23rd - 25th December 2025

Christmas Day, Thursday, 25th December: Another very bright, but even colder morning, with the north-easterly heading towards gale-force as the morning progressed.........

We would like to wish all our readers and contributors a very Happy Christmas. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: There were two Slavonian Grebes and up to eight Great Northern Divers and Sandwich Terns about this morning, with a bit of eastward gull movement including 46 Common Gulls. Full log below. (JA/SH/IP/AH)

(0735-0935hrs) (NE, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 4E, 4os

Red-throated Diver - 7E, 5W

diver sp - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 112E, 14W

Shag - 2E, 1os

Brent Goose - 4E, 15W

Teal - 4E

Mallard - 2W

Shoveler - 5E

Common Scoter - 1E, 26os

Red-breasted Merganser - 8E, 3W, 5os

Oystercatcher - 1

Lapwing - 10E

Mediterranean Gull - 6E

Black-headed Gull - 38E

Common Gull - 46E, 7W

Great Black-backed Gull - 24E, 6W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 7W

auk sp - 4E, 2W

Ferry Pool: There were two (presumably Tundra) Bean Geese on the flooded field behind the main pool at 1000hrs this morning, having not been there earlier, but frustratingly they flew off north-east shortly afterwards. This is the first record since January 2015.

There were, otherwise, very large numbers of birds present, including c500 Wigeon, c200 Teal, c80 Shovelers, c120 Canada Geese, a single Greylag Goose, c40 Black-tailed Godwits and c700 Lapwings. (AH)

Tundra Bean Geese (above), Wigeon and Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits, Greylag and Canada Geese & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Pagham Lagoon: The Black-necked Grebe was still present today. (SM)

North Wall: The cold weather produced a very impressive flock of 72 White-fronted Geese - the biggest seen for very many years on the Peninsula - on Honer 3 field this morning.

There were also 22 Curlews and several hundred Brent Geese in the fields, but it was otherwise quiet along the wall, with just a handful of Yellowhammers in the bushes and two Marsh Harriers over the reeds.

A Raven flew over the wall, towards Halsey’s Farm, and out in the harbour there were all the usual species, whilst a Kingfisher flew out from the sluice and along White’s Creek. (LP/MJa/CRJ/SH/AB) Later, five grey geese sp. flew from the spit direction northwards over the wall. (BI)

White-fronted Geese and Curlews at the North Wall (LP)

Christmas Eve, Wednesday, 24th December: A bright, but cold morning in a brisk and biting north-easterly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There was a good selection again this morning, including two Long-tailed Ducks together and a bit of apparent cold-weather movement. Full log below. (P&LH/SH/BI/IP/AH)

(0750-0935hrs) (NE, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 2os

Red-throated Diver - 4E, 2W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1os

Gannet - 85E, 6W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 7E, 20W

Shelduck - 1E, 1W

Wigeon - 2E, 6W

Pintail - 2E, 1W

Shoveler - 1E

Long-tailed Duck - 2E

Common Scoter - 30os

Red-breasted Merganser - 6E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 1

Lapwing - 7N

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Common Gull - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - 4E, 3W, 2os

Kittiwake - 4E, 4W

Sandwich Tern - 3os

auk sp - 8E, 1W

Chiffchaff - 1

Linnet - 1E

(1030-1200hrs) (P&LH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 3W, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 13E, 3W

Little Egret - 2E

Brent Goose - 1E, 4W

Wigeon - 3E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 3E

Dunlin - 30W

Common Gull - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 11E, 2W

Sandwich Tern - 1W

auk sp - 4E

Shag at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were a lot of birds around the pool and fields today, including c750 Lapwings, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Shovelers, c150 teal, c300 Wigeon and c120 Canada Geese. (AH)

Shoveler (above), Black-tailed godwits and Lapwings, Lapwings & Black-tailed godwit, Lapwings, Shovelers and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Yesterday's ringtail Hen Harrier was around the wall late morning and then towards Honer Reservoir early this afternoon, but was not seen later, though a Merlin and five Marsh Harriers were about.

Also, two grey geese - possibly Bean or White-fronted - flew over and appeared to land near Honer Farm, but there was no further sightings of them, either, unfortunately.

There were plenty of birds in the harbour and fields, including c1500 Brent Geese, c350 Wigeon, c250 Teal, 95 Pintail, c500 Golden Plovers, c1500 Lapwings, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, ten Snipe, c800 Knot, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls, three Common Gulls and a Kingfisher, pus 34 Cattle Egrets.

