26th - 28th May 2025

Wednesday, 28th May: Another mainly bright, but very breezy morning in a fresh westerly breeze...........

Selsey Bill: It was fairly quiet, though an Arctic Skua went east, four Fulmars went west and a Great Northern Diver was on the sea. Full log below. (PB/PM/AH/IP)

(0545-0900hrs) (W, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Fulmar - 4W

Gannet - 7W

Little Egret - 1E

Common Scoter - 5E

Curlew - 1W

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 15W

Kittiwake - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 45W

Common Tern - 9W

Little Tern - 6os

Razorbill - 3W

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 3

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

Ferry Pool: There were two Little Ringed Plovers,  two Avocets, a Redshank, 35 Black-tailed Godwits and 14 Shelducks present this morning, whilst two Common Terns, a Grey Plover and three Little Egrets were in the channel opposite. (AH/JC)

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

Long Pool: There were several Sedge and Reed Warblers singing along the pool this morning, together with a couple of Whitethroats, at least five Reed Buntings and c20 Linnets, with a couple of Skylarks in the adjacent fields. (AH)

Sedge Warbler (above) & Reed Bunting along the Long Pool (AH)

Church Norton: There was a good selection of waders in the harbour again this morning, with peak counts from various times including 11 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel, eight Grey Plovers,  three Curlews, six Knot, seven Sanderling, c30 Dunlin, and c45 Ringed Plovers.

Also, there was also a good count of 35 Little Terns, two Common Terns, 28 Sandwich Terns and c30 Mediterranean Gulls out on the mud, whilst a Peregrine was out hunting and a Red Kite went over, too.

Passerines were restricted to a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff along the sheltered hedges, plus two Swallows along Rectory Lane. (MRe/PB/PM/JC/AH et al)

Little Terns (above), Little Terns and Sandwich Terns, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover and Sanderlings & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

It was much the same this afternoon, though there ere two Whimbrel about. (AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Bar-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was more of the same along the wall this morning, with the usual Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats, and Reed Buntings along the reeds, a Great Crested Grebe, three Tufted Ducks and a Mallard with ten ducklings on the Breech Pool, both the Marsh Harriers, two Buzzards and a Cuckoo over the reeds behind.

A Kingfisher flew down the rife at Halsey’s Farm and the Shelduck family were on the banks, but apart from a Green Woodpecker and five Cattle Egrets around the fields, the only other birds of note were eight Mediterranean Gulls passing overhead. (LP/CT/AD)

Swallow (above), Reed Warbler, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe (LP), Cuckoo & Marsh Harrier (AD) at the North Wall 

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This afternoon there was a Lapwing with two young chicks near Marsh Barn, a family of Stonechats at the Stilt Pools as well as four Avocets and six Ringed Plovers, and a Common Tern was among the Black-headed Gulls on the rafts opposite the Pools.

There were lots of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Whitethroats along the banks, with two singing Lesser Whitethroats near the top of the poplars, and there were also a patch of Southern Marsh-orchids in flower and a Roe Deer near the path. (HB)

Stonechat (above), Lapwing and chick, Southern Marsh Orchids & Roe Deer at Medmerry (HB)

Later on, a Marsh Harrier and two Kestrels were over the reserve, with a Cattle Egret, eight Egyptian Geese and a Cuckoo also about, with a Lesser Whitethroat, four Whitethroats, two Chiffchaffs, three Cetti's Warblers, two Reed Buntings and a dozen Yellowhammers along the banks. (S&SaH)

Marsh Harrier at Medmerry (SaH)

Tuesday, 27th May: A morning that started grey and blustery and got progressively worse as the breeze freshened considerably from the south-west with squally rain arriving by midday...........

