26th - 28th July 2026

Tuesday, 28th July: It slowly brightened up after a grey and muggy start, as the breeze freshened from the south-west..........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of interest this morning, including the first Fulmar in a while, heading west, and two Arctic Skuas, with one going west and then back east, close in, and another further out among the feeding flock. Full log below. (AH/IP/P&LH et al)

(0700-0930hrs) (SW, F2-3)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 5

Arctic Skua - 2os

Mediterranean Gull - 77E, 45W, 180os

Great Black-backed Gull - 5os

Sandwich Tern - 13E, 46W, 36os

Common Tern - 6W

Swift - 14

Green Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 2W

House Martin - 12

This evening a Bonxie went east offshore. Full log below. (

(1700-1745hrs) 

Turnstone - 6

Great Skua - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 10os

Common Tern - 1W

Arctic Skua (above), Fulmar & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, and adult and a juvenile Avocet and an adult and a juvenile Oystercatcher on the pool this morning, plus a Common Tern over, whilst 20 Cattle Egrets were sat out at the back of the fields, waiting for the cows.

Also, in the channel opposite there were still a Common Sandpiper and c20 Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits, with at least 60 Swifts and 20 House Martins over the Visitor Centre.. (AH/SM)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Common Sandpiper (AH) & Cattle Egrets (SM)  at the Ferry 

Long Pool: There were 62 Lapwings, eight Skylarks and a pair of Red-legged Partridges in the adjacent fields this morning the fields, and there were ten summer-plumaged Knot and a lone Dunlin in the harbour from the far end. (SM)

Mill Pond Marsh: Two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, two Snipe and two Black-tailed Godwits were on the flooded field again, along with six Teal, this morning, whilst at least two bright Willow Warblers, two Reed Buntings and a handful of Whitethroats and Reed Warblers were in the bushes at the front. (AH/P&LH)

Also, this evening, there were two Little Ringed Plovers present, and there was a huge flock of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, plus a couple of Common Gulls, feeding high up on Flying Ants. (AWi/AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Snipe & Willow Warblers at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: The harbour was very quiet this morning, with just 40 or so Sandwich Terns and a few Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls present, before most of them flew out to sea, and waders comprised just two Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews and a dozen Redshanks and Oystercatchers.

The bushes were very quiet, too, with a Lesser Whitethroat in the churchyard a Sedge Warbler, a Blackcap and a couple of Whitethroats near the hide and three Swallows over, being the sum. (AH/P&LH)

This evening there were just ten Sandwich Terns and c25 Mediterranean Gulls present, along with five Whimbrel, c40 Curlews, two Ringed Plovers, four Grey Plovers, four Dunlin and a Turnstone, plus two Sand Martins and ten Swallows over. (AWi)

Sandwich Tern (above) & Sedge Warbler at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was busy on what’s left of the Breech Pool early on with the Spoonbill, three Spotted Redshanks, two Black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Heron, three Little Egrets, a Common Tern and a few Black-headed Gulls all feeding on the water, but by 9.30am they had all moved out into the harbour.
Also, at Halsey’s Farm 22 Cattle Egrets were by the rife, and a mixed flock of Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tits and Great Tits were moving along the bushes, whilst in the reeds there were still a few Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers. (MJa/LP/CT)

Spoonbill (above), Cattle Egrets, Long-tailed Tit & Great Tit at the North Wall (LP)

Monday, 27th July: The breeze was fresh again and variably either side of westerly, leaving it warm and mostly sunny......

Selsey Bill: Three Sanderlings and seven Turnstones went west this morning and c40 Swifts were over the houses. Full log below. (IP/AH et al)

(0700-0800hrs) (WNW, F4)

Gannet - 3W

Kestrel - 1

Sanderling - 3W

Turnstone - 7W

Mediterranean Gull - 43os

Great Black-backed Gull - 7os

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 12W, 2os

Swift - 40

Swallow - 1W

House Martin - 5

Turnstones at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There is almost no water left on the pool, and consequently very few birds, with just a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, four adult and three juvenile Avocets, a juvenile Oystercatcher and two Stock Doves present.

Also, at least half a dozen Cattle Egrets were with the cows at the back, whilst a Common Sandpiper and c25 Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks were in the channel opposite and what looked like the Shelduck family from the pool were further out in the harbour. (AH/PA)

Common Sandpiper (above), Little Ringed Plover, Avocet and the dried-up pool at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: There were five Little Ringed Plovers and two Snipe present this morning, along with the Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers, four Little Grebes, a calling Water Rail and eight Teal, with a Garden Warbler among a handful of Reed Warblers and Whitethroats at the front. (AH/PA)

Snipe (above), Garden Warbler & Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Pagham Spit: A Goshawk - only the second record this century, after one in August 2022 - was seen flying across the harbour and headed off towards Church Norton.

