17th - 19th March 2024

Tuesday, 19th March: A very mediocre morning of persistent drizzle and leaden skies in a fresh and cool south-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Another slow morning, with a drake Eider, two Common Scoters, four Red-throated Divers and 139 Brent Geese east and two Razorbills west the most notable birds. Full log below. (LP/SR/AH/IP/JDa)

(0705-0850hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 1W

Gannet - 5E, 1W

Brent Goose - 139E, 3W

Eider - 1E

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Oystercatcher - 2W

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 2W

Eider (above), Red-breasted Merganser, Brent Geese, Sandwich Tern & Turnstones at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 38 Avocets, c125 Black-tailed Godwits and six Redshanks on the pool this morning, along with c50 Teal and c80 Shovelers, with c40 Wigeon and two pairs of Lapwings on the fields. (AH)

Avocet (above),Lapwing & Black-tailed Godwits and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: The pick along the creek this morning were three Greenshanks and a Spotted Redshank at the Lavant outfall, along with two Red-breasted Mergansers and 34 Mediterranean Gulls. (RW)

Church Norton: It was very quiet this morning, with just a Bar-tailed Godwit, a handful of Ringed and Grey Plovers, 20 Curlews and c50 Redshanks on the mud, plus a Common Gull, and wildfowl comprising of just a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers and c30 Wigeon and Teal

A single Wheatear was briefly along the concrete blocks and there were a couple of Chiffchaffs about, but that was it, and there was just a single Great Crested Grebe offshore. (AH/LP et al)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Common Gull & Teal at Church Norton (AH)

Monday, 18th March: A fairly pleasant morning of cloud and hazy sun, in a moderate south-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: Over 150 Brent Geese went east and the first Wheatear for the Bill for the spring were the only indications of migration this morning. Full log below. (SH/PB/IP/SR/AH/P&LH)

(0600-0900hrs) (SW, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 4os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 3W

diver sp - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Brent Goose - 153E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E

Oystercatcher - 3E, 2W, 2 present

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 6os

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 7os

Meadow Pipit - 13N

Pied Wagtail - 3N

Wheatear - 1N

Greenfinch - 1N

Wheatear (above), Brent Geese, Red-throated Diver, Fulmar & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 137 Black-tailed Godwits and 34 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with a Curlew, three Lapwings, five Redshanks, c50 Teal, c30 Wigeon and c80 Shovelers.

Also, two hirundine sp were reported going over the Visitor Centre. (AH/P&LH et al)

Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Spit: A Short-eared Owl flew off the end of the spit and landed briefly on the new island before heading over to the Church Norton spit, whilst the two regular Eiders were by the harbour entrance, a female Red Breasted Merganser was in the inner channel and there were still 100 Brent Geese about, along with 160 Wigeon and a lone Pintail.

A Dartford Warbler was along the footpath, where it was bathing in the puddles, along with 30 Linnets, 20 Meadow Pipits, two Rock Pipits, a Stonechat and a Dunnock, and a Kestrel was by the car park. (LP)

Later on, a Wheatear and a Rock Pipit were near the harbour mouth. (CS)

Short-eared Owl (above), Dartford Warbler, Dartford Warbler and Linnets, Rock Pipits & Kestrel along Pagham spit (LP)

Church Norton: At least four Wheatears were along the beach this morning, and a visiting birder reported a Sand Martin going over the Severals, but the only other evidence of migration was half a dozen scattered Chiffchaffs, of which several were singing.

Three Long-tailed Ducks were reported as present early on, and around 120 Brent Geese left the harbour and went west along the beach, whilst c50 Wigeon were in the harbour, along with four Bar-tailed Godwits and just a few of the regular waders. (AH/AW/P&LH et al)

Wheatears (above), Linnet, Brent Geese & Wigeon at Church Norton (AH)

The Short-eared Owl showed well along the spit this afternoon, before heading off towards Pagham, and there were also at least four Wheatears along the spit and lots of Chiffchaffs around the Severals. (AW/GM)

Later on, the Short-eared Owl re-appeared, and flew across the harbour, heading for the North Wall, and a female Marsh Harrier was also about, along with c40 Black-tailed Godwits, and there were also five Long-tailed Ducks offshore again and plenty of Chiffchaffs were still about. (SM/AH)

Short-eared Owl (AW) (above) & Wheatear (GM) at Church Norton

North Wall: A Grey Wagtail was by the sluice and two Pied Wagtails were in the paddock this morning, along with a Jay, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Chiffchaff, and a few Goldfinches, whilst two Great Crested Grebes were displaying on the Breech Pool, a Buzzard was further back, and a Marsh Harrier came out of the reeds and flew over the harbour.

