Review of the Year 2025
After such a good year last year, it was hard to imagine that we would keep up with it, but we indeed did, and in many ways surpassed it, with more of the rare and scarce species being accessible to a wider audience, though, once again no new species were added to the list.
The record for the year-list was broken for the second year running, with a total of 222 species recorded in 2025 and the monthly totals were broken for five different months, including a new record of 168, set in April.
And once again, the Bill was covered every day, come fair weather or foul and those that put a shift in were recorded with a long list of good birds there!
The joys and otherwise of sea-watching at the Bill (BI above & LH below)
Fortunately, a relentlessly wet and windy start to the year eventually dried up and the sun came out, leading to a very dry, though not excessively hot summer, which seemed to favour the birds, meaning a better breeding season and more around during autumn migration, too.
And in our increasingly unpredictable climate, a year without major weather events has to be taken gratefully, with the biggest drama being the 15 containers of (mainly) bananas coming off a boat anchored near the Nab Tower during a spell of not especially stormy weather, that washed up on our shores in December.
Hopefully, despite the the large amounts of rotting fruit and plastic packaging that ended up on our beaches, no lasting damage will be done, more down to the excellent efforts of local volunteers, rather than those responsible!
Container full of bananas off the Bill on 2nd December (LH)
Also, pleasingly, there were not too many assaults on the remaining unspoilt parts of the Peninsula this year, though many threats are postponed rather than defeated, with the most potentially significant change – and hopefully for the better - being the work started in the autumn on the Ferry and adjacent fields, which should lead to better water level control and better habitat.
The Ferry, drained and awaiting redevelopment on 10th August (BI) (above) & the new look on 10th December (AH)
Tern Island in anticipation of the returning colony on 5th March (AT)
Among the non-avian highlights were two possible Pilot Whales seen off the Bill on 19th April, whilst the pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins turned up again fairly regularly off the Bill through the summer and the Muntjac Deer continued to be seen occasionally at Church Norton.
Muntjac Deer at Church Norton on 27th October (AH)
Unsurprisingly, the better weather produced more butterflies, with the regular species more noticeably abundant, whilst a Large Tortoiseshell in Church Norton car-park on 26th March was the rarest of the year, followed by a Long-tailed Blue on Pagham beach on 20th August, and the discovery of a small population of Brown Hairstreaks around the North Wall in August was also noteworthy.
Large Tortoiseshell at Church Norton on 26th March (RN) (above) & Brown Hairstreak at the North Wall on 8th August (EB)
There were also a few interesting Dragonflies and Damselflies seen, including the seemingly now well-established Norfolk Hawker population, Downy Emeralds in the Discovery Area at Pagham and Chichester GPs in late April/early May, a Southern Migrant Hawker at Medmerry on 15th August, Willow Emeralds at Runcton and the North Wall in September, with a Lesser Emperor also at the latter site, too.
Willow Emerald at Runcton on 5th September (CRJ)
The good summer weather also produced a succession of interesting moths for the local ‘trappers’.
Clifden Nonpareil & Striped Hawkmoth in a Sidlesham garden on 28th August (PA)
The Birds
As in previous years, this is a list of the bird-watching highlights - and interesting and unusual reports of more familiar birds - rather than a full report, and has concentrated on the birds rather than the finders. Records of rarer species are only included where there is likely to be a description submitted to the SOS.
Divers
After good numbers having been present last autumn, it was a low-key start to the year for Great Northern Divers locally, with a modest nine off the Bill on 18th January the highest count, and fewer than usual recorded elsewhere. The peak spring count of just 14 on 19th March was below recent years, too, though small numbers remained through April and May, with the last on the fairly late date of the 30th.
By contrast, the first back was on the very early date of 30th September, only the fourth record for the month this century, and, though they were slow to return in any numbers, things picked up considerably, with 15 west and six on the sea on 23rd November a big day for any year.
Great Northern Diver at the Bill on 10th October (AW)
At least one Black-throated Diver was seen fairly regularly off of the Bill, and occasionally Church Norton, through January and February and once, exceptionally on Pagham Lagoon on 6th January, but a below average spring comprised just 12 birds passing the Bill, with none in March, five in April and seven in May, with the last on the 13th,
The first bird of the autumn was seen from West Itchenor on the fairly early date of 18th October, with next not seen until 23rd November at the Bill, with presumably a wintering individual accounts for a steady run of reports until the end of the year.
Black-throated Diver on Pagham Lagoon on 6th January (LP)
There were some big counts of Red-throated Divers passing the Bill early in the year, including 86 west on 14th January and 63 west on the 30th, with 179 east on 5th February and 101 east on the 11th the best of the year, whilst 14 offshore from Church Norton on 16th January was the best from elsewhere.
A spring total of 341 east was quite respectable, three-quarters of which were in March, whilst the last two were on 13th May.
One seen offshore at Church Norton on 10th October was a late first of the autumn and numbers remained quite low, with 30 about on 23rd November the best count until a considerable influx, starting on 26th December, when 58 went east, with 66, 84 and 86 birds east on the next three days.
Red-throated Diver at Medmerry on 21st November (AH)
Grebes
The Red-necked Grebe intermittently present off the Bill in the autumn popped up half a dozen times in January, and then again on 1st March, whist what was presumably different bird – in full summer-plumage - flew west close inshore on the very late date of 3rd May.
What was presumably the regular wintering bird re-appeared on 29th November, being seen again on the following day, the 6th and 8th December and then at both Church Norton and the Bill on the 29th and again at the Bill on the following day.
Red-necked Grebe at the Bill on 8th January (AH)
The sole report of a Black-necked Grebe in the early part of the year was of one seen from West Itchenor on 28th January, whilst in the autumn, an elusive individual was off Church Norton on 21st and 22nd October, then again on the 26th, before turning up erratically at the Bill on a fair number of dates through November.
Eventually, after a spell of stormy weather, it was found to have settled on Pagham Lagoon on 8th December, showing very well at times up to the end of the year, with a different bird seen at East Head on 31st December...
Black-necked Grebe on Pagham Lagoon on 8th December (LP)
These days, the few remaining Slavonian Grebes seem to be seen much more frequently from the Bill, rather than Church Norton, with two to five seen regularly from early in the year to late March there, with the last three seen on 4th April, though a report of seven off Church Norton on 11th February was actually the peak count for the year.
One at the Bill and one at Church Norton on 23rd November were the first back on 23rd November, the latest date this century. Numbers the built up slowly to around seven birds, mostly seen off the Bill, and just a couple of times off Church Norton.
Slavonian Grebe at Church Norton on 12h February (LP)
Seabirds
Despite a relative lack of stormy weather, it proved to be another good year for Sooty Shearwaters off the Bill, with eight records of 11 birds, thus – one west on the unusual date of 26th May, then, more typically, one west on 31st August, one west on 14th September, four west on 17th September, one west on 4th October, singles east on both 18th and 19th October and then, finally, one west on the 31st.
Sooty Shearwater at the Bill on 14th September (AW)
After a fairly average start to the year for Balearic Shearwater sightings – three east, then west at the Bill on 23rd June, 13 east on 20th July, two west on 1st September and another single west on the 10th, there were a remarkable couple of days that shattered all previous records.
Out of no-where, on an unpromising morning on 13th September, a total of 110 birds went west, mostly in the space of an hour and including a fantastic flock of 43 together.
This impressive count was spectacularly overshadowed on the following morning, when a large gallery was rewarded with a constant westerly flow of birds, totalling an unprecedented 539 individuals – more than double the previous best day ever, though it was all over by early afternoon and just two were seen the next day.
One west on 17th September, two west on 4th October and a good count of 15 west on 1st November were the only birds seen thereafter.
Balearic Shearwaters at the Bill on 13th September (AH)
The prolonged spell of north-easterly winds in the spring meant a low total of just 22 Manx Shearwaters were recorded at the Bill, the first one west on 22nd April and the remainder in May, including the best count of ten east on the 4th.
There were only a further 16 seen in the remainder of the year, comprising five west, and unusually three lingering offshore on 3rd June, further singles west on the 5th and 23rd, four west on 4th July, one west on 13th September and lastly two very late ones going west on 1st and 29th November.
Manx Shearwaters at the Bill on 27th May (AW)
There was just one sighting of Storm Petrel this year, of one west, close inshore at the Bill on 10th September.
Gannets are recorded almost daily at the Bill, but there were some quite good counts early in the year, with half a dozen three-figure tallies and a highest of 303 west on 13th January, though numbers were pretty low during the spring.
The biggest count of the year – 603 east on 20th July came out of no-where, with low numbers either side of that day and into September, when counts in excess of 200 west on the 1st and 3rd occurred, with several more three figure counts into October, including 324 east on the 18th, with 426 west on 3rd November and 317 west on 15th December the other most notable counts.
Gannets at the Bill on 20th July (AH)
Variable counts of up to ten Shags – almost always heading east early on – were recorded at the Bill on many days up until mid-April, before numbers dropped to the odd one or two, with the last on 24th May, and the none were recorded until six went east on 16th August.
It was a good autumn for the species, with birds recorded on most days and double figure counts recorded a dozen times, including peaks of 33 east on 31st August and 31 east on 26th November, and there was an unusual sighting of 21 sat together on the sea on 5th November.
Shags at the Bill on 6th November (AH)
Herons
Cattle Egret numbers were pretty average – with average these days meaning 50+ birds! - early in the year, with the best counts being 74 at Drayton on 8th March and at the North Wall on 31st March.
It appeared to be a good breeding season at Owl Copse, with juveniles being seen from late June on, and including 14 together on 9th August, with a few still there well into September, whilst autumn counts into the roost peaked at 91 on 30th September and 70 around Marsh Farm, Sidlesham on 11th December.
