20th - 22nd December 2025

Monday, 22nd December: A surprisingly mild and pleasantly sunny morning in just a light breeze, though clouding up later.........

Selsey Bill: Over 100 Brent Geese went east this morning and up to 19 Sandwich Terns were seen, along with a mix of the other usual species. Full log below. (SH/LP)

(0750-0920hrs) (SE, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 7W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 7E, 19W

Shag - 2E, 1W

Brent Goose - 115E, 29W

Shelduck - 1E

Pintail - 3E

Shoveler - 5W

Common Scoter - 1W, 30os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 7W

Turnstone - 3

Great Black-backed Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 17E

Sandwich Tern - 13E, 6W

Razorbill - 12W

auk sp - 2E, 4W

Also, a Black-throated Diver was on the sea this afternoon. (RPo)

Ferry Pool: It was much the same as recent days, with c100 Lapwings, c60 Shovelers and c50 Wigeon and Teal, plus two Pied Wagtails, on the pool, with c120 Canada Geese in the fields. (AH)

Later, a Peregrine was on the radar mast and a female Marsh Harrier was about. (RPo)

Shovelers and Teal on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There wasn't too much to report today, with three Rock Pipits along the wall and c50 Golden Plovers, two Buzzards and two Marsh Harriers over being about it. (SH)

Pagham Lagoon and Spit: The Black-necked Grebe was present again this afternoon on the lagoon, along with six Little Grebes, two Pochard and two Tufted Ducks, whilst there were large numbers of Knot, Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers roosting off the end of the spit. (KT)

West Itchenor: A Great Northern Diver was offshore again today. (PH)

Church Norton: The drake Long-tailed Duck flew in from the east and settled distantly offshore this afternoon, with a Sandwich tern,  a couple of Common Gulls, a Red-throated Diver, four Red-breasted Mergansers and five Great Crested Grebes about, too, along with c20 Gannets among up to 4000 very distant large gulls spread along the horizon.

Another Red-breasted Merganser was in the harbour, along with c30 Avocets and plenty of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, but few wildfowl beyond a flock of c90 Brent Geese that flew in, whilst c50 Curlews flew in and a Marsh Harrier went over the Severals, with another flying down the harbour. (AH/PA)

Sandwich Tern (above) Brent Geese & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 21st December: The Winter Solstice started mild and grey, with a little hazy sun in a moderate south-easterly, before rain set in during the afternoon......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of activity again this morning, including a few Red-throated Divers moving about and a Fulmar and 100+ Gannets going west. Full log below. (JA/SH/IP/AH)

(0740-0955hrs) (SE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 1os

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 19W

diver sp - 1E, 3W

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 112W

Shag - 6E, 2W

Brent Goose - 3W

Wigeon - 2E

Teal - 4E

Common Scoter - 7E, 38os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 5W, 6os

Oystercatcher - 2

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Common Gull - 6E

Great Black-backed Gull - 14E, 7W

Kittiwake - 7E, 1W

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 9W

auk sp - 5E, 111W

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

Ferry Pool: There were c80 Lapwings, c60 Shovelers and c50 Wigeon and Teal on the pool, with c20 Canada Geese in the fields and a Kingfisher, six Redshanks and c40 Teal in the channel opposite. (AH)

Shovelers (above) & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Kingfisher was along White’s Creek, and the usual large numbers of Lapwings, Golden Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck and Pintails were out in the harbour.

A Rock Pipit was along the wall, but the hedgerows were quieter than of late with just a couple of Reed Buntings, a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest seen, whilst in the paddock there were just a Pied Wagtail and a Little Egret, plus a Sparrowhawk in the bushes further back. (MJa/LP/CRJ/CT)

Rock Pipit (above), Pied Wagtail, Sparrowhawk & Kingfisher at the North Wall (LP)

Long Pool: There was literally nothing along the pool or hedges, though a Kingfisher and two Buzzards flew through and c500 Brent Geese went over, heading for Medmerry, with all the activity being in the harbour off the far end of Ferry Channel.

Out on the mud from here there were c1500 Lapwings and c1200 Golden Plovers getting moved up by the tide, along with 19 Avocets, numerous Wigeon and Teal, 500 more Brent Geese and large numbers of Redshanks, Curlews, Grey Plovers and Dunlin, with a Peregrine going over, too. (AH)

Peregrine (above), Avocets, Brent Geese & Golden Plovers at the Long Pool (AH)

Saturday, 20th December: Another lovely winter morning of bright sun and a moderate southerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: A selection of the regular species was about it again this morning, though several flocks of Grey Plovers were moving about as the tide rose. Full log below. (SH/PB/P&LH/IP/AH)

(0750-0935hrs) (SSE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 3W, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

diver sp - 1E

Gannet - 9E, 44W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 2W

Common Scoter - 3E, 4W, 11os

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 5W, 8os

Grey Plover - 30E, 150W

Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 5W

Great Black-backed Gull - 5W

Kittiwake - 11E

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 4E, 9W

Meadow Pipit - 1E

Pied Wagtail - 1

Great Northern Diver (above), Mediterranean Gull & Grey Plovers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just c50 Lapwings, c40 Shovelers and Teal and c120 Wigeon around the pool this morning and a Grey Wagtail flew over. (AH)

Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Grey Wagtail was around the buildings this morning, along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker and three Pied Wagtails, whilst at the eastern end of the fields a flock of c50 Meadow Pipits were active and at least 30 Curlews were feeding in the waterlogged fields.

Also, two Jays flew along the treeline at the eastern end and the Greenlease fields had a small party of 20 Brent Geese feeding. (IP)

Church Norton: A female Goosander was briefly in the harbour near Tern Island, but quickly disappeared, whilst the three Greenshanks were about again and a lot of Dunlin and Grey Plovers, plus a few Knot, were flying around and a few Lapwings were at the other end, though the only wildfowl were a few Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal.

A dozen Common Gulls were feeding along the tideline, but nothing else of any note was going on offshore, and the Severals were very quiet, though Bluebell Wood was lively, with a Firecrest was among at least ten Goldcrests and a dozen Long-tailed Tits. (IP)

East Head: A Great Northern Diver was offshore from Ella Nore this afternoon. (GM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Two Dartford Warblers, six Stonechats, two Corn Buntings, three Yellowhammers, 12 Skylarks and 25 Linnets were along the banks this morning, with three Marsh Harriers going over.

There was a good selection of birds elsewhere, too, including two Greenshanks, c50 Dunlin, 86 Ringed Plovers, c300 Golden Plovers, 300 Brent Geese, three Gadwall, four Shovelers, c100 Teal and c300 Wigeon. (P&LH)

Two Fieldfares were about late this afternoon, with ten Linnets, a Stonechat and a Yellowhammer about it along the banks, whilst c300 Lapwings, c200 Golden Plovers, c500 Brent Geese and a Buzzard were around thee reserve. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Porthole Farm to Ham Farm - The only birds at Porthole Farm were a Marsh Harrier and a pair of Stonechats, whilst a Dartford Warbler, two Stonechats and a handful of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were along the Trail.

At least 800 Brent Geese were in the tidal area at Ham, along with a few Wigeon and Teal, with a few Curlews, c20 Skylarks and c100 Linnets on the fields, but the bushes there were very quiet. (AH)

Dartford Warbler (above), Stonechat, Meadow Pipit & Brent Geese at Medmerry (AH)