Also, off note, c30 Fieldfares were along Honer Lane, with a Rock Pipit, a Grey Wagtail,, a Yellowhammer, a Raven and a handful of Skylarks along the wall and hedges. (PA/RHa/BI/CS et al)

Hen Harrier (above) & Fieldfares at the North Wall (PA)

Fishbourne Creek: There were a lot of birds in the creek this morning, though nothing unusual, including three Red-breasted Mergansers and c500 Brent Geese at Dell Quay, with another 500 of the latter, c500 Wigeon, c200 Teal and c50 Mute Swans along the creek.

There were also 300+ Black-tailed Godwits, 500+ Dunlin, 100+ Grey Plovers and 50+ Turnstones and Lapwings, as well as good numbers of Common Gulls along the creek. (AH)

Red-breasted Mergansers (above), Wigeon and Lapwings & Brent Geese at Fishbourne Creek (AH)

Tuesday, 23rd December: A cold and very grey morning in a moderate north-easterly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of variety again this morning, including the Long-tailed Duck and three Slavonian Grebes on the sea and all three diver species. Full log below. (SH/PB/AH/B Hayward)

(0750-0935hrs) (NE, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 6os

Black-throated Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 5E, 2W, 2os

Slavonian Grebe - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 3os

Gannet - 5E, 4W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 6E, 66W

Shelduck - 4E

Wigeon - 5E, 2W

Long-tailed Duck - 10s

Common Scoter - 1E, 20os

Red-breasted Merganser - 4E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 2E

Grey Plover - 5W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Common Gull - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull -

Kittiwake - 2E

Guillemot - 2E

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 21E

Slavonian Grebes (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c250 Lapwings around the pool late this morning, along with c60 Shovelers, c50 Teal and c80 Wigeon, with c80 Canada Geese on the field. 

Also, c300 Brent Geese flew over and c200 Golden Plovers and c40 Curlews in he channel opposite. (AH/B Hayward)

Lapwings and Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to see in a quick look on the rising tide this morning, with two Greenshanks, c50 Grey Plovers and Knot and c300 Dunlin on the mud, and c50 Wigeon and 20 Teal on the water, plus c40 Brent Geese flying over. (AH)

Greenshanks (above) & Grey Plovers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: With a team of contractors cleaning along the wall this morning meant there wasn’t much to see, though a large flock of c1500 Lapwing were up over the harbour and both male and female Marsh Harriers were over the reeds, but apart from 300 Brent Geese in Honer 2, and two Shovelers and a Little Grebe on Owl Water, that was about it. (MJa/CT/LP)

At dusk this evening, a ringtail Hen Harrier was hunting over the wall and surrounding harbour. (B Hayward)

East Side: There was a large number of birds along the East side, with 1000 Brent Geese, 1500 Lapwing, 500 Dunlin, 200 Knot, 100 Black-tailed Godwits, 100 Grey Plovers, two Bar-tailed Godwits, five Common Gulls, 80 Great Black-backed Gulls, 50 Pintail, 300 Wigeon, 200 Teal, 40 Shelducks, five Little Grebes and a Rock Pipit. (LP)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Rock Pipit, Grey Plover, Knot, Black-tailed Godwits and Brent Goose & Dunlin along the East side (LP)

Pagham Lagoon and Spit: A Dartford Warbler was in the gorse at the end of the lagoon, but there was no sign of the Black-necked Grebe, with just two Pochard, two Tufted Ducks and 12 Little Grebes on the water.

It was quiet along the spit with only a Kingfisher, four Mediterranean Gulls and 14 Linnets about, although two Red-throated Divers were offshore by the harbour entrance. (LP)

The Black-necked Grebe was back on the lagoon late in the afternoon. (B Hayward)

Fishbourne Creek: A pair of Goldeneye were along the creek today, together with two Sandwich Terns and a Jack Snipe. (AWi)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Three Marsh Harriers were together from the flint barn view point today, and they were bombed by both a Peregrine and then a Merlin, which was seen again later at the Stilt Pool, with a Buzzard and four Kestrels completing the set of raptors.

There wasn't too much else about, though, with a Dartford Warbler, two Stonechats and three Meadow Pipits about it along the banks, with a Raven, a Brent Goose, c20 Golden Plovers and c700 Lapwings on the reserve and c30 Dunlin and c40 Ringe Plovers on the Stilt Pools. (S&SaH/B Hayward)