23rd - 25th March 2024

Monday, 25th March: A cool and breezy morning, with a mix of sun and cloud in a fresh westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A good total of 365 Brent Geese went east this morning, nearly half of which were in one flock, and there were also a pair of Eider, a few Common Scoters, Sandwich Terns and Red-throated Divers east, too. Full log below. (IP/KT/AH/MO-W/SR/AW)

(0655-1130hrs) (S, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 11E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1E

Shag - 3os

Brent Goose - 365E

Eider - 2E

Common Scoter - 39E, 15os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2os

Turnstone - 12

Mediterranean Gull - 4E

Common Gull - 21W

Sandwich Tern - 14E, 2W

(1615-1715hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 1E

Shag - 1os

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser -5W, 3os

Oystercatcher - 5E

Sandwich Tern - 8os

Eider (above), Red-throated Divers, Common Scoters & Brent Geese at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were just 28 Avocets present this morning, along with c150 Black-tailed Godwits, four Gadwall, c20 Wigeon, c50 Teal and c70 Shovelers.

Also, the first Willow Warbler of the year was heard singing from the Discovery Area, where there were several Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, too. (AS/AH).

Gadwall (above), Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits, Blackcap & Chiffchaff around the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were 60 Teal, two Gadwall and 18 Redshanks along White’s Creek, with 12 Pintail further out, but only two Wigeon were seen.

A Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe were on the Breech Pool and eight Shovelers, six Shelducks and seven Little Egrets were in the flooded fields, while two Marsh Harriers were up over the reeds.

A few Cattle Egrets were with the Grey Herons in Owl Copse, but it was quiet along the wall, with just a couple of Reed Buntings and six Long-tailed Tits seen, while a pair of Stock Doves were in the garden at Little Welbourne and a Greenfinch, a Chiffchaff and a Jay were in the trees. (LP/CT)

Cattle Egret and Grey Heron (above), Stock Doves & Greenfinch at the North Wall (LP)

Pagham Spit: There were seven Eiders in the offshore lagoon this morning, as well as a Great Crested Grebe and a lone Brent Goose, with a few Turnstones and Ringed Plovers on the islands, but otherwise, there were just a dozen Linnets along the gorse. (LP)

Eider at Pagham Spit (LP)

Church Norton: It was very quiet in the harbour this morning, with just a Bar-tailed Godwit, the Whimbrel and a few Dunlin present, along with the usual few Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers, plus c30 Shelducks, whilst a couple of Blackcaps was all the bushes had to offer. (AH)

Whimbrel and Curlew at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 24th March: A cool and breezy morning, with a mix of sun and cloud in a fresh westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A male Crossbill in off the sea very early on, was the highlight of another slow morning, with six Eider east the best, otherwise, along with the first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year. Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/MRB/IP/AH)

(0545-0900hrs) (WSW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2e, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 1W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1W

Gannet - 22E, 7W

Shag - 2E

Shoveler - 1E

Eider - 6E

Common Scoter - 2E, 3W, 23os

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 6W, 2os

Turnstone - 11

Mediterranean Gull - 4W

Common Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Meadow Pipit - 4N

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Crossbill - 1N

Linnet - 5N

Hummingbird Hawk-moth - 1

Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 42 Avocets on the pool this morning, along with at least 150 Black-tailed Godwits, four Redshanks, four Shelducks, c50 Teal and c80 Shovelers. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Two Mediterranean Gulls flew over the farm and the Kestrel appears to be using the platform above the barn again this spring. (IP)

Church Norton: Late morning a first-year Spoonbill was watched flying high over the bay and then over the west side of the harbour, whilst earlier six Eider were offshore from the Severals and four Shovelers flew west over the sea and three Wheatears were spread along the beach and spit.

The harbour was quiet, though,with wildfowl limited to 17 Teal, a dozen Wigeon and a handful of Brent Geese toward the North Wall, plus plenty of Shelducks, whilst the wader highlight were two Sanderlings that were feeding on the eastern side of Tern Island, and there were also five Ringed Plovers, six Turnstones and a distant flock of Dunlin; plus the Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers.

The second Several held a pair of Tufted Duck and similar of Little Grebes, whilst both a Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were hunting over the Severals and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Greenlease Farm. (IP)

Late this afternoon there were a pair of Blackcaps in the hawthorn by the Mound and another two males near the hide. (AH)

Blackcaps at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: There were still a few Sand Martins about this morning, along with several Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap, but not too much else. (SM)

Later on, there was also a Swallow present. (AW)

Swallow (above) & Swallow and Sand Martin at Chichester GPs (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There wasn't too much about today, with just a single Wheatear, four Stonechats and a Reed Bunting along the banks, eight Avocets, a Snipe and a Pied Wagtail at the Stilt Pool and three Kestrels and a Buzzard over. (SH)

North Wall: A flock of 53 Bar-tailed Godwits were flying around the harbour this morning - presumably newly arrived migrants - and there were also similar numbers of Knot, Grey Plovers and Redshank about, along with c20 Pintail, c50 Teal and c100 Wigeon, plus at least 40 Shelducks.