Cattle Egrets at the North Wall on 9th August (LP)
After a bumper year for Great White Egrets last year, they proved decidedly scarce throughout, with no records at all until one over the Long Pool on 10th March, with one east past the Bill on 5th April, two briefly in the fields at the North Wall and later over the Ferry on 2nd May and one at the North Wall on 22nd May the sum for the first half of the year.
Numbers were fairly low later in the year, too, with one reported flying over Church Norton on 10th August and two seen right on the outer reaches of the Peninsula, off of West Itchenor on 24th September, before a little flurry in November, with one at Drayton Pits on the 8th and then one flying east along Church Norton Spit and three seen roosting together at Westhampnett Pit on the 21st and 23rd.
Great White Egret at Drayton Pits on 8th November (OM)
The first Spoonbill of the year was not seen until 1st April – on the Ferry and remaining until the next day, with just four further reports in the spring, of two at the North Wall on 12th April, two there and later at the Ferry on 20th April, a very unusual record of four flying north over Chichester GPs on 5th May and lastly another on the Ferry on 20th May.
After a slow start to the autumn, with singles at the North Wall on 1st August and Medmerry on the 14th, things changed dramatically on the 17th, when seven turned up on the Breech Pool at the North Wall.
They quickly dispersed, but three remained around the harbour until early September, rising to four on the 5th, six on the 16th and peaking at nine birds together from the 18th to the 20th. Nine seen going west past the Bill on the 22nd were presumed to be these birds, though, oddly there were still two in the harbour later in the day, remaining until 1st October, with presumably these two seen going west over East Head on the following day.
There was also an unconfirmed report of six west past the Bill on 30th September, whilst the last seen were three west over the North Wall on 6th October.
Spoonbills at at the North Wall on 18th august (MJa)
It was also a good autumn for Glossy Ibis records, after a couple of lean years, with the Peninsula getting its share of a big national influx. What must have been two different birds were discovered on 8th September, with one flying over Chichester Canal and the other at the North Wall, though there were no more sightings – excepting a report on the news services of seven over Selsey Golf Course on the 19th – until one re-appeared around the North Wall on the 23rd, remaining around various points in the harbour until 17th October, whilst what was presumably the other bird seen in September re-surfaced at Fishbourne Creek on 1st October, remaining in the vicinity until the 21st.
There was also a flock of five birds, presumably different to the afore-mentioned individuals, seen going west over both the North Wall and then the Ferry on 18th October.
Glossy Ibis at the North Wall on 23rd September (BI)
There were only three reports of White Storks – presumably all of ‘Knepp’ birds, with one flying over Sidlesham on 24th July, one over Medmerry on 6th August, and then a remarkable record off a flock of c40 birds going east over West Itchenor on 26th August.
Wildfowl
For the second year running, Whooper Swans graced the Peninsuila, with a much-appreciated pair spending the day around the harbour on 6th October, initially around the North Wall, then over on the Church Norton side before flying off west at dusk.
Whooper Swans at Church Norton on 6th October (AW)
There were just two White-fronted Geese reported in the first half of the year, with one seen distantly heading west off the Bill on 29th March, and then a first-year bird settled in with the motley collection of geese on cropped fields near Drayton Pits on 10th April, visiting the pits on the 11th, and remaining until the 19th.
The cold snap in late December produced the biggest count for many years, part of a significant national influx, with 72 seen behind the North Wall on Christmas Day, before relocating to fields between Bramber and Chalder Farms the next day, with sightings of variable numbers from a variety of sites over the next few days, including seven east past the Bill on the 30th.
White-fronted Geese at Bramber Farm 0n 26th December (AH)
Presumably caught up in the same cold weather movement, two Tundra Bean Geese dropped in on the Ferry on Christmas Day, but unfortunately they didn't stay long before flying off north-east and were never seen again.
Tundra Bean Geese at the Ferry on 25th December (AH)
The large flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese continued to frequent the fields behind Church Norton churchyard into the new year, and the wintering population was slow to depart, with c2000 still around the harbour on 25th February, and only small numbers seen going east past the Bill, after the first obvious movement of 141 east on the 21st.
A total of 356 east on 6th March heralded the start of significant migration, with 904 east on the 19th and 1166 on the following day by far the busiest days, and a March total of 3976 accounted for three quarters of the well-above spring total of 4916 birds. As usual, just when it appears that passage is over, a few fair-sized flocks occur in late May, namely 30 on the 22nd and 23rd and another 19 on the 24th.
There were no summer records this year, with two west past the Bill and three at Church Norton on 23rd September the first back on a fairly typical date, but numbers remained low in the harbour and at the Bill through much of the autumn, with 122 west there on 12th October a very low best day-count, though, as usual, Chichester Harbour had 2000 or more birds back by mid-October. Finally, an influx of c500 birds appeared in the harbour on the 8th and 9th November, followed fairly shortly by the rest of the wintering population, including a respectable number of juveniles after such a poor year last year.
Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Church Norton on 9th November (AH)
It would appear that all the reports of a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, mainly from the harbour, but occasionally Medmerry, related to one over-wintering birds, last reported on 11th March at Church Norton, with three further reports from the Bill of single birds east on 30th March and 18th April, and then a very late one east, then back west, on 23rd May most likely being of passage birds from elsewhere.
In the autumn there were possibly four different birds present, with one seen at Church Norton on 17th, 18th and 24th November, one at East Head on the 19th and two together at Medmerry Breach on the 21st.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Church Norton on 17th November (AH)
A flock of ten Barnacle Geese - several of which bore numbered collars and were from a known naturalised population in Northern England - appeared at the North Wall on 11th January, and proved surprisingly popular during their extended stay, with ten still present on the 27th and the last seven still being reported on the 30th.
A flock of 51 birds that appeared in the harbour, plus another 11 that flew on over, on 29th November, were much more likely to have been of wild origin, and departing overnight did their credentials no harm, either. These large short-staying flocks has been a feature of recent winters, and seem most likely to originate from late-moving birds heading for the near-continent.
Barnacle Geese at Church Norton on 29th November (AH)
It is hard to imagine now, but as recently as 2015, no Egyptian Geese were recorded on the Peninsula, with multiple families recorded around Chichester GPs this year between March until July and a new high count of 54 at Medmerry on 12th October.
They remain scarce at the Bill though, with two east on 25th March and four heading south on 8th November the only records.
Egyptian Geese at Medmerry on 20th November (AH)
All bar one report of Garganey came from the Bill this year, with four east on 24th March, one east on 3rd April and one east on 25th April the only spring records, and one east on 24th August the only return migrant, with a pair seen briefly on Mill Pond Marsh on 20th September the only record from the land.
There were two very good days for Pintail movement in the spring at the Bill, where it is never very numerous, with 167 east on 21st February and 162 east on 7th March.
Pintail at the Bill on 21st February (AW)
Chichester GPs, and particularly the Drayton Pits, continue to an important area for Pochard, with an impressive count of 142 at the latter on 16th February being particularly encouraging, and it would appear that a minimum of seven broods were reared there during June and July.
Pochard at Chichester GPs on 2nd February (AH)
The continuing and slightly mysterious saga of Red-crested Pochards around Chichester GPs took another turn this year, after a drake re-appeared on 27th March on Ivy Lake and was seen intermittently into early April, before all went quiet.
Then, unexpectedly, a female with up to ten ducklings was seen on Quarry Pit (one of the under-watched fishing lakes) on 26th April and again on the 28th, though disappointingly the only further sightings were of a pair without young flying around over a different pit on 8th May and then the drake on its own on Runcton Lake on 1st June. Successful or not, this is probably the first breeding attempt by the species in Sussex.
Red-crested Pochard family at Chichester GPs on 26th April (GWh)
Sadly, Goldeneye is a species on the brink of disappearing from the Peninsula, with another year with a very low wintering population, with a maximum of just three in Fishbourne Creek on a number of dates in early January, one on Pagham Lagoon on 6th to 11th January and single reports in February from Chichester GPs on the 16th and Church Norton on the 24th.
The first autumn bird was on Pagham Lagoon on 16th November at Pagham Lagoon, though it didn’t linger, whilst the first back at Fishbourne Creek was not reported until 13th December, and a peak of just two were noted there on the 23rd, though three were off the Marina on the 28th.
Goldeneye on Pagham Lagoon on 6th January (LP)
Two drake Eider took up with the Common Scoter flock of the Bill/Coastguards area through much of January, with a first-winter drake appearing in February and remaining until 13th April, when two, possibly including this one, were seen heading west. The only further records were of a pair on the sea at the Bill on 2nd May and one west on the 14th.
A sub-adult bird on the sea there on 13th September was unexpected, with the next not seen until 22nd and 31st October, whilst seven seen on 17th November was the best autumn count.
Eider at the Bill on 2nd May (AH)
There was no repeat of last year’s Long-tailed Duck bonanza, but at least one, and probably two birds were recorded fairly regularly off the Bill, and occasionally from Church Norton, from the start of the year until the last report from the former on 13th April.
The first record for the autumn was of one at the Bill on 9th November, with what was presumably the same bird seen on a number of dates thereafter, including at Church Norton on 22nd and 29th December, though two together were seen at the Bill on the 24th.
Long-tailed Duck at Church Norton on 13th January (AH)
Somewhat bucking the trend, it was a good winter for Velvet Scoters, starting with a flock of eight birds offshore at the Bill on 2nd January, with several reports of a lingering bird interspersed by a flock of seven going west on 13th January, though a spring total of 29 eat was below average, with the best counts being eight offshore and three east on 30th March and 12 east on 15th April. The last two of ‘normal’ migration were on 30th April, before two unexpectedly turned up offshore then headed west on 24th May.
