10th - 12th March 2026

Friday, 13th March: Another cool morning of some sun and plenty of cloud in a brisk westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: The first Bonxie of the spring and 59 Brent Geese went east and two Slavonian Grebes were on the sea, but not too much else was moving this morning. Full log below. (SH/BI/IP/MO-W/AH/P&LH)

(0630-0900hrs) (WNW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Slavonian Grebe - 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 3W

Gannet - 1W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 59E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 13E, 4W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 6

Great Skua - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - 2E

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 1os

(1230-1330hrs) (P&LH)

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 7W

Turnstone - 17

Great Black-backed Gull - 3os

Great Northern Diver (above), Kittiwake, Red-breasted Mergansers & Shag at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was tucked away on the roadside pool this morning, and there were also two Avocets, two Lapwings, two Redshanks, 16 Shelducks, eight Gadwall, 75 Shovelers and c50 Wigeon and Teal present. (AH)

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

Mill Pond Marsh: A Chiffchaff, a Cetti's Warbler and a Chaffinch were in the hedges early on, whilst three Tufted Ducks, two Mallard and a Little Grebe were on the flooded field. (MO-W)

North Wall: A Ruff was in White’s Creek early on, along with 16 Redshanks, a Pintail and c100 Wigeon and Teal, whilst on the Breech Pool there were three Tufted Ducks, a Gadwall, a Great Crested Grebe and a Mute Swan, with two Marsh Harriers over the reeds, and the three White-fronted Geese, 12 Brent Geese, a few Canada Geese and 72 Curlews in the fields.
There were a few Cattle Egrets and Grey Herons around Owl Copse, and six Linnets were in the bushes at Halsey’s Farm, but elsewhere there were just two Grey Wagtails in the paddocks and a Goldcrest along the lane. (MJa/CT/LP/SP)

Cattle Egret (above), Gadwall and Tufted Duck, Curlews & Brent Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much to report this morning, with just a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Turnstones, 26 Ringed Plovers, 15 Grey Plovers, c30 Knot, c60 Dunlin, a Mediterranean Gull, two Common Gulls, a lone Brent Goose, a pair of Pintail and c20 Shelducks, Wigeon and Teal, plus the regulars seen. (AH/P&LH et al)

Ringed Plover (above), Black-tailed Godwit & Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Hunston: At least seven Cattle Egrets were in the fields just north of the roundabout early this morning. (MO-W/P&LH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Greenshank, nine Avocets and nine Ringed Plovers were on the Stilt Pool this morning, with another of the latter, a Snipe and a Water Rail on the reserve and a Kestrel and five Buzzards over, but the banks were quiet, with just a Yellowhammer, two Reed Buntings, four Cetti's Warblers and c20 Skylarks seen. (S&SaH)

Thursday, 12th March: A cool and blustery morning under heavy cloud cover, with the  rapidly freshening south-westerly reaching gale-force by midday.....

Selsey Bill: Two Fulmars and 28 Gannets went west and 80 Brent Geese and 11 Common Gulls went east, but, otherwise, migration seems to have stopped. Full log below. (AH/MO-W)

(0715-0900hrs) (SW, F6-7)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 2E, 28W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 80E, 5W

Common Scoter - 1E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 3

Common Gull - 11E

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W

Fulmar (above), Gannet, Red-breasted Merganser & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were four Avocets, seven Black-tailed Godwits and a Curlew present around the pool and fields this morning, along with 17 Shelducks, ten Gadwall, c50 Teal, c75 Shovelers and c125 Wigeon. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwits (above), Avocets & Gadwall and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Wednesday, 11th March: A cool and mostly grey morning, though brightening up later, in a brisk north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A very distant flock of c40 Brent Goose went east, but nothing else was moving, save a few more Gannets than of late. Full log below. (AH)

(0715-0830hrs) (WNW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Great Crested Grebe - 2W, 1os

Gannet - 10E, 4W

Brent Goose - 40E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 2os

Sandwich Tern (above), Mediterranean Gull & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just three Avocets on the pool this morning, along with a drake Gadwall, six Shelducks, c50 Wigeon and Teal and c75 Shovelers. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Shelduck, Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The three first-winter White-fronted Geese were still present late this afternoon, along with three calling Cetti's Warblers, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and a Kestrel. (S&SaH)