The water level on the flooded fields had dropped slightly, and there was just five Shovelers and a few Coots and Moorhens on the water, with 32 Curlews on the grass, but it was busy in Owl Copse, with 23 Cattle Egrets and seven Grey Herons about, but it was quiet in the bushes with just a couple of Reed Buntings and Cetti’s Warblers. At Halsey’s Farm, a Chaffinch and a Song Thrush were in the hedgerow, 11 Cattle Egrets were in the fields, and a few Skylarks were overhead, while in the muddy field down Church Lane, two Egyptian Geese were asleep, and 50 House Sparrows were in the hedges. (LP/CT/JDW)

Cattle Egrets (above), Marsh Harrier, Egyptian Geese & Great Crested Grebes at the North Wall (LP)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A look along Church Farm Lane up to the dairy buildings today produced nine Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler, five Pied Wagtails, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and two Buzzards. (SH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Spoonbill was out on the reserve this afternoon, along with two Red-breasted Mergansers and three Ringed Plovers, whilst eight Avocets and a Dunlin were on the Stilt pool.

Also, two Dartford Warblers, five Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler and a Reed Bunting were along the banks. (SH)

Sunday, 17th March: Another morning of prolonged drizzly rain in a light southerly breeze, before easing off later as the wind freshened from the south-west.......

Selsey Bill: It was very slow this morning in the poor visibility and conditions, with just a few of the regular species seen. Full log below. (JA/SH/BI/IP/AH)

(0600-0830hrs) (S F3)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1W

Brent Goose - 7W

Pintail - 2E

Common Scoter - 2W, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 3W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 7

Common Gull - 2E

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 38 Avocets and c80 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with two Redshanks, two Lapwings, c60 Shovelers and c25 Wigeon and Teal. (AH)

Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was very little in the harbour this morning, beyond a flock of c75 Black-tailed Godwits, a handful of Grey Plovers, c20 Redshanks and Curlews, c50 Brent Geese and c40 Wigeon.

The bushes were quiet, too, in the poor conditions, though a Jay and a Mistle Thrush were along Rectory Lane. (AH)

Wigeon (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Six Cattle Egrets were in and around Owl Copse, along with five Grey Herons and three Little Egrets, and in the flooded fields there were 18 Shovelers, two Gadwall, 30 Wigeon, 26 Teal, two Great Crested Grebes, two Tufted Ducks, 12 Curlews and a Lapwing.

Along White’s Creek there were just a few Wigeon and Teal, with 28 Redshanks, four Grey Plovers and 14 Snipe on the mud, but in the damp and murky conditions there wasn’t much else about, with just a male Marsh Harrier briefly over the reeds and a Green Woodpecker at Little Welbourne. (LP)

Cattle Egrets (above), Snipe, Green Woodpecker & Shovelers and Teal at the North Wall (LP)

Chichester GPs: There were eight Chiffchaffs and four Cetti's Warblers around the hedges, but a single Egyptian Goose was the only thing else of note. (S&SaH)

There was no sign of any Red-crested Pochards around the area this morning, though the long-staying flock of 'Cackling'-type geese and hybrid Barnacle Geese were in fields near Drayton Pits. (BI)

Chichester Canal: The big flock of Siskins was around the alders near the Birdham Road again this morning - with possibly as many as 50 present in a big mixed flock with similar of Goldfinches.

Also, a male Bullfinch popped up briefly along the trees behind the tow-path, and there were also at least eight singing Chiffchaffs and three or four Cetti's Warblers along the edges. (BI/AH)

Bullfinch (above), Siskins & Chiffchaff along Chichester Canal (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pools - This afternoon there were two Dartford Warblers, a Cetti's Warbler, five Reed Buntings, five Yellowhammers, three Stonechats, a Chiffchaff, a Green woodpecker and four Skylarks along the banks, with a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and two Kestrels over.

Also, three Egyptian Geese were about, c30 Black-tailed Godwits were by the poplars, a Greenshank, two Red-breasted Mergansers and a colour-flagged Curlew were on the pools opposite the Stilt Pools, whilst they held 21 Snipe, two Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin and two Avocets. (AH/AW/HB/LT/AH)

Egyptian Geese (above) & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)