4th - 6th August 2026

Thursday, 6th August: The breeze shifted to the north-west, but remained fresh, though it was still warm in the mix of sun and white cloud........

Selsey Bill: A large gathering of gulls offshore included at least 500 Mediterranean Gulls and a Grey Wagtail went west, though it remains slow, otherwise. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0700-0815hrs) (NW, F4)

Oystercatcher - 1

Ringed Plover - 2W

Dunlin - 3W

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 500os

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 4W

Swift - 2

Green Woodpecker - 1

House Martin - 8

Grey Wagtail - 1W

Willow Warbler - 1

Goldfinch - 20

Mediterranean Gull (above), Sandwich Tern & Dunlin and Ringed Plovers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just an adult and a juvenile Avocet and a Lapwing were on the pool this morning. (AH)

Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: Two Little Ringed Plovers were on the formerly flooded field, which has more or less now completely dried out, this morning, along with just a single Teal, two Mallards and six Moorhens. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: The first three Redstarts of the autumn were along the bushes at Halsey’s Farm, together with two Lesser Whitethroats, four Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler, a Linnet, two Blackcaps, a Jay, a Green Woodpecker, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, whilst a Green Sandpiper flew over and two Kestrels were higher up.

Three Spotted Redshanks were on the Breech Pool early on, and along White’s Creek there were seven Teal, a Kingfisher, a Common Sandpiper, eight Black-tailed Godwits, c70 Redshanks, and eight Lapwings, and there was also a Weasel on the rocks by the sluice.

Cattle Egret numbers are increasing with 68 birds spread around the harbour, in Owl Copse and in the fields but elsewhere it was quiet with just c50 Swallows and Sand Martins over the fields. (LP/TRH/OM/KU/AH et al)

Redstarts (LP top two, AH lower) (above), Spotted Redshank (LP above, OM lower), Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat (AH) & Weasel (LP) at the North Wall

East side: There were ten Ringed Plovers, 12 Knot (most in summer-plumage), four Whimbrel, 12 Curlew, two Grey Plovers, 80+ Dunlin, ten Oystercatchers, a Snipe and three Great Crested Grebes, whilst in the reed margins and hedgerows were at least two Reed Warblers (probably a family party) and two Willow Warblers. (OM)

Church Norton: A Sedge Warbler and a couple of Whitethroats were near the hide this morning, with another two or three of the latter, two Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers and half a dozen Linnets along the West side, plus three Cattle Egrets in the fields..

Also, four Whimbrel and c20 Curlews were in the harbour, along with c50 Oystercatchers, c20 Lapwings and c75 Dunlin, with a dozen Great Crested Grebes together and nine Little Egrets along the central channel. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above), Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat & Cattle Egret at Church Norton (AH)

West Wittering: A Spotted Flycatcher was briefly in the garden this afternoon. (GM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - A look along the banks this evening produced a Garden Warbler, four Lesser Whitethroats, ten whitethroats, two Willow Warblers, a Yellow Wagtail, four Stonechats and a Yellowhammer, plus c20 Swallows and c30 Sand Martins over.

Also, seven Common Terns, two Dunlin and eight Lapwings were on the reserve, with a Peregrine and a Buzzard about, too. (S&SaH)

Wednesday, 5th August: It remains warm, but it was a more typical summer morning of some sun and fast moving cloud in a fresh and blustery south-westerly.....

Just a reminder that the Selsey Bill Spring Sea-watch Summary for 2026, compiled by our official Log-keeper JA, is now available by clicking the link on the above title bar. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua went east this morning and Common Tern and a few Sandwich Terns and Gannets were about, too. Full log below. (SH/AH/IP) 

(0615-0815hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Gannet - 13W

Oystercatcher - 2E

Turnstone - 2

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 8W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 2W

Sandwich Tern - 12E, 18W

Common Tern - 1W

Swift - 1

Sand Martin - 1W

House Martin - 2

Gannet (above) & Turnstone at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were actually a few birds on the pool this morning - namely three Little Ringed Plovers and eight Black-tailed Godwits and the regular two adult and three young Avocets. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Osprey was in the channel along the east side early this morning and was seen to catch a fish and fly off with it. (SP/MJa)

Osprey at the North Wall (MJa)

