7th - 9thJuly 2026

Thursday, 9th July: The spell of very warm weather continues, with unbroken sunshine and just a light south-easterly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A predictably slow morning on the high tide. Full log below. (IP/AH)

(0700-0800hrs) (SE, F2)

Oystercatcher - 3E

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 60os

Common Tern - 1os

Swift - 6

Swallow - 8E

House Martin - 20

Linnet - 3

Sandwich Tern (above) & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Little Ringed Plover family, plus another juvenile bird, the Oystercatcher family and the Shelduck family were all still present, as were the eight adult and six young Avocets, with the only addition being a Redshank at the back. (AH) 

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocets & Oystercatchers at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Two Spotted Redshanks were on the Breech Pool early on before flying off into the harbour, where there was a mix of waders out on the mud, including c50 Grey Plovers, c30 Dunlin, two Knot, two Turnstones, a Greenshank and the usual Redshanks, Lapwings and Curlews.
The Water Rail showed well again in the creek at Halsey's Farm, with a Kingfisher briefly by the sluice, whilst later, a Common Tern and a Little Tern were feeding over the Breech Pool, but two Lapwings were the only other birds present there beyond the Mallard flock.
Small birds were in short supply, with just the odd Reed Warbler, Whitethroat and Linnet along the wall, plus a Swift, a couple of Sand Martins and half a dozen Swallows over, with a dozen more of the latter at Halsey's Farm, along with a briefly singing Chiffchaff. (LP/MJa/SP/TRH/DHi/KU/AH et al)

Later, a Whimbrel, a Common Tern and the Mute Swan family, still with six young, were the highlights in White’s Creek, but there was nothing of note on the Breech Pool, with a distant Red Kite, a Kestrel and a few Cattle Egrets seen in flight further back. 

Also, a Reed Warbler family, a singing Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler and a Reed Bunting were also around. (JC)

Water Rail (LP) (above), Common Tern, Little Tern & Reed Warbler (AH) at the North Wall

Wednesday, 8th July: An even warmer morning of unbroken sunshine in just a light breeze, initially from the north before backing to the south-west.....

Selsey Bill: A Yellow Wagtail went over calling and a few Swifts and hirundines were about, but, apart from Sandwich Terns, the sea was dead. (AH/IP)

(0650-0805hrs) (N, F2-3)

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 75os

Swift - 20

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 12E

Sand Martin - 3E

House Martin - 16

Yellow Wagtail - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 2W, 1W

Sandwich Tern (above), Swift, House Martin & Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pair of Little Ringed Plovers and at least three young were still present, plus another juvenile bird, along with the pair of Oystercatchers and two well grown chicks and the Shelduck pair and five ducklings, but Avocet numbers were down to eight adults and six youngsters. 

There were also up to five Little Terns feeding at the far end of Ferry Channel.(AH/JS et al)

Little Ringed Plovers (above) Oystercatcher, Avocet and Little Ringed Plover & Avocet and Shelducks at the Ferry (AH)

West Wittering: A Ring-necked Parakeet - the first reported on the Peninsula this year went over the garden early this morning. (GM)

Church Norton: There were still vast numbers of Sandwich Terns, including many juveniles, in the harbour, with a constant flow of adults still bringing in fish, with a Common Tern, a handful of Little Terns and 50+ adult Mediterranean Gulls seen, too,

Three Curlews flew west offshore, with half a dozen more and c40 Black-tailed Godwits in the harbour, but a couple of Whitethroats and half a dozen Linnets and Swallows was all the land-side could offer. (AH et al)

Sandwich Tern (above), Little Tern & Linnets at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: An adult and two juvenile Green Woodpeckers were around the sluice, and two Grey Wagtails, a Kingfisher, a Great Crested Grebe, and a Common Sandpiper were along White’s Creek, along with a few Redshanks, Lapwings and Curlew, whilst further out, a group of 14 Mediterranean Gulls were sat on the mud, with two Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Black-tailed Godwits, two Grey Plovers and a Dunlin also about.
Early on three Spotted Redshanks were on the Breech Pool, with six Lapwings and seven Black-tailed Godwits but small birds were in short supply with just a few Whitethroats, Reed Warblers, Linnets, a Long-tailed Tit, a Greenfinch and a singing Cetti’s Warbler. (DHo/MJa/LP/SP)

Common Sandpiper (above), Great Crested Grebe, Green Woodpeckers & Long-tailed Tit at the North Wall (LP)

Tuesday, 7th July: Another very warm and sunny morning as another heatwave approaches, just tempered by the moderate westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Two Whimbrels and a handful of Swallows and Sand Martins going west, along with the first three juvenile Sandwich Terns with their parents seen from the Bill were the modest highlights this morning. Full log below. (IP/AH/P&LH)

(0705-0835hrs) (W, F3-4)

Gannet - 3W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Whimbrel - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 80os (inc 3 juvs)

Common Tern - 1os

Little Tern - 3os

Swift - 20

Swallow - 6W

Sand Martin - 4W

House Martin - 15

Pied Wagtail - 1W

Linnet - 1

Sandwich Terns (above), Little Tern, Swallow & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were still two adult and at least two young Little Ringed Plovers, an adult and two young Oystercatchers and the pair of Shelducks and five ducklings on the pool this morning, along with eight adult and ten young Avocets, plus a Redshank, whilst a Little Tern was feeding in the channel opposite. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Avocet chick, Oystercatcher chick, Shelduck family & Little Tern at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Water Rail was in the reeds in the Bremere Rife at Halsey's Farm  early this morning. (MJa)

Water Rail at the North Wall (MJa)

Pagham Spit: At least 24 Little Terns were along the banks at low tide, including 12 fledged youngsters, with more further back on the islands, and yet more fishing out in the harbour.

Otherwise, there were a few Sandwich Terns about, but waders were limited to a lone Turnstone, and a few Curlews and Oystercatchers, whilst six Linnets and 24 House Sparrows were along the spit and two Common Seals were hauled out in the harbour. (LP)

Little Terns (above), Turnstone & Common Seals at Pagham Spit. (LP)

Church Norton: There were up to 22 fledged young Little Terns in the harbour this more, along with accompanying adults, and at least 100 fledged Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls were out on the mud, but a handful of curlews Redshanks and Oystercatchers and c40 Black-tailed Godwits were the only waders about. (GR/AH/P&LH)

This afternoon two Roseate Terns were seen in the harbour on the rising tide. (GR/AWi)

Sandwich Terns (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)