25th - 27th June 2025

Friday, 27th June: A mix of warm sun and cloud in a freshening south-westerly breeze.........

Selsey Bill: Another morning with just a few of the regulars about. Full log below. (BI/SR/IP/AH)

(0630-0815hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Gannet - 18E, 4W, 3os

Little Egret - 1W

Common Scoter - 11E

Mediterranean Gull - 14W, c150os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os, then W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 23W

Little Tern - 2os

Swift - 1

Hummingbird Hawk-moth - 1

Little Tern (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The only birds on the pool this morning were three Avocets that looked like two adults and a juvenile. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Water Rail was calling for ten minutes from the far end of the wall early this morning, and a Kingfisher was seen at either end, whilst there were also at least six Reed Buntings, a Cetti's Warbler, three Sedge Warblers and a dozen Reed warblers about.

Otherwise there were eight Little Egrets and six Cattle Egrets present, but just two Curlews, three Oystercatchers and five Redshanks in the harbour. (PB)

Later, a female and three juvenile Marsh Harriers were behind the paddock this morning as well as a few Swifts, Sand Martins and Swallows, with a Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees.

A Lapwing and four Redshanks were along White’s Creek and a pair of Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, a group of 14 Long-tailed Tits were moving along the hedgerows, and a few Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers were along the reeds.

Two Kingfishers and a Little Grebe were along the rife at Halsey’s Farm and 21 Cattle Egrets were with the cows, but otherwise there were just a couple of Linnets and four Skylarks around the fields. (LP/MJa/TRH/ARK)

Marsh Harrier (above), Kingfisher, Skylarks & Cattle Egrets along the North Wall (LP)

East side and Pagham Spit: Along the east side this morning there were just a Grey Plover, a Ringed Plover, a Lapwing, 14 Curlews, five Redshanks, nine Turnstones, 16 Shelducks and c150 Mediterranean Gulls out on the mud, plus a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and a Cetti's Warbler along the hedges.

 There were 18 Great Crested Grebes, including two youngsters, on the Lagoon, along with six Tufted Ducks and a pair of Mute Swans and six cygnets, whilst three Skylarks and 15 Linnets were along the spit and c30 Little Terns could be seen in the harbour. (MRe)

Church Norton: There were three Common Sandpipers in the harbour this morning, along with a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel, eight Curlews and three or four Ringed Plovers, whilst there were also at least 30 Little Terns, 100 Sandwich Terns, four Common Terns and 500 Mediterranean Gulls present, with more offshore.

Also, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Whitethroat were behind the hide and a Swallow went over. (GR/MRe/CRJ/AH)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Whimbrel and Little Egret, Common Tern, Little Tern, Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gull, Whitethroat & Chiffchaff at Church Norton (AH)

There were still large numbers of Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour this evening, along with a dozen Little Terns and half a dozen Common Terns, including an apparent first-summer bird, and there were also  two or three freshly fledged juvenile Black-headed Gulls present, too.

Also, a handful of Dunlin, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones were about, and earlier half a dozen Sand Martins went west over the spit. (AH/PA)

Common Terns (above), Little Tern & Mediterranean Gull at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - Around 20 Sand Martins went over this morning, along with five Swallows and six Swifts, whilst a good selection along the banks included a Dartford Warbler, c15 whitethroats, three Chiffchaffs, a couple of Sedge Warblers, half a dozen Reed Warblers, three Stonechats, five Reed Buntings and c15 Yellowhammers.

Otherwise, there were just a Ringed Plover and seven Oystercatchers on the Stilt Pool, five Common Terns around the nesting raft and a Buzzard and two Kestrels over. (S&SaH)

Thursday, 26th June: After un-forecast overnight rain, a grey, blustery and humid morning, in a fresh westerly, though slowly brightening up later on......

