Tuesday, 7 January 2025

7th - 9th January 2025

Thursday, 9th January: A bright, but chill, morning in a moderate north-westerly breeze........

Selsey Bill: A Velvet Scoter was offshore, a Black-throated Diver went east and the Black Redstart was showing well this morning, with a selection of the regular species about, too. Full log below. (SH/PA/AH/IP/SR et al)
(0745-0945hrs) (NW, F4)
Great Northern Diver - 4E, 2os
Black-throated Diver - 1E
Red-throated Diver - 11E, 19W
Great Crested Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 16E, 1W
Shag - 5E
Wigeon - 3E
Velvet Scoter - 1os
Common Scoter - 1E
Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 4W
Oystercatcher - 1E
Turnstone - 18
Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 2os
Common Gull - 1W
Kittiwake - 20E
Razorbill - 1E, 1W
auk sp - 16E
Black Redstart - 1
Chiffchaff - 1

Black-throated Diver (above), Velvet Scoter (PA above, AH lower), Velvet Scoter and Great Northern Diver, Black Redstart, Common Scoter & Shag (AH) at the Bill






Ferry Pool: It was just wildfowl about this morning, comprising c50 Shovelers, c150 Teal, c100 Wigeon, c30 Mallards and four Shelducks. (AH)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Selsey Peninsula: Two Long-eared Owls were present again today. (Eds)

Church Norton: A Firecrest was at the bottom of the path to the harbour this morning, along with a few Long-tailed Tits, whist a Song Thrush and the partially albino Blackbird were in the adjacent field.
Thee were also plenty of waders on the mud, including the Whimbrel, c50 Grey Plovers, c200 Knot and 500 Dunlin, but not much else of note in the harbour, whilst c250 Brent Geese and nine Red-legged Partridges were behind the churchyard.. (AH)

Firecrest (above), Long-tailed Tit, Red-legged Partridges & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)



North Wall: This afternoon a Pale-bellied Brent was among a flock of around 2000 Brent along Rookery Lane, and there was a flock of at least 16 Lesser Redpolls near the entrance to Halsey's Farm. (AW)
Also, along the wall itself, there were a Water Rail, a Spotted Redshank, a Marsh Harrier, two Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warbler a Song Thrush and a Kestrel. (P&BrJ)


Lesser Redpolls (above) & Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Halsey's Farm (AW)

This evening, a Barn Owl was showing well at Halsey's farm. (H Richardson)

Barn Owl at Halsey's Farm (H Richardson)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A female Merlin was on the reserve today, along with a Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel, two Buzzards, an Egyptian Goose, c200 Brent Geese, c50 Golden Plovers and c100 Lapwings.
Also, an Avocet and a Greenshank were about it for the Stilt Pool, whilst three Dartford Warblers, a Chiffchaff, four Reed Buntings and ten Yellowhammers were along the banks. (SH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake complex - A good selection of standard wildfowl were seen this morning, comprising four Egyptian Geese, 14 Greylag Geese, just two Canada Geese, six Shovelers, nine Gadwall, a Teal, 44 Mallard, 48 Pochard and 97 Tufted Ducks, plus 11 Mute Swans, with 12 Great Crested Grebes, seven Little Grebes and four Common Gulls also about. 
A Water Rail and a handful of Little Egrets and Grey Herons were also present, but two Redwings, a Grey Wagtail, a Chiffchaff and a Cetti's Warbler were the only passerines of note. (PA)

Egyptian Goose (above) & Grey Heron at Chichester GPs (PA)








Wednesday, 8th January: Another cold morning, heavily overcast throughout, though  the breeze had dropped considerably as it shifted to the north-east.......

Selsey Bill: It was a case of quality over quantity this morning, with a Red-necked Grebe and a Black-throated Diver dropping in offshore and a Long-tailed Duck going east, with half a dozen Great Northern Divers offshore, too, but very little on the move. Full log below. (IP/AH/SR/MO-W/ML)
(0755-0910hrs) (NE, F2-3)
Great Northern Diver - 7os
Black-throated Diver - 1os
Red-throated Diver - 1E, 2W, 3os
Red-necked Grebe - 1os
Gannet - 2E
Shag - 8E
Brent Goose - 1E
Long-tailed Duck - 1E
Common Scoter - c50os
Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W, 3os
Oystercatcher - 1E
Turnstone - 16
Mediterranean Gull - 5os
Razorbill - 9E, 1os
auk sp - 3W

(1230-1330hrs) (SH)
Great Northern Diver - 2os
Red-throated Diver - 1W
Gannet - 3W
Long-tailed Duck - 2os
Common Scoter - 80os
Oystercatcher - 1E
Mediterranean Gull - 5E
auk sp - 1W