Four west on 26th October were the first back of a promising autumn, followed by one on the 29th, then seven east on 10th November and three west on the 12th, with a scattering of records thereafter..
Velvet Scoters at the Bill on 24th May (AH)
For the first time in several winters, a decent flock of Common Scoters took up residence off the Bill/Coastguards area, peaking at c100 birds on 10th and 22nd January before they began to disperse in early February.
A spring total of 4304 east was about average, albeit with no really big days, with a best of just 234 on 19th March, though there were multiple days into three figures, including 178 on 13th May, and, as is usual, small numbers continued to be seen throughout the summer.
Numbers, however, were very low in the autumn, with no obvious movement by mid-November, though a flock of up to 40 birds seemed settled offshore for the winter.
Common Scoters at the Bill on 17th August (AH)
It was another poor year for Goosanders, with none in the early months, and just three late autumn records, of a pair east past the Bill on 16th November, a redhead in the mouth of the harbour on the 25th and it or another east past the Bill on the 30th and west past on 2nd December, with a further sighting from the harbour on the 20th.
Sadly, the smart drake Smew that turned up on Honer Reservoir on 18th April was a known escape, having been earlier in Hampshire, but was much appreciated by the lucky few that saw it during its brief stay.
Smew on Honer Reservoir on18th April (LP)
Raptors
There were just two reports of Hen Harrier early in the year, of a ringtail over fields north of the North Wall on 8th March, and then, remarkably, an adult male bird seen flying north over Chichester GPs on 20th April.
Then, when it seemed like there would be no autumn records, the cold snap towards Christmas produced a splendid ringtail around the North Wall on 23rd and 24th December.
Hen Harrier at the North Wall on 24th December (PA)
By contrast, Marsh Harriers were recorded almost every day through the year, with the winter roost well established at the North Wall, and a peak of six birds on 4th January going into the Severals at Church Norton.
The resident pair at the North Wall had another productive year, with four fledged juveniles seen on 28th June – surely another pair will colonise either Church Norton or Medmerry before much longer.
It remains very scarce at the Bill, though, with one flying over north on 21st August and then an unprecedented three together were seen flying west, quite some way offshore on 20th September.
Marsh Harriers at the North Wall on 28th June (LP)
Red Kites are actually quite uncommon in winter on the Peninsula, with the sole record being of one over Church Norton on 4th January, with next report not until 2nd March, when one went over Selsey and was seen again on the following day. From then on, until the end of May, there were regular sightings of one and two birds, with three around the harbour on 30th March the only exception, before numbers tailed off in June, with just a few records from from then on, from Medmerry and Runcton on 7th July, from the North Wall on 15th August and 22nd September, Medmerry on 21st October, Church Norton with two on 25th October, Marsh Farm, Sidlesham on 2nd November and Porthole Farm on 27th December..
Red Kite at Medmerry on 8th April (AH)
It was another year with just a single report of Honey Buzzard, with - frustratingly for the locals! – one seen and photographed by visiting birders as it passed over over the Bill on 9th May.
Honey Buzzard at the Bill on 9th May (CMcK)
None of the regular observers managed to see a White-tailed Eagle locally this year, either, with the only three reports coming second-hand from visiting birders and all at the North Wall, on 25th January, 19th April and 22nd October.
Unusually, there were no spring records of Osprey, with the first not seen until 1st June, when one was spotted flying over the Oving crossroads on the A27, right on the very edge of the Peninsula.
The first returning bird was around the north of the harbour on 3rd and 4th August, with another at West Itchenor on the 12th, but there were no more, then, until 1st September, when one went over Fishbourne Creek.
September was a much better month, with regular sightings throughout from various points in the harbour and Medmerry, with the last of the year seen at the North Wall on 8th October.
Osprey at the North Wall on 8th October (SR)
All of the early reports of Hobby came from the Bill, with the first on 16th April and the last on 11th May, totalling 12 birds, including two on 5th May, with the only other spring record being of one at Chichester GPs on 13th May.
Birds seen over Church Norton on 15th June and the Bill on 3rd July may have been returning birds, and one at Medmerry on 27th July certainly was, but there were no more until 23rd August, followed by another half a dozen reports from various locations until 19th September, with an exceptional record on 2nd October of two juveniles together around the Long Pool being the last.
Hobby at the Bill on 6th May (PA)
Medmerry was the only place to see a Merlin in the first part of the year, with multiple sightings from various parts of the reserve, though possibly all relating to a single wintering bird, last reported on 16th April, but there were no reports from elsewhere.
The first back, though, was seen along the east side of the harbour on the fairly early date of 20th August, with regular reports from around both the harbour and Medmerry from then on, as well as five reports from the Bill, suggesting more than one bird was present.
Merlin at the Bill on 8th November (AH)
Gamebirds/Rails
There were an encouraging number of reports of Grey Partridges early in the year, though all from the area around Rookwood and Ella Nore at West Wittering, with a count of 14 on 12th January being by far the best count in a long time, and six were seen there on 5th April, too, but the only other record was of one at Medmerry on 2nd May.
One of the farmers at West Wittering released a small number of Grey Partridges last autumn, and at least one pair was known to have reared young, so with the increasing amount of suitable habitat available, the species may yet recolonise the Peninsula.
Grey Partridges at West Wittering on 212th January (BI)
There was just a single Quail recorded this year, though, amazingly seen and videoed, close to the Ham Viewpoint at Medmerry on 22nd May.
Quail at Medmerry on 22nd May (MRe)
There was no confirmed breeding by Water Rails this year, though it seems probable, with birds present at several suitable locations, like the North Wall and Mill Pond Marsh, in the summer, and reasonable numbers were present in the autumn, too.
Water Rail at the North Wall on 18th October (AD)
Waders
This year would have to be considered a very disappointing one for Avocets, with low numbers over-wintering – a peak of just 34 in Ferry Channel on 4th February is barely half what would have been expected and, after numbers built up to a meagre 23 at Medmerry on 7th May at Medmerry, with 30 on the Ferry on the following day, the whole colony moved off elsewhere shortly afterwards, leaving very few around all summer, and no evidence of breeding. There were 37 birds at Snowhill Creek on 22nd March, but no more reports thereafter, though it is very under-watched in the summer.
Numbers remained very low into the autumn, too, with just a handful of birds back in the harbour by mid-November, though 21 were on the Ferry on the 19th, whilst 24 in the harbour and 35 at East Head on 15th December offered a little more optimism.
Avocets at the Ferry on 3rd December (AH)
Perhaps the most frustrating bird of the year was the Collared Pratincole seen by one lucky observer at Medmerry on 3rd May, but never re-found, having passed through after being in Hampshire on the previous day. This is just the third record for the Peninsula, after birds in 1987 and 2001.
After last year’s very late arrival and early departure dates, it was back to normal for Little Ringed Plovers, with the first three appearing at Medmerry on 12th March, and it would seem a pair stayed around, with a juvenile seen there on 18th July. It would seem likely that pair at the Ferry, first seen on 20th March, also stayed around all summer and raised young, though there was no trace until a juvenile with an adult was seen on 27th June.
Three juveniles remained there until 28th August, with a peak of six seen on the Breech Pool on 21st July, and a few remaining into mid-August there, whilst the last bird of the year was on the very late date of 19th September and at the unlikely location of Pagham Spit.
Little Ringed Plover at Medmerry on 12th March (LH)
There were very mixed fortunes for our nesting Ringed Plovers this year, with seven pairs fledging seven young in the harbour, but all eight pairs at Medmerry appearing to fail.
Ringed Plovers at Pagham Spit on 8th July (LP)
At least 300 Golden Plovers were recorded regularly from Medmerry in the early part of the year, but the biggest counts by far were in the harbour, including a peak of 1500 on 9th February, though, as is usual, numbers dropped away very quickly from then on.
A flock of 50 at Medmerry on 13th September was the first notable count, though, like many species, numbers were slow to build through the autumn, with only 200 in the harbour and 100 at Medmerry by mid-November, though increasing rapidly thereafter, with at least 1000 back in the harbour by mid-December, and good numbers again at Medmery, too.
Golden Plover at Medmerry on 20th November (AH)
There were only two reports of the ever-elusive over-wintering Purple Sandpiper around the Medmerry Breach – on 17th January and 1st February, but no sightings in the second half of the year.
Purple Sandpiper among other waders at Medmerry on 17th January (AH)
As usual, just one or two Sanderling were recorded at the Bill during the winter, and a few more were around in April, but 26 east on the 29th and 45 east on the 30th were the first evidence of significant migration, though May totals of 144 east and 96 west were a bit hard to comprehend, as was a big count of 51 west on 1st June.
The odd bird continued to appear during the summer, with five at Church Norton on 1st July quite possibly the first returning birds, and 25 west at the Bill on 20th September the biggest count.
Sanderlings at the Bill on 10th May (AH)
There was serious talk of a first-ever blank year for Little Stints, until finally a little flurry of juveniles a in September, starting with two seen from Pagham Spit on the 19th, saved the day.
There were then one at Church Norton on the 21st and 22nd, with one at Halsey’s Farm from the 22nd to the 25th, joined briefly by a second bird on the 24th, and finally three on the Ferry on the 27th, reducing to two the 28th and then one on the 29th, which proved to be the last of the year.
Little Stints at the North Wall on 24th September (LP)
A Temminck’s Stint was seen again this year, for the fifth year running, a good run for this nationally scarce species, with one popping up at the Ferry on 30th April.
