7th - 8th June 2026

Monday, 7th June: A fairly cool, grey and miserable morning, with belts of rain being pushed through on the brisk south- westerly breeze....

Belated news was received today of a Gull-billed Tern seen in the harbour from the North Wall on 27th May - see that day's report for more details. (Eds)

Selsey Bill: Two Fulmars going west were the highlights of a slow morning. Full log below. (AH/SL/IP et al)

(0645-0830hrs) (SW, F5)

Fulmar - 23W

Gannet - 3W

Common Scoter - 2E

Oystercatcher - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 6os

Sandwich Tern - 150os

Common Tern - 5os

Swift - 3

House Martin - 1

Later, between 1100 and 1200hrs, a Manx Shearwater went west, four Common Scoters went east and two Gannet5s were offshore. (RPo)

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

Ferry Pool: It was hard to count the young Avocets, with most sheltering under their parents, though at least a dozen could be seen, along with 32 adults, c60 Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank and 15 Shelducks  (AH)

Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: An adult Kittiwake among the terns in the harbour was a surprise this morning, though beyond the Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls, there were just two or three Common Terns, a dozen Little Terns, a Curlew and a handful of Oystercatchers to be seen in the harbour, plus a Whitethroat in the churchyard and a couple of Swallows along Rectory Lane. (AH/SL)

Kittiwake and Sandwich Terns (above), Sandwich Tern & Whitethroat at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 7th June: A better day than yesterday, but still cool and grey in the fresh and blustery westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: Five Arctic Skuas - two pale phase birds together, followed soon afterwards by three dark-phase birds together - heading east were the unexpected highlight of a quiet morning. Full log below. 

(SH/PB/AGB/MRB/JB/AH/IP/OM)

(0600-1045hrs) (WSW, F5-6)

Gannet - 2E, 6W

Common Scoter - 4E

Oystercatcher 1E, 2W

Arctic Skua - 5E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 5os, 10W

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 60os

Common Tern - 11os

Little Tern - 4 os

Arctic Skua (above), Little Tern, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH) and (bottom two) Great Black-backed Gulls (OM)

Ferry Pool: There were still at least 15 Avocets chicks and 42 adults on the pool this morning, along with 54 Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank and 22 Shelducks, but not a lot else. (AH/OM)

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

Church Norton: A single Curlew and an Oystercatcher were the only waders about, and relatively few terns were on the mud, though a dozen Little Terns were feeding towards the harbour mouth and a steady stream of Sandwich Terns, plus a few Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls were coming and going from the island. (AH)

Later, a Peregrine went over the harbour (GW) and a Coal Tit and a Firecrest were around the car-park (MP).

Sandwich Tern at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was fairly quiet along the wall in the blustery conditions, although two Kingfishers - one of which looked like a young juvenile - were about, and a few Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Cetti’s Warblers, Whitethroats, and Long-tailed Tits were along the bushes, and the Lesser Whitethroat was still singing in Owl Copse.

The male Marsh Harrier and two Swifts were over the reeds and a Little Tern was fishing on the Breech Pool.

A Lapwing at Halsey’s Farm, and a Black-tailed Godwit along White’s Creek, were the only waders seen, also a Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the trees, and a Holly Blue was along the path. (LP/MRi/MJa/GHi)

Kingfisher (above), Sedge Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker & Holly Blue at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Greenshank was on the Stilt Pol this morning, with eight Common Terns around the rafts and two Cuckoos on the reserve, whilst the banks held a Dartford Warbler, a Sedge Warbler,, four Reed Warblers, four Cetti's Warblers, ten Whitethroats, five Reed Buntings and 12 Yellowhammers, plus six Swifts over. (S&SaH)                                                           

4th - 6th June 2026

Saturday, 6th June: A wild and windy morning, with gale-force winds throughout, initially from the south before veering to the south-west, bringing squalls of rain with it, with the odd glimpse of the sun in-between........

Selsey Bill: Finally, the stormy weather brought some reward for the hardy few, with highlights being a Storm-Petrel seen offshore at 0954hrs and presumably the same bird again, briefly, at 1025hrs, with two Balearic Shearwaters and 16 Manx Shearwaters going west and two Black Terns lingering offshore before heading off east, one of which was, unusually, a first-summer bird. Full log below. (SH/BI/IP/MRe/AH/CRJ/J Hodges)

(0600-1030hrs) (S, then SW, F7-8)

Manx shearwater - 16W

Balearic Shearwater - 2W (0605 & 0910hrs)

Fulmar - 1E, 4W

Storm Petrel - 1os (at 0954 & 1025hrs)

Gannet - 8E, 34W, 16os

Common Scoter - 26E

Whimbrel - 44E

Great Black-backed Gull - 3W, 2os

Kittiwake - 4E, 4W

Sandwich Tern - 76s

Common Tern - 14E, 6os

Little Tern - 4os

Black Tern - 2os, then E

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 3W

Swift - 75

Black Terns (above), Common Tern, Gannet & Swift at the Bill (AH)

The stormy weather failed to add anything this afternoon, with two Arctic Skuas and four Common Scoters west the only things of note. Full log below. (SH/AH)

(1430-1600hrs)

Common Scoter - 4W

Arctic Skua - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1os

Sandwiich Tern - 52os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 1os

Common Scoters (above) & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were at least 17 Avocet chicks of various sizes around the pool again this morning, along with 42 adults, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, the drake Teal and 18 Shelducks. (AH/GM)

Avocets (above) & Teal, Shelducks, Oystercatcher and Avocets at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Just about the only things in the harbour were the multitude of birds on the islands and c50 Sandwich Terns, a dozen Common Terns and half a dozen Little Terns on the mud or coming and going. (AH/J Hodge/GM)

Little Tern (above) & Sandwich and Common Terns at Church Norton (AH)

There were around 20 Little Terns feeding in the harbour on the high tide, late this afternoon, but a Peregrine over the harbour was about it, otherwise. (AH)

Little Terns at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 5th June: Another unseasonably cool and grey morning, though the wind had eased back to a brisk breeze........

