4th - 6th February 2025

Thursday, 6th February: A cold, but bright, morning in a moderate north-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There were three Great Northern Divers and half a dozen Red-throated Divers, plus five Common Scoters, about, but that was about it. Full log below. (SR/IP)

(0755-0855hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 2W 

Great Crested Grebe - 1os 

Gannet - 3E 

Common Scoter - 5os 

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2os 

Common Gull - 1E 

auk sp 1E

Ferry Pool: An Avocet and c40 Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool this morning, along with two Shelducks, a pair of Gadwall, c50 Shovelers and c100 Teal, with c250 Wigeon out on the field. (AH)

Avocet, Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Spotted Redshank was at the far end of Ferry Channel this morning, along with c30 Redshank and a few Wigeon and Teal, whist further out a Marsh Harrier was hunting and c300 Lapwings and c50 Golden Plovers dropped in.

A pair of Stonechats were busy along the pool, but a couple of Reed Buntings and four Meadow Pipits was about it, otherwise. (AH)

Spotted Redshank (above), Stonechats, Reed Bunting & Lapwings at the Long Pool (AH)

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

North Wall: A Raven flew out over the harbour early on, and three Marsh Harriers were up over the reeds along with two Buzzards, whilst the Grey Wagtail was in the paddocks and a Rock Pipit was along the rocks, but it was otherwise quiet along the wall apart from a Chiffchaff in the bushes.

Out in the harbour were the usual large numbers of Lapwing, Golden Plovers and Brent Geese, with plenty of Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plovers out on the mud, and a few Curlews were in the fields. (LP/SP/TRH)

Later, a Spotted Redshank was in White's Creek, along with a Curlew with a satellite tracker and a yellow flag, A7, on it. (GT)

Golden Plovers (LP) & tagged Curlew (GT) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - An Avocet, a Redshank, a couple of Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers and a few Lapwings and Teal were on the Stilt Pool this morning, with a Stonechat, good numbers of Linnets and Yellowhammers, a Grey Heron and a couple of Green Woodpeckers also seen. (EB)

Stonechat (above), Yellowhammers and Linnets, Ringed Plovers, Redshank & Lapwings and Teal at Medmerry (EB)

Wednesday, 5th February: After a sharp frost, a cool but hazily bright morning in a light westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There was a good movement of 179 Red-throated Divers east this morning, including a loose flock of 43, with more dropping in offshore, where there were also a Slavonian Grebe and half a dozen Great Northern Divers. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/IP/SR)

(0715-0930hrs) (W, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 6os

Red-throated Diver - 179E, 12W, 13os

Slavonian Grebe - 1W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Gannet - 8E, 14W, 25os

Mute Swan - 2E

Common Scoter - 6E, 5os

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E, 11os

Oystercatcher - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 3os

auk sp - 1W

Red-throated Divers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just lots of wildfowl about this morning, comprising three Shelducks, a pair of Gadwall, c60 Shovelers, c30 Mallard, c100 Teal and c200 Wigeon. (AH)

Wigeon, Teal and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

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

Church Farm, Sidlesham: A Barn Owl was along Church Farm Lane late this afternoon. (SR)

North Wall: There were vast numbers of birds out in the harbour, including c1500 Brent Geese and 1000+ Lapwings and Golden Plover, with lots of Wigeon, Teal and Redshanks along White's Creek.

It was quiet along the wall, though, with a Grey Wagtail and a couple of Pied Wagtails and Green Woodpeckers around the paddocks and a Rock Pipit along the wall about it, with nothing in the fields but a dozen Curlews. (LP/CT/AH et al)

Lapwings (above) & Lapwings and Golden Plovers at the North Wall (AH)

This evening the two Little Owls were at Little Welbourne and a hunting Barn Owl and two calling Tawny Owls were at Halsey's Farm.

There were also three Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard about, with 20 Snipe seen and a Cetti's Warbler and four Water Rails heard, whilst at least 13LesserRedpolls were still at Halsey's Farm.. (S&SaH/PB/AB/CD/AH)

Barn Owl (above) & Little Owl at the North Wall (SaH)

Runcton: South of the village this morning there were five Egyptian Geese, three Shelducks, 15 Mallard, 16 Shovelers, eight Gadwall, 12 Teal, ten Tufted Ducks, a Grey Heron, a Little Egret, two Buzzards, 20 Coots, three Moorhens, Water Rails, 31 Black-headed Gulls, two Green Woodpeckers, a Stonechat, two Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests and six Long-tailed Tits. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Peregrine was causing havoc among the Starlings this morning, and there were also a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and two Ravens about.

Also, a Water Rail was on the reserve and an Avocet, four Snipe, five Dunlin and nine Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool but the banks were quiet, with just five Stonechats, two Cetti's Warblers, a Reed Bunting and 41 Yellowhammers noted. (S&SaH/PB)

Tuesday, 4th February: Another cool and grey morning, though the breeze had freshened and veered to the south-west....

Selsey Bill: There was a good early westward movement of Gannets this morning, and two Slavonian Grebes were on the sea. Full log below. (AH/P&LH/LP/SR)

(0735-0850hrs) (SW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 6E

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 140W, 30os

Shag - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 7E, 2os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Common Gull - 1W

Razorbill - 19W

auk sp - 1E, 8W

Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were three Avocets on the pool this morning, along with c30 Black-tailed Godwits, two Shelducks, c60 Shovelers, c30 Mallards and c100 Teal, with at least 250 Wigeon on the field. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There at least 1000 Brent Geese on this side of the harbour, and at least another 1500 on the far side, but wildfowl were otherwise few beyond the odd Wigeon and Teal and c25 Shelducks.

Apart from the huge flock of 1000+ Golden Plovers and 500+ Lapwings at the Ferry end, there were just c200 Knot and Dunlin, c50 Grey Plovers and three Bar-tailed Godwits on the mud, and there was also a Firecrest among a small Long-tailed Tit flock at the bottom of the path to the harbour. (AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Knot & Golden Plovers and Lapwings at Church Norton (AH)

Sidlesham Common: There were 12 Egyptian Geese in the field south of Lockgate Road this morning. (P&LH)

Fishbourne Creek: Highlights this morning around low tide included 34 Avocets above Dell Quay, nine Pintail off the Lavant outflow, three Greenshanks along the creek and 14 Pied Wagtail in the field by Apuldram church. (RW)

Avocets in Fishbourne Creek (RW)