Temminck's Stint on the Ferry on 30th April (AH)
One of the birds of the year was the Least Sandpiper that turned up on the Stilt Pool at Medmerry and remained in the vicinity until the 30th, giving a lot of younger/newer watchers the chance to catch up with this very scarce American visitor that was just the second for the Peninsula, after one in 1995, and the third for the county as a whole.
Interestingly, it was considered to be the bird that had wintered in Somerset and had been seen in Hampshire a few days earlier.
Least Sandpiper at Medmerry on 2nd April (SH)
There were only two spring Curlew Sandpipers seen – one at Church Norton on 26th May and then one that stayed on the Ferry from the 29th until 2nd June, with the only returning adult seen at the North Wall on 20th July.
But, encouragingly, there was a plethora of juveniles in the early autumn, suggesting a much better breeding season than last year, starting with one at the North Wall on 6th September and seven there on the following day.
There were multiple records of one to seven birds from the North Wall and East side during the month, but the two highest counts both came from Church Norton, with a remarkable 21 together on the 20th and ten still there on the 22nd. There were reports up to the middle of October from both sides of the harbour of one to four birds, with four on the 10th and three on the 14th in Fishbourne Creek, too, whilst the last record, of two, came from Church Norton on the late date of 2nd November.
Curlew Sandpiper on the Ferry on 2nd June (AH)
It was a very poor year for Ruff on the Peninsula, with the only two spring records both coming from the Bill, where they are normally very infrequent, with birds seen going east on 4th and 7th May, and the first returning birds was also seen there, on 13th August.
Almost all the remaining records referred to one bird that intermittently appeared at the North Wall from 15th to 26th August, with possibly it being the one seen at Church Norton on the following day, with a flock of 12 birds that flew around over the harbour at Church Norton, but didn’t settle, on 19th September boosting the year’s total and also proving to be the last sighting of the year.
Ruff at the North Wall on 15th August (LP)
After last year’s good numbers, it was back to scarcity level for the Wood Sandpiper, with just one seen – at the Ferry on 16th May, though, oddly, there were two heard-only reports in the autumn, from Medmerry on 15th August and the north of Selsey on the late date of 8th October.
Wood Sandpiper on the Ferry on 16th May (AH)
Two Green Sandpipers seen flying over the Medmerry Trail on 4th January would suggest two birds wintering locally, but all the many subsequent records from the Ferry and Medmerry were of one only, until 3rd and 4th April, when two were around the Ferry, with one remaining until the 25th.
The first bird back was at the North Wall on the pretty typical date of 17th June, though Mill Pond Marsh, with up to three birds seen frequently during July and August was the only site to record them with any regularity. Three at Medmerry on 8th September and three at the Ferry on the 20th were the best counts elsewhere, with two seen fairly regularly at the latter site up to 2nd November, but just one remaining after that.
Green Sandpiper at Mill Pond Marsh on 7th August (AH)
The first Common Sandpiper of the year was in Fishbourne Creek on 8th April, but spring numbers were pretty unremarkable thereafter, though a total of five were seen at the Bill, and the first bird back was there, too, on 23rd June.
There seemed to be reasonable numbers in the autumn, but five east at the Bill on 22nd July and six at Medmerry on 7th September were low best counts, with all having moved on by the end of September, save one at the North Wall that held on until 9th October.
For the first time since 2017/18 there appears to be an over-wintering bird, with one seen up until late November at least around West Itchenor.
Common Sandpiper at the Bill on 1st May (AW)
Another of the year’s star birds – and the third of the three that turned up at Medmerry - was the Lesser Yellowlegs that was on the Stilt Pool on 18th June, though somewhat surprisingly, it didn’t stay beyond the day. This was the sixth for the Peninsula and the first since 2008.
Lesser Yellowlegs at Medmerry on 18th June (KT)
One of the positive changes of recent years has been Greenshanks over-wintering in the harbour, with, again, one and possibly two present this year, with another at Medmerry, though Fishbourne Creek, with a peak of six on 2nd January, remains the most reliable site, and also host to the best spring tally of 14 birds on 22nd April.
The first back was on 6th July at Mill Pond Marsh, but a count of seven at the North Wall on 19th August was an underwhelming best count for the harbour, whilst 13 was the best at Fishbourne Creek on 19th August.
A count there of 12 on 1st October was unusually high for so late in the year, as was eight at East Head on the 22nd, whilst three seen in the harbour in November and December would suggest they will winter there again.
Greenshank at the North Wall on 25th April (LP)
All of the many winter reports of one, and sometimes two, Spotted Redshanks were from the North Wall area, with one in Ferry Channel on 6th February and 11th March the only exceptions until one, that may have been a migrant from elsewhere, settled in there from 27th March till 8th April, whilst the last of the spring was at the North Wall on 15th April.
Unusually, there were no June records this year, with a very late first returner not seen until 13th July at the North Wall, which again proved to be almost the only place to find them, with a peak of five seen on 24th to 27th August and four still present on 30th October, with at least two remaining to over-winter.
Spotted Redshank at the North Wall on 17th July (LP)
The over-wintering Whimbrel remained at Church Norton until early April, but, sadly, it did not return in the autumn.
Two very early birds passed the Bill on 1st March, and it was an above-average spring there, with 531 birds recorded, including 107 east on 9th May, though they were never very numerous in the harbour.
They weren’t too plentiful in the autumn, either, with no big counts recorded, with the last of the year seen in the slightly odd location of Mill Pond Marsh on 2nd October.
Whimbrel at Church Norton on 30th April (AH)
A count of just ten Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton on 4th January was as good as it got for the harbour, put in context by the 150 recorded in Chichester Harbour from Rookwood, West Wittering, on the 10th.
It was a good spring at the Bill, though, with a total of 1256 birds going east being nearly double the long-term average, with most being seen on 25th April, when 443 were counted and the 26th, with another 360.
There were very few through in the early autumn, though, and just one or two seeming to remain to winter in the harbour.
Bar-tailed Godwit at the North Wall on 7th September (LP)
The traditional Jack Snipe hot-spot at Fishbourne Creek yielded three birds on 1st January, and at least one on several subsequent dates, whilst there were also a number of birds seen in less regular sites, including Ferry Channel on 3rd January, Halsey’s Farm on the 5th, the North Wall on the 12th, Drayton Pits on 15th February and 2nd March and the Ferry on 9th April..
There was an extraordinary record of one seen going east, and then on the beach at the Bill early in the morning of 9th August, with the next not recorded until two were seen at the North Wall on the more usual date of 17th October, with the only further reports coming from Fishbourne Creek on 18th and 23rd December.
Woodcock remains a very hard bird to see on the Peninsula, with just three records this year – of one seen from a car between Birdham and Donnington on 21st January, one at the more regular site near Drayton Pits on 4th February and one at Medmerry on 13th December being the only records.
Woodcock at Medmerry on 13th December (PA)
Given that last year’s Red-necked Phalarope on the Ferry was the first for the Peninsula in nine years, expectations were low for this year, but amazingly one was on the Ferry again, showing very well, on 5th June.
Red-necked Phalarope on the Ferry on 5th June (AH)
And, after a blank year last year, there were three Grey Phalaropes seen this time, though all were quite hard to connect with, with one at Church Norton on 6th and 7th September missing for most of the first day and only seen briefly on the second, one at the fairly inaccessible location of Honer Reservoir on 18th September and, lastly, one that dropped in for a matter of minutes at the Ferry on 1st November.
Grey Phalarope on Honer Reservoir on 18th September (AH)
Skuas
It was a very mixed bag for skuas this year, with one of the highlights being potentially three different Long-tailed Skuas – a splendid spring one seen by two lucky observers at the Bill on 11th May, and then two more widely seen, but much more distant autumn ones there, seen on 31st August and then on several occasions on both 13th and 15th September.
It was a better year for Pomarine Skuas, too, though the spring total only returned to just about average after last year’s low count, with 47 seen, including the first on 26th April, a best count of 15, including a flock of 14, on the 29th and a last bird on 12th May.
Unusually, there were four autumn records, hopefully in response to a good breeding season, with juveniles seen going west at the Bill on 13th September and 19th October, and one seen off of the mouth of Chichester Harbour on 24th September, whilst a splendid adult, complete with tails spoons, went west past the Bill on 31st October.
Pomarine Skua at the Bill on 10th May (AH)
However, a spring total of 97 Arctic Skuas was below average, if not disastrous, after the first two on 10th April, with a peak day of just ten on the 18th. Ones and twos were seen on about half a dozen dates in each of June, July and August, and over a dozen dates in September, including five west on the 18th, with one bird recorded on four dates in October and three in November, the last of which was on the 7th.
Arctic Skuas at the Bill on 12th May (AH)
There were two winter records of Great Skua this year, with the first seen at the Bill on 26th January and the other there on 21st February, with the first of a very poor spring on 2nd April. Only a dozen were noted, way below the average of 63 birds east, with just five east on 18th April the peak and the last seen on 2nd May.
None were seen then until one offshore on 20th September, with possibly one, or perhaps two birds accounting for records on 31st October and 3rd, 13th, 14th and 16th November.
Great Skua at the Bill on 21st February (AW)
Gulls
There were only three reports of Little Gulls during the winter, all from the Bill, on 1st January, 27th January (of two) and 2nd February, but a bumper spring for the species kicked off early, with 18 east on 20th March, five more the next day and 31 on the 23rd, though there were no more until 12 east on 4th April. More continued to move through over the next month, including a very impressive day-count of 110 east on the 12th, with the last of the spring on 12th May. The only reports from away from the Bill were four east past Medmerry 23rd March and one at Chichester GPs on 27th March.
