16th - 18th February 2025

Tuesday, 18th February: A hazily sunny morning, though cold in the fresh easterly breeze......

Diary notes: Pre-blog years (1975-2012) - I have now added another four years of entries as I move on to the start of the new Millennium (2000-2003). A mixture of mega-rares, a Honey Buzzard invasion, the odd hard-luck story and lots more....just click the link on the title bar.

Selsey Bill: The first flocks of apparently migrating Brent Geese headed east this morning, along with a steady flow of Red-throated Divers and the first-winter drake Eider, whilst two Slavonian Grebes were on the sea and, unusually, two Stock Doves flew in from well offshore. Full log later. (SH/PB/PM/AH/IP/SR/LL)

(0700-0900hrs) (E, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 61E, 2os

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 9E

Shag - 6E

Brent Goose - 31E

Eider - 1E

Common Scoter - 2os

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Sanderling - 1

Curlew - 3E

Turnstone - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E

Common Gull - 3E

Kittiwake - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 12os

Guillemot 2E

Stock Dove - 2N

Brent Geese (above), Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were again c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c150 Wigeon on the field, with c50 Shovelers and teal, a drake Gadwall and four Shelducks about it for the pool. (AH/PB/PM)

Shoveler (above) & Black-Tailed Godwits and Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were displaying at Halsey's Farm this morning. (EB)

Great Spotted Woodpeckers at Halsey's Farm (EB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - It was fairly quiet in the windy conditions this morning, with just a Dartford Warbler, four Stonechats, two Reed Buntings and 34 Yellowhammers seen along the banks and four Golden Plovers on the reserve, plus two Marsh Harriers over.

The only things of note on the Stilt Pool were an Avocet, a Black-tailed Godwit and three Ringed Plovers. (S&SaH/PB/PM)

Fishbourne Creek: A look along the creek at low tide this morning produced a lot of birds, but nothing much out of the ordinary, with two Greenshanks, an Avocet, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, three Red-breasted Mergansers and eight Pintail the highlights.

There were, though, at least 2000 Brent Geese and 500 Wigeon along the creek, together with c100 Teal, c500 Dunlin, 50 or so Curlews, Grey Plovers and Redshanks and a few Ringed Plovers and Turnstones, with half a dozen Little Grebes and at least 25 Great Crested Grebes on the water and a couple of Rock Pipits along the edge. (AH)

Greenshank and Teal (above), Avocet and Teal, Red-breasted Mergansers, Little Grebe & Brent Geese at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Monday, 17th February: Another cool, grey morning in a moderate to fresh easterly breeze......

Selsey Bill: A Slavonian Grebe and four Great Northern Divers, plus three Shovelers, were on the sea, but it was pretty slow this morning. Full log below. (AH/IP/ABi/SR/LL)

(0740-0910hrs) (ENE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 16E, 4os

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 22E, 5os

Shag - 2E

Brent Geese - 1E

Shoveler - 3os

Common Scoter - 3E, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 5W, 8os

Oystercatcher - 2E

Sanderling - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2os

Razorbill - 1E

Red-breasted Mergansers (above), Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c150 Wigeon on the field this morning, with eight Gadwall, four Shelducks, c20 Mallards, c60 Shovelers and c100 Teal around the pool. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon (above) & Gadwall, Teal, Shovelers and Mallards at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Grey Wagtail and a Kestrel were in the paddocks this morning, two Marsh Harriers were over the reeds further back and a Buzzard was up high, but elsewhere it was just the regular species out in the harbour, and a few Curlews in the fields. (LP/MJa/CT/GHi)

Grey Wagtail (above) & Kestrel at the North Wall (LP)

Merston: Along the rife opposite Merston Church this morning were two pairs of Mallard, a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest. (CRJ)

Chiffchaff at Merston (CRJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - A look late this afternoon produced 34 Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting and nine Song Thrushes along the banks, plus a Peregrine, a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)

West Wittering: Ella Nore to Rookwood - A look along the front here produced at least 1000 Brent Geese and Dunlin along the foreshore, along with a few Curlews, Grey Plovers and Redshanks, and there were also c100 Common Gulls present, with four Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great Crested Grebe on the water.

Th only things of note in the fields and hedges were a Mistle Thrush and a handful of Goldcrests. (AH)

Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Gulls (above), Common Gulls, Dunlin, curlew &Y Goldcrest at West Wittering (AH)

Sunday, 16th February: A cold morning in the fresh north-easterly breeze, with heavy cloud cover until mid-afternoon....

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much offshore beyond a few Red-throated Divers and Sandwich Terns, but a Skylark and two Chiffchaffs flew in from well out to sea. Full log below.(SH/IP/AH/SR)

(0700-0900hrs) (NE, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 17E, 2W, 2os

Slavonian Grebe - 1E, 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Gannet - 6E, 4W

Brent Goose - 1E, 2W

Pintail - 7W

Common Scoter - 2E, 8os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 1W, 3os

Oystercatcher - 2

Curlew - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 2os

Common Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 8os

Skylark - 1N (in off sea)

Chiffchaff - 2N (in off sea)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Skylark at the Bill (AH)

(1330-1430hrs) (AH)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 7W

Gannet - 18E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Turnstone - 12

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Gannets (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a lot of wildfowl about this morning, namely c300 Wigeon, c100 Teal, c80 Shovelers, c20 Mallard, eight Gadwall and six Shelducks. (AH)

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

Church Norton: There were plenty of birds about the harbour this morning, but nothing unusual, including c500 Lapwings, Knot and Dunlin, c100 Grey Plovers, c20 Pintail, c50 Wigeon and Teal and c500 Brent Geese, with up to another 2000 in the fields behind the churchyard. (AH)

Knot (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Selsey Peninsula: All three Long-eared Owls were still present today.(Eds)

North Wall: A Little Grebe was by the sluice and a few Dunlin were on the mud along with a Grey Plover but it was otherwise just all the regular species along White’s Creek.

A Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were over Owl Copse, but there was very little along the wall, with just a few Curlews in the fields, whilst at Halsey’s Farm a Mistle Thrush, a Song Thrush, four Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Green Woodpecker were in the trees, and c200 Wigeon were in the harbour by the outfall but that was about all on a very quiet morning. (LP)

Mistle Thrush (above), Grey Plover, Little Grebe, Lapwing and Dunlin & Wigeon at the North Wall (LP)

Chichester GPs: A female Goldeneye was on Westhampnett Lake East today. (SM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - There were still two corn Buntings in the cover crop field at Wilson's Farm this morning, along with ten or so Reed Buntings, c50 Yellowhammers, three Stonechats and eight Song Thrushes, with c100 Brent Geese on the reserve and a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard over. (S&SaH)