Also seen were two Common Terns, three Little Terns, c30 Sandwich Terns and c750 Mediterranean Gulls. (PA)

Goshawk at Pagham Spit (PA)

North Wall: The Glossy Ibis was in Owl Copse again early on, and the Spoonbill was on the Breech Pool, along with a Little Ringed Plover, two B black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Heron and three Little Egrets, plus a Common Tern. A Common Sandpiper was by the sluice and further along White’s Creek, a Spotted Redshank was with the Redshanks, four Whimbrel were on the mud a Common Tern briefly dropped in. (MJa/LP/TRH/SP/IH/PA/AH)

Spoonbill (above), Little Ringed Plover (LP) & Common Tern (LP above, AH lower) at the North Wall

East side: The Spoonbill ended up in the harbour, but there were relatively few waders seen, though including three Spotted Redshanks, two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, nine Knot, eight Turnstones, seven Whimbrel, c40 Dunlin, two Bar-tailed Godwits, 45 Black-tailed Godwits and c70 Redshanks. (LP/TRH/SP/IH/PA/AH)

Spoonbill (above) & Common Sandpiper along the East side (AH)

Sunday, 26th July: A return to more typical English summer weather this morning, with a blustery westerly pushing through lots of grey cloud, with the odd sunny spell in between, and even the odd hint of drizzle......

Selsey Bill: A few Gannets and Sandwich Terns, plus three Common Terns, went west offshore this morning, and five Sanderlings and three Turnstones were on the beach.. Full log below. (IP/AH/SH)

(0700-0930hrs) (WNW, F6)

Gannet - 20W

Common Scoter - 8E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Sanderling - 5

Turnstone - 3

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 4W, 6os

Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 2W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 29W, 23os

Common Tern - 3W

Swift - 7

House Martin - 3

Sandwich Terns (above) & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just two adult and four young Avocets and an adult and a juvenile Oystercatcher on the pool this morning, whilst at least 23 Cattle Egrets were with the cows at the back and in the channel opposite there were a Common Sandpiper, a Dunlin, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c20 Redshanks, plus a flock of c40 Lapwings that flew out from the far end, heading for the fields. (AH/IP)

Common Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: The Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were still present this morning, along with a Snipe and six Teal, but the bushes were quiet in the wind. (AH)

Later, all of the above were still present, and there were also three Little Ringed Plovers and a Black-tailed Godwit present, too. (M&LL)

Snipe (above), Green Sandpiper & Common Sandpiper at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: A Spotted Redshank was seen from the benches this morning and there was also a steady westward movement of Swifts over the harbour. (MPh)

North Wall: The Spoonbill was still on the Breech Pool and a Little Ringed Plover was also about early on, with three Common Terns, including a juvenile, fishing over the water, whilst a Spotted Redshank, a Whimbrel, and a Common Sandpiper were along White’s Creek, and four Swallows were still around the paddocks, where there was also a Green Woodpecker on the fence.

At Halsey’s Farm, 14 Cattle Egrets and a Kingfisher were along the rife, and a Yellowhammer, six Linnets, a Whitethroat, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were around the trees and bushes, whilst at Owl Copse, a few more Cattle Egrets were in the trees and the Glossy Ibis flew out early on. (LP/MJa/SP/GaJ/AH)

This evening the Glossy Ibis flew in to roost in Owl Copse again, whilst the Spoonbill,  three Spotted Redshanks, a Little Ringed Plover,  Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Marsh Harrier, three Yellow Wagtails, two Sand Martins and ten Swallows were seen from the wall and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 11 Knot and 58 Dunlin were in the harbour. (AWi/MRe)

Spoonbill (LP top two, AH lower two), Common Terns (AH), Spotted Redshank, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper & Green Woodpecker (LP) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Around 20 Common Terns, including four juveniles, were on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with three Greenshanks, four Common Sandpipers, three Dunlin, eight Redshanks, ten Lapwings and eight Oystercatchers, whilst at least one, and possibly two, Green Sandpipers were on the path-side pools.

The banks were slow in the wind, but there were still three Whitethroats, a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Stonechat, two Pied Wagtails, eight Meadow Pipits and half a dozen Yellowhammers seen, along with three Mediterranean Gulls, a Marsh Harrier, a Kestrel, six Swallows and 20 Swifts going over. (SH)

Chichester GPs: A quick look at New Lake this afternoon produced three Shovelers, two Gadwall, two Pochard and five Little Grebes. (AH)

Shoveler at Chichester GPs (AH)