1st - 3rd October 2025

Friday, 3rd October: A real change in the weather this morning, as Storm Amy looms, with a fresh and blustery south-westerly pushing through banks of squally drizzle under leaden skies......

Selsey Bill: There wasn't too much going on this morning, though an Arctic Skua, 62 Kittiwakes and a few auks and Gannets went west. Full log below. (BI/IP/AH)

(0715-0900hrs) (SSW, F6)

Gannet - 33E, 147W

Turnstone - 5

Arctic Skua - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1W

Kittiwake - 62W

Guillemot - 1W

Razorbill - 30W

auk sp 27E, 32W

(1500-1600hrs) (PA)

Gannet - 30W

Common Scoter - 2W

Kittiwake - 3W

auk sp - 3W

Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just 20 Teal and similar of Black-headed Gulls on the pool this morning. (AH)

Later, a Marsh Harrier went over. (RJS/MG)

Teal on the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: Three Snipe were on the flooded field this morning, along with a Little Grebe, c20 Shovelers and c50 Teal and Mallards. (AH)

Snipe (above) & Shovelers, Teal and Mallard at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: Along White’s Creek at high tide there were still two Curlew Sandpipers, three Spotted Redshanks, a Common Sandpiper, a Grey Plover, and all the regular species, whilst on the Breech Pool, six Snipe were around the edges, 13 Black-tailed Godwits were on the water and a Kingfisher flew through.
Elsewhere, it was predictably quiet in the wet and windy conditions, with just a Reed Bunting, two Stonechats, and a Green Woodpecker around the paddock, and a Buzzard further back over the fields. (LP)

Common Sandpiper (above) & Grey Plover at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: There was very little to see this morning on the high tide, with most of the waders hidden away, though good numbers of Pintail, Teal and Wigeon could be seen, along with a few roosting Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Curlews.

Otherwise, three or four Swallows were keeping low and a handful of Chiffchaffs were in the bushes, but that was about it. (AH/RJS/MG)

Swallow (above) & Pintails at Church Norton (AH)

Thursday, 2nd October: Another morning of light southerlies, grey early on and brightening slightly as the breeze freshened......

The Selsey Peninsula statistics page - see header above - has now been updated. At the three-quarters stage for the year, the total number of species seen stands at a record 213, whilst September's total of 167 species recorded is only one below the best month ever, which was April this year. (Eds)

 

Selsey Bill: A Stonechat was along the front, but little was moving overhead, and the sea remains slow, too. Full log below. (IP/AH)

(0710-0840hrs) (SSW, F1-2)

Gannet - 19E, 6W

Shag - 15E

Shelduck - 1W

Oystercatcher - 2E

Turnstone - 6

Mediterranean Gull - 14E, 37W

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Razorbill - 19W

auk sp - 3E, 21W

Grey Wagtail - 2E

Pied Wagtail - 8E

Meadow Pipit - 10E, 1W

Stonechat - 1

Linnet - 1

Goldfinch - 8

Stonechat (above), Mediterranean Gull & Shags at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Green Sandpipers and two Snipe were on the pool early on, with a female Marsh Harrier going over, (SM et al), but later there were just c60 Lapwings, c40 Teal and a juvenile Shelduck present (AH).

There was also a Frosted Orange moth at the Visitor Centre. (SM)

Teal on the Ferry (AH) (above) & Frosted Orange at the Visitor Centre (SM)

Long Pool: Two immature Hobbies went over late this morning, and a Peregrine was hunting over the harbour, whilst at least seven Stonechats, four Chiffchaffs and a Dartford Warbler were along the pool and 25+ Red-legged Partridges were in the fields. (SM/M James et al)

Hobbies along the Long Pool (SM above & M James)

This afternoon a Whinchat and half a dozen Stonechats were along the hedges. (PA)

Whinchat along the Long Pool (PA)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Whimbrel was on the flooded field this morning, along with a dozen Shovelers and c60 Teal, but a couple of Chiffchaffs among a mobile flock of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits was it for the hedges. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Whimbrel, Shovelers and Teal & Long-tailed Tit at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: There were still four Curlew Sandpipers along White’s Creek, as well as a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a couple of Kingfishers and an increasing number of Wigeon, Teal and Pintail, whilst a Yellow-legged Gull was sat on the mud.

Around 40 Redpolls and 20 Siskins went over, whilst a Rock Pipit and a Wheatear were along the wall, and there were at least eight Snipe and a couple of Water Rails around the Breech Pool, with 24 Black-tailed Godwits and a Grey Plover also present.

Along the reeds and bushes there were c20 Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, two Blackcaps, two Stonechats, two Long-tailed Tits, a Song Thrush and another Wheatear, while at Owl Water, a Water Rail was along the edge and a Kingfisher flew through.

At Halsey’s Farm c20 Meadow Pipits were around the fences, six Skylarks and c50 Swallows flew over and four Cattle Egrets were in the fields. (MJa/TRH/LP/SP/IH/CT/RAI)

Wheatear (above), Blackcap, Stonechat, Rock Pipit, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Snipe & Water Rail at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: It was very quiet this morning, though a small flock of Siskins dropped in and a handful more went over, along with a dozen Swallows and a couple of Meadow Pipits,  whilst two or three Stonechats and a handful of Chiffchaffs and Linnets were widely spread.

There were plenty of Wigeon, Teal and Pintail in the harbour, and a Marsh Harrier went over, but waders consisted of just a few Black-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers and lots of Redshanks. 

There were also two Brent Geese heading west offshore and a couple of Kingfishers were about. (AH/RAI)

Stonechat (above), Chiffchaff & Linnet at Church Norton (AH)

This evening, an Avocet, two Curlew Sandpipers, five Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit were in the harbour, though there were relatively few waders generally present, possibly not helped by the presence of at least three Marsh Harriers.

Also, at least ten Chiffchaffs were in the hedges and two Mistle Thrushes were in the churchyard. (PA/AH)

Chiffchaff (above) & Mistle Thrush at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Ham Farm - There were at least 30 Stonechats around the fields this morning, and six Corn Buntings were in the set-aside field west of the viewpoint. (MWh)

Sidlesham: A bit of 'vis-mig' over cow Lane this morning included three Yellow Wagtails, two Grey Wagtails, 22 Pied Wagtails, seven Meadow Pipits and five Siskins. (PA)

East Head: A thorough look around the hedges this morning produced a late Lesser Whitethroat, four Blackcaps, 32 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, 17 Goldcrests and four Stonechats, with five Swallows, a Redpoll, ten Siskins and 100+ Linnets and Goldfinches over, and c50 Skylarks, a couple of Grey Wagtails, a Rock Pipit and c40 Meadow Pipits also about.

Two Spoonbills were out in the harbour, along with nine Greenshanks, c80 Redshanks, 45 Black-tailed Godwits, a Golden Plover, a Snipe and c60 Lapwings, with 102 Brent Geese, c100 Wigeon and c150 Teal also present. (PA/MRe)

Spoonbills at East Head (PA)

Wednesday, 1st October: A fairly overcast and muggy, morning in a light southerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: The Great Northern Diver was distantly offshore again this morning, and 14 Brent Geese and 82 distant auks went west, but it was quiet on the 'vis-mig' front. Full log below. (IP/AH)

(0715-0845hrs) (S, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Gannet - 8E, 4W

Shag - 14E, 2os

Brent Goose - 14W

Wigeon - 4E, 3W

Teal - 8W

Common Scoter - 1E

Common Sandpiper - 1w

Turnstone - 7

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Sandwich Tern - 6E, 2W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 25E, 82W

Swallow - 23E

Grey Wagtail - 1E

Pied Wagtail - 27E

Meadow Pipit - 42E

Chiffchaff - 1

Siskin - 2E

Goldfinch - 30

Brent Geese (above), Sandwich Terns & Shags at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Green Sandpipers, a Snipe and a Redshank were on the pool this morning, along with a much increased count of c150 Lapwings and c40 Teal. (AH/IP)

Green Sandpiper and Lapwings (above), Snipe and Lapwing & Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: Three Snipe were the only waders present, though c20 Shovelers and c50 Teal were about and a Mistle Thrush was in the big trees, but there were barely a handful of Chiffchaffs, plus a Cetti's Warbler, in the hedges. (AH/IP)

Mistle Thrush (above), Snipe & Shovelers and Teal at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: Early this morning there were two Spoonbills out in the harbour along with a hunting Marsh Harrier, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel, three Avocets and six Brent Geese, whilst a Kingfisher was around the old ironwork, eight Great Crested Grebes were out on the sea and two Common Scoters went west offshore.

Along the Severals were two Goldcrests together, with at least 20 Chiffchaffs, three Stonechats, a Redstart and an elusive Dartford Warbler, whilst in the woods between the Severals was a flock of at least 30 Siskins feeding in the tree tops, and there were also four Skylarks and at least a dozen Meadow Pipits along the spit. (AW/HB)

Siskins (above), Dartford Warbler (AW), Redstart and Stonechat (HB), Goldcrests and Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Marsh Harrier & Spoonbills (AW) at Church Norton 

Fishbourne Creek: A Glossy Ibis was at the top of the creek earlier this morning, but could not be relocated later on.

Also 12 Greenshanks, three Dunlin, a Bar-tailed Godwit 30 and Turnstones were off Dell Quay, with a Sandwich Tern feeding off there, too, and two Brent Geese flew up the creek. (RW)

Glossy Ibis in Fishbourne Creek (RW)

Birdham: A good morning in the garden produced seven Cattle Egrets, three Egyptian Geese, a Raven and two Siskins over, with a dozen Song Thrushes and a handful of Blackcaps in the hedges. (AB)

North Wall: The two Spoonbills were present again early on, before flying across the harbour, whilst White's Creek held a Common Sandpiper, two Curlew Sandpipers, three Spotted Redshanks, a few Black-tailed Godwits and large numbers of Redshanks, Wigeon and Pintail.

Also, a Marsh Harrier was out hunting, whilst two Water Rails, three Snipe and c25 Black-tailed Godwits were on the Breech Pool, but passerines were restricted to a handful of Blackcaps and c20 Chiffchaffs, plus a few Swallows over. (LP/CT/AH)

This evening four Marsh Harriers went into roost behind the Breech Pool and  39 Cattle Egrets went into Owl Copse, with a spotted Redshank, six snipe and a Sparrowhawk also about

Also, seven stonechats, six Cetti's Warblers and a couple of Chiffchaffs and Pied Wagtails were along the hedges. (S&SaH)

Common Sandpiper (above), Pintail and Wigeon & Chiffchaff at the North Wall (AH)