20th July 2025

Sunday, 20th July: After more heavy overnight rain, a grey, if mild, morning in a near gale-force southerly wind......

Selsey Bill: A total of 13 Balearic Shearwaters went east and four Manx Shearwaters went west on an interesting morning, which also included two summer-plumaged Black Terns, an Arctic Skua and over 600 Gannets going east, too. Full log later. (SH/MRe/PB/MRB/AH/IP/SR/JA)

(0545-1030hrs) (S, F6-7)

Great crested Grebe - 1W

Manx Shearwater - 4W

Balearic Shearwater - 13E

Gannet - 603E, 25W, 20os

Common Scoter - 11E

Ringed Plover - 1W

Turnstone - 3W

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 23E, 2W

Kittiwake - 11E, 6W

Sandwich Tern - 88E, 32W, 20os

Common Tern - 21E

Black Tern - 2E

auk sp - 4E, 1W

Swift - 26

Sand Martin - 6

House Martin - 2

Pied Wagtail - 1E

(1350-1500hrs) (SH)

Gannet - 1E, 3W

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 3E, 26W

Common Tern - 1E, 1W

Little Tern - 1os

Swift - 2

Sand Martin - 2

Balearic Shearwater (above), Gannets, Common Scoters, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Swift at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Just a Common Sandpiper and a Black-tailed Godwit were on the pool this morning. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Black-tailed Godwit at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: The Greenshank and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits were still on the flooded field, along with a couple of Shovelers and Teal and two Little Grebe families, with ten Swifts, 15 Sand Martins and 20 Swallows over and several Reed Warblers around the reed-bed. (LP/MJa/PB/MRB/AH)

Greenshank at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: Up to four juveniles were among the ten or so Little Terns in the harbour this morning, with a couple of Common Terns and c50 Sandwich Terns also around, plus doubtless many more on the islands.

At least five Whimbrel were present, too, along with a dozen Curlews, a couple of Ringed Plovers and c30 Redshanks, but that was about it. (AH/PB/MRB/EB)

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

North Wall: Two Common Sandpipers were along White’s Creek, together with eight Black-tailed Godwits, two Whimbrels, seven Redshanks, three Curlews, eight Canada Geese and a Greylag Goose, whilst a Kingfisher flew out from behind the sluice and along the rife.

A Green Sandpiper was at the back of the Breech Pool and five Little Ringed Plovers, two Lapwings, and a Pied Wagtail were on the mud and a Common Tern was fishing over the pool, but there were just a couple of Reed Warblers and a Green Woodpecker along the reeds and bushes.

The Spotted Redshank was again along the rife at Halsey’s Farm, and 27 Cattle Egrets were around the cows, while overhead there were two Sandwich Terns, four Swifts, 30 Sand Martins and 12 Swallows. (LP/MJa)

Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover & Green Woodpecker at the North Wall (LP)