4th August 2026

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 couple of Swallows, a Sparrowhawk and a Whimbrel going over, too. (PB/JBo/AH/JFi)

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)

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)

1st - 3rd August 2026

Monday, 2nd August: An even warmer morning of unbroken sunshine, just tempered by the moderate north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Just a few Common and Sandwich Terns were about this morning, along with a dozen Swifts and a few hirundines. Full log below. (AH/IP/P&LH)

(0700-0830hrs) (NE, F4)

Gannet - 2E

Oystercatcher - 4E

Curlew - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E, 7W

Great Black-backed Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 11E, 4W

Common Tern - 3E

Swift - 12

Swallow - 5E

Sand Martin - 8E

House Martin - 20

Sandwich Tern (above), Common Tern, Sand Martin & Swift at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just an adult and two juvenile Avocets and a Lapwing were on the pool again, whilst an equally quiet tramway circuit just held a few Whitethroats. (AH)

Avocet (above) & Whitethroat at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: The flooded field is fast drying out, and there were only a Green Sandpiper, a Water Rail, six Teal and 25 Moorhens using it this morning, whilst the adjacent bushes just held a handful of Whitethroats and a couple of Reed Warblers. (AH)

Water Rail (above), Green Sandpiper & Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: There were five Spotted Redshanks on the Breech Pool this morning, along with a few Little Egrets and Black-headed Gulls, whilst near Owl Point there were three juvenile Sparrowhawks scrapping with a couple of Magpies.
Also, up to five tagged Curlews were in the harbour and fields in the same area, as well as two Greenshanks, but there wasn't a great deal more to see apart from the odd Willow Warbler and a brief visit from the Kingfisher. (DHo)

Spotted Redshanks and Black-headed Gull (above), Greenshank, Curlews, Willow Warbler & Sparrowhawks and Magpies at the North Wall (DHo)

East side: Along the side of the harbour there were about a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, 30+ Redshanks, eight Knot, a Dunlin and two Great Black-backed Gulls, plus an adult Common Tern feeding two juveniles along White's Creek. (DHo/LP)

Common Tern along the East side (DHo)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were still six Common Tern chicks on the rafts today, whilst a Snipe was flushed from the Easton reservoir, and there were one or two Reed and Sedge Warblers seen. (TG-P)

Sunday, 2nd August: It was very warm this morning from the start, in unbroken sunshine a just a moderate north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There were no terns at all for the first time in a long time, though a dozen Swifts were about. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0700-0815hrs) (NE, F3-4)

Mediterranean Gull - 7os

Great Black-backed Gull - 3os

Swift - 12

Green Woodpecker - 1

Sand Martin - 2E

House Martin - 10

Goldfinch - 30

Green Woodpecker (above) & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just an adult and two juvenile Avocets, a Lapwing and a handful of Black-headed Gulls on the pool this morning. (AH)

Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: What was presumably the long-staying but elusive Ring-necked Parakeet popped up again this afternoon, this time in Park Lane. (MRe)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Wheatear dropped in early on, with a couple of Willow Warblers, Reed Warblers and Whitethroats, plus a Reed Bunting, in the hedges at the front, whilst on the flooded field there were two Green Sandpipers, two Water Rails and six Teal. (M&LL/AH/KU et al)

Reed Bunting (above) & Green Sandpipers at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

This evening there were a couple of Sand Martins and 35 Swallows on the wires along Mill Lane. (AH)

Sand Martins (above) & Swallows at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: At 0905 a Goshawk was seen briefly in light over Owl Copse, but was quickly lost from view (GJa/PJ), whilst later on a White Stork (presumably the one seen earlier over Shopwyke Lakes) drifted over the wall, heading north. (GJa/PJ//P Lee/LP/E&SB et al)

White Stork at the North Wall (LP top two, EB lower two)

There were five Spotted Redshanks on the Breech Pool early this morning but no sign of the Glossy Ibis, whilst in White's Creek there were two Common Sandpipers and a Kingfisher, plus a few Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings and Redshanks, but the harbour was very quiet, with just a mixed flock of c20 Cattle and c15 Little Egrets out near their island and c200 Mediterranean Gulls on the mud further down.