One west at the Bill on 5th June was unusual, but there were only a few more reports after that, a juvenile at Church Norton on 30th August, it or another at the Bill on 3rd September, three west there on 2nd November, one lingering offshore from 3rd to 14th December and a distant flock of 12 west there on the 15th.
Little Gull at the Bill on 11th December (AH)
As is usual, Mediterranean Gulls came and went unpredictably during the year, but, after a big arrival of gulls and terns in the harbour in early June, apparently having been washed out in Langstone Harbour, with up to 400 present by mid-month, there was hopes that some may have stayed to breed, but despite success for other species, they did not.
A count of 721 off the Bill on 13th June was a new site record, nearly repeated on 18th July, when c700 were recorded.
Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton on 14th June (AH)
Black-headed Gulls re-appeared with the above species in early June, and they did settle to nest, rearing 51 young from 187 nests, whilst 18 nests on the rafts at Medmerry produced nine fledged young.
Caspian Gulls remain inexplicably rare on the Peninsula, despite more effort in finding them in recent times, with just four records of five birds – all sub-adults - during the year, comprising one on Pagham Spit on 20th January, two along the east side of the harbour on 7th February, one on Church Norton spit on 9th February and then a widely watched one on the shingle bar off Hillfield Road at the Bill on 6th September.
Caspian Gull along the East side on 7th February (PA)
The first Yellow-legged Gull of the year was not recorded until 1st June, when a third-year bird was seen in the roost off Hillfield Road at the Bill, with one July and three August records there, too, including four on the 27th.
As ever, the most reliable site was the harbour off the North Wall, with possibly the same returning adult present from 16th June until 2nd October, with two there on 8th September and an outlying report of one on 24th October, whilst a different adult bird took up residence at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham from 20th September to 17th October.
Yellow-legged Gull at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham on 20th September (BI)
Kittiwake numbers were low in the early part of the year, with 66 east at the Bill on 26th January the only decent count, and the only big day in the spring was of 203 east on 9th May, with only small, but regular counts through the summer and early autumn, with 84 west on 16th September the highest count.
There was a marked upswing late in the year, though, with 148 west on 31st October, 126 west on 12th November and a best of the year 325 west on the following day, though this was eclipsed by a massive westward movement of 1324 birds on the 29th..
There were also two reports away from the Bill, of one going over the North Wall on 10th August, and one in the gull roost at Church Norton on 16th August.
Kittiwakes at the Bill on 29th May (AH)
Terns
The wintering Sandwich Terns at the Bill seem well-established these days, with regular sightings, including a number of double-figure counts and a peak of 20 birds on 19th January.
The first probable migrants were 29 east on 19th March and 55 on the21st, with April being the peak month, including 411 east on the 18th, and the spring total of 3516 was above average.
It was a very strange roller-coaster summer in the harbour, though, with c150 birds present in early April giving the impression they might settle in, before promptly departing again, and then, when it looked like another disappointing year, a similar number re-appeared in early June, after apparently being flooded out in Langstone Harbour.
This time some of them eventually settled, though just when it looked like it might be a really good season, the Breach Island colony unexpectedly abandoned their nests close to fledging - sadly it seems probable that this was caused by human disturbance, when paddle-boarders landed on the island. Fortunately, though, at least a dozen chicks were fledged from Tern Island – not a great return from 93 nests, but given the disappointments of the last two years, this still has to be seen as a positive result.
Up to 500 birds dropped in for few days in mid-July, including many juveniles from elsewhere, with our own barely fledged young not appearing until the month’s end, whilst there were a couple of very big westward passage days at the Bill in September, with 551 birds counted on the 3rd and 415 on the 15th.
Typically, they all but disappeared in early autumn, before numbers rebuilt from November onwards, with a peak of 19 recorded at the Bill on 22nd December.
Sandwich Tern at Church Norton on 10th August (AH)
The first two Common Terns of the year were reported from the Bill on the news services on 30th March, with the first (four) seen by the regular observers on 1st April, but it proved to be a very poor spring indeed for the species, with just 562 (plus 304 ‘Commic’ Terns) logged east, and a best day count of 77 on 5th May. There has been a dramatic decline in numbers recorded in recent years at the Bill, with regular totals of 3000+ a distant memory, but, as yet, there has been no convincing reason why.
On the plus side, 13 pairs raised seven young on the new rafts on the pool opposite the Stilt Pool at Medmerry, though the one or two pairs in the harbour failed. And there was no news from Chichester GPs, admittedly under-watched in the summer, with just a handful of reports of one or two birds from the Ivy Lake complex and a possible suggestion of breeding nearby at Drayton Pits, where three birds were seen fishing and taking food away on 9th August.
They were never very numerous in the harbour, post breeding, but there were a quite a lot recorded at the Bill in the first half of September, starting with 142 west on the 3rd, followed by several more days of decent counts and culminating with 304 west, by far the biggest day, on the 15th, and 104 west on the 17th. After that, though, there were just a handful more records, with one offshore on the 11th and two west on the 16th the only October records, and the last of the year.
Common Tern at Drayton Pits on 9th August (OM)
An Arctic Tern east at the Bill on 18th April was the first record, with 14 east on 5th May and 16 east on the 12th the only other spring reports, though there were a few more than usual in the autumn, starting with three west there on 3rd August, with another nine reports of 15 birds between then and the last two on 15th September.
Also, a juvenile was in the harbour on 3rd September, and two adults were present on the 16th, which seemed like it would be the last report until two first-winter birds popped up there on the very late date of 30th October, and this was then trumped by one west at the Bill the next day.
Arctic Tern at Church Norton on 3rd September (AH)
It proved to be another good summer for Roseate Tern sightings, starting with one west at the Bill on 3rd June, then two at Church Norton on the 7th, with one seen on the following two days, then another there on the 22nd and 23rd, one from 5th to 7th July and probably the same bird again on the 11th and 16th, and lastly, two together offshore, then west at the Bill on the 26th.
It is impossible to tell for certain, but it seems likely that six, or even seven, different birds were seen, which is very encouraging.
Roseate Tern at the Bill on 3rd June (AW)
The first Little Terns back – three of them - were seen at Church Norton on 8th April, but the first at the Bill were not seen until the fairly late date of the 12th, with a fairly modest spring total of 192 east thereafter, with an equally modest best day of just 30 east on 1st May, though 40 east past Medmerry on the previous day was actually the highest count.
Unlike the dramas on Tern Island, the colony on Breach and New Island settled down reasonably quickly, and quietly went about producing 21 chicks from at least 28 pairs – possibly the best return since the 1980s, and particularly gratifying after the last two disastrous seasons.
As usual, the colony moved off fairly quickly after the young fledging, with just a handful of August records from both the harbour and the Bill of passing birds, mainly juveniles, and five reports in September, the last of which were on the 17th, when possibly the same bird was seen in the harbour and passing the Bill.
Little Tern at Pagham Spit on 13th July (AH)
It was a poor spring for Black Terns, with just 15 seen heading east, with two on 30th April the first, and seven east on 12th May and five east on the 13th accounting for most of the total, though birds lingering offshore were noted on six dates, including the last two of the spring on the 26th.
Two east past the Bill on 20th July was a bit of an oddity, with no more then recorded until the end of August with birds in the harbour on the 29th and 30th and then two west at the Bill on the 31st, which presaged an unusually good September for what can be a very uncommon return migrant. Up to two birds were seen in the harbour between the 15th and 19th, whilst there were sightings at the Bill on nine dates, including seven west on the 13th, five west on the 15th and the last two, west, on the 20th.
Black Tern at Church Norton on 15th September (AH)
Auks
Guillemots remain unaccountably scarce on the Peninsula, with just a scattering of reports of one or two birds at the Bill throughout the first half of the year, and just four east on the odd date of 22nd June the highest count.
The first returning bird was offshore there on 5th September, but they were almost as scarce through the autumn, with 24 east on 18th October and 36 west on 15th December by far and away the highest counts.
Guillemots at the Bill on 10th February (AW)
There with none of the big movements of Razorbills we have come to expect in the early part of the year, with 165 west on 13th January the only three-figure count, though they were recorded on many days in the spring and summer.
Happily, there was a return to normal service in the autumn, starting with 371 west on 8th October, and then an astonishing movement of 4128 birds heading east on the 18th, with 1044 more on the following day and 787 west on the 31st, and plenty of other days with good numbers of more distant auk movement, presumed to be Razorbills.
Razorbills at the Bill on 17th October (AW)
The only Puffin record for the year was of one going east very early in the morning on 3rd May.
A Black Guillemot went west past the Bill on 2nd December - the first since 2019 and only the fifth this century.
Black Guillemot at the Bill on 2nd December (AH)
Pigeons/Owls etc
For a very long time it looked as though a Turtle Dove heard, but never seen, at Church Norton on the evening of 1st May would be the solitary record of this increasingly scarce species.
But then, completely unexpectedly, a juvenile bird turned up in gardens at East Beach on the late date of 23rd October, remaining in the vicinity until 5th November, and just as we thought that was it, amazingly a different – adult – bird popped up at Greenlease Farm, Church Norton on 15th November, by a distance the latest date this century, and probably ever!
Turtle Dove at East Beach on 23rd October (SR)
There was no repeat of the huge numbers of Wood Pigeons seen late last autumn, with counts at the Bill only totalling c6500, though almost half – 3030 birds - went through west on 8th November.
There was also a massive gathering of Stock Doves at Medmerry in November, with over 1000 together on the 18th.
Stock Doves at Medmerry on 18th November (LH)
The first Cuckoo was again just about bang on schedule, on 13th April along the Medmerry Trail, though it was another disappointing spring for the species, with notably fewer around the North Wall and only sporadic reports from Church Norton and Medmerry.