Selsey Bill: A Kittiwake, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and two Curlews went west this morning, and there were lots of Mediterranean Gulls offshore. Full log below. (AH/SR/IP)

(0655-0810hrs) (W, F5-6)

Gannet - 2W

Curlew - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 65W, c200os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 11E, 56W

Common Tern - 1E

Swift - 12

House Martin - 8 

Hummingbird Hawk-moth - 2

Sandwich Tern (above), Mediterranean Gull & Curlew at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just six Redshanks and eight Shelducks on the fast drying-out pool this morning. (AH)

Shelducks on the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Two adult and two juvenile Jays were in Pagham churchyard this morning. (P Gomersall)

This evening the adult female and three juvenile Marsh Harriers were up together behind the Breech Pool, as were a Sparrowhawk, four Swallows and c150 Sand Martins. 

There were also 17 Cattle Egrets about, along with three Chiffchaffs and Reed Warblers and four Reed Buntings. (S&SaH)

Pagham Spit and Lagoon: A walk round the lagoon produced six young Common Gulls, a Little Egret, five Great Crested Grebe, a Mute Swan and six cygnets, a few Mallard, six Tufted Ducks, a Moorhen, a Coot and young, 13 Black-headed Gulls, and on the way to the spit a few Goldfinches, Linnets and Skylarks.

At the spit there were Black-headed, Mediterranean, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, along with Sandwich Terns, Little Terns, Oystercatchers and Curlews, whilst a possible Peregrine flew past. (P Gomersall)

Church Norton: There were still large numbers of birds sat on the mud this morning, including c80 Sandwich Terns and c300 Mediterranean Gulls, but only a handful of Little Terns were seen, along with a dozen Redshanks and four Curlews.

There were more Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls feeding offshore, whilst a Ringed Plover was on the beach, but, otherwise there was just a briefly singing Blackcap in the hedges and a Mistle Thrush and another 200 Mediterranean Gulls along Rectory Lane. (AH)

Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls (above), Ringed Plover & Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

West Itchenor: At the Harbour Office this morning there were three House Martin broods close to fledging. (SR)

Wednesday, 25th June: A warm and sunny morning in just a light westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: Two juvenile Sand Martins flying around the beach were a sign of successful breeding somewhere, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was about, but not much was going on offshore. Full log below. (SR/IP).

(0645-0800hrs) (W, F2)

Mallard - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 5E, 8W

Common Tern - 1E

Swift - 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Sand Martin - 2

House Martin - 5

Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Bill (SR)

Ferry Pool: There were two Avocets, two Black-tailed Godwits, 14 Redshanks and eight Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)

Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Long Pool: A Yellowhammer, a couple of Reed Buntings and Whitethroats and a handful of singing Reed Warblers were along the pool, along with a dozen Linnets this morning, with the pair of Tufted Ducks and five ducklings still on the pool among 15 non-breeding birds, and the adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebe were still present, too. (AH)

Yellowhammer (above), Reed Bunting, Linnet, Tufted Duck family & Great Crested Grebes along the Long Pool (AH)

North Wall: On the Breech Pool this morning, there were a Grey Heron, two Tufted Ducks, two Black-headed Gulls and at least a dozen Mallard, whilst in the harbour there were several Curlews and Shelducks, a Great Black-backed Gull, a Redshank and a Lapwing, with 14 Little Egret and four Grey Herons around their island.

Two Cattle Egrets were sat on nests in Owl Copse, and along the hedges there were two Greenfinches and two Linnets, with a Skylark singing from Honer Fields, and later a juvenile type Marsh Harrier was perched in a tree.

Also, on the way to the sluice there was a Water Vole in the left hand channel of the rife by the Salt House. (P Gomersall)

This evening there were c200 Sand Martins over the Breech Pool. (LP)

Pagham Spit: It was very busy around the islands this morning, with at least 500 Mediterranean Gulls, c100 Sandwich Terns, six Common Terns and c40 Little Terns sat on the shale, with many more coming and going, with most of the Little Terns carrying fish and one pair on the island had three chicks close by.

There were a few waders, too, including eight Dunlin, five Turnstones, eight Ringed Plovers, numerous Oystercatchers, and a Curlew, as well as 11 Little Egrets, whilst elsewhere along the spit there were just six Linnets, a Dunnock and two Skylarks, and on the Lagoon there were six Great Crested Grebes and eight Tufted Ducks. (LP/TG)

Little Terns (above), Little Terns and chick, Common Tern, Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers & Turnstones at Pagham Spit (LP)