Selsey Bill: Three Little Gulls and a Fulmar went west and 27 Common Scoters went east this morning. Full log below. (SH/BI/AH/IP)

(0600-0830hrs) (WSW, F4-5)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 3W

Common Scoter - 27E

Oystercatcher - 1E, 2W

Little Gull - 3W

Great Black-backed Gull - 5W, 2os

Sandwich Tern - 149os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 1os

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1W

House Martin - 10

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

Ferry Pool: There were still at least 17 Avocet chicks on the pool this morning, including the first two which are now nearly fledged, along with 38 adults, a Little Ringed Plover, six Shelducks and c80 Black-tailed Godwits, split between the pool and the channel opposite.

A look round the Tramway circuit yielded a Lesser Whitethroat, half a dozen Whitethroats, including a couple of newly fledged youngsters, three Reed Warblers, three Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs and five Cetti's Warblers, plus two Swallows over. (AH/RBe)

Avocet (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Blackcap & Chiffchaff at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still c40 Ringed Plovers, c20 Dunlin and up to four Sanderlings on the mud this morning, with half a dozen Little and Common Terns among the multitude of Sandwich Terns.

Also, along the west side there were a couple of Yellowhammers, c20 Stock Doves and good numbers of Whitethroats and Skylarks. (RBe/AH/JDa)

Little Tern (above), Common Tern & Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There was  a lot of activity along the wall this morning, with Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Long-tailed Tits, a Cetti’s Warbler, a Blackcap, and Greenfinches in the bushes, as well as the singing Lesser Whitethroat by Owl Copse.

Two Cattle Egrets were with the cows in the fields, and at Halsey’s Farm a Lapwing was by the rife and four Skylarks were along the fences, with two Cuckoos also about.

A pair of Shovelers were on the Breech Pool as well as a Great Crested Grebe, and both male and female Marsh Harriers were seen briefly, but it was quiet out in the harbour with just a single Curlew seen. (LP/GHi/CT)

This afternoon, a Common Tern and three Little Terns were in the harbour, with a Kingfisher and ten Cattle Egrets at Halsey's Farm, along with a Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs, whilst a Sand Martin, 12 Swallows, seven Swifts and five Buzzards went over. (S&SaH)

This evening a Glossy Ibis flew into Owl Copse and there were three Cuckoos around, and there were eight Common Seals in the harbour. (AB)

Sedge Warbler (above), Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Cattle Egret, Shoveler & Great Crested Grebe at the North Wall (LP)

Chichester GPs: The family of Red-crested Pochards was still on New Lake this afternoon. (AGB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Six Common Terns were around the rafts, two Cuckoos were on the reserve and just a single Avocet was on the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst the banks were fairly quiet in the breezy conditions, producing just four Sedge Warblers, eight Reed Warblers, four Cetti's Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, c20 Whitethroats and five Stonechats, plus two Swallows and a Kestrel over. (S&SaH)

Thursday, 4th June: Another very windy day, with the gale force south-westerly pushing through fast-moving belts of drizzly rain, though with the odd sunny spell in-between.....

Selsey Bill: The stormy conditions failed to produce anything beyond the usual this morning. Full log below. (AH)

(0630-0800hrs) (SW, F7-8)

Gannet - 8W

Great Black-backed Gull - 6os

Sandwich Tern - c200os

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 2os

swift - 3

House Martin - 12

This afternoon a Little Gull went west and an Arctic Skua was again offshore. Full log below. (SH)

(1600-1700hrs)

Gannet - 5os

Arctic Skua - 1os

Little Gull - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 76os

Common Tern - 4os

Little Tern - 1os

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

Ferry Pool: There were at least 17 Avocet chicks and 42 adults on the pool this morning, along with the drake Teal, seven Shelducks and c50 Black-tailed Godwits, with another c60 of the latter in the channel opposite, where there was also, unusually, a Little Tern feeding. (AH)

Avocets (above), Little Tern & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were c50 Ringed Plovers, c20 Dunlin and a couple of Sanderlings on the mud this morning, but a couple of Curlews and Oystercatchers was it otherwise, though there were still lots of Sandwich Terns and the odd Common and Little Terns coming and going. (AH)

Later, a Roseate Tern was reported from Tern Island. (per Birdguides)

Little Tern (above), Sanderling & Ringed Plover at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall The Barn Owl was again at Halsey's Farm, early this morning (CD Stockwell)

Barn Owl at the North Wall (C Stockwell)

It was predictably very quiet along the wall later this morning in the strong winds, although the male Marsh Harrier was about, two Swifts were behind the Breech Pool and a Kingfisher was along the rife at Halsey’s Farm where there were also two Black-tailed Godwits and a Lapwing. (LP)

Marsh Harrier (above), Kingfisher & Black-tailed Godwits at the North Wal (LP)