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of a selection this morning, including a Great Northern Diver, five Fulmars, half a dozen Kittiwakes and a steady stream of Sandwich Terns west and an Arctic Skua east. Full log below (AW/SR/AH/OM/IP) 

(0600-1100hrs) (WSW, F6-7 then F4-5 later)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Fulmar - 5W

Gannet - 1E, 4W

Common Scoter - 14E

Oystercatcher - 1E

Sanderling - 3W

Turnstone - 7W

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 24W, 15os

Kittiwake - 6W

Sandwich Tern - 32W, 6os

Common Tern - 4W

Little Tern - 1W, 2os

House Martin - 6

Swallow - 1

Great Northern Diver (AH) (above), Fulmars (AW top, AH lower), Kittiwakes (AW top, AH lower), Arctic Skua, Sanderling, Common Tern (AW), Little Tern & Sandwich Tern (AH) at the Bill

This afternoon, an unusually close flock of five Manx Shearwaters went west. Full log below.(AW)

(1400-1600hrs)

Manx Shearwater - 5W

Fulmar - 1os

Common Scoter - 5E

Common Tern - 2W

Little Tern - 4W

Manx Shearwaters at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were just 25 Black-tailed Godwits and half a dozen Shelducks present this morning. (OM/AH)

Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: At least a dozen Little Terns were about this morning, including eight sat on the mud, along with three or four Common Terns, c30 Sandwich Terns and c60 Mediterranean Gulls. 

Also, there were 11 Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Knot, six Grey Plovers and two Curlews on the mud, with a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap singing along the path to the harbour. (AH)

Common Tern and Little Terns (above), Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits & Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There wasn't much going on today in the poor weather, though the Kingfisher was in the rife at Halsey's Farm, with a Song Thrush and a Blackcap singing there, with a Whitethroat and a Reed warbler along the wall.

Owl Copse was very quiet, though and there were just a Grey Heron and an Oystercatcher in the harbour. (EB)

Kingfisher (above), Grey Heron & Oystercatcher at the North Wall (EB)

Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May: A mostly bright, but very breezy day, with the fresh westerly pushing through fast-moving banks of white cloud.......

Selsey Bill: Two Arctic Skuas went east and three Manx Shearwaters and nine Kittiwakes went west this morning, though it was otherwise quiet. Full log below. (SH/BI/SR/AH/P&LH)

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

Manx Shearwater - 3W

Gannet - 10E, 12W

Common Scoter - 10E

Oystercatcher - 2W

Arctic Skua - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 18W

Kittiwake - 12W

Sandwich Tern - 16os

Common Tern - 1os

Little Tern - 5W, 3os

auk sp - 6W

Swift - 3

Swallow - 3

House Martin - 2

Kittiwakes at the Bill (AH)

This afternoon a Sooty Shearwater went west at 1525hrs and a couple of Arctic Skuas went east, but not much else was about. Full log below. (JA/SH/AHu/P&LH/MRe/IP)

(1300-1800hrs)

Sooty Shearwater - 1W (1525hrs)

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 2E, 12W

Oystercatcher - 1

Sanderling - 4W

Turnstone - 1W

Arctic Skua - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 43W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 18os

Common Tern - 2os

Little Tern - 4os

Razorbill - 1E, 1W

auk sp - 1W

Swallow - 4

Fulmar at the Bill (LH)

Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover, six Redshanks, c60 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Shelducks were all that could be found this morning. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper - the first of the year - dropped in just before high tide this morning, but soon moved off again, with a selection of other waders including eight Bar-tailed Godwits, three Knot and a dozen or so Grey and Ringed Plovers also present.

There were also a handful of Little Terns about, with c30 Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls on the mud, along with c50 Black-headed Gulls. (AH/ARK/P&LH/MRe et al)

Curlew Sandpiper (above), Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern & Little Tern, Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Surprisingly, there was no more sign of the Curlew Sandpiper this afternoon, though there were three Whimbrel, 11 Bar-tailed Godwits, up to ten Knot, a dozen Grey Plovers, a couple of Curlews and a few dunlin and Ringed Plovers about.

There were also at least half a dozen Little Terns, two Common Terns, c30 Sandwich Terns and c40 Mediterranean Gulls out on the mud, and a Meadow Pipit was displaying over the concrete blocks. (AH/AHu/MRe)

Little Tern (above), Sandwich Tern, Whimbrel & Bar-tailed Godwit at Church Norton (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Cuckoo was present again this afternoon. (P&LH)

Cuckoo at Mill Pond Marsh (LH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was an encouraging increase to ten Avocets on the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst a short-eared Owl was on the reserve, along with a Cuckoo and a Kestrel, and three Common Terns were around the nesting rafts.

Also, along the banks, there were two Lesser Whitethroats, half a dozen Whitethroats, three Chiffchaffs, two Cetti's Warblers, five Reed Warblers, two Stonechats, two Reed Buntings and eight Yellowhammers, with four Swifts and three Swallows going over. (S&SaH)