10th - 13th January 2024

Saturday, 13th January: A cold, grey morning in a moderate northerly breeze.......

Editorial: We usually don't do adverts, except in a very small number of non-commercial cases where there may be benefit to a wildlife organisation we support. Such is the case with the Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS), hence the following: Someone has donated to the SOS a professional grade Manfrotto 0555B Tripod with a proper Manfrotto 391RC2 swivel head. It's very heavy and suitable for seawatching, but it has a repair which means it can't actually be sold on behalf of the SOS. However, if anyone is interested, a donation to them would be welcome. So, does anyone  - especially seawatchers - need a tripod? I'm told the swivel head second hand alone on ebay was up for £55, so a reasonable donation could bag a bargain. If someone is interested and would like to have a look at it, please contact OM in the first instance and arrangements will be made via SOS. (OM/Eds)

Selsey Bill: A Long-tailed Duck was around again this morning, and a female Eider and a Black-throated Diver went west, whilst there were good numbers of Red-throated and Great Northern Divers about, again, too. Full log later. (SH/BI/SR/P&LH/JA/IP/AH)

(0730-1000hrs) (NNW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 4W, 6os

Black-throated Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 89E, 47W, 7os

diver sp - 2E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 105E, 16W, 4os

Eider - 1E

Long-tailed Duck - 1E

Common Scoter - 9E, 7W, 18os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 4W, 7os

Oystercatcher - 1E, 1W

Turnstone - 37

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Common Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 37E, 2W, 7os

auk sp - 251E, 55W

Red-throated Diver (above), Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Mergansers & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c500 Lapwings back on the field this morning, whilst c50 Shovelers, c200 Teal, c100- Wigeon and six Shelducks were around the pool. (AH)

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

Fishbourne Creek: A Great Northern Diver was showing well off the jetty at Dell Quay this morning. (BI)

Great Northern Diver at Fishbourne Creek (BI)

Church Norton: Two Red-throated Divers, two Razorbills and two Gannets were offshore, along with a Lesser Black-backed Gull, four Mediterranean Gull and ten Common Gulls.

In the harbour there were three Avocets, a Red-breasted Merganser, four Great Crested Grebes, the Whimbrel, 75 Grey Plovers, 150 Dunlin, five Dunlin, c40 Teal and c150 Wigeon.

There were also a Peregrine, two Kestrels, a Jay and a dozen Skylarks about. (P&LH)

North Wall: There was no sign of the Coal Tits at Halsey's Farm this morning, though 15 Fieldfares flew over, heading south-east. (IP)

Later on, a Green Sandpiper flew over the Breech Pool, as did three Snipe, and c700 Brent Geese flew in from the Marsh Farm area, whilst a good selection of raptors comprised of four Marsh Harriers, a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard. (S&SaH)

Pagham Spit: A Dartford Warbler along the spit again this afternoon. (LP)

Dartford Warbler on Pagham Spit (LP)

Marsh and Chalder Farms, Sidlesham: Up to 20 Cattle Egrets were in the fields north of Chalder Farm this morning, with at least three Chiffchaffs in the hedges there, and half a dozen Redwings, c30 Fieldfares and a couple of Yellowhammers around the fields between Marsh Farm and Chalder Farm.

A pair of Stonechats were along Church Farm Lane, c40 Chaffinches and a couple of Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers were along Chalder Lane, but there was nothing of note in the churchyard.
Also, the low-lying fields held up to 1000 Brent Geese, 200 Lapwings and a few Curlews and Wigeon. (AH)

Redwing (asbove), Fieldfare, Chiffchaff & Cattle Egrets around Chalder Farm (AH)

Norh Mundham: A Cattle Egret was in the field by the Nursery footpath this morning. (MJ)

East Head: A Black-throated and a Great Northern Diver were off Ella Nore at high tide today, with a single Knot among the regular roosting waders there.

Also, a Coal Tit was at the end of Rookwood Lane. (SM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Nine Redwings and five Fieldfares were near the car-park, but the banks were quiet beyond five Stonechats and three Goldcrests, whilst two female Marsh Harriers, four Buzzards and a Kestrel went over.
Two Egyptian Geese, seven Snipe, c500 Golden Plovers and c300 Lapwings were on the reserve, whilst ten Snipe, nine Dunlin and 15 Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool, with two Greenshanks in the channel opposite. (S&SaH)

Late this afternoon there were c75 Fieldfares and a handful of Redwings in the hedges by the poplars. (AH)

Fieldfares at Medmerry (AH)

Chi GPs: New Lake/Runcton Lake - A brief visit late afternoon produced nothing out of the ordinary, except perhaps for 120+ Shoveler on New Lake, whilst more regular were 20 Tufted Ducks and eight Pochard. Around 50 Cormorants were also present, some beginning to show a bit of interest around the nesting colony site(s). (OM)

Friday, 12th January: A very overcast, if slightly milder, morning in a fairly light north-easterly breeze .......

