26th December 2024

Boxing Day, 26th December: An almost still morning, with just a very light north-easterly breeze, and quite mild, despite the heavily overcast conditions.....

Selsey Bill: Highlights of a busy morning were a Red-necked Grebe - and very probably two - offshore, along with a Slavonian Grebe, with a Long-tailed Duck seen several times, too, whilst a (female) Black Redstart popped up for the first time in a month and there were large numbers of Gannets and auks moving about offshore. Full log later. (SH/BI/IP/SR/AH/MRe et al)

(0730-1000hrs) (E, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 10E, 11W

Red-necked Grebe - 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2os

Gannet - 46E, 288W, 50os

Shag - 5E

Brent Goose - 2E, 5W

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Common Scoter - 100os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 3W, 3os

Oystercatcher - 3E, 2W

Dunlin - 1E

Redshank - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 8W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Guillemot - 6W, 1os

Razorbill - 335W

auk sp - 432E, 562W

Rock Pipit - 1

Pied Wagtail - 1

Black Redstart - 1

Red-necked Grebe (above), Black Redstart, Red-throated Divers, Guillemots and Razorbills, Razorbills & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A total of 25 Avocets were on the pool and c100 Lapwings were on the field, with c50 Shovelers and c75 Teal also present, whilst a Little Grebe was in the channel opposite. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Little Grebe at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: This morning there were dozens of Gannets, along with 20+ Razorbills around the harbour mouth, with a Red-breasted Merganser the only other bird seen offshore, and there were also two Sanderlings and ten Turnstones on the beach.

In the harbour, a female Kingfisher was on the old ironwork and a Sandwich Tern was roosting with a flock of Mediterranean, Black-headed and Common Gulls, with a female Peregrine, the regular Whimbrel, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Little Grebes, two Pintail, a few Wigeon and Teal also about, along with vast flocks of Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plovers, Golden Plovers and Lapwings flying about.

Also, a Pale-bellied Brent was feeding behind the churchyard in amongst at least 1500 Bent Geese, a pair of Green Woodpeckers were along the spit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in Bluebell Wood and two Little Grebes were on the second several. (AW/IP/AH et al)

Gannets (above), Gannets and Razorbills, Sanderlings, Sandwich Tern and Mediterranean Gulls & Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Church Norton (AW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Barn Owl was out hunting near Marsh Barn this morning - the first sighting here since the spring - and a Marsh Harrier and two Buzzards were also about.

Also, two Brent Geese were on the reserve, a Greenshank, two Snipe and two Pied Wagtails were on the Stilt Pools, whilst four Dartford Warblers, seven Stonechats, three Goldcrests, seven Yellowhammers and two Reed Buntings were along the banks. (S&saH)

Drayton: At least 45 Cattle Egrets and three Little Egrets were in the fields by the Drayton railway crossing this morning, before flying off south. (CRJ)

Cattle Egrets at Drayton (CRJ)