19th - 20th October 2025

Monday, 20th October: A pretty dismal morning, starting with prolonged heavy rain, before giving way to persistent squally showers as the wind freshened towards a gale force south-westerly..........

Selsey Bill: Three Swallows, a Great Northern Diver and 103 Gannets, all going west, were the highlights this morning. Full log below. (BI/IP/AW)

(0730-0845hrs) (SSW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Gannet - 9E, 103W

Common Scoter - 2W

Oystercatcher - 3E

Turnstone - 14

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Razorbill - 8E, 29W

Swallow - 3W

Later, at 0943hrs, a Red-throated Diver went west, too. (AW)

Red-throated Diver at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: The two Green Sandpipers were on the pool again this morning, along with a Snipe, six Shovelers and c40 Teal. (AH/JC)

Green Sandpiper and Teal (above) & Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were four Greenshanks roosting in the harbour this morning, with other waders including c40 Redshank, c20 Dunlin and Grey Plovers and half a dozen Turnstones and Curlews, whilst c60 Brent Geese were present, along with c30 Pintail and similar of Wigeon and Teal, plus a Kingfisher.

At least 20 very mobile Goldcrests were around the sheltered hedges, but there wasn't too much else beyond a Mistle Thrush, a couple of Chiffchaffs and a dozen Blackbirds. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Greenshanks and Redshanks, Brent Geese, Pintail, Dunlin & Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

Sunday, 19th October: A grey and overcast start, presaging the arrival of persistent drizzly rain from mid-morning, in a light to moderate south-easterly breeze......

Selsey Bill: There were still plenty of auks, including over 1000 Razorbills, around, though much less than yesterday, though two Bramblings over were the highlight of limited visible migration and a dozen Goldcrests were in the gardens along the front. Full log later . (SH/JA/PB/MRB/BI/IP/AH/ML)

(0715-1115hrs) (SE, F3-4)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 2E

Gannet - 60E, 62W, 8os

Shag - 16E

Brent Goose - 19W

Wigeon - 2E, 1W

Common Scoter - 7E

Mediterranean Gull - 53E, 1W

Common Gull - 3E

Kittiwake - 5E

Guillemot - 4E

Razorbill - 1044E, 22W

auk sp - 84E, 49W

Swallow - 6E

Pied Wagtail - 11E

Meadow Pipit - 13E

Chiffchaff - 2

Goldcrest - 12

Brambling - 2E

Siskin - 7E

Linnet - 17E

This afternoon, a Sooty Shearwater went distantly east at 1520hrs, and it or another went west, a bit closer in at 1540hrs, and a juvenile Pomarine Skua also went west, close in. Full log below. (SH)

(1430-1600hrs) (S, F5)

Sooty Shearwater - 1E (1520hrs), 1 W (1540hrs)

Gannet - 23E, 95W
Common Scoter - 1E

Turnstone - 6

Pomarine Skua - 1 W (juvenile)

Kittiwake - 1E

Razorbill - 4E

Razorbills (above), Shag & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Green Sandpipers were on the pool this morning, along with c80 Lapwings, five Shelducks, nine Shovelers and c25 Teal. (AH)

Green Sandpipers (above) & Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Greenshank among a few roosting Redshanks and Curlews, a Kingfisher, a lone Brent Goose, a Little Grebe, three Great Crested Grebes and a few Wigeon and Teal was about it in the harbour at high tide this morning.

Also, about a dozen Goldcrests were in the churchyard/hide area, along with a couple of Blackcaps, half a dozen Chiffchaffs and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest & Great Spotted Woodpecker at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Snipe was on the Breech Pool, as well as two Black-tailed Godwits, a Grey Wagtail, a Shelduck, four Teal, two Shovelers and 22 Mallards, with three Marsh Harriers further back over the reeds.

Four Rock Pipits were along the wall, four Linnets, six Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Chiffchaffs were in the bushes, and a Water Rail was along Owl Water.

A Peregrine flew across the harbour, and 23 Golden Plovers were with c80 Lapwings and 12 Grey Plovers out on the mud, but elsewhere there was just a single Pied Wagtail in the paddock, and a Goldcrest down the lane. (LP/MJa/DHi)

Rock Pipit (above), Water Rail, Linnets, Snipe & Pied Wagtail at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Dartford Warbler, a dozen Chiffchaffs, three Cetti's Warblers, two Goldcrests, two Stonechats, 13 Skylarks, ten Meadow Pipits, seven Linnets, two Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer were along the banks, late this morning, whilst ten Egyptian Geese were on the reserve and a Kestrel and two Buzzards went over. (S&SaH)