7th January 2025

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)

East Side & 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)