The last report of a calling bird was from the North Wall on the early date of 23rd June, but, encouragingly, there were four late reports of juveniles – from Honer Reservoir on 25th July, the North Wall on 10th August, Medmerry on the 14th, and a very late last one at Church Norton on 2nd September, oddly the same date and location as last year.
Cuckoo at the North Wall on 27th April (LP)
In what appeared to be a disappointing year for the species, the only site in the early part of the year to regularly report Barn Owls was the North Wall, particularly Halsey’s Farm, with virtually no reports from Medmerry, though there were occasional sightings from Marsh Farm, Sidlesham, Church Norton, Highleigh and Northcommon Farm.
The only late spring/summer sightings were at Medmerry, but there was no confirmed breeding from the usual sites, though one was seen there on 30th September, but worryingly, the only reports received after that date were one at West Wittering on 29th November, one at the Ferry on 7th December and ones at Medmerry on the 13th and 29th, though the Halsey's Fam bird was apparently also still about..
Barn Owl at Medmerry on 21st April (MRB)
Once again, the only site for Little Owls was at Little Welbourne, adjacent to the North Wall, where they were seen regularly in the early part of the year, but, again, there was no indication of breeding success, and no reports in the second half of the year.
The only record from elsewhere was of one calling loudly in a Sidlesham garden on the night of 23rd September, though not subsequently.
Little Owls at the North Wall on 3nd March (AH)
The Tawny Owls didn’t breed in the Discovery Area this year, though there were plenty heard around the North Wall, including three on 25th September, and at Honer Farm and in Sidlesham, though they are doubtless under-recorded elsewhere.
The three Long-eared Owls seen in late 2024 continued to delight, with the worst-kept secret ever allowing a constant flow of admirers right through the winter, which fortunately did not deter the birds from remaining in their favoured area. All three were still present until 22nd March, with the last one not departing until 4th April.
Remarkably, one reappeared in the same location on 14th September, but it was sadly not seen again.
Long-eared Owl on the Peninsula on 2nd January ( EB)
It was a poor year for Short-eared Owls, with almost all the records early in the year pertaining to one particularly elusive individual at Medmerry, though it became a little easier to see – if it was the same bird! – late in the spring, when it was joined by a second bird from 13th to 23rd May, with the last sighting on the 26th. The only other sight to record them was the North Wall, where one was seen several times between 24th April and 1st May.
Autumn sightings were equally few, with one at Church Norton on 26th September and one at Medmerry from 30th October until 1st November, with it, or another seen there on the 28th, the only reports.
Short-eared Owl at Medmerry on 7th April (PA)
Ring-necked Parakeets have still not really gained a foothold on the Peninsula, though there were a few reports in the first half of the year, starting with one over Pagham village on 22nd February and one at West Wittering on 9th March.
There was then a pair reported as being present around Runcton on 16th May, reported again on the 31st, when a seemingly different pair – given the times seen – flew over Church Norton and then, later, over the north of Selsey. The only other record was of one flying over the Visitor Centre, calling loudly, on 19th June.
Ring-necked Parakeet in Runcton on 16th May (A Wells)
This year will be remembered as the year of the swift, with three different species recorded at the Bill, starting with a low-flying Alpine Swift that flew over Bill House, circled around over the houses and eventually headed out to sea on 4th April. This was only the sixth Peninsula record, and the first at the Bill since 1984.
Alpine Swift at the Bill on 4th April (AW)
At the other end of the year, what were potentially the second, third and fourth Pallid Swifts for the Peninsula, and first for the Bill, turned up during a period of strong southerlies, with two seen flying west offshore together on 31st October and then another, or one of the afore-mentioned two, watched and photographed before heading off west over the houses early the next morning. The only previous record was of one at Church Norton in October 2018.
Pallid Swift at the Bill on 1st November (PA)
In between all this excitement, our regular Common Swifts turned up as usual, with the first two over Hunston on the fairly early date of 14th April, had an unremarkable breeding season and had largely departed by the end of August, with the last sightings being one at Church Norton on 11th September and finally two over Selsey Vicarage on the 20th.
Swift at the Bill on 4th July (AH)
It seems bizarre, but the Bill is the most reliable site to see a Nightjar locally, and once again this year one was watched feeding over the sea, a long way out, as it headed west early on 2nd May.
One of the events of the year, locally as well as nationally, was an arrival of Hoopoes in April, with possibly as many as five individuals involved, though, inevitably some of the reports were not fully documented.
The first appeared out on the reserve at Medmerry on 8th April, drawing quite a crowd with it or another reported in the same area again on the 10th and the 12th, whilst another was reported by a visiting birder at Church Norton on the 11th, which may well refer to the same bird photographed by a local resident along nearby Park Lane on the 13th.
The most accessible were two together around the paddocks and then in fields along Church Lane at the North Wall, showing really well at times between the 14th and the 16th, heard calling and even seen passing food, but frustratingly, just as we started to dream of a breeding pair, they disappeared, never to be seen again. There was one last record, too, of presumably yet another bird, with one at Halsey’s Farm on 1st May.
Hoopoes at the North Wall on 15th April (PM)
In what was a very good year for Mediterranean birds, Bee-eaters also featured, though sadly only for the finder, with three birds seen and heard as they circled over Snowhill Creek, East Head, for several minutes before drifting off north on 7th May.
Kingfishers have become so much more regular in recent years that they don't often merit a mention, but - though there was no confirmation - it would seem that the pair that remained around the North Wall throughout the summer at least attempted to breed, which is a rare event locally.
Kingfisher at the North Wall on 17th November (LP)
It was also the best year for a while for Wrynecks, with three different birds at Church Norton once again proving it is the place to see them. The first two, however, proved particularly unobliging, being seen by just the finders – along the Severals on 9th September and behind the hide on the 12th, before it was third time lucky, with another bird popping up along the Severals on the 16th, that showed well to many people until the 19th.
Wryneck at Church Norton on 12th August (AHu)
Larks/Pipits/Hiirundines
It was an above-average autumn for Woodlark reports, though they were all flyovers from a variety of sites, starting with a little flurry of early records, from the Ferry on 20th September, the North Wall on the 21st and the Bill on the 22nd, with no more then, until birds over there on 5th and 14th October, and further sightings of four over East Head on the 22nd and one over Church Norton on the 30th.
Two Swallows at the North Wall on 21st March was a typical start to the spring, but once again the comment from all around was just how few there were this year, with, many traditional sites remaining un-occupied again.
It is to be hoped that the benign conditions during the summer produced a decent crop of youngsters and a recovery in numbers, with some reasonable, if not outstanding, counts in the autumn offering some encouragement, including peaks at the Bill of 2140 on 6th September and 1952 the following day.
Good numbers continued into October, including 184 on the 7th and 211 on the 14th at the Bill, with a couple of birds lingering into November, with the last seen at Church Norton on the 9th.
Swallow at the North Wall on 29th June (LP)
The first Sand Martin of the year was at Medmerry on the early date of 11th March, but, as usual, only small numbers were recorded in the spring, with just 51 noted at the Bill, for instance.
The first returning birds were very early, too, with three over Selsey on 11th June, followed by a dozen at Medmerry on the 15th, before numbers increased rapidly, including 200 at the North Wall on the 25th. There were no really big gatherings this year, but a lot of days with several hundred birds noted – possibly as a result of the generally good weather, and there seemed to be more lingering into September than usual, including at least 100 at Church Norton on the 19th, with the last of the year seen at the Bill on 11th October.
Sand Martin at Medmerry on 18th July (PA)
The first House Martins were not seen until 5th April, when four were over Pagham Lagoon, whilst spring and summer numbers seemed fairly stable, and most nest sites were at a reasonable rate of occupancy.
Again, like the other species, there were none of the spectacular build-ups that can occur in adverse weather, with758 on 22nd September and 1500 on the following day at the Bill by far the highest counts, whilst 55 there and 40 at Church Norton on 8th October was a big count so late in the year, whilst the last five were seen at the Bill on the 22nd.
House Martin at the Bill on 6th July (AH)
The only record of a Water Pipit during the year was of one reported by a visiting birder at the North Wall on 25th January.
There were three reports of Scandinavian Rock Pipits in March, all from the North Wall, with identifiably different birds seen on the 9th and 10th, plus another report on the 14th.
There was also an interesting tale attached to a colour-ringed individual seen at the North Wall on 29th September, with confirmation that it had been ringed as a nestling in southern Norway on 18th May. It appeared inseparable from any other Rock Pipit, but with irrefutable proof of its Scandinavian origins!
Scandinavian Rock Pipit at the North Wall on 9th March (AH)
There were again no spring records of Tree Pipit on the Peninsula, though it was a respectable autumn, albeit with the vast majority of birds just seen/heard flying over.
The first went over Sidlesham on 7th August, with small numbers recorded over various sites through August and September, with birds at Mill Pond Marsh on 15th and 17th August and at Church Norton on 9th September the only ones seen on the ground (or in trees!). The last of the year went over the Bill on the fairly early date of 22nd September.
Tree Pipit at Mill Pond Marsh on 17th August (AH)
The first Yellow Wagtail was seen at Chichester GPs on the early date of 26th March, but all the other spring records came from the Bill, with a total of 28 counted between 5th April and 3rd May.
One seen at Memory on 16th June was very unexpected, with the next not noted until the more usual date of 18th July, though numbers were pretty low everywhere until late in August, when 30 were at the North Wall on the 20th, and 27 and 43 went over the Bill on the 22nd and 23rd. Peak movement was in early September, with 118 over the Bill in the first week, including 62 on the 6th, with 200 in to roost at the Breach Pool on the 7th and 400 on the 9th, before numbers dropped away quickly thereafter, with 21 over the Bill on 26th September the most notable late count. Unusually there were no October birds reported from there, with the last of the year going over Church Norton on the 5th.
