Monday, 22nd January: After a stormy night, a fairly bright, but very blustery morning, with the wind from the west........
Selsey Bill: At least a dozen Great Northern Divers were about this morning, with a Long-tailed Duck going east and two Velvet Scoters and three Slavonian Grebes going west. Full log below. (SH/SR/IP/AH et al)
(0730-1000hrs) (W, F5)
Great Northern Diver - 1E, 9W, 3os
Red-throated Diver - 18W
diver sp - 3E
Slavonian Grebe - 3W
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 3W, 2os
Gannet - 1W
Brent Goose - 6W
Teal - 4os
Long-tailed Duck - 1E
Velvet Scoter - 2W
Common Scoter - 3W
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 22W
Oystercatcher - 2W
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 14W, 2os
Common Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 1os
Guillemot - 5W
Razorbill - 14W
auk sp - 166W
Two Goldeneye sat on the sea were an unexpected highlight of an early afternoon watch. Full log below. (SH)
(1320-1420hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver - 1os
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 3W
Goldeneye - 2os
Red-breasted Merganser - 5W
Mediterranean Gull - 1os
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Razorbill - 1W
auk sp - 2W
Great Northern Divers (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were a Greenshank and a Redshank on the concealed pool, whilst 22 Avocets were roosting at the back and c500 Lapwings were on the field, but wildfowl comprised of just c30 Shovelers and c50 Teal. (AH)
Greenshank (above) & Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
Medmerry: A Long-tailed Duck was on one of the reservoirs without public access this afternoon. (TG-P)
Church Norton: There wasn't much to report this morning, beyond the regular species, including c250 Knot, c500 Dunlin, c50 Grey Plovers, a few Redshanks and Curlews, c50 Teal and Wigeon, and c300 Brent Geese, with nothing to be seen offshore. (AH et al)
Later, a Marsh Harrier was over the Severals. (SaH)
Marsh Harrier (SaH) (above), Mediterranean Gull & Knot and Grey Plovers (AH) at Church Norton
Sunday, 21st January: A fairly mild, grey and windy morning, with the south-westerly freshening towards gale force as the day progressed........
Selsey Bill: A Puffin went through west at 0755hrs, but otherwise there was, unsurprisingly, much less on the move than yesterday, though a Velvet Scoter went west and a Black-throated Diver was offshore. Full log below. (SH/JA/BI/SR/AH/IP/P&LH et al)
Also, after consideration of photos, it would appear that a probable 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach and offshore this morning. (Eds)
(0730-1000hrs) (SW, F6)
Great Northern Diver -1E,11W, 2os
Black-throated Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 2E, 8W, 3os
diver sp - 2W
Slavonian Grebe - 1W, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 3W
Gannet - 131W
Velvet Scoter - 1W
Common Scoter - 9W, 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 9E, 23W
Curlew - 4W
Turnstone - 5
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1W
Yellow-legged Gull - 1os
Mediterranean Gull - 6os
Common Gull - 6W
Kittiwake - 14W
Sandwich Tern - 5os
Puffin - 1W (0755hrs)
Guillemot - 14W, 1os
Razorbill - 63W
auk sp - 358W
Rock Pipit - 1
(1230-1330hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os
Gannet - 21W
Red-breasted Merganser - 10W
Mediterranean Gull - 3os
Common Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 2W
Razorbill - 2W
auk sp - 18W
Great Northern Divers (above), Common Scoter, Guillemot, Sandwich Tern, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Gull & probable Yellow-legged Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The pool was finally unfrozen this morning, with ten Avocets back roosting on it, but wildfowl numbers were low, with just four Gadwall, six Shelducks, c30 Shovelers and c20 Teal and Mallards seen. (AH)
Avocets (above) & Gadwall, Teal and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)
Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail in the fields were about all that could be seen. (IP).
Church Norton: There wasn't too much going on in the harbour, with just half a dozen Avocets and Ringed Plovers the only birds of note among the many Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, with, otherwise, at least four Little Grebes, four Red-breasted Megansers,c20 Shelducks and a few Wigeon and Teal, with the Brent Geese mainly at the other end of the harbour.
A Red-throated Diver, four Red-breasted Mergansers and four Gannets going west and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls were the only things noted offshore, whilst a Buzzard was over Priory Wood, and a Stonechat, a Jay, a Green Woodpecker, a Goldcrest, a few Long-tailed Tits and c100 Goldfinches were along the sheltered hedges.
(AH/P&LH/RHa/SHa/IP et al)
Just a single female Marsh Harrier came in to roost at the Severals this evening, with a Snipe, a Buzzard and a Kestrel also seen. (S&SaH)
Mediterranean Gull (above), Grey Plover and Redshank & Goldfinches at Church Norton (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were at least 1000 gulls in the harbour at dusk, mainly Black-headed, Great Black-backed & Herring Gulls, with more arriving as the light faded, but also at least two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and several 2w birds that remained inconclusively identified in the poor conditions. There was also plenty of wildfowl present such as Pintail, Teal, Wigeon and Brent Geese but passerines were few bar two Rock Pipits along the spit whilst on Pagham Lagoon there were two female Goldeneye. (BI)
Saturday, 20th January: The breeze shifted back round to the south-west overnight and freshened considerably, leaving a blustery, if slightly milder, morning of sunshine and cloud........
