4th - 6th December 2024

Friday, 6th December: After a stormy night, a pleasant morning of sunny intervals and cloud in just a light to moderate westerly breeze......

Below is a full - and fascinating! - summary of the breeding season at Pagham Harbour and Medmerry, kindly provided by Adam Taylor at the RSPB.

Little Tern: 6 nests at Pagham, 3 at Medmerry. Numbers initially looked like they would be a lot higher for Pagham, with decent sized flocks seen early in the season, and signs were encouraging on the first nest count – we found 6 nests all with a single egg / two eggs out of a usual clutch size of three, indicating they had only just started laying. We went back a fortnight later for the next count and all nests were gone, with signs that a fox had tunnelled underneath the electric fence and predated all the eggs, and fox presence confirmed on our trail cams.

Sandwich Tern: No nesting attempts on the peninsula reserves, but 233 pairs nested on the Langstone islands, the highest total in 20 years.

Common Tern: Again, no attempts at Pagham or Medmerry, and only 23 nests at Langstone / the Oysterbeds. Common Tern were decimated by bird flu last year, and numbers were a quarter of what they were last year. Silver lining is that we didn’t have any recorded cases of bird flu on the reserves this year (for any species), and late in the season a pair of Common Tern were observed scoping out one of our new nesting rafts in the Medmerry reservoir, so we may see a colony establish there this spring.

Black-headed & Mediterranean Gulls: Some early signs of interest on Tern Island, but numbers never really built up to anything substantial and the birds appeared to largely move on before the season got underway. Grand total remaining on Tern Island this year was 8 Black-headed Gull nests. Not entirely clear why the birds didn’t return, as we carried out management as usual to clear the vegetation, though it grew up quickly over the season due to the lack of birds suppressing the growth. We are monitoring for any rodent activity over the winter to see if there could be other factors at play.

Cormorant: Colony at Medmerry looked to have expanded again, with birds nesting in new areas around the central reservoir, but unfortunately our drone images corrupted and we could not confirm an exact total. Estimate is c60 nests.

Owl Copse heronry: Explosion of birds there this year, with 9 Grey Heron nests counted (up from 6 last year), 31 Cattle Egret (up from 29), and 84 Little Egret nests (up from 30).

Lapwing: 2 pairs attempted to nest in Ferry Field, but no fledglings observed. 1 pair nested at Medmerry, but managed to fledge all 3 chicks from the nest. Funding has been confirmed for delivery of Ferry Pool project, so hopefully we will see this number rise in the years to come.

Redshank: 5 pairs recorded at Pagham, 2 at Medmerry, with at least 3 fledglings spotted. First time we have hit target numbers at Pagham in many years.

Oystercatcher: 9 pairs at Pagham, 9 pairs at Medmerry. Predation pressure high though, and very few fledglings observed.

Avocet: 19 pairs at the Stilt Pools. Productivity is difficult to ascertain, as the adults take the chicks into the central marsh before they have fledged.

Ringed Plover: 7 pairs at Pagham, 8 pairs at Medmerry. Medmerry birds only fledged 2 chicks, but the Pagham birds fledged a massive 23 for a productivity of 3.29 – the nest cage trial continues across both sites, with hatching rates massively improving, but stark difference between reserves productivity shows that disturbance is still a big factor. There is also a question around the cages and whether they could result in increased adult mortality, as at least one adult bird was predated upon leaving the cage.

Little Ringed Plover: 3 pairs on Stilt Pools, with 3 fledglings recorded.

Skylark: 13 pairs at Pagham, 126 at Medmerry (very similar to last year’s numbers of 12 and 120 respectively)

Linnet: 17 pairs at Pagham, 81 at Medmerry (up from 15 and 40)

Corn Bunting: 6 singing males recorded at Medmerry, up from 3 last year.

Yellowhammer: 42 pairs (2 at Pagham, 40 at Medmerry), up from 28 last year.

Miscellaneous: Large numbers of Cetti’s Warblers recorded across the sites, with 52 territories held. Whitethroat held 137 territories, Lesser Whitethroat 14. Dartford Warblers increased to 3 pairs at Medmerry.

Please be aware that all figures are best estimates based on BBS counts and nest counts.
Fancy helping out with next year’s surveys? We’re looking for skilled birdwatchers to take on some vacant BBS sectors for us, offering a chance to explore some of the areas usually off limits to the public and feed directly into our annual monitoring programme. An ability to ID the reserve’s priority species by sight and song is required. If interested, please contact us at pagham.harbour@rspb.org.uk for more details.’

Selsey Bill: There was a variety of species this morning, but very low numbers, with a couple of Slavonian Grebes and half a dozen Sandwiches the highlights. Full log below. (IP/BI/AH)

(0735-0905hrs) (W, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 1W, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 1E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 3E

Shag - 1W

Bent Goose - 1E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 3

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 3os

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 5W

Pied Wagtail - 1

Great Northern Diver at the Bill (AH)

Later in the morning, two very late Swallows were seen flying around over the houses (AW), and a Black-throated Diver was offshore (GD).