Selsey Bill: Four Slavonian Grebes were around this morning, and a Black-throated Diver went west, and there were plenty of Red-throated and Great Northern Divers about, too. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)

(0800-0945hrs) (NE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 4E, 2W, 5os

Black-throated Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 48E, 66W, 7os

Slavonian Grebe - 3W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2E, 2os

Gannet - 14E

Common Scoter - 8E, 25W, 20os

Red-breasted Merganser - 15E, 4W, 6os

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 1E

Razorbill - 1E, 2os

auk sp - 19E, 3W

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

Ferry Pool: There were c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal back on the pool this morning, along with a pair of Gadwall and eight Shelducks, whilst at least 100 Wigeon were on the fields. (AH)

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

North Wall: The Black Redstart and Green Sandpiper were both still at the west end of Summer Lane this morning, whilst two Coal Tits were in trees by the layby at Halsey's Farm. Along the new path were three Redwings and c.15 Fieldfares and a few Song Thrushes were  present in the north fields gorse. (BI/LP)

Coal Tit  (above), Green Sandpiper (BI) & Black Redstart (LP) around the North Wall area

At high tide this morning there were just a few Wigeon and Shelduck in the harbour, a Snipe was along the wall and three Marsh Harriers were over the reeds. It was busy in and around the paddock, with eight Fieldfares, two Song Thrushes, a Redwing, two Green Woodpeckers, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Reed Bunting, a Meadow Pipit, a Kestrel, a Buzzard and two Stonechats.
In the flooded fields further back, there were 420 Lapwings, 18 Redshanks, ten Curlews, and 11 Shelduck, while along the hedgerows there were 24 Reed Buntings, 12 Linnets, a Greenshank, a Chaffinch, eight Goldfinches, 18 Long-tailed Tits, two Chiffchaffs, two Yellowhammers and a Jay. (LP)

Redwing and Fieldfare (above), Fieldfares, Chiffchaff, Snipe, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Jay & Green Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)

Pagham Spit: There was a Dartford Warbler halfway along the spit this morning and there were plenty of waders in the harbour including hundreds of Knot and c.25 Ringed Plovers. (BI)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report here this morning, with the Whimbrel and c300 Knot the main wader interest and just c50 Wigeon and Pintail, plus a few Teal and a couple of Great Crested Grebes seen otherwise, and just a handful of Mediterranean and Common Gulls offshore. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Knot, Pintail and Wigeon & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester Marina: Two Marsh Harriers were over the reedbeds at first light this morning, with c25 Teal also present, and at least five Water Rails were heard, too. (PH)

Hunston: At least nine Cattle Egrets were in the field north of the electricity sub-station this morning. (IP)

Medmerry: Earnley car park to the Stilt Pools and Earnley viewpoint - The highlights of a rather quiet walk were a Greenshank on the reserve near the Stilt Pools and several hundred Golden Plovers and Lapwing over the reserve, the plovers landing in the reserve.
The bushes were very quiet, the best being ten Fieldfares near Marsh Barn. (RW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Ruff was on the Stilt Pool again this afternoon, along with a Grey Plover, a Ringed Plover and three Dunlin, with a Greenshank, c200 Golden Plovers and c300 Lapwings were on the reserve, along with 20 Brent Geese..

The banks were fairly quiet, but included a Dartford Warbler, a Chiffchaff and 11 Fieldfares, whilst a Marsh Harrier and two Kestrels went over. (S&SaH)

Ruff at Medmerry (SH)

Thursday, 11th January: Another frosty, but sunny morning, with the breeze still quite light and from the north-east.......

Selsey Bill: There was bit of variety this morning, including seven Velvet Scoters and eight Eider, plus a couple of Shags and more Red-throated Divers. Full log below. (IP/AH/KT)

(0800-0930hrs) (NE, F3)

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

Red-throated Diver - 40E, 19W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Gannet - 4E

Shag - 2E

Shelduck - 5W

Eider - 1W, 7os

Velvet Scoter - 3E, 4os

Common Scoter - 4E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 20

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 3os

auk sp - 2E, 4W

Eider (above), Shags, Sandwich Tern & Red-throated Divers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pool was frozen again, though two Dunlin, 24 Lapwings and about 40 Black-headed Gulls were roosting on the ice, whilst a Kingfisher flew along the channel opposite, where there were also 50+ Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Kingfisher (above), Wigeon & Lapwings, Dunlin and Black-headed Gulls around the Ferry (AH)

East Beach Pond: A Water Rail was on the pond this morning. (SR)

Long Pool: A Cetti's Warbler and a few Robins were all that was along the frozen pool, though half a dozen Snipe, c50 Golden Plovers and c100 Lapwings, including a pair displaying, were around the adjacent arable fields.

