17th - 19th January 2025

Sunday, 19th January: A surprisingly chilly day with a light south south-easterly wind and gloomy grey skies....

Selsey Bill: It was hard going for the regulars this morning, the highlights being two Slavonian Grebes that flew east and 20 Sandwich Terns offshore.. Full log below: (SH/BI/MRe/IP/SR)

(0735hrs-0920hrs) (SSE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 2E 4os

Red-throated Diver - 7E 6W 2 os

Slavonian Grebe - 2E

Gannet - 4E 71W

Shag - 7E

Common Scoter - 5W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E 5os

Oystercatcher - 3E 4ob

Turnstone - 1ob

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Oystercatchers at the Bill (BI) 

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was still present this morning on the roadside pool and there was a good mix of wildfowl present including c.30 Teal, 40 Wigeon, 15 Shovelers, 12 Mallards and 5 Shelduck (BI)

Green Sandpiper and Shoveler at the Ferry (BI)

North Wall: It was quiet along the wall first thing this morning with a Marsh Harrier over the Breech Pool, where the bearded Tits were heard but not seen and two Stonechats  the best. White's Creek did, however, hold plenty of the regular species, including the horde of Lapwing, two Pintails and c.100 Wigeon.  (Sah/SH/DB/BI et al)

Pagham Spit: A  white-winged gull sp., possibly an Iceland Gull, was reported from here at 1300hrs before flying east towards Bognor. (T.Allen/Birdguides et al)

Itchenor to Ellanore:  There was a good selection here this morning including 400 Brent Geese, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 400 Dunlin, 30 Bar-tailed Godwits and 25 Black-tailed Godwits. The Grey Partridges, twelve in number, were again in the field near Rookwood, 40 Meadow Pipits and 2 Linnets were noted, a Raven went over and two Goldcrest were in the hedges. The copse held a Firecrest and a Treecreeper, and a Buzzard and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen too. (MRe)

Selsey Peninsula: The Long-eared Owls were still in situ today but more reticent to show after yesterday's large crowd. If you are lucky enough to be pointed in the right direction by the RSPB please be respectful to the birds, other birdwatchers and the general public. (Eds)

Drayton: Thirty Greylag Geese and one Canada Goose were in the fields opposite the pits today (BI)

Greylags at Drayton (BI)

Medmerry, Easton Lane to the stilt Pool: A Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were near the car park this afternoon and c.500 Brent Geese and c.200 Golden Plover were over the reserve. Forty Fieldfares and ten Song Thrushes were around the poplars with five Yellowhammers and four Stonechats found along the banks. On the Stilt Pool were 28 Ringed Plovers, 15 Dunlin, a single Avocet and two Snipe whilst three Sanderling were along the beach front. (SaH/SH)

Saturday, 18th January: A decidedly cool morning, under leaden skies, with the breeze slightly fresher and from the east......

Selsey Bill: There was a fair selection again this morning, including 54 Red-throated Divers, 115 Gannets and 35 Kittiwakes east, nine Great Northern Divers, a Slavonian Grebe, the two drake Eider and 92 Common Scoters on the sea and two Sanderlings on the beach. Full log below. (JA/SH/BI/IP/CRJ/RHa/AH/M&LL et al)

(0735-0935hrs) (E, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 9os

Red-throated Diver - 54E, 2W, 11os

diver sp - 3E

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 115E, 20os

Shag - 9E

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 92os

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 2W, 5os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Sanderling - 2

Curlew - 1E

Turnstone - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 4E

Kittiwake - 35E

Sandwich Tern - 14os

Razorbill - 1E, 1os

auk sp - 59E

Great Northern Diver (above), Red-throated Divers, Sandwich Terns & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper came and went several times from the roadside pool this morning, whilst a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and at least 500 Lapwings were on the field and pool, with two Shelducks, seven Mallards, c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal and Wigeon also about.

Also, two Bullfinches were along the cycle track by Yeoman's Field at 1005hrs, but not later, when there were also two Firecrests in the hedges along the track and a couple of Redwings in the hedges around Yeoman's Field. (AW/AH/BI/MRe/IP/CRJ et al)

Green Sandpiper (above), Shovelers & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

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

North Wall: There were six Bearded Tits in the reeds at the Breech Pool this morning, and further back a male and two Marsh Harriers were seen. 

A pair of Pintail were on the mud along White’s Creek and the usual vast amount of Lapwing were about, along with a few hundred Golden Plover and a few Knot and Dunlin were way out in the harbour.

