Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 29th

Tuesday, 31st December: A reasonably mild, but overcast and increasingly blustery morning, as the south-westerly wind notched up towards gale-force through the day..........

A Happy New Year to all our readers and contributors, and for those staying in tonight, the Review of the Year for 2024 is now available to read, with the link on the bar above. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: An impressive total of 504 Gannets west was the highlight of the morning, with two Fulmars and 44 Kittiwakes also going west. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/IP/AH/SR et al)

(0745-1000hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 6E, 4W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 504W

Shag - 3E

Brent Goose - 22E, 3W

Shelduck - 7W

Common Scoter - 23W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7W

Oystercatcher - 1W, 1 present

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gul - 2W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 44W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 2W

Razorbill - 62W

auk sp - 232W

(1335-1435hrs) (SH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Gannet - 11E, 14W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 15

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 2E, 4W

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

Ferry Pool: There were c70 Black-tailed Godwits, 28 Avocets and c500 Lapwings around the field and pool this morning, along with c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal and Wigeon. (AH)

Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel and a Greenshank were in the harbour at high tide, but a few Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Curlews were the only other waders about, along with c25 Pintail and c50 Wigeon and Teal, whilst at least 1000 Brent Geese were in the field behind the churchyard again.

Also, up to a dozen Gannets were offshore, along with similar of Common Gulls and a handful of Mediterranean Gulls.(AH et al)

Whimbrel (above), Curlew, Gannet & Common Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: A female Goldeneye was on the Lagoon this morning, along with two Little Grebes and a few Coots, 26 Mediterranean Gulls were on the offshore island, and nine Gannets were fishing in the harbour entrance. (LP)

North Wall: An Avocet was along White’s Creek this morning, with a few hundred Brent Geese and the usual large flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers, whilst another flock of c1000 Lapwings were up over the fields and a female Marsh Harrier was over the reeds.

It was otherwise quiet in the very wet and windy conditions, although in the paddocks, there were two Stonechats, a Song Thrush and a Green Woodpecker, with a Jay along the lane and a Meadow Pipit on the wires. (LP/CT)

Avocet (above), Golden Plovers and Lapwings, Lapwings & Green Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)

Fishbourne Creek: Before the high tide, the wader roost off Dell Quay included an Avocet and a Greenshank, whilst earlier there were 29 Pintail in the upper part of the creek. (RW)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - A quick look before the weather deteriorated further produced a Dartford Warbler, a Yellowhammer and a Chaffinch along the banks and a Marsh Harrier over. (S&SaH/PB)

Monday, 30th December: A milder and less overcast morning, though with the breeze slowly picking up from the west as an indication of what is to come..........

Selsey Bill: It turned out to be a busy morning, with some good westward movement observed, including 188 Red-throated Divers, 422 Gannets (both highest counts this autumn) and 75 Kittiwakes, whilst a Black-throated Diver went east, two Velvet Scoters were with the 100 strong Common Scoter flock, and half a dozen Bottle-nosed Dolphins went east, too. Full log below. (SH/IP/PA/AH/NM/SR)

(0745-1015hrs) (W, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1W, 4os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 188W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 11E, 422W

Shag - 4E

Brent Goose - 20E, 5W

Wigeon - 3W

Velvet Scoter - 2os

Common Scoter - 4E, 15W, c100os

Red-breasted Merganser -

Oystercatcher - 1E

Sanderling - 1

Turnstone - 10

Mediterranean Gull - 7os

Common Gull - 3W

Kittiwake - 75W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 2W

Razorbill - 20E, 143W

auk sp - 46E, 415W

Pied Wagtail - 2

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 6E

Red-throated Divers (above), Great Northern Diver, Gannets, Sanderling, Kittiwake & Razorbills at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were 30 Avocets, 44 Black-tailed Godwits and c120 Lapwings about this morning, along with c60 Shovelers, c120 Teal and c200 Wigeon. (AH)

Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and Teal at Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The harbour was very quiet on the high tide, with few waders or wildfowl about, though the Whimbrel, a Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwits were among c30 Grey Plovers, c40 Redshanks and a few Curlews, with wildfowl restricted to just a few Wigeon and Teal.

