17th December 2025

Wednesday, 17th December: A fairly cool, but pleasant morning of light cloud and a fairly light south-westerly breeze...

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of activity this morning, with a few Great Northern and Red-throated Divers moving about, along with lots of distant auks and Gannets. Full log below. (P&LH/AH)

(0745-0915hrs) (SW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 4W, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 15W

Gannet - 78os

Shag - 4E

Brent Goose - 3W

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 4W, 2os

Turnstone - 2

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W, 8os

Sandwich Tern - 1os

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 13E, 2W

auk sp - 34E, 103W

Guillemot (above), Great Northern Diver (AH) & sunrise (LH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: There were just three Avocets, c40 Lapwings, two Shelducks and c120 Canada Geese on he pool this morning. (AH)

Avocets (above) & Lapwings and Canada Geese at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Coal Tit was around today, along with a Goldcrest, a Reed Bunting and a Squealing Water Rail, whilst 20 Shovelers and ten Teal were on the flooded field. (M&LL)

Church Norton: There were a Great Northern Diver, a Red-throated Diver and a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea this morning, with c20 Gannets feeding well offshore, and also five Red-throated Divers flew west.

The harbour was quiet on the high tide, though the three Greenshanks were with a dozen Redshanks on the concrete blocks, a mix of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers were roosting on the metalwork and a few Teal and Wigeon were scattered about, and there was also a Mistle Thrush in he car-park. (AH/DC et al)

Gannet (above), Greenshanks and Redshanks, Teal and Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Goldcrest was along the lane and a Water Rail was in the paddock, but it was generally quiet along the wall with just a few Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and Greenfinches in the hedgerows, along with a Green Woodpecker, two Song Thrushes and a Jay, whilst four Rock Pipits were along the wall.

There were plenty of birds out in the harbour, but it was just the usual mix of Lapwings, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Redshanks and Curlews, as well as Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelducks. (LP/MJa)

Rock Pipit (above), Green Woodpecker & song Thrush along the North Wall (LP)

Fishbourne Creek: At Dell Quay this morning, just after high tide, there were six Little Grebes, six Great Crested Grebes, four Red-breasted Mergansers, five Greenshanks and a Kingfisher, with a male Pintail further up the creek. (RW)

Chichester Canal: A look along the canal from Donnington this morning produced 30 Redwings, 20 Blackbirds and four Song Thrushes in the hedges, along with a couple of Jays and Goldcrests, with a Grey Heron, a couple of Gadwall and a couple of Little Grebes on the canal itself. (P&LH)