23rd March 2026

Monday, 23rd March: A pleasant morning of hazy sun and a light breeze, initially from the north, before veering right round to the south-west......

Selsey Bill: Another slow morning, though a flock of 26 Brent Geese went east and five Great Northern Divers were on the sea. Full log below. (IP/LP/AH)

(0645-0845hrs) (N, F2)

Great Northern Diver - 5os

Shag - 1os

Brent Goose - 26E

Shelduck - 3W

Common Scoter - 2E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5os

Oystercatcher - 4E, 1W

Turnstone - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 7E

Great Black-backed Gull - 4os

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 2W, 1os

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Chiffchaff - 1

Great Northern Diver (above) & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Midmorning, the first  House Martin of the year was briefly over the Oval Field, whilst five Sandwich Terns were offshore, along with a Great Northern Diver, and five Pintail