Church Norton: There was literally not a bird in the bushes this morning, whilst in the harbour there were just a couple of Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews and c50 Oystercatchers, plus c20 Ringed Plovers that flew in from the beach and and another half a dozen with c85 Dunlin that flew around the harbour before retreating to the far side. (AH)

Dunlin and Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

This evening, a Greenshank, a Redshank and a Black-tailed Godwit were roosting by the concrete blocks at high tide, along with half a dozen Sandwich Terns, c50 Black-headed Gulls and c150 Mediterranean Gulls. (AH)

Greenshank (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were still c20 Common Tern, including a couple of juveniles, around the Stilt Pool this morning, along with four Greenshanks, four Common Sandpipers, two Dunlin, eight Lapwings and six Oystercatchers.

The banks were quiet, though, with just a Willow Warbler, a Reed Warbler, two Dartford Warblers, a Whitethroat, three Stonechats, two Yellow Wagtails, three Meadow Pipits and three Yellowhammers present, plus a Buzzard and c30 swallows over. (SH)

Tuesday, 4th August: A very warm and increasingly muggy morning under fairly heavy cloud cover, almost still first thing before the breeze steadily freshened from the south-west.....

How was the Spring for you this year - good or bad? I know what I think - but do the facts confirm it? The Selsey Bill Spring Sea-watch Summary for 2026 has been compiled by our official Log-keeper JA and is now available by clicking the link on the above title bar. (Eds/OM)

Selsey Bill: It was another morning with just the regular few species. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0700-0800hrs) (SW, F1-2)

Gannet - 1E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 5W, 4os

Swift - 9

Swallow - 10

Sand Martin - 4E

House Martin - 20

Sandwich Terns (above), Mediterranean Gulls, Turnstone & Sand Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just a Lapwing and two adult and three juvenile Avocets on the pool, whilst two Common Sandpipers were in the channel opposite, along with half a dozen Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Lapwing (above) & Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: Five Little Ringed Plovers were on the flooded field this morning, along with a Green Sandpiper and four Teal, whilst the nearby bushes held a Garden Warbler, a Blackcap, a couple of Sedge Warblers and half a dozen Reed Warblers and Whitethroats, plus a Reed Bunting, with a handful of Swallows, a Red Kite, a Sparrowhawk and a Whimbrel going over, too. (PB/JBo/AH/JFi/P&LH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler & Sparrowhawk at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: An Osprey went over the wall into the harbour and caught a fish before settling on the Church Norton side, but generally it was very quiet with just four Willow Warblers in the tamarisk by the sluice and a few Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings and Whitethroats along the wall.

Eight Cattle Egrets were still in Owl Copse and at Halsey’s Farm a Kingfisher was by the outfall, and the Water Rail was again showing well in it usual spot. (EB/LP/KU/MJ/GR/J Kirkman et al)

This evening there were c100 Sand Martins and just a handful of Swallows over the wall, with three Willow warblers in the hedges and a Whimbrel and c30 Cattle Egrets in the harbour. (SH)

Osprey (above), Spotted Redshank, Curlew, Cattle Egrets (EB), Water Rail (above), Kingfisher & Cattle Egret (LP) at the North Wall

East Side: On the falling tide early this morning there was a selection of waders spread across the mud including c50 Dunlin, eight Grey Plovers, eight Knot, six Ringed Plovers, two Greenshank, two Spotted Redshanks, two Turnstones, seven Lapwing, nine Black-tailed Godwits, c20 Curlews and c50 Redshanks.

Also, two juvenile Common Terns were sat out on the bank, with an adult regularly bringing in fish to feed them. (LP)

Common Terns (above), Spotted Redshanks, Knot, Grey Plover, Ringed Plovers & Dunlin on the East side (LP)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report this morning, though two Whimbrel and a pair of Ringed Plovers with two juveniles were in the harbour and a Lesser Whitethroat, three Whitethroats and a few Long-tailed Tits were in the bushes. (P&LH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were five Greenshanks and four Common Sandpipers on the Stilt Pool, along with a few Dunlin and Redshanks, whilst a juvenile Peregrine went over, but the banks were fairly quiet. (PB/JBo)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Wheatear was along the base of the bank this morning, but it was generally very quiet, with a dozen Linnets and a Skylark the only other small birds about, whilst, otherwise, four Cattle Egrets were among the cows and c40 Mediterranean Gulls were near the breach. (AH)

Wheatear at Medmerry (AH)