The far end of Ferry Channel held 100+ Wigeon and Teal, c60 Shovelers, another half a dozen Snipe, a handful of Grey Plovers and Lapwing and c40 Redshanks, whilst at least eight Avocets were among the waders roosting further out and a Peregrine went over, high up. (AH)

Snipe (above), Golden Plovers, Lapwings, Cetti's Warbler, Teal & Shovelers along the Long Pool (AH)

Wednesday, 10th January: A cold and bright morning, though quite pleasant in the light to moderate north-easterly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There were plenty of Great Northern and Red-throated Divers about this morning, plus a Slavonian Grebe and the first Fulmar of the year, but not too much else was on the move. Full log below. (SR/IP/AH)

(0800-0915hrs) (NE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 6E, 4W, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 59E, 16W, 5os

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 4E

Shag - 1W

Wigeon - 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 4W

Oystercatcher - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Common Gull - 1E, 2W

Razorbill - 1E, 3W

auk sp - 13E, 2W

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

Ferry Pool: There were just two Black-headed Gulls on a frozen pool this morning, with half a dozen Teal and a Little Egret in the channel opposite. (AH/IP)

Little Egret at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Grey Wagtail, two Song Thrushes, two Fieldfares and five Redwings were in the paddock this morning, with a Chiffchaff and a Chaffinch in the surrounding bushes, and there were more Fieldfares, two Greenfinches, two Meadow Pipits and two Reed Buntings in the hedgerows along the wall and a Rock Pipit on the rocks.

Two Marsh Harriers and two Buzzards were over the reeds with 12 Snipe around the wet areas by the rife, but there was just the usual Wigeon and Teal in the harbour, with a few Pintail further out.

At Halsey’s Farm, there were 200 Wigeon along the rife with two Teal and two Little Grebes, two Stonechats were about, and yet more Fieldfares, Redwings and Song Thrushes were along the bushes, whilst there was a lot of activity on the Slipe Field, with 100 Linnets in the trees and lots more, with a few Goldfinches feeding on the wildflower crop. (LP/CT/TRH)

Fieldfares (above), Song Thrushes, Stonechat & Linnets at the North Wall (LP)

Fishbourne Creek: Shortly before high tide, there were three Pintail, 15 Avocets, two Greenshanks and a Snipe along the creek, and later with the tide falling there were 13 Avocet here. From Dell Quay there were two more Greenshanks and a Shoveler on the far shore with four Pintail upstream.

Off the Lavant outfall there were two drake Goldeneyes, ten Great Crested Grebes and two Red-breasted Mergansers, whilst there were ten pipits flying over the nearby salt marsh, at least one of which was a Rock Pipit. (RW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were up to a dozen Yellowhammers along the banks this morning, along with a Dartford Warbler, a Meadow Pipit and a pair of Stonechats and c30 Skylarks, with a mixed flock of Fieldfares, Redwings and Song Thrushes - perhaps up to a dozen of each, but hard to see in the direct sun - in the first stubble field from the car-park.

Also,a couple of hundred Golden Plovers and Lapwings were flying around by the reservoirs, eight Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Gadwall and a few Wigeon and 500+ Brent Geese were up over the reserve, with 100 more of the latter and c50 Canada Geese on the fields.

A Marsh Harrier and at least a dozen Snipe were around the Stilt Pool, along with similar of Ringed Plovers and an Avocet, but there were just a few Wigeon and Teal, and three Little Grebes on the mostly frozen pools. (AH/IP)

This afternoon, a Ruff was on the tidal pools opposite the Stilt pools. (AT)

Snipe (above), Ringed Plover, Marsh Harrier, Yellowhammer & Stonechat at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Ham Viewpoint - Lapwings were in most of the cultivated fields (c300), some even displaying, and three fields also held a flock of Golden Plover (c60), Mediterranean Gulls (22) and Brent Geese (c700).

The cover crop at Wilson's Farm seemed empty of birds until my return visit at 3pm when a flock of 20 Yellowhammers, c75 Linnets and 14 Chaffinches and Goldfinches were feeding. Also seen ere a Skylark, four Reed Buntings, two Meadow Pipits, a Kestrel, two Buzzards and a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. (SR)

Golden Plovers (above) & Buzzard at Medmerry (SR)