Geese were coming and going from the fields as the shooters passed through. (AH/RS)

Mediterranean Gull (above), Little Egret and Grey Heron, Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: The huge flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover were again in the harbour before being moved off by the rising tide, and a few Wigeon, Teal, and Shelduck were on the water.

The male Marsh Harrier was over the reeds and in the Honer fields there were c1200 Brent Geese, 64 Curlews and 27 Black-tailed Godwits but it was otherwise quiet in the strong winds, although in the paddock there were five Meadow Pipits, two Stonechats, two Pied Wagtails and a Green Woodpecker. (LP)

Stonechat (above), Pied Wagtail & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Short-eared Owl was present again today, near marsh farm, with a Raven, a Sparrowhawk, two Buzzards and a Kestrel also about, whilst c50 Golden Plovers and c200 Lapwings came up from the reserve, two Snipe were on the stilt Pool and two Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great Crested Grebe were on the big pool opposite.

The banks were fairly slow in the windy conditions, but still produced a Dartford Warbler, two Stonechats, six Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, a Reed Bunting and five Yellowhammers. (S&SaH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake Complex - There were 74 Pochards, 33 Tufted Ducks, a Shoveler, a female Wigeon, 14 Canada Geese and three Egyptian Geese on Ivy Lake this morning, and six Gadwall on Nunnery Lake, but the other lakes held very little with just a few more Tufted Ducks and a couple of Great Crested Grebes about.

A Green Woodpecker was in the horse field, but apart from a few Blue Tits and Great Tits, there was nothing else along the bushes. (LP)

Pochard (above), Wigeon, Gadwall, Egyptian Goose, Green Woodpecker & Pochards, Tufted Ducks and Egyptian Goose at Chichester GPs (LP)

Tuesday, 17th December: A cool and overcast morning with the breeze a little lighter and from more towards the south......

Selsey Bill: It was quiet again this morning, with just a few distant Gannets and the odd diver about. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0750--0905hrs) (SSW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 7W

diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 1E, 3W, 30os

Shag - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 5os

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was just one Shoveler and a Little Egret on the pool late this morning, with the RSPB busy in the fields. (AH)

Shoveler on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were at least three Slavonian Grebes, a Great Northern Diver and a Red-throated Diver offshore from the harbour mouth this morning, with another four of the latter and three Kittiwakes going west.

Also, three Sandwich Terns were in the harbour, along with the Whimbrel, four Bar-tailed Godwits and c200 Knot, with c1000 Golden Plovers flying up from the far end and there were still plenty of Brent Geese about. (C Holter)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - The Purple Sandpiper was present around the breach again this morning on the rising tide, along with four Sanderlings, two Greenshanks and at least 100 Ringed Plovers, 50 Turnstones, 200 Grey Plovers and 1000 Dunlin, with c80 Brent Geese, a Great Crested Grebe, a couple of Pintail and c50 Wigeon and Teal also present.

Offshore there were two Red-breasted Mergansers on the water and seven Red-throated Divers flew east, but three Pied Wagtails were the only passerines seen. (AH)

Purple Sandpiper with Dunlin and Grey Plovers (above), Greenshank, Sanderling, Ringed Plovers, Turnstone, Ringed Plovers and Dunlin & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)