Swallow (AW) (above) & Black-throated Diver (GD)  at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were 16 Avocets and c40 Black-tailed Godwits on the pool this morning, along with c60 Shovelers and Wigeon and c100 Teal. (AH)

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

Long Pool: Three Yellowhammers, half a dozen Reed Buntings and a Meadow Pipit at the far end were the only birds along the hedges, whilst Ferry Channel just held a couple of Grey Plovers and c20 Redshanks, with a flock of Golden Plovers and Lapwings further out. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Reed Bunting & Grey Plover along the Long Pool (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - The stubble fields north of the bank held at least 80 Skylarks, 50 Chaffinches, 20 Greenfinches and c200 Stock Doves, with a Stonechat along the bank, whilst the cover crop field held c40 Yellowhammers and c20 Reed Buntings, but not much else, though five Song Thrushes were in the paddocks.
Also, two Marsh Harriers were about, at either end of the reserve, and a Sparrowhawk was present, too. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Stonechat, Yellowhammers, Reed Bunting, Skylark & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 5th December: A mild, but heavily overcast morning in a fresh westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: There were six Sandwich Terns offshore and a Slavonian Grebe went west, but there wasn't much else going on. Full log below. (AH/RJS/MG)

(0740-0940hrs) (W, F5-6)

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 5W

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Brent Goose - 6E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 16

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Red-breasted Mergansers (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Avocet count was back up to 24 this morning, with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c50 Lapwings also about, and there were lots of wildfowl on the pool comprising one Shelduck, c80 Shovelers, c40 Mallards, c150 Teal and at least 250 Wigeon. (AH)

Wigeon (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: The Whimbrel and a Greenshank were in the harbour this morning, along with c100 Grey Plovers, c250 Knot, c500 Dunlin and c50 Redshanks, with at least 60 Wigeon present, too, whilst up to 500 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwings came up from the far end.

Also, c2000 Brent Geese were constantly coming and going between the harbour and the fields behind the churchyard, at least four Chiffchaffs were along the sheltered hedges and a Kestrel and a Buzzard were around the Mound. (AH/RJS/MG)

Chiffchaffs (above), Buzzard, Whimbrel, Knot and Grey Plover & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank and an Avocet were along White’s Creek this morning, together with 200 Wigeon, 100 Teal, 30 Pintail, a Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe, with large numbers of waders out on the mud including 1000 Lapwing, 600 Golden Plover, 500 Dunlin, 100 Knot, 500 Grey Plover and 30 Ringed Plover.
Elsewhere it was very quiet with just a pair of Stonechats, two Meadow Pipits and a Song Thrush in the paddock, and the male Marsh Harrier over the reeds. (LP/IH/SP/CT)

Spotted Redshank (above), Avocet, Knot & Golden Plovers at the North Wall (LP)

Wednesday, 4th December: A fairly cool start, with some cloud and some sun in a light north-easterly, but becoming more overcast as the breeze veered to the south-west and freshened ....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit more activity, though mostly well offshore, but included a Long-tailed Duck, a good westward movement of auks and a few divers. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH)

(0730-0900hrs) (NE, F1-2)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 6os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 10W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 1W

Brent Goose - 8W

Long-tailed Duck - 1os

Common Scoter - 39W, 21os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 2os

Oystercatcher - 3W

Sanderling - 1E

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 9os

Razorbill - 68W

auk sp - 673W

Pied Wagtail - 1

Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Divers, Sandwich Tern (AH) & a glorious sunrise (PB) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were just three Avocets on the pool this morning, though there were 48 Black-tailed Godwits and c200 Lapwing about, and wildfowl numbers were lower, too, with just one Shelduck, c50 Shovelers and Wigeon and c75 Teal present. (AH)

Shoveler (above), Lapwings & Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were up to 2000 Brent Geese present this morning, mostly getting pushed into the harbour by the shooting in the fields, whilst in the harbour itself there were good numbers of waders about, including the Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit, c300 Knot, c80 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, plus at least 500 Golden Plovers flying up from the back, along with everything else, when a Merlin sped through.

The hedges were quiet, though, with two Chiffchaffs, a Great Spotted woodpecker and two Kestrels being about it. (AH/CRJ)

This evening a very impressive seven Marsh Harriers went in to roost in the Severals, with an adult male and three females in the first and a sub-adult male and two females into the second. (S&SaH)

Whimbrel (above), Grey Plover, Brent Geese & Golden Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A flock of 13 Cattle Egrets were along Mill Lane this morning, with a Chiffchaff and two Stonechats along the wall, with a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzards and a Kestrel went over. (S&SaH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: A Dartford Warbler, a Kingfisher, two Stonechats, 12 Linnets, two Meadow Pipits, a Rock Pipit and two Skylarks were along the spit this morning, and around the harbour entrance there was a Sanderling, a Common Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls, and a Sandwich Tern, but it was quiet offshore, with just a couple of Great Crested Grebes on the water, and a Razorbill that flew by, heading west.

In the harbour on the rising tide there were large numbers of Grey Plovers, Knot, and Dunlin as well as two Bar-tailed Godwits, 100 Ringed Plovers and 30 Turnstones, and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose was amongst the vast number of Brent Geese on the water.

A Sparrowhawk flew across the Lagoon but on the water, there were just ten Tufted Ducks, eight Little Grebes and 50 Coots. (LP)

Sanderling (above), Sandwich Tern, Tufted Ducks & Knot, Dunlin & Grey Plovers at Pagham Spit (LP)

North Mundham: A Nuthatch was briefly on our feeders this afternoon. (MJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was quite a bit of activity on the Stilt Pool late this morning, including a Green Sandpiper, eight Dunlin, 21 Snipe, 74 Ringed Plovers, a Kingfisher and a Pied Wagtail, with c200 Lapwings, c300 Golden Plovers, c250 Brent Geese, four Egyptian Geese, a Water Rail, another Kingfisher and another Snipe out on the reserve.

The banks were fairly quiet, but held a Dartford Warbler, nine Stonechats, two Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests, two Pied Wagtails, a Yellowhammer, six Reed Buntings and eight Song Thrushes, whilst a flock of 98 Chaffinches flew over the track near the car-park, and there were also a Peregrine, two Marsh Harriers, two Kestrels and four Buzzards about. (S&SaH)