Birding the Selsey Peninsula: 17th August 2025

Sunday, 17th August: After a distinctly chilly start, warm and sunny morning in a brisk north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of activity this morning, including three Arctic Terns east and 54 Common Terns going west, whilst six Shags went east and a Buzzard drifted over west, high up. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH)

(0600-0830hrs) (NE, F4)

Gannet - 18E, 6W, 20os

Shag - 6E

Common Scoter - 2E, 1W

Buzzard - 1W

Sparrowhawk - 1

Oystercatcher - 1E

Ringed Plover - 1E

Sanderling - 4E

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 3E

Sandwich Tern - 37E, 27W

Arctic Tern - 3E

Common Tern - 54W

Swallow - 1E

House Martin - 2E

Willow/Chiff - 2

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

Ferry Pool: There were two Ringed Plovers on the pool this morning, along with the Common Sandpiper, juvenile Redshank, Lapwing and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits.

A look around the Discovery Area just produced a handful of Whitethroats and a couple of Chiffchaffs. (AH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing & Whitethroat at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Tree Pipit was in the bushes again this morning, along with half a dozen Whitethroats and Reed Warblers and two or three Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Sedge Warblers.

Also, the Common Sandpiper was on the flooded field, along with six Black-tailed Godwits and eight Teal. (AH)

Tree Pipit (above), Sedge Warbler & Reed Warbler at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: The highlight of the morning was seven Spoonbills on the Breech Pool, before they were all disturbed, with six flying into the harbour and one returning to the Breech Pool where it spent the morning feeding and sleeping.

Also on the pool were a Spotted Redshank, five Lapwings and a Kingfisher, whilst a Spotted Flycatcher and a Green Woodpecker were around the paddock.

Two Greenshanks and another Spotted Redshank were in White’s Creek, along with a Whimbrel, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Kingfisher, a dozen Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Redshanks, while further out, two Knot were with 24 Grey Plovers on the mud, and four Gadwall were on the water.

At Halsey’s Farm, 34 Yellow Wagtails were with the cows by the rife, but the bushes were quieter than of late with just a couple of Lesser Whitethroats, six Whitethroats, five Linnets, two Reed Buntings and two swallows. (MJa/LP/MRi/DHi/IP/EB/AH et al)

Spoonbills (MJa, then EB, then IP next three, LP lower two) (above), Yellow Wagtail, Kingfisher, Knot and Grey Plovers (LP), Whimbrel & Lapwing (AH) at the North Wall

Medmerry: Ham Farm - A Wheatear was present late this morning. (LL)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A sub-adult male and two juvenile Marsh Harriers were out hunting, along with eight Buzzards and two Kestrels, whilst a Cattle Egret was on the reserve, seven Common Terns were around the rafts, with two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover were on the Stilt Pool.

It was fairly quiet along the banks in the wind, with a Dartford Warbler, a Whitethroat, two Willow/Chiffs and half a dozen Yellow Wagtails and Yellowhammers the sum, plus c20 Swallows and Sand Martins over. (S&SaH)

Runcton: South of the village this morning there were 47 Mallard, 12 Tufted Ducks, six Little Grebes, two Common Buzzards, two Sparrowhawks, five Coots, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, 50 Stock Doves, a Swift, a Green Woodpecker, 20 Sand Martins, five House Martins and 10 Willow Warblers.

Also present were a Roe Deer, a Fox and a Brown Hare. (CRJ)