It was quiet offshore, too, with just two Great Crested Grebes on the sea and two Gannets going west, whilst the Brent Geese flock behind the churchyard had reduced to c800 birds. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Greenshank and Redshank & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

This evening a total of eight Marsh Harriers came in to roost in the Severals - an adult male, two sub-adult males and five females. (S&SaH/RS/AH)

Marsh Harrier at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank was the highlight this afternoon, with, otherwise, just three Marsh Harriers, two Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk seen. (S&SaH)

Selsey Peninsula: The three Long-eared Owls were still present today. (Eds)

Long-eared Owls on the Peninsula

Runcton: South of the village today there were a Little Egret, two Mute Swans, three Shelducks, 30 Shovelers, six Mallards, two Teal, 16 Tufted Ducks, three Pochard, two Sparrowhawks, a Buzzard, a Jay and a pair of Stonechats. (CRJ)

Stonechat at Runcton (CRJ)

Sunday, 29th December: A distinctly colder morning than of late, with just a light northerly breeze and more fog than previously, though it came and went repeatedly without ever completely restricting visibility......

Selsey Bill: Despite the variable - and often poor - visibility, there was a bit of activity again this morning, including the drake Long-tailed Duck dropping in quite close offshore, a Velvet Scoter among the Common Scoter flock, the Black Redstart among the houses on the east side and two Egyptian Geese flying west. Full log below. (SH/PB/IP/AH/P&LH/SR et al)

(0730-0945hrs) (N, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 9E, 35W, 9os

Gannet - 10E, 92W

Shag - 7E

Brent Goose - 2W

Egyptian Goose- 2W

Shelduck - 4W

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Velvet Scoter - 1os

Common Scoter - 15W, 70os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 3W, 1os

Oystercatcher - 2

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 2W, 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 2os

auk sp - 1W

Black Redstart - 1

Long-tailed Duck (above), Egyptian Geese, Red-throated Divers & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least 500 Lapwings, plus 40 Golden Plovers were coming and going from the fields, whilst eight Avocets and c50 Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool, along with c250 Wigeon, c100 Teal and c60 Shovelers, plus a pair of Gadwall. (AH/PB)

Golden Plovers (above), Lapwings & Gadwall, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There was very poor visibility along the wall this morning, with just the regular Lapwings and Golden Plovers seen out on the mud and Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelducks on the water.

A Spotted Redshank was out in the fields with the Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits, two Shovelers were asleep on the Breech Pool, a Snipe was on the newly exposed mud, and both male and female Marsh Harriers were over the reeds further back, whilst a Rock Pipit was along the rocks, a dozen Long-tailed Tits were along the bushes. (LP/TRH/DHi)

Spotted Redshank (above), Snipe & Rock Pipit at the North Wall (LP)

Selsey Peninsula: The three Long-eared Owls were still present today. (Eds)

Long-eared Owl on the Peninsula

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was quiet this afternoon, with just a Chiffchaff, a Stonechat, two Yellowhammers and half a dozen song Thrushes along the banks, two Pied Wagtails and two snipe on the Stilt Pool and eight more Snipe, a Water Rail, c100 Lapwings and c30 Brent Geese on the reserve, plus a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)

Fishbourne Creek: There were two - and possibly three - drake Goldeneyes along the creek this morning, along with half a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers, up to ten Little Grebes, c20 Great Crested Grebes, a Pintail, c25 Teal, c300 Wigeon and c500 Brent Geese.

Among the waders present were c80 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Turnstones, a Ringed Plover, c200 Lapwings, c100 Grey Plovers and c1000 Dunlin, whilst a Stonechat and half a dozen Rock Pipits and Meadow Pipits were along the path.

There were also c50 Common Gulls along the creek and another c150 in the field along the road to Dell quay again (AH/P&LH/PB/IP)