Yellow Wagtail at the North Wall on 9th August (LP)
Thrushes
Just about the only place to find Fieldfares in the first half of the year was Medmerry, with a fairly mobile and elusive flock of variable numbers – peaking at 80 on 17th January, but more usually around 30-40 birds - being seen intermittently at a variety of locations, with a dozen last seen on 21st March, with only other ones recorded being one at Runcton on the 17th and then one in off the sea at the Bill, where they are very rarely recorded, on 9th April.
There were very few around in the autumn, too, with the first at the North Wall on 18th October, followed by two there on the 25th and one on the 26th, plus two over Sidlesham on the 27th and five there on 13th December, with a few more finally turning up right at the end of the year, including 30 near Honer Reservoir on the 24th and 25 at Chichester Canal on the 29th.
Fieldfare at the North Wall on 30th December (LP)
Just six Redwings at Apuldram on 12th January was the biggest winter count for this increasingly scarce winter visitor, with just a handful of other reports of one and two from elsewhere, and just a few reports of birds on the move in March, too, notably 13 over Sidlesham on the 2nd, with seven on the 22nd and one on the 26th also noted there, with one at the North Wall on the 25th and six at Chichester GPs on the 26th completing the list.
There were a few more in the autumn, after one at Drayton Pits on 10th October, with 20 over West Itchenor on the 13th, 25 briefly in trees in Sidlesham on the 31st and 30 along Chichester Canal on 17th December by far the best counts.
Redwing at the North Wall on 2nd March (LP)
There was a rare spring Ring Ouzel this year, with one seen briefly at the Bill on 25th April, but there were just three autumn records, of one at the North Wall on 13th October, one at Church Norton on the 22nd, and then the latest this century seen on 8th November.
Ring Ouzel at the North Wall on 13th October (LP)
The first Wheatear of the year was a day later than last year, on 10th March, but at exactly the same location, on the beach by the windmill at West Sands (Medmerry), but it felt like a pretty poor spring for them, though the prolonged spells of high pressure hopefully meant that they just didn’t need to drop in on the coast, and, indeed, the last of the spring – at Medmerry – was on the early date of 5th May.
The first back, on Pagham Spit, was on the fairly typical date of 23rd July, but again possibly due to the amenable weather, there were no big days, though quite a few hung on into October, including four at Medmerry on the 7th and three at the North Wall until the 24th, with the last of them hanging on until 2nd November.
Wheatear at Medmerry on 29th March (AH)
A Whinchat was at Medmerry on 12th April – later than last year’s first, but still a week ahead of average, with the last of a pretty unremarkable spring also there on 9th May, as was the first returning bird on 6th August.
As with the previous species, there were no big days, but plenty of days with one or two present, particularly at the North Wall and Medmerry, where five on 22nd September was the best count, with both sites recording one on 7th October, which proved to be the last of the year.
Whinchat at Medmerry on 12th April (LH)
Stonechats, too, seemed to in short supply, with very few breeding records in the summer, though a few more were about in the autumn, with the two best counts being 30 at Ham, Medmerry on 2nd October and 20 at the North Wall on the 25th.
Stonechat at Medmerry on 30th July (GHi)
It was an unexpectedly good year for Nightingales, a species that is less than annual in occurrence on the Peninsula, with one heard singing by Marsh Barn at Medmerry on 6th April being completely overshadowed by developments at Chichester Canal, where a bird was first heard singing on 18th April, just west of Hunston.
This normally overlooked area attracted a lot of interest, with the bird singing and showing well on occasions, and was joined by a second bird, with regular reports until 9th May, and again on the 19th, but sadly nothing after that, so we do not know whether they stayed to breed, though it seems likely, and would only be the second time this century if they did so.
To complete a good year, there was also a rare autumn record of one seen at Sidlesham Quay on 22nd August.
Nightingale at Chichester Canal on 5th May (AW)
There was a little arrival of mainly male Redstarts in early April, with one at both Church Norton and the North Wall on the 5th, with another at the latter on the 8th, at the Bill on the 6th and 7th, and at Medmerry on the 6th and 9th, though there weren’t many more after that, with the last at the Visitor Centre on the 28th and 29th.
The first back was on the early date of 1st August, at Medmerry, and it proved to be a reasonable autumn for the species, with the best counts being three at Church Norton on 15th August and 21st September, with further birds at Mill Pond Marsh and the North Wall on the latter date, too. The last of the year were one at Mill Pond Marsh on 29th and 30th September and one at Church Norton on 1st October.
Redstart at the Bill on 6th April (AH)
The over-wintering Black Redstart was seen sporadically at the Bill from the start of the year until 22nd February, with it or another there from 5th to 13th March, and there were two there on the 24th.
It proved to be a good spring for the species, with two more at the Bill, including the last on 14th April, two different birds at the North Wall and further reports from Selsey, Medmerry, Church Norton, Chichester Gravel Pits and Park Farm, Selsey.
There was also a really anomalous record of one at the Bill on 25th July – about as far from the last spring record and the first autumn record as it is possible to get.
The autumn was quite respectable, too, with birds in Pagham churchyard and the North Wall on 21st October the first of the autumn, and two at Medmerry and one at East Head on the following day, There were further sightings into November from a variety of sites, including in two residents’ gardens in Selsey, with one still at the Bill on the 15th, though the only report thereafter was of one near Pagham Lagoon on 12th December.
Black Redstart at the North Wall on 20th March (LP)
Warblers/’crests/Flycatchers
The first Sedge Warbler arriving in March appears to be the norm nowadays, with one at the Long Pool on the 27th keeping up the recent run of occurrences, whilst the last was seen at the North Wall on 2nd October.
Sedge Warbler at the North Wall on 29th June (LP)
The first Reed Warbler was at Medmerry on 8th April, and they seemed in good supply at all their regular haunts during the summer, whilst the last was seen at the North Wall on 30th September.
Reed Warblers at the North Wall on 13th July (LP)
Encouragingly, there were again five records of Grasshopper Warbler this year, with reeling birds along Mill Lane, Selsey and in a Birdham garden on 15th April, and then a very showy bird in the little-watched Fishbourne Meadow at the very top of the creek, present from 13th to 15th May.
The two autumn birds were both from the North Wall area, with one in hedges by the Slipe Field on 22nd August and then one at Owl Point on 8th September.
Grasshopper Warbler at Fishbourne Meadows on 13th May (AB)
For the second year running, the first Willow Warblers were around the Discovery Area, appearing on 27th March. Numbers were generally quite modest in the spring, but there was an unprecedented arrival of this species and Chiffchaffs, plus, inevitably numerous ‘Willow/Chiffs’ at the Bill on 5th, and particularly 6th April at the Bill, with many birds literally watched flying in over the waves and dropping into the beachside vegetation. In excess of 100 birds were counted over the two days, with at least a quarter of them definitely Willow Warblers.
Autumn passage commenced with birds seen at Church Norton, Halsey’s Farm and Birdham on 25th July, though with the exception of Mill Pond Marsh, where a continuous and conspicuous presence was noted in late August and early September, numbers were fairly low, with the last recorded at Park Farm, Selsey on 22nd September.
Willow Warbler at the Bill on 5th April (AH)
Overwintering Chiffchaffs seemed thin on the ground, and apart from the events described above, spring passage was unremarkable, too, and there didn’t seem to be very many breeding pairs around regular haunts, such as the Discovery Area/ Tramway area, either, but there were some good counts in the autumn, suggesting that breeding had been successful overall.
Among the more notable counts were 40 at Church Norton on 23rd September, 28 at the Bill on the following day and 40 along the Long Pool on the 30th, with at least another 60 recorded from various other sites on that day.
As usual, small numbers remained to winter, most notably around Porthole Farm, where up to a dozen were seen on 26th and 27th December.
Chiffchaff at the Long Pool on 30th September (AH)
One of the most frustrating birds of the year was the Pallas’s Warbler present in the trees between the Severals on 8th November, only seen by a couple of people and heard by a couple more, and not there on the following day. This was the first for the Peninsula since 2014 and only the fourth this century.
Pallas's Warbler at Church Norton on 8th November (IP)
The only Yellow-browed Warbler of the year was equally unco-operative, turning up in a small patch of vegetation in the middle of East Head on 22nd October, and only seen by the finders.
Yellow-browed warbler at East Head on 22nd October (PA)
It is remarkable how quickly we get used to a species being a permanent fixture, and we now expect to see Dartford Warblers all year round, particularly at Medmerry, where the year started with up to eight counted on 3rd January, and they were indeed ever-present and, although there was no confirmation of breeding this year, it would seem likely that they did so again.
Elsewhere there were relatively few reported, though they were seen intermittently around the harbour early in the year, and good numbers re-appeared in the autumn, including four at East Head on 7th October, seven around Ham on the eastern side of Medmerry on the 12th and eight on the western side in the 22nd, with one to three reported from various sites around the harbour, too.
Dartford Warbler on Pagham Spit on 17th November (PA)
The year’s first Whitethroat turned up at Medmerry on the typical date of 8th April, and they seemed to be in good numbers during the summer, though definitely less conspicuous on return passage, with the last seen at Church Norton on 5th October.
Whitethroat at Church Norton on 28th April (AH)
Lesser Whitethroats, however, seemed in distinctly short supply again this year, after the first on 10th April at Church Norton, with very few seen, or heard in the spring and summer, and they were not as obvious as they can be on return passage either. The last two of a poor autumn were at the North Wall on 29th September and at East Head on 2nd October.