Elsewhere it was quiet with just a few Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews in the fields and the usual c150 Wigeon along the rife at Halsey;s Farm. whilst a Kestrel was feasting on a Wood Pigeon in the paddock, where there was otherwise just a Song Thrush at the far end.

There were also seven geese out in the harbour which appeared top be the long-staying, though infrequently seen, flock of apparent Cackling Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrids. (LP/SP/CT/ARK/MRe)

Also, the flock of ten Barnacle Geese were seen flying about this afternoon. (M&LL)

Pintail (above), Curlew, Kestrel & dubious geese at the North Wall (LP)

West Itchenor: The Tree-creeper was in Chalkdock Copse this morning, but there was no sign of the Nuthatch. (IP)

Medmerry: Medmerry Trail to Porthole Farm - A look along the trail this morning produced a Chiffchaff, a Cetti's Warbler, five Pied Wagtails, two Snipe, c200 Golden Plovers, c400 Lapwing, a Marsh Harrier and three Buzzards. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Windmill to the Breach - A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was with c150 Brent Geese near the breach tis morning, with ten Shelducks and c60 Wigeon also about, along with a good selection of waders, including three Greenshanks,  five Sanderlings, three Knot, c60 Dunlin, 15 Ringed Plovers, c40 Grey Plovers and c400 Golden Plovers and Lapwings.

There were also a seven Common Scoters and a Red-breasted Merganser offshore, but a Stonechat and a Meadow Pipit were the only passerines of note. (MRe)

Friday, 17th January: Another fairly cool and overcast morning, but with the breeze still fairly light and from the south......

Selsey Bill: The Red-necked Grebe went east again this morning, slightly closer in, and there were also five Slavonian Grebes, a Black-throated Diver and at least nine Great Northern Divers, plus the two drake Eider, 14 Sandwich Terns and the Black Redstart about, too. Full log below. (JA/BI/ABi/SR/LP/SP/IH/AH/P&LH/TR)

(0735-0935hrs) (SSE, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 9os

Black-throated Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 12E, 8W, 4os

diver sp - 7E, 4W

Red-necked Grebe - 1E

Slavonian Grebe - 5os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 13E, 3os

Shag - 8E

Eider - 2os

Common Scoter - 53os

Red-breasted Merganser- 3E, 2W, 8os

Curlew - 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 14os

auk sp - 12E, 5W

Black Redstart - 1

Eider (above), Common Scoters, Red-throated Diver & Black Redstart at the Bill (AH)

Also, of interest, a male Blackcap was feeding on an apple in our garden in Byways, behind the Bill, and eight Linnets dropped in yesterday. (B Richardson)

Blackcap at the Bill (B Richardson)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was on the small roadside pool again this morning, though, otherwise, there were just four Shelducks and c50 Shovelers and Teal present. (BI/AH et al)

Green Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Spotted Redshank was in White's Creek this morning, (J Holter), and later, at least two Lesser Redpolls were at Halsey's Farm (SM)

West Itchenor: A Nuthatch was at Chalkdock Copse this morning, as was a Treecreeper.(BI)

Nuthatch (above) & Treecreeper at West Itchenor (BI)

Highleigh: A Barn Owl flew across the road before dawn this morning. (SH)

North Mundham: A Coal Tit was in the garden this morning. (MJ)

Medmerry: Coastguards to the Breach - The Common Scoter flock - of c90 birds - and the two drake Eider were off the Coastguard station this morning, with two Great Northern Divers, two Red-throated Divers, eight Red-breasted Mergansers and two Great Crested Grebes spread along the front.

There were lots of birds around the breach, including the Purple Sandpiper, a Greenshank, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed and Grey Plovers, c300 Dunlin, c150 Golden Plovers, c500 Lapwings, c40 Pintail, c100 Wigeon, c200 Teal, c30 Shelducks and c300 Brent Geese, but a Stonechat near the windmill was the only passerine noted. (AH/BI)

Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin and Grey Plovers (above), Greenshank, Eider and Common Scoters, Ringed Plovers, Golden Plovers, Stonechat & Fox at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool -  A Dartford warbler, a Chiffchaff, two Goldcrests, a Reed Bunting and 11 Yellowhammers were along the banks this afternoon, whilst just before dusk a flock of c80 Fieldfares few into the poplars.

Also, an Avocet and c30 Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool, with c75 Brent Geese, c200 Lapwings and c400 Golden Plovers on the reserve and a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier and four Buzzards over. (S&SaH/AH)

Fieldfares at Medmerry (AH)