Editorial: It was with great shock and sadness that we learned today of the recent passing of our friend and regular observer Chris Northwood, at the early age of 66yrs. Chris will be known to many of the Selsey faithful and although he resided in Surrey, he would make frequent attendances at both the Bill and other sites on the Peninsula, often visiting his sister in the process (who conveniently resides in Selsey!) He was a lovely and rather humble man with a pleasant manner liked by all, but also a keen and competent birder who always enjoyed his birding here, especially during the spring and autumn. I last saw him at the Bill in November 2023, during the excitements of the Leach's Petrel movements, when he was so pleased to finally get the species onto his Bill list (as indeed was I) - perhaps a fitting tribute to a lovely bloke. Rest in peace old friend. (OM/Eds)
Chris Northwood in earlier times, during a spring sea-watch on the Wall in May 2005 (OM)
Selsey Bill: There were over 5000 auks going west this morning, with over 500 Razorbills and 25 Guillemots identified to species, along with two Fulmars, 653 Gannets and 100 Kittiwakes, whilst two Slavonian Grebes and three Great Northern Divers were on the sea. Full log below. (SH/JA/PB/BI/IP/SR/RP/AH et al)
(0730-1000hrs) (SW, F5)
Great Northern Diver - 1W, 3os
Red-throated Diver - 7E, 3W, 1os
diver sp - 6E, 1W
Slavonian Grebe - 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 5W
Fulmar - 2W
Gannet - 653W
Common Scoter - 4os
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 5W
Turnstone - 6
Mediterranean Gull - 4os
Kittiwake - 100W
Sandwich Tern - 4os
Guillemot - 25W
Razorbill - 582W, 9os
auk sp - 39E, 4526W
Rock Pipit - 1
Razorbills (above), Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: The pool was still frozen, with just a handful of Wigeon around it, and just another 100 or so Wigeon and Teal, plus a Little Egret, in the channel opposite. (AH/IP)
Wigeon and Teal in Ferry Channel (AH)
Church Norton: The Whimbrel was in the harbour again this morning, along with a couple of Avocets and Bar-tailed Godwits, c 50 Grey Plovers, c400 Knot and c800 Dunlin, but just a few Wigeon and Teal.
There were many hundreds of Brent Geese moving about, mainly over towards the North Wall, where there was also a Marsh Harrier, but there was nothing offshore, whilst four or five Chiffchaffs along the sheltered hedges were the only things of note on the land-side. (AH/RS et al)
Whimbrel (above), Knot, Shelduck and Avocets & Dunlins at Church Norton (AH)
Pagham Spit and East side: This afternoon, among the large gathering of gulls in the harbour, there were a second-winter Caspian Gull, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, There was also a huge gathering of Pintail - possibly a record count of 602 birds.
Offshore from the spit there were a Long-tailed Duck, two Slavonian Grebes and the two Eider., plus a Sandwich Tern. (MB)
Caspian Gull along the East side (MB)
North Wall: In the paddock this morning there were five Redwings, two Song Thrushes, a Jay, five Lapwings, two Collared Doves, a Pied Wagtail and a pair of Stonechats, with two Marsh Harriers further back over the reeds and a Kestrel in the trees.
All the usual suspects were along White’s Creek and further out on the mud there were 84 Great Black-backed Gulls and a large number of Brent Geese, which were coming and going all morning.
Two Rock Pipits were along the wall and at Halsey’s Farm, 200 Wigeon were in the fields, a Greenshank, a Grey Plover, four Redshanks and 12 Dunlin were in the harbour by the outfall and two Snipe flew over. (LP)
Later on, there were three Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard about, with a Cetti's Warbler and a Chiffchaff in the bushes and 11 Snipe over. (S&SaH)
Redwing (above), Greenshank, Rock Pipit, Stonechat & Collared Dove at the North Wall (LP)
Hunston Copse: A Tree-creeper was in the copse this morning along with six Goldcrests and 20 Redwings. (BI)
Drayton: The 12 Cattle Egrets were still present in the field by the crossroads along with three Little Egrets and a Grey Heron. (BI)
Westhampnett Pits: There was little out of the ordinary here today with only a few Common Gulls, c.40 each of Pochard and Tufted Duck and four Shoveler of note. (BI)
Fishbourne Creek: A single Jack Snipe was in the salt-marsh this morning, with 12 Avocets among the many waders present, and a Grey Wagtail flew out of the field by the Lavant outflow. (IP)
Among waders seen were a Spotted Redshank, three Greenshank, three Snipe, three Knot, `15 Avocets, five Grey Plovers, 30 Ringed Plovers and c350 Black-tailed Godwits, with wildfowl including four Goldeneyes and nine Pintail.
There were also two Chiffchaffs beside the reed beds, with two Fieldfares and 27 Redwings in the fields and bushes. (RW/AHu)
Runcton: South of the village this morning there were 24 Canada Geese, 10 Mallards, 59 Shovelers, 15 Teal, a Tufted Duck, two Cormorants, two Grey Herons, a Little Egret, two Buzzards, a Water Rail, seven Coots, a Green Woodpecker, three Skylarks, seven Meadow Pipits, a Pied Wagtail, two Chiffchaffs, a Jay and 15 Jackdaws, along with a Roe Deer and a Brown Hare. (CRJ)
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