Lesser Whitethroat at the North Wall on 8th September (LP)
There were only four reports of Garden Warbler in the spring, with one at the North Wall on 14th April, one at both Fishbourne Creek and the East side on the 22nd and another at the North Wall on 8th May.
They were scarce in the autumn to, with under ten reports, mainly from Church Norton, after the first back seen there on 27th July, with the last of the year being on the very late date of 13th October in Park Lane, Selsey.
Garden Warbler at Church Norton on 28th August (AH)
There were two Blackcaps wintering near the Bill, and one was seen in Runcton on 10th February, with the first probable spring migrants appearing on 23rd March, with singing birds in Selsey, Chichester GPs and Drayton Pits..
Like a number of other species, they did not seem to have been as conspicuous as some years locally in the summer, and autumn numbers felt low, with the exception of 6th September, when a fall of up to 100 birds around Church Norton was noted. The last probable migrant was at Church Norton on 13th November.
Blackcap at Mill Pond Marsh on 30th September (AH)
It was a good year for Firecrests, with birds wintering at several sites, including Church Norton, the Tramway, Sidlesham churchyard and in the village, West Itchenor and West Wittering, with several seen at the latter site and a number of other locations in March likely to be migrants.
There were no summer reports, with one at West Itchenor on 15th August being the first likely returning bird of a good autumn, with a wide range of reports during September and October and at least six still around Church Norton by mid-November.
Firecrest at West Wittering on 3rd Marsh (AH)
Goldcrests merit a mention this year, because after a number of really poor recent autumns there were just a few more about this time – there were no big falls or exceptional numbers, but their presence was just more obvious in the places where they would be expected.
Goldcrest at the North Wall on 19th December (EB)
There were no spring Pied Flycatchers again this year, and it was a really poor autumn, too, with probably only two definite birds – at Northcommon Farm on 9th August and at Birdham on the 24th, with three reports of possibles in-between.
It was a really poor spring for Spotted Flycatchers, too, with only a handful of reports, including the first on 1st May and the last on 30th, both at Church Norton.
There was a small arrival on 2nd August to herald their return, with birds seen at Church Norton, near the Ferry and at Park Farm, Selsey, and it was a respectable autumn thereafter, with 9th September particularly noticeable, when seven birds were at Church Norton and two each at Northcommon Farm and Drayton Pits, and there were also six at Church Norton on the 13th, whilst last of the year was seen in a Birdham garden on the fairly early date of 28th September.
Spotted Flycatchers at Church Norton on 5th September (AH)
Tits/Crows etc
The solitary Golden Oriole of the year was never actually seen, but heard in the trees by the Priory at Church Norton on the morning of 30th May, though it keeps up the good recent run, this being the seventh year of the last eight when there has been a bird recorded, after just three in the preceding 18 years.
Several of last autumn’s arrival of Bearded Tits remained into the new year around the Breech Pool, with four seen on 11th and 14th January and a peak of six on the 18th, with at least two remaining until 20th March, though sadly, none re-appeared in the autumn.
Bearded Tit at the North Wall on 11th January (LP)
There were far too many reports of Coal Tits to mention them all, but a variety of sites, including North Mundham, West Itchenor, West Wittering, several sites in Sidlesham and Selsey and around the harbour all returned reports during the year, with juvenile birds seen in Selsey and at Mill Pond Marsh in August, confirming that they are breeding locally.
Coal Tit at Mill Pond Marsh on 27th July (PA)
Once again, the Chalkdock area at West Itchenor was the only reliable site for Nuthatches, with a couple of reports early in the year and more in the autumn, with the only reports from elsewhere being of two at nearby Rookwood, West Wittering on 13th February, at Drayton Pits on 2nd March and a garden in Birdham on 10th August.
Nuthatch at West Itchenor on 17th January (BI)
West Itchenor was again the best spot for Tree-creepers, too, but there were a surprisingly wide range of other reports during the year, including from Hunston Copse, West Wittering, Halsey’s Farm, Runcton, Chichester Marina and Chichester GPs, with an adult and a newly fledged juvenile there on 8th May confirming that they, too, are breeding locally.
Tree-creeper at West Itchenor on 3rd March (PA)
There were plenty of reports of one and two Ravens through the year, with six together at West Itchenor on 21st August possibly being a family group, though not necessarily of local origin, and there were further reports in September of flocks of four over Church Norton on the 11th and 28th and a flock of five over the North Wall on the 21st.
Raven at Medmerry on 20th November (AH)
Finches and Buntings
Bullfinches are becoming very scarce on the Peninsula, even with the caveat that those that may still persist are often in unwatched areas, particularly on the western fringes.
The only records this year were of a pair in Yeoman’s Field on 18th January, one over Sidlesham on 29th March, three records from Chichester Canal – the only site where there was more than one report – of one on 22nd April, two on 9th May and one on the 18th, with the only records for the rest of the year being one in off the sea at the Bill on 25th October, one at Westhampnett Pit on 28th November and a pair at the North Wall on 27th December .
The flock of c40 Siskins present from at least 10th to 15th February along the west end of Chichester Canal may well have spent the winter there, being the only likely such instance, with two over the Ferry on 8th March likely to be on the move, as were the other spring records of one over Medmerry on 9th April and one over the Bill on 9th May.
Eight over Sidlesham on 14th September were just a day ahead of the average return date, and were the fore-runners of a good autumn for the species, being quickly followed by 75 over Church Norton on the 19th and c40 in the trees there on the 26th, with counts of 110 over Park Lane on 6th October and 117 over the Severals on the 15th the best days, and 89 west at the Bill on the 8th being the best count there. During the remainder of the month birds continued to move though, with 56 over the Severals on 2nd November the last decent count, though a few continued to move, and indeed remain in the vicinity, possibly to over-winter.
Siskin at Church Norton on 10th October (AW)
It was an unprecedentedly good year for Redpolls, too, which started with the unexpected discovery of a small wintering flock at Halsey’s Farm in early January, peaking at 16 birds, with at least ten still present on 27th February, whilst three over the hide by the Ferry on 8th February were possibly unconnected to the flock.
A single bird over the Bill on 29th September was the first, quickly followed by 40 over the North Wall on 2nd October, and from then on there were regular reports, principally from Church Norton, but also from the Bill, where 33 west on 26th October was the best count, and East Head where an astonishing 212 were recorded going over on the 28th, whilst there were still counts of 32 on the 30th and 34 on 2nd November at Church Norton.
There were also a couple of instances of birds dropping into gardens, in Birdham, with 25 and Sidlesham with 34 on 22nd October, and again at the latter site, with 15 birds on the 29th.
Redpoll at Halsey's Farm on 11th January (SH)
It was an extraordinary year for Serins, after a rare blank year last year, with a dozen sightings, all at the Bill, certainly involving three individuals, and more likely five.
A male bird was seen and heard coming in off the sea on 12th April, with presumably the same individual appearing again on the following day, with a female then seen on the 22nd and 26th, with another male then seen coming in off the sea on the 27th. There was then a lull until one was heard/seen in flight, but not sexed, on 6th and 7th May, and then another male apparently in off the sea on the 11th, seen on the next two days and presumably the same bird again on the 15th and 17th, but that proved to be the last occurrence.
Serin at the Bill on 13th May (PM)
Another species that had a very good year locally was Crossbill, though this had been somewhat anticipated with reports of it being an ‘irruption year’ with a lot of birds from the continent throughout the country.
There was a little flurry in the late summer, starting with one over Medmerry on 12th July, followed by two over the North Wall on the 25th, one over Church Norton on the 28th and two over West Itchenor on 8th August.
There was then a hiatus until October, with a succession of reports, mainly over Church Norton and the north of Selsey, with 21 over on the 15th and 29 over on the 30th the best counts, with just two reports from the Bill – of six over on the 25th and the last of the year on 16th November.
It was, however, a fairly disappointing autumn for Bramblings, with barely double figures recorded and mainly at the Bill, where, oddly, they went over in twos on 15th, 19th, 25th and 26th October, with one last one on 16th November, with the only other ones seen being one in off the sea at Church Norton on 26th October, one over Sidlesham on the 30th and one in a tree at Greenlease Farm on 8th November.
After two Hawfinches were reported in the early part of the year – one heard at Sidlesham Quay on 25th January and one over Sidlesham on 26th March, there were only two autumn sightings – of one seen twice in the unlikely location of Marsh Farm, Sidlesham on 5th October and one over West Itchenor on the following day.
Hawfinch over Sidlesham on 26th March (PA)
It was starting to look like the second blank year running for Snow Buntings, until finally one was found at their most traditional site of East Head on 12th December, remaining until the next day.
Snow Bunting at East Head on 12th December (PA)
Despite the changes of cropping in the Corn Buntings' favourite field at Medmerry, there were a good number of reports during the year, and they appeared to be holding their own into the autumn.
They were quite mobile around the east side of Medmerry, with up to six around Porthole Farm early in January, then four were seen around the cover crop fields at Wilson’s Farm on 14th February and five were on the rough ground by the windmill at West Sands on 10th March, before being seen fairly regularly through the summer at Ham, favouring fields to the west of where they had previously nested. Five were seen there on 19th September, too, with a good count of 13 together on 17th October and up to eight still in the vicinity on 7th November.
Corn Buntings at Medmerry on 17th October (MWh)
Finally, a mention must be made of the most exotic bird to grace the Peninsula – the Yellow-crowned Bishop that was trapped and released in the gardens at the Bill on 15th August, before out of the blue re-appearing over ten weeks later, on 30th October, back at the Bill, and then seen later in the day at the North Wall before vanishing again.
Yellow-crowned Bishop at the Bill on 15th August (AH)
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