10th January 2026

Saturday, 10th January: After a sharp frost, a cold, but bright morning in a moderate north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: The Purple Sandpiper was on the beach again early on, among a selection of waders, including a Redshank (rare here!), two Sanderlings and two Ringed Plovers, whilst up to four Slavonian Grebes, five Great Northern Divers and 60 Red-throated Divers moving around offshore. Full log below. (SH/BI/LP/SP/IH/TGH/P&LH/AH et al)

(0730-0930hrs) (NW, F4)

Great Northern Diver - 2E, 3os

Red-throated Diver - 18E, 39W, 3os

Slavonian Grebe - 2E, 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 2W

Gannet - 1E, 7W

Shag - 6E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 13E, 7W, 2os

Oystercatcher - 2E, 1W

Ringed Plover - 2

Sanderling - 2

Purple Sandpiper - 1

Redshank - 1

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 6os

Common Gull - 1W, 1os

Great Black-backed Gull - 2os

Kittiwake - 3W

auk sp - 5E, 12W

Shag (above), Sanderling & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were at least 2000 Lapwings around the pool and the field this morning, along with c60 Black-tailed Godwits, an Avocet, six Shelducks, c75 Shovelers, c200 Teal and c400 Wigeon, whilst a Kingfisher and c40 Teal were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Three Common Cranes were reported going west-south-west over Ferry hide at 1410hrs. (per Birdguides)

Kingfisher (above), Avocet, Shovelers and Teal & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: Unbelievably, after the three over the Ferry, a flock of nine Common Cranes flew over the harbour at 1530hrs, initially heading for Church Norton before going back west and then due south over Selsey. These are only the second/third records this century after one over West Wittering in August 2016.

Also, three grey geese - presumably the North Wall White-fronts - went over west, whilst a Spotted Redshank and ten Avocets were in Ferry Channel. (AH)

Common Cranes (above), Spotted Redshank & Avocets at the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: Ten Redwings were at Halsey's Farm this morning (S&SaH), and the three first-winter White-fronted Geese were back in the Honer fields (BI).

Also, this morning in the paddocks there were two Water Rails, Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Grey Wagtail, a Pied Wagtail and a Song Thrush, whilst in Honer 2 field c1000 Brent Geese, the three White-fronted Geese and 12 Curlews were present

Around Owl Copse there was another Water Rail, along with a few Reed Buntings and two Redwings, whilst at Halsey’s Farm there were c100 Wigeon and ten Teal, plus 30 Lapwings flying over. (CRJ)

Church Norton: The drake Long-tailed Duck was offshore again this morning, along with a Lesser Back-backed Gull, whilst a Peregrine was on Tern Island, but there were, otherwise, just a few of the regular waders and wildfowl about. (P&LH/AHu)

Sidlesham: A Fieldfare went over Cow Lane this morning, along with half a dozen Redwings. (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: A Tree-creeper as in Apuldram church car-park early this afternoon. (SP/LP/IH/TGH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The Common Cranes were seen from here, too, heading south over the west side of Selsey.

Otherwise, along the banks, there were a Dartford Warbler, a Stonechat, a Goldcrest, six Skylarks, c40 Linnets, with nine Dunlin and ten Ringed Plovers on the Stilt Pool, a Snipe, c100 Lapwings, c200 Golden Plovers and c250 Brent Geese on the reserve and a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and a Kestrel over. (S&SaH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - The first Red Kite of the year went over the reserve this morning, but the banks just held a pair of Stonechats and a few Skylarks and Stock Doves.

It was much busier in the cover crop fields by Wilson's Farm, though, with up to 100 Yellowhammers coming and going, though the only things with them were c25 Chaffinches, with c40 Skylarks about, too, along with another pair of Stonechats and half a dozen Song Thrushes, plus c50 Lapwings and five Golden Plovers over. (AH)

Red Kite (above), Stonechat, Skylark, Yellowhammers & Lapwing at Medmerry (AH)