1st November 2025

Saturday, 1st November: A better day than forecast - bight and breezy, and mild, too, in a brisk south-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: It was quieter than yesterday, with the highlight being another potential Pallid Swift seen and photographed over the sea and then the houses before it moved off west.

There were also a flourish of 15 Balearic Shearwaters west early on, and later a Manx Shearwater, with a Merlin also seen heading west offshore. Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/PA/MRe/IP/AH/OM/CRJ)

(0700-1300hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 3E, 1W

Red-throated Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Balearic Shearwater - 15W

Manx Shearwater - 1W

Gannet - 1E, 33W

Shag - 4E, 2W

Brent Goose - 2W

Teal - 4os

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Merlin - 1W

Oystercatcher - 3W

Sanderling - 10E

Turnstone - 14

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 4W

Kittiwake - 51W

Guillemot - 2W

Razorbill - 45W

potential Pallid Swift - 1W

Skylark - 18N

Swallow - 1

Pied Wagtail - 10N

Meadow Pipit - 7W

Redpoll - 3W

Goldfinch - 40W

potential Pallid Swift at the Bill (PA)

Ferry Pool: At high tide this morning there were a Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and three Avocets on the pool (Pa), though latter there were just a handful of Lapwings, c20 Shovelers and c50 Teal present.(AH).

East Beach: The juvenile Turtle Dove put in another brief appearance in Marine Drive this morning. (SR)

Turtle Dove at East Beach (SR)

Selsey: The Black Redstart was still in gardens behind Asda this morning. (MRe)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Dartford Warbler was in the small scrap of hedge between the fields this morning, and a Grey Wagtail was in the vicinity, too. (IP/RM/JWo)

Church Norton: There were c60 Brent Geese in the harbour, along with three Pintail among plenty of wigeon and Teal, but a couple of Knot, a dozen Grey Plovers and c25 Dunlin were it for waders beyond the usual Curlews, Redshanks and Oystercatchers.

The bushes were very quiet, but a couple of Swallows went over, a Mistle Thrush was in the car-park and a dozen Skylarks and a few Meadow Pipits were along the spit, a Marsh Harrier was out hunting for a prolonged time around the Severals and then the harbour (AH/IP/RM/JWo/AW)

Marsh Harrier (above), Brent Geese, Wigeon & Skylark at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: A Wheatear was still along the wall this morning as well as two Rock Pipits, and at Halsey’s Farm there were three Yellowhammers, three Stonechats, two Reed Buntings, three Curlews, five Meadow Pipits and a Skylark.

Out in the Harbour around high tide, there was the usual mix of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shelduck, with 32 Black-tailed Godwits, 26 Lapwings, three Golden Plovers, and three Brent Geese out on the mud.

A pair of Stonechats and two Pied Wagtails were in the paddock, with a Chiffchaff in the surrounding trees and a Marsh Harrier further back over the reeds. (MJa/CT/LP/SP)

Wheatear (above), Yellowhammer, Rock Pipit & Stonechat at the North Wall (LP)