Church Norton: There wasn't too much going on this afternoon, though a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits were among c50 Grey Plovers and c100 Knot and Dunlin, with a Common gull and c30 Wigeon about, too. (AH)

Knot and Dunlin (above), Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, Dunlin & Common Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 10th March: A much better morning, quite mild and with some hazy sun in a light westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was a big eastward movement of over 1500 Brent Geese this morning - by far the biggest this spring, with 15 Red-throated Divers, a Slavonian Grebe and 55 Common scoters also going east. Full log below. (PB/PM/IP/AH)

(0645-0915hrs) (W, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 4os

Red-throated Diver - 15E, 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1E

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet 3E

Shag - 2E

Brent Geese - 1507E

Wigeon - 11E

Shoveler - 1E

Common Scoter - 55E, 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 1os

Peregrine Falcon - 1W

Oystercatcher - 4W, 3E

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Common Gull - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - - 2E

Sandwich Tern 7E 4W

Meadow Pipit - 2

Pied Wagtail - 3

Chiffchaff - 1

Rook - 1

Brent Geese (above), Brent Geese and Shoveler, Red-throated Diver, Shag & Common Scoters and Wigeon at the Bill (AH)

Later, the first Wheatear of the spring was on the beach by Hillfield Road car-park. Full log below. (B Hayward)

(1030-1120hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern 1os

Wheatear - 1

Wheatear (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (B Hayward)

Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets, three Lapwings, Curlew and two Redshanks present today, along with eight Shelducks, a Pintail, eight Gadwall, c75 Shovelers, c50 Teal and 126 Wigeon, plus a Buzzard over and a Little Egret, with two Chiffchaffs in the adjacent hedges. (AH/JC)

Avocet and Shelduck at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Six Whooper Swans flew around the harbour before dropping into White’s Creek,and then later moving out on the mud in the middle of the harbour, whilst also along White’s Creek were the three White-fronted Geese, three Mute Swans, a Pintail, two Gadwall and plenty of Wigeon and Teal, as well as a Kingfisher, a Spotted Redshank, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover and a few Redshanks.

Elsewhere, a Ruff was with 50 Black-tailed Godwits in the flooded fields, where there also 28 Shovelers, 32 Brent Geese, two Gadwall, 36 Curlews, 2 Canada Geese and 20 Shelducks, with two Marsh Harriers over the reeds, and two Grey Wagtails in the paddock. (LP/TRH/MJa/BI/CT/PB/PM/AB/AH et al)

Whooper Swans (above) & White-fronted Geese at the North Wall (LP)

Long Pool: The six Whooper Swans were viewable from the far end, where there were also a Merlin, a male Wheatear, two Buzzards, a female Marsh Harrier, two Pintail, an Avocet and nine Black-tailed Godwits seen. (JC)

Church Norton: Two Wheatears were on the beach opposite Park Copse early this afternoon, and a Marsh Harrier was about, too. (HK)

Later on, the six Whooper Swans were visible near the North Wall, whilst between 1700 and 1800hrs, at least 500 Brent Geese went east offshore.

Also, in the harbour, there were three Greenshanks, three Bar-tailed Godwits, c50 Grey Plovers and Knot, c100 Dunlin and a few Wigeon and Teal, plus a Marsh Harrier and a couple of Common Gulls. (PA/AH)

Greenshanks (above), Knot, Marsh Harrier & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Hunston The Glossy Ibis was back in the flooded field near the roundabout again today.

Medmerry: Coastguards to the windmill - A Wheatear was along the front this morning, along with one or two Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, whilst a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore.. (EB)

Wheatear (above), Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Red-breasted Mergansers & Curlew at Medmerry (EB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Another Wheatear was here this morning, on the rocks by the beach, with a number of Dartford Warblers, Stonechats, Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Reed Buntings Meadow Pipits and Linnets along the banks, withy a couple of sand Martins and a Buzzard going over..

On the Stilt Pool, there were several Avocets, Teal, Great black-backed Gulls, cormorants, Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and a Little Egret.. (MT)

Wheatear (above), Dartford Warbler, Yellowhammer, stonechat & Little Egret and Ringed Plovers at Medmerry (MT)