Red-necked Grebe (above), Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver & Shags at the Bill (AH)



Ferry Pool: A single Avocet was on the pool and c100 Lapwings were on the field this morning, wit, otherwise, c50 Shovelers, c150 Teal and c200 wigeon present. (AH)

Shovelers and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: After yesterday's large numbers, it was very quiet this morning, with scarcely a bird in any of the Honer fields or along the wall, though White's Creek held a Kingfisher, a Rock Pipit, two Little Grebes, c250 Black-tailed Godwits, c300 Golden Plovers, c800 Lapwings, c100 Wigeon and c50 Teal. (AH)

Rock Pipit (above), Black-tailed Godwits & Lapwings at the North Wall (AH)


Pagham Lagoon: The female Goldeneye was again present, but beyond that there were just a drake Shoveler, two pairs of Tufted Ducks and a dozen Little Grebes present. (AH)

Goldeneye (above), Shoveler & Little Grebes at Pagham Lagoon (AH)


Sidlesham Common: There were five Cattle Egrets in the fields along Lockgate Road, together with a Sparrowhawk and c50 Stock Doves. (AH)

Hunston: Four Cattle Egrets and two Little Egrets were in the fields at Reedbridge Farm. (AH)

Cattle Egret at Hunston (AH)




Tuesday, 7th January: A cold and bright morning in a very fresh and blustery north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Three Slavonian Grebes and six Great Northern Divers were offshore, and the Black Redstart was present again but nothing was moving. Full log later. (SH/AH/SR)
(0745-0900hrs) (NW, 5-6)
Great Northern Diver - 6os
Red-throated Diver - 8E, 1os
Slavonian Grebe - 1W, 2os
Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os
Gannet - 8E, 13W
Shag - 2E
Brent Goose - 2W
Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 2os
Turnstone - 9
Mediterranean Gull - 2os
Common Gull - 1W
Sandwich Tern - 4os
auk sp - 3E

Slavonian Grebe (above), Great Northern Diver & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)


Ferry Pool: Around 50 Lapwings and Wigeon were on the field this morning, with just c60 Shovelers and c150 Teal on the pool, whilst a Grey Wagtail flew over. (AH)

Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: There was no sign of the Black-throated Diver this morning, though the female Goldeneye, a drake Pochard and eight Little Grebes were on the water. (TG/LP/OM) 

Pochard on Pagham Lagoon (LP)

East side: Along the East side the Spotted Redshank was feeding well early on, in the channel at the far end of White's Creek, before eventually moving back towards the sluice. The mudflats held good numbers of wildfowl and waders; I estimated 450 Knot, 300+ Dunlin, 50+ Grey Plovers and 200+ Black-tailed Godwits, together with 300+ Wigeon, c.45 Pintail and 18 Shelduck. (OM)

Wigeon with Teal and Spotted Redshank with Wigeon in White's Creek (OM)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank was by the sluice, and another was in the flooded fields where there was also 24 Shovelers, 18 Canada Geese, two Greylag Geese, an Egyptian Goose 72 Curlews, 26 Black-tailed Godwits, 200 Lapwings, 80 Redshanks, 40 Teal, 150 Wigeon, two Little Grebes and a huge flock of c2000 Brent Geese, whilst out in the harbour the usual large group of Lapwing were on the mud, as well as a flock of 250 Black-tailed Godwits with plenty of Knot and Dunlin further out.
A Kestrel was along the hedgerow and a Raven, a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk flew, over, and a water Rail was about, but other than a Pied Wagtail in the paddock, two Rock Pipits along the wall and two Stonechats at Halsey's farm, there were no other small birds about. (LP/CT/S&SaH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Greylag Goose, Shovelers, Brent Geese, Kestrel (LP), Black-tailed Godwits, Brent Geese & lapwings (EB) at the North Wall 








Church Norton: A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was among the c500 Brent Geese that were behind the churchyard this morning, with another 100 or so in the harbour, but there wasn't much else going on besides the regular Whimbrel, two Bar-tailed Godwits and lots of widely spread Knot (including one with a red tag on its left leg), Dunlin and Grey Plovers, plus a female Kestrel in the hedges. (AH)


Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied Brent Geese (above), Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Knot & Kestrel at Church Norton (AH)




Fishbourne Creek: Two male and a female Goldeneye were along the creek this morning, with two Greenshanks and an Avocet also of note. (PB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Dartford Warblers, two Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Bunting and seven Yellowhammers were along the banks this afternoon, with a Water Rail, two Egyptian Geese, c500 Brent Geese, c300 Lapwings and c300 Golden Plovers around the reserve, and three Buzzards went over. (S&SaH)







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