Both the male and female Marsh Harrier were out at different times, but the Honer Fields were pretty empty as they dry out, though Honer 1 had five Little Egrets, two drake Shovelers and two drake Gadwall in it and a flock of a dozen Cattle Egrets dropped in at the back of Honer 2.

There were also a pair of Egyptian Geese along Church Lane. (AH/RHa)

Bar-tailed Godwits (above), Cattle Egrets & Pintail and Teal at the North Wall (AH)

Pagham Spit: A flock of six Eider were on the newly forming tidal lagoon offshore this morning - presumably those seen at the Bill and Church Norton, but the only other thing there was a Red-breasted Merganser.

It was quiet along the spit, with just a handful of Linnets noted in the windy conditions, and equally quiet in the harbour on the full tide, though the Spoonbill could be seen distantly flying west along the far side of the harbour. (AH)

Eider (above), Linnet & the ever-growing offshore lagoon at Pagham Spit (AH)

Saturday, 23rd March: A cool and blustery day in a fresh westerly breeze, bright early on before increasingly heavy cloud cover brought a few squally showers by midday.....

Selsey Bill: The clear highlight of a slow morning was a pair of Garganey going west, quite close inshore, with a Swallow in off the sea and two Bar-tailed Godwits going west were also of note. Full log below. (SH/JA/BI/PB/IP/KT/AH)

(0600-0900hrs) (WNW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1os

Gannet - 46E, 25W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 2W

Garganey - 2W

Common Scoter - 11E, 4W, 3os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 7W

Oystercatcher - 4W

Bar-tailed Godwit - 2W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Common Gull - 6W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

auk sp - 3E

Swallow - 1N

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Garganey at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were still 38 Avocets and c150 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with six Shelducks, c30 Wigeon, c60 Teal and c80 Shovelers, with up to half a dozen Blackcaps and similar of Chiffchaffs singing around the Discovery Area and other adjacent hedges.

Also, a Red Kite went over the Visitor Centre, and the Tawny Owls are back in their box in the Discovery Area. (AH/AW et al)

Red Kite (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Shoveler & Avocets and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: All the action was in the air this morning, with a Marsh Harrier hunting over the pool, a Red Kite drifting in from the south and then back that way, and two Buzzards over towards the Tramway.

Beyond that, though, there were just a couple of pairs of Lapwings in the fields, half a dozen Linnets and a couple of Reed Buntings along the path and pairs of Little Grebe and Tufted Duck on the pool. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above) & Red Kite along the Long Pool (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Red Kite flew over Natures Way early on, whilst a pair of Pied Wagtails flew over the farm and in the lanes around there this morning were a Goldcrest and a Long-tailed Tit whilst a pair of Stock Doves and, even more strangely, a pair of Shelduck flew across the fields. (IP)

Later on, three Red Kites went over the north of the town. (AW)

Red Kite at Park Farm, Selsey (IP)

North Wall: This evening the two Little Owls were seen mating in the trees in Little Welbourne! (LP)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel, a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit, along with a handful of Turnstones, Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers, along with the usual Redshanks, Oystercatchers and Curlews was about it for waders in the harbour, with c50 Brent Geese in the harbour mouth, plus another half a dozen in the harbour, c30 Wigeon and Shelducks and a dozen Teal being about it for wildfowl.

The only birds offshore were the flock of six Eider near the harbour mouth, whilst along the spit there were four Wheatears and a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, but otherwise there were just a female Blackcap at Greenlease Farm, a Cetti's Warbler and a Water Rail heard in the first Several and three or four singing Chiffchaffs.

Also, the Red Kite was seen at Greenlease Farm, with a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel also around the harbour. (IP/AH/P&LH et al)

Greenshank, Redshanks and Curlew (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake Complex - There were still c50 Sand Martins over the lakes this morning, with a lone Swallow among them, whilst a Blackcap and a couple of Chiffchaffs were in the hedges.

Also, on the water, there were half a dozen Greylag Geese, half a dozen Pochard, a dozen Tufted Ducks, a pair of Shovelers, a pair of Gadwall and the Black Swan. (PB/AB/P&LH)