Along the wall there were six Willow Warblers, six Reed Warblers and a few Whitethroats, with a Yellowhammer singing at Halsey's farm and in the rife around the corner from Owl Copse there was a preening Water Rail. (CRJ/AH/E&SB/LP/GJa/PJ et al)

There wasn't much to report this afternoon, with just c25 Cattle Egrets, a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard, a Kestrel and three swallows seen. (sH)

Spotted Redshanks (LP above, CRJ lower), Water Rail (CRJ) Reed Warblers & Black-tailed Godwits (AH), 
Painted Lady & Comma (EB)  at the North Wall

East side: A look along the east side produced a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, two Greenshanks, two Whimbrel, 34 Black-tailed Godwits, nine Lapwing and c230 Mediterranean Gulls, along with a Common Tern and three Sandwich Terns, with three Willow Warblers in the adjacent hedges. (GJa/PJ)

Honer Reservoir: A Cuckoo - a dark-looking, presumably juvenile bird - flew out from the hedges along Honer Lane this morning, but the reservoir just held a Common Sandpiper and a few Coots, Mallard and Black-headed Gulls, plus c40 Swallows over. (AH)

Common Sandpiper at Honer Reservoir (AH)

Chichester GPs: Shopwyke Lakes - A White Stork went over at 1013hrs this morning. (RPo)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were still c20 Common Terns around the rafts and the Stilt Pool this morning, with three Greenshanks, six Common Sandpipers, eight Dunlin, six Redshanks, ten Lapwings and eight Oystercatchers on the pool, whilst three Cattle Egrets were on the reserve and two Sparrowhawks and two Kestrels went over.

Four Dartford Warblers and four Yellow Wagtails were along the banks, together with 16 Whitethroats, three Willow Warblers, two Reed Warblers, three Stonechats, three Meadow Pipits, a Reed Bunting and nine Yellowhammers, plus ten Sand Martins and c30 Swallows over. (SH)

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Saturday, 1st August: Another morning that started quite cool and ended up very warm, with unbroken sunshine and a moderate northerly breeze.....

The Pom-King Trophy was duly handed over to the 2026 winner this morning - congratulations to Paul Bowley for his second success, having seen an impressive 36 of the 51 Pomarine Skuas recorded this spring, well ahead of runner-up AH on 20, with the rest of the field close behind him. (Eds)

PB (above) & AH receiving their respective trophies from IP (CRJ)

Selsey Bill: There wasn't much excitement offshore for those gathered, though, with the main interest coming from the shingle bar, where an adult Yellow-legged Gull and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were amongst the flock, of which the majority - 691 birds - were Mediterranean Gulls. Full log below. (PB/MRB/CRJ/JA/IP/AH/ D Beardsall)

(0630-0800hrs) (N, F3)

Gannet - 10E, 3W

Common Scoter - 1E

Oystercatcher - 2

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 691os

Black-headed Gull - 80os

Yellow-legged Gull - 1os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os

Great Black-backed Gull - 7os

Sandwich Tern - 17E, 2W

Common Tern - 1W

Swift - 8

Green Woodpecker - 1

Swallow - 4

Sand Martin - 2

House Martin - 14

Pied Wagtail - 1

Swallow (above), Sand Martin & Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just two adult and two juvenile Avocets, a Stock Dove and four Pied Wagtails on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocet at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: The only wader present this morning was a Green Sandpiper, with eight Teal and 28 Moorhens also about, whilst the hedges at the front held half a dozen Whitethroats, a Sedge Warbler and a Willow Warbler. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Whitethroat & Sedge Warbler at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

This evening the Green Sandpiper was still present, along with three Snipe. (AH)

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

North Wall: The first returning Wheatear was by the rife this morning, whilst the Glossy Ibis and a Spotted Redshank were on the Breech Pool. (CRN)

This afternoon, at Halsey's Farm, there were 45 Cattle Egrets, including six juveniles, a Kingfisher, five swallows, a Buzzard and two Kestrels seen. (SH)

Church Norton: A family group of four Lesser Whitethroats were behind the hide, but, beside two or three Whitethroats, the bushes were devoid of birds, whilst the harbour just held a couple of Whimbrel, a Grey Plover, a dozen Redshanks and Curlews and c60 Oystercatchers, with c20 Ringed Plovers on the beach and a handful of Sandwich Terns offshore the only other things noted. (AH et al)

Lesser Whitethroat (above) & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were still c20 Common Terns around the rafts and the Stilt Pool, which also held four Greenshanks, five Common Sandpipers, five Dunlin, two Avocets, four Redshanks, four Lapwings and six Oystercatchers, and there were also two Sandwich Terns offshore.

The banks held a fair selection, including two Dartford Warblers, four Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, two Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, eight Whitethroats, a Stonechat, a Meadow Pipit, two Reed Buntings and eight Yellowhammers, with a House Martin, c30 Swallows and Sand Martins, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and a Kestrel going over. (SH) 

West Wittering: A Coal Tit and a Purple Hairstreak were in the garden this morning. (GM)

Purple Hairstreak in a West Wittering garden (GM)