Monday, 9th December: The wind had eased down to fresh and blustery, and shifted to the north-east, leaving a cool and overcast, though dry, morning........
Selsey Bill: There was a good bit of activity this morning, including 51 Red-throated and two Black-throated Divers west and potentially five different Velvet Scoters and two different Long-tailed Ducks. Full log below. (P&LH/IP/AH/PA et al)
(0745-0945hrs)
Great Northern Diver - 1os
Black-throated Diver - 2W
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 51W, 6os
Great Crested Grebe - 1W
Gannet - 18E, 24W, c60os
Shag - 1E
Grey Heron - 1E
Brent Goose - 2E, 31W
Wigeon - 6E, 8W
Pintail - 1E
Teal - 6W
Long-tailed Duck - 1E, 1os
Velvet Scoter - 2E, 3W
Common Scoter - 4E, 60os
Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 6os
Sparrowhawk - 1
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 22
Mediterranean Gull - 3os
Common Gull - 2E, 4W
Kittiwake - 2W
Razorbill - 1E
auk sp - 2E
Pied Wagtail -
Linnet - 1
Goldfinch - 2
(1045-1145hrs) (P&LH)
Great Northern Diver - 2W, 1os
Red-throated Diver - 15W
Slavonian Grebe - 1W
Great crested Grebe - 1W, 1os
Gannet - 40os
Brent Goose - 12W, 2os
Common Scoter - 5os
Red-breasted Merganser - 2os
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Common Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 3W
Sandwich Tern - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser (above), Common Scoters, Gannets & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 30 Avocets on the pool this morning, with c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c75 Lapwings on the field, along with c100 Wigeon, and there were also c60 Shovelers, c60 Mallards and c120 Teal. (AH)
Avocets and Black-headed Gulls (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There was a Black Brant among the huge Brent Goose flock - numbering up to 3000 birds - this morning, with two Pale-bellied Brent Geese also present. This is the first on the Peninsula since one that was at Dell Quay in the winter of 2020/21.
Also, there was a pair of Stonechats along the spit but very little to see in the breezy harbour, whilst a Great White Egret flew over the Severals and landed briefly in the old horse field before flying over Priory Wood in the direction of the Ferry.
Also, four Marsh Harriers came in to roost at the Severals this evening. (AW/PA et al)
Black Brant (above), Great White Egret, Pale-bellied Brent Goose & Stonechat at Church Norton (AW)
Sidlesham: Lockgate Road - There were 17 Cattle Egrets among the cows in the fields north of the road this morning. (P&LH)
Marsh and Chalder Farms, Sidlesham: There were only half a dozen widely spread Cattle Egrets about this morning, and it was generally quiet.
A Chiffchaff, a Stonechat and a dozen Meadow Pipits were along Church Farm Lane, together with a Buzzard, whilst c50 Chaffinches around the various cover crops, but a couple of Yellowhammes at Chalder Lane were the only things with them. (AH)
Chiffchaff (above), Stonechat, Yellowhammer, Cattle Egret & Buzzard at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)
Sunday, 8th December: Another very windy morning, hovering around gale force and from close to due north, though dry, if overcast and cool rather than cold........
Selsey Bill: A Black-throated Diver went east and a Slavonian Grebe was offshore, but it was as quiet as might be expected in strong offshore winds. Full log below. (SH/BI/IP/AH/ML)
(0730-0900hrs) (NNW, F6-7)
Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 1os
diver sp - 1E
Gannet - 1E
Brent Goose - 5W
Common Scoter - 1os
Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 5W
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 2
Mediterranean Gull - 3E
Common Gull - 1E
Sandwich Tern - 3os
Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 25 Avocets on the pool, along with c80 Shovelers, c150 Teal, c30 Mallards and four Shelducks, whilst c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c100 Lapwings were on the field, along with c50 Wigeon. (AH)
Lapwings (above) & Avocets and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: There were still up to 2000 Brent Geese about this morning, commuting between the fields and the wind-blown harbour, but there was very little else about, with just a dozen Knot, c50 Grey Plovers and c200 Dunlin on the mud and a pair of Pintail, eight Shelducks, c50 Wigeon and Teal and a handful of Mediterranean and Common Gulls. (AH)
Brent Geese (above), Common Gull & Shelducks and Teal at Church Norton (AH)
This evening there were a male and three female Marsh Harriers around the Severals, though, oddly, none were seen to drop into the reeds. (S&SaH/AH)
Marsh Harrier at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: It was mostly Lapwings this morning, with c500 spread out over the mud, with20 Black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover and a few Redshanks were along White’s Creek and two Little Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe and plenty of Wigeon, Teal and Pintail out on the water.
Two Marsh Harriers were up over the reeds and 29 Black-tailed Godwits were with 75 Curlews in Honer 3 field, while in the field west of Marsh Farm there were c800 Brent Geese. (LP)
Lapwings (above), Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)
Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Unsurprisingly, the banks were quiet in the wind, with just a Dartford Warbler,, four Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting, a Pied Wagtail and a dozen Chaffinches seen, plus a Marsh Harrier, a Sparrowhawk and two Kestrels over.
Around 50 Brent Geese were on the reserve, whilst there was a bit of activity on the Stilt Pool, including a Kingfisher,, a Pied Wagtail, an Avocet, c100 Lapwings, c50 Teal and c100 Wigeon. (S&SaH)
Sidlesham: Lockgate Road - There was quite a bit of activity on the uncropped field by the junction of Lockgate Road and Boxham Lane, at the north of the village, this morning, including two Cattle Egrets, c150 Stock Doves and c60 Chaffinches. (AH)
Cattle Egret (above), Chaffinches & Stock Doves in Sidlesham (AH)
Runcton: There were four Blackbirds feeding on Spindle berries in the garden this morning. (CRJ)
Blackbird in a Runcton garden (CRJ)
Saturday, 7th December: A very wild and windy morning, with a severe westerly gale blowing endless squalls of rain through.....
Selsey Bill: A few Kittiwakes going west was about all the storm produced this morning. Full log below. (JA/SH/BI/IP/AH)
(0715-0900hrs) (W, F8-9)
Great Northern Diver - 4os
Red-throated Diver - 1os
Gannet - 3W
Brent Goose - 1W
Common Scoter - 5W
Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W, 2os
Oystercatcher - 1W
Turnstone - 8
Common Gull - 1W
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 26W
Rock Pipit - 1
(1430-1530hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Brent Goose - 2W
Greenshank - 1E
Turnstone - 30
Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1os
Red-breasted Merganser (above) & Common Scoter at the Bill (AH)
Ferry Pool: There were 31 Avocets on the pool this morning, but nothing else except c20 Teal and 40 Shovelers. (AH)
Avocets on the Ferry (AH)
Church Norton: At least 500 Brent Geese flew out of the harbour heading for the fields this morning, with a Bar-tailed Godwit, c50 Grey Plovers and Redshanks, c250 Knot and c800 Dunlin on the mud, with five Mediterranean Gulls, c50 Wigeon and Teal and a dozen Shelducks present, too, whilst a Sparrowhawk flew over. (AH)
Brent Geese (above), Mediterranean Gull, Wigeon, Knot & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)
North Wall: There was nothing much about in the wind and rain this morning, with just 100 Wigeon, a Little Grebe, a Black-tailed Godwit and a few Redshanks along White’s Creek and 100 Lapwing out on the mud.
On the Breech Pool there were134 Mallards, and at Halsey’s Farm ten Canada Geese and four Curlews were in the field, and another 100 Wigeon were along the rife. (LP)
Wigeon (above) & Curlews and Canada Geese at the North Wall (LP)
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