7th - 9th June 2025

Monday 9th June: A hazily bright, but breezy, morning in a moderate westerly.........

Selsey Bill: A Fulmar went west and two Arctic Skuas were lingering offshore this morning, whilst at least 200 Mediterranean Gulls and 40 Sandwich Terns were among the offshore feeding flock. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0700-0830hrs) (W, F4)

Fulmar - 1W

Gannet - 4E, 2W

Common Scoter - 8E

Arctic Skua - 2os

Mediterranean Gull - 200os

Sandwich Tern - 40os

Common Tern - 2os

Swift - 2

Swallow - 1

House Martin - 6

Arctic Skua and Mediterranean Gull (above), Fulmar & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AH)

(0930-1030hrs) (AW)

Fulmar - 1W

Mallard - 2os

Arctic Skua - 2E

House Martin - 10

(1445-1845hrs) (SH/MRe/RPo)

Gannet - 7E, 1W

Common Scoter - 12E

Arctic Skua - 2E, 1os

Mediterranean Gull -256W

Common Gull - 1W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os

Kittiwake - 5W

Sandwich Tern -102W

Common Tern - 2W

Little Tern - 3W

auk sp - 1W

Arctic Skuas (above), Fulmar, House Martins & Mallard at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: There were c30 Black-tailed Godwits, two Lapwings, two Avocets and half a dozen Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH/OM)

Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were no Roseate Terns this morning up until about 1225hrs, though at least 100 Sandwich Terns, four or five Common Terns and 200 Mediterranean Gulls were out on the mud, with 20+ Little Terns coming and going from their islands.

There were just a few waders about, too, comprising three Whimbrel, two Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews, three Dunlin and a dozen or so Grey Plovers and Turnstones, plus the regular Oystercatchers. (AH/ARK/OM)

At about 1225 there was a 'dread' of terns and gulls for a short while, causing them to move about before settling. Almost immediately after, I noted two youths on electric motorbikes ride into the harbour and they entered the Hide. I realised I would need to intervene and speak to then, so made a last scan of the birds on the metalwork, which had now increased in number. In short, there were a couple of smaller Common types amongst them, so just in case I took a couple of photos before packing up and going to the Hide. After speaking to the youths I then left the harbour.

To cut the story short, I casually looked at my photos at home and to my surprise one bird stood out, albeit my pics were poor quality. It showed the neat dark bill and apparent jizz of Roseate; I tried to talk myself into an ID as a Common, but it didn't fit, so I conclude it was indeed a Roseate. I sought opinions from other who supported  the ID (OM)

Cropped and enlarged image of Roseate Tern and below image taken (fourth bird from left) (OM)

Little Terns (above), Common Tern, Whimbrel & Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Fishbourne Creek: On the rising tide this morning a Snipe flew out of the salt marshes at Fishbourne, landing higher up the creek, whilst off Dell Quay there were a pair of Shelducks with seven very small ducklings, three Lapwings and 11 Little Egrets. (RW)

Sunday 8th June: A fairly bright and sunny, if surprisingly cool, morning in a fresh north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: An Arctic Skua was chasing the distant feeding flock this morning and a few Little and Sandwich Terns went west, but that was about it. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH)

(0600-0830hrs) (NW, F4)

Gannet - 3W, 9os

Mallard - 2

Common Scoter - 2E

Arctic Skua - 1os

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 24W

Common Tern - 3E, 1W

Little Tern - 22W

Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just three Avocets, 14 Black-tailed Godwits and five Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)

Black-tailed Godwit on the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: Around 40 House Martins, but only a couple of Swallows, were around with many of the former collecting moss from the barn roof for their nests, whilst a Skylark was still displaying over the fields, a young Green Woodpecker was on the path and a Jay flew into the treeline. (IP)

Church Norton: A Roseate Tern flew into the harbour mid-morning, and was sat on the metalwork until spooked by a Peregrine and lost to view.

Otherwise, at least 100 Sandwich Terns, 50 Mediterranean Gulls and a couple of Common Terns were in the harbour, plus plenty of Little Terns around their island, though there were just three Whimbrel, a Curlew, five Bar-tailed and five Black-tailed Godwits about on the rising tide, whilst a Gannet was in the gull flock offshore..

Also, a Cuckoo called briefly in the distance at the Severals, with plenty of Cetti's Warblers and a Green Woodpecker in the vicinity, plus a Cattle Egret again in the horse field all morning, whilst Bluebell Wood was again full of song, with a large family party of Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Great Spotted Woodpeckers all present. (IP/AB)

North Wall: A Kingfisher flew out from the sluice and a Lapwing was along White’s Creek this morning, but otherwise there were just a few Shelducks and Oystercatchers out in the harbour, whilst a Great Crested Grebe and four Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, and further back a Cuckoo was calling from the trees, with another behind Owl Copse, the female Marsh Harrier was over the reeds, and three Swifts passed overhead.
A Little Grebe was on its nest along Owl Water, and there were a few Grey Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets spread between the trees and their island, whilst a Whitethroat, four Reed Buntings, and a Sedge Warbler feeding young were along the bushes, and in the trees at Halsey’s Farm there was a Lesser Whitethroat, a Song Thrush, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Green Woodpecker, a Cuckoo and a family of Chaffinches. (MJa/LP/AWr)

Cuckoo (above), Whitethroat, Tufted Duck & Great Crested Grebe at the North Wall (LP)

Pagham Spit: There appeared to be a lot of activity among the Little Terns this morning, on both Peregrine and Breach Islands, with birds bringing in fish, and others taking fish to adults sat on the mud, presumably as courtship, and when something spooked everything there were at least 60 birds in the air.

There were also similar numbers of Sandwich Terns coming off the islands, and later some looked like they were carrying in food, which was all encouraging, and there were also a second-year Common Gull and a couple of Common Terns about..
A long line of small waders along the shingle at high tide contained approximately 150 Dunlin, 30+ Ringed Plovers and at least a dozen Sanderling and half a dozen Turnstones, whilst a Meadow Pipit, a Skylark and a handful of Linnets were along the spit. (AH/ARK)

Little Terns (above), Sandwich Terns & Sanderlings, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers at Pagham Spit. (AH)

East Side: The harbour was very quiet this morning, with just five Grey Plovers and two Curlews present, along with a pair of Gadwall and a few Shelducks, and there were seven Common Seals hauled out in the middle. (AH/ARK)

Grey Plovers (above), Shelducks & Common Seals along the East side (AH)

Chi GPs: Drayton House pits - I visited this morning to check on the important breeding situation with the Pochard numbers here, and found a total of 23 adults present, consisting of just one drake on the South pit and 17 drakes and five females on North pit. I have previously reported one brood here, so was pleased to briefly see evidence of a second brood today. Four of the females were in suitable breeding areas of reeds and attended by males, whilst the fifth female had suitors to spare! It seems likely that most or all the females will be producing broods in due course and it seems that this species is a late breeder, for recent history shows broods of small young sometimes not appearing until early July.

Other sightings of interest included a Red Kite, a family of Egyptian Geese and two other non-breeding adults, a pair of Greylag with young and a pair of Mute Swans with young. Around a dozen Reed Warblers were still singing occasionally, whilst I was pleased to note that a colony of Southern Marsh orchids has re-appeared on South pit, despite the frequent mowing here....I counted at least 250 spikes. (OM)

Family of Egyptian Geese (above), pair of Pochard and another Pochard pair with a Great Crested Grebe (below) and Red Kite (OM)

Southern Marsh orchids on the South pit

Saturday 7th June: After heavy overnight rain, a cool and heavily overcast morning with the odd squally shower in a brisk westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was again a slight but steady flow of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns west, but not too much else. Full log below. (SH/PB/BI/AH)

(0615-0830hrs) (W, F5)

Gannet - 7E, 6W

Mallard - 2

Common Scoter - 2E, 1W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Dunlin - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 3E, 66W

Common Tern - 7W

Little Tern - 30W

Guillemot - 3W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1E

Swallow - 3

House Martin - 6

Little Terns (above), Common Terns & Sandwich Terns at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just three Avocets, c25 Black-tailed Godwits and a dozen Shelducks on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocet on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Roseate Tern was among the gull and tern flock on the metalwork this morning, along with half a dozen Common Terns and at least 50 Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gull about, whilst at least 20 Little Terns flew up from their island,, though there weren't any around the harbour,

There were also a Whimbrel, three Bar-tailed Godwits, five Black-tailed Godwits, six Knot, a Dunlin, ten Ringed Plovers and c20 Grey Plovers about, plus a Swallow over and a Whitethroat still singing by the hide.

It would seem there were actually two Roseate Terns present, before both flew out of the harbour together at 1320hrs. (AH/BI/IP/MRe et al)

Roseate Tern with Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls (above) & Knot and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Video grab of the two Roseate Terns at Church Norton below (BI)

North Wall: The female Marsh Harrier was about this morning, along with three Buzzards, ten Cattle Egrets and wo Cuckoos.

Also, along the wall and hedges, there were a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, two Whitethroats, a Chiffchaff, a Stonechat, seven Reed Warblers and two Reed Buntings. (S&SaH)