13th - 15th February 2025

Saturday, 15th February:  Yet another cool and grey morning, with the moderate breeze from the south-east.......

Selsey Bill: A Black-throated Diver went east again, along with 28 Red-throated Divers, whilst 16 Sandwich Terns were offshore. Full log below. (SH/BI/IP/P&LH/SR)

(0700-0900hrs) (SE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 5os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 28E, 1os

Gannet - 2E, 1W, 5os

Shag - 7E

Brent Goose - 2E

Eider - 1E

Common Scoter - 2W, 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 10E, 5W, 4os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E

Sandwich Tern - 16os

At 1000hrs, a flock of 28 Pintails went east. (AW)

Pintail at the Bill (AW)

(1300-1400hrs) (AH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 1W, 2os

Turnstone - 14

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Around 75 Shovelers, six Gadwall, five Shelducks and c50 Teal were on the pool at high tide, with c100 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Shovelers and Teal (above) & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

Chichester Canal: The flock of Siskins were still present this morning, further east along the canal from the Birdham Road, with not much else to report beyond a Redwing, a Grey Heron and a Canada goose. (IP)

West Wittering: A Tree-creeper was at Ella Nore today, and three Sanderlings were among the roosting waders. (SM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Three Dartford Warblers, three goldcrests, two Stonechats, three Reed Buntings and 29 Yellowhammers were along the banks this morning.

Also, c400 Brent geese were on the reserve, plus a Buzzard over, whilst an Avocet, a Snipe, eight Dunlin and nine Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much to report on the high tide this morning, with waders including the Whimbrel, c50 Redshanks and a big flock of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers near the harbour mouth.

The huge flock of c2000 Brent Geese was on the fields again, whist a dozen Pintail and c50 Wigeon and Teal were in the harbour. (AH)

This evening just one Marsh Harrier went in to roost in the Severals, and there was also a Firecrest in the gorse along the beach there. (S&SaH)

Whimbrel (above), Teal & Wigeon at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: Drayton pits - The monthly WeBS count produced a few records of interest, with totals of 87 Shoveler and 142 Pochard - the latter count of county and regional importance, with all but four birds on the North pit. Other birds of interest included 60+ Greylags, four Egyptian Geese, eight Snipe and a Jack Snipe. The highlight though was a female Marsh Harrier over an inaccessible area of reeds near the railway line - in an area where the species previously bred and which is scheduled for development in the near future. (OM)

Pochards at Drayton House North pit - a consistently important site for this species. (OM)

Female Marsh Harrier at Drayton pits - prospecting the area?  (OM)

Friday, 14th February: Another cold morning, with the breeze having shifted to the south-east and freshened considerably, though slowly brightening up after a grey start.......

Selsey Bill: A  Black-throated Diver went east, a Fulmar went west and a few more Gannets were about, but it remains slow. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/AH/SR)

(0715-0900hrs) (SE, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 1os

Black-throated Diver - 1E

Red-throated Diver - 9E, 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 11E, 2W, 8os

Teal - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 11E, 5W, 8os

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Common Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 4E

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 9E, 1W

Black-throated Diver (above) & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: At least 300 Wigeon were on the field this morning, along with c100 Lapwings and c40 Black-tailed Godwits, with 14 Gadwall on the pool, together with c60 Shovelers and Teal, c20 Mallards and three Shelducks

Also, a Marsh Harrier went over, heading into the harbour. (AH)

Marsh Harrier (above), Wigeon and Lapwings & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Kingfisher flew out from the sluice and two Snipe were on the mud along with a few Redshanks and, further along White’s Creek, there were two Bar-tailed Godwits, c1200 Lapwing, c800 Golden Plover, c300 Grey Plovers, c400 Knot and c100 Dunlin with the usual selection of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelducks along with a Little Grebe. Also, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was with 78 Great Black-backed Gulls and a few Common Gulls were about, too.

It was quiet along the wall with just a Sparrowhawk at Owl Copse, and c200 Brent Geese in the fields, including the Pale-bellied bird, whilst a pair of Stock Doves were in the Paddock and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Green Woodpecker and six Meadow Pipits were in the surrounding trees, with the male Marsh Harrier further back. (LP/SP/MJa)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Snipe, Grey Plover, Knot, Stock Dove & Great Spotted Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)

Chalder and Marsh Farms, Sidlesham: The meadows held ten Egyptian Geese, two Canada Geese, 26 Cattle Egrets, six Little Egrets, 17 Curlews, nine Shelducks, six Pied Wagtails, two flocks of Long-tailed Tits, a flock of Chaffinches, two Stonechats, three Stock Doves, 43 Collared Doves, a Chiffchaff, a Buzzard and two Kestrels, whilst Little Grebes could be heard. (SR)

Cattle Egret at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (SR)

Selsey Peninsula: There were still at least two Long-eared Owls present today. (Eds)

Drayton Pits: A Woodcock was found in a nearby woodland area today and nearby was a flock of at least 1550 mixed gulls including Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mediterranean Gulls, Common Gulls, Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls; fourteen Cattle Egrets were also present.  (BI)

Gulls at Drayton (BI)

Chichester Canal: The flock of Siskins were again in the birches at the western end this morning. (BI)

Siskin at Chichester Canal (BI)

Dell Quay: Three Greenshank, an Avocet and a Sandwich Tern were the highlights today found among many the Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal and waders present. (BI)

Sandwich Tern (above) & Redshank with Greenshank at Dell Quay (BI)

Hunston: There were two Egyptian Geese in the uncropped field opposite the golf course this morning. (IP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - Nearly all the action this morning was in the cover crop field near Wilson's Farm, with the most birds seen there for a couple of winters, and including at least four Corn Buntings, c30 Reed Buntings, c100 Yellowhammers and Linnets and c40 Skylarks, along with a few Greenfinches and Chaffinches.

The stubble fields were quiet, though, beyond a flock of c200 Stock Doves and vast numbers of corvids. (AH)

Corn Buntings (above), Yellowhammers, Skylark & Stock Doves at Medmerry (AH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm - The most surprising sight this afternoon was a Red-throated Diver that flew in from the east, circled round and headed off west, at least half a mile in from the sea.

Otherwise, a Marsh Harrier was hunting the fields, a couple of Chiffchaffs were in the hedges, c20 Pied Wagtails were on the maize stubble fields and half a dozen Yellowhammers and two flocks of Linnets, totalling c100 birds, were along the Medmerry Trail. (AH)

Red-throated Diver (above), Marsh Harrier, Chiffchaff & Linnets at Medmerry (AH)

Thursday, 13th February: Yet another grey and murky morning, brightening a little later on as the fairly light north-easterly started to freshen.....

Selsey Bill: It was very quiet this morning, with six Sandwich Terns and five Great Northern Divers offshore and two Sanderlings on the beach the highlights. Full log below. (AH/SR/LL)

(0740-0840hs) (NE, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 2E, 2W, 2os

Common Scoter - 10os

Sanderling - 2

Turnstone - 3

Sandwich Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 2W

auk sp - 7W

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

Ferry Pool: There were c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c150 Wigeon on the field this morning, with c60 Shovelers and c40 Teal on the pool, and a Marsh Harrier and a Snipe both went over the channel opposite. (AH)

Snipe (above) & Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: At first light this morning, a Barn Owl was hunting over the horse field. (AW)

Later, a first-winter male Eider was on the sea, along with a female Red-breasted Merganser, four Slavonian Grebes and two Great Crested Grebes, with a Sandwich Tern and four Common Gulls also offshore.

There were a lot of birds in the harbour on the rising tide, including c800 Brent Geese, c1000 Lapwings, c500 Knot and Dunlin, c100 Grey Plovers, two Bar-tailed Godwits and a few Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, with a Marsh Harrier hunting at the far end. (AH)

Barn Owl (AW) (above), Eider, Common Gull, Dunlin & Knot (AH) at Church Norton

West Wittering: There were two Nuthatches between Rookwood and Ella Nore this morning, with several Coal Tits at Rookwood, too (GM), whilst later, two Grey Partridges were at Ella Nore (SH)

Medmerry: Earnley -to the Stilt Pool - A flock of c20 Fieldfare was around the stubble field near the car park and the hedges held a Dartford Warbler, four Reed Buntings, ten Yellowhammers and around 50 Linnets, whilst 150 Brent Geese were feeding in the fields and Skylarks were in full song.

There were quite a few birds in and around the Stilt Pool: A, including a single Avocet, six Ringed Plovers, a Redshank, nine Dunlin, two Oystercatchers, a Greenshank, 4four Shovelers, seven Brent Geese, six Canada Geese, six Gadwall, eight Tufted Ducks, 16 Teal, four Little Grebes, a Grey Heron, a Little Egret, a Black-headed Gull in summer plumage and a calling Chiffchaff. (SR)

Reed Bunting, Yellowhammers and Linnets at Medmerry (SR)