7th - 9th January 2024

Tuesday, 9th January: Another cold morning, with a fresh easterly breeze blowing, though mostly fairly sunny.........

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much moving this morning, though there was a feeding flock of 50+ Gannets offshore. Full log below. (SR/AH et al)

(0800-0915hrs) (ENE, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 4E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 10W, 3os

diver sp - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 27E, 2W, 55os

Common Scoter - 4E, 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 18E, 3os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 6os

Razorbill - 2W, 2os

auk sp - 18E, 5W

Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just lots of ducks - c300 Teal, c200 Wigeon, c75 Shovelers, c50 Mallard and eight Shelducks - on the pool, along with a Little Grebe, but there were just c50 Lapwings on the field, though nine Golden Plovers flew over, going west. (AH) 

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Black Redstart was still along Summer Lane this morning. (NM)

Sidlesham: A Red Kite went west over the garden late this morning. (AH)

Red Kite over Sidlesham (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: Two drake Goldeneye, three female Red-breasted Mergansers and a dozen Great Crested Grebes were on the water this morning, along with c1500 Brent Geese, c500 Wigeon and c50 Teal.

Apart from a roosting flock of c150 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Avocets and a scattering of Redshanks, Dunlin, Turnstones, Curlews and Lapwings and a single Snipe, there were very few waders around at high tide, and small birds were even scarcer beyond a Grey Wagtail and half a dozen Rock Pipits. (AH)

Goldeneye (above), Red-breasted Mergansers, Teal, Avocets & Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwing at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Monday, 8th January: A very cold and mainly overcast day, with a fresh north-easterly wind and a few wintry showers, with snow flurries giving a light dusting in places by afternoon.....

Selsey Bill: The cold weather prompted a bit of variety, with a couple of White-fronted Geese going east and a bit of Red-throated Diver and auk movement featuring once again. Full log below. (SR/AH/SH) 

(0810-1110hrs) (NE4)

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

Red-throated Diver - 66E, 8W, 10s

diver sp - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1W, 1os

Gannet - 17E, 11W

Shag - 1E

Mute Swan - 3E

White-fronted Goose - 2E

Brent Goose - 8W

Wigeon - 4E

Common Scoter - 8E, 8W, 53os

Red-breasted Merganser - 11E, 3os

Dunlin - 1E

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

Common Gull - 4W

Guillemot - 16E, 8W

Razorbill - 20E, 62W, 3os

auk sp - 62E, 222W

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

Ferry Pool: There were just c50 Lapwings on the pool this morning, though there were a lot of wildfowl present, including at least 200 Wigeon and Teal, 80 Shovelers, a drake Gadwall, six Shelducks and 50 Mallards, plus a Canada Goose and a Little Grebe. (AH)

Wigeon (above) & Shovelers, Wigeon and Lapwing on the Ferry (AH)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: Late this afternoon just two Cattle Egrets were seen in flight near the milking sheds and an estimated 3000 Brent Geese were in fields to the north. (AW)

Church Norton: There really wasn't much to report this morning, with the wind ripping across the harbour at high tide, though a Peregrine flew through, carrying prey ,100+ Brent Geese, c30 Shelducks and c50 Wigeon and Teal were on the water and just a few Dunlin, Redshanks and Curlews could be seen, whilst offshore there were just a Great Crested Grebe and a few Common and Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Common Gull (above), Brent Geese & Brent Geese, Shelducks and Wigeon at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 7th January: A cold and bright morning, with the breeze freshening considerably as it shifted from north to north-east.......

Selsey Bill: There was a steady westward movement of Red-throated Divers heading west again this morning, whilst a Velvet Scoter went east and the two Long-tailed Ducks and a few Common Scoters were offshore. Full log later. (SH/BI/PM/RHa/SR/IP/AH/OM/JA)

(0730-1000hrs) (NNW, F4)

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

Red-throated Diver - 18E, 93W, 6os

Slavonian Grebe - 3E, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3E, 1os

Gannet - 1E, 2W

Brent Goose - 1E, 9W

Shelduck - 5E

Long-tailed Duck - 2os

Velvet Scoter - 1E

Common Scoter - 6E, 2W, 29os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 4W, 9os

Sparrowhawk - 2

Oystercatcher - 2W

Turnstone - 11

Mediterranean Gull - 9os

Guillemot - 3W

Razorbill - 8W

auk sp - 174W

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

Ferry Pool: At least 500 Lapwings were on the field this morning, whilst there were a lot of wildfowl on the pool, comprising c250 Teal, c100 Wigeon, c70 Shovelers and c30 Mallards, plus a Little Grebe and two Little Egrets. (AH/G Duckworth)

Also, a Ruff was reported as present on the pool. (R Hackett)

Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Spotted Redshank was at the far end of ferry Channel this afternoon, and c300 Brent Geese were on the adjacent arable fields. (RP)

Later, at dusk, a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier was hunting over the pool. (AH)

Marsh Harrier along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: A Slavonian Grebe was offshore from the spit, and a Goldeneye was in the harbour again, whilst a Dartford Warbler was in the gorse opposite the first Several, with a Goldcrest nearby.

A large mixed flock of Knot, Dunlin, Turnstones and Grey Plovers was on the beach, with many more in the harbour, along with half a dozen Avocets and plenty of the regular wildfowl. (IP)

There was also a report of a Bonxie chasing gulls well offshore. (A Glossop per ebird)

North Wall: There were 800 Brent Geese along White’s Creek early on, before they all drifted off towards Marsh Farm and 150 Black-tailed Godwits were out on the mud, along with 500 Lapwings and 45 Redshank.

Three Marsh Harriers were about all morning, and 16 Snipe flew into the wet area by the rife, a Song Thrush and three Greenfinches were by the sluice, two Rock Pipits and a Curlew were along the rocks and two Jays and a Kestrel were by the stables, three Fieldfares were in Owl Copse and a Buzzard was in the trees at Halsey’s Farm. (LP/DHi/JDW)

Also, the Black Redstart was again by the houses at the far end of Summer Lane, and a Green Sandpiper was in the flooded fields a bit further west. (AH/RHa)

Rock Pipit (above), Song Thrush, Curlew & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

East side and Pagham Spit: There were vast numbers of wildfowl all along the channel, with at least 200 Pintail and 1000+ Wigeon, Teal and Brent Geese present, along with c200 Knot and 1000 Dunlin.

Three Snipe flew up over the spit, whilst the two Eider and two Red-breasted Mergansers were in one of the newly forming lagoons offshore, but the main lagoon just held a handful of Little Grebes. (AH)

Eider (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Snipe & Dunlin at Pagham Spit, Pintail & Wigeon along the East side (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Merlin, two female Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard were around today, with two Avocets, c300 Golden Plovers, c500 Lapwings and c400 Bent Geese on the reserve and another Avocet and a Ringed Plover on the Stilt Pool, but just two Dartford Warblers and four Stonechats were along the banks. (S&SaH)

Runcton: Around the village this morning, there were a Little Grebe, eight Canada Geese, two Shelducks, ten Mallards, 12 Shovelers, 40 Teal, eight Tufted Ducks, two Grey Herons, two Cormorants, four Coots, a Common Buzzard, a Meadow Pipit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker, five Stonechats and three Roe Deer. (CRJ)

Chichester GPs: A quick look at Runcton Lake produced a dozen or so Pochard and Tufted Ducks, but not much else. (AH)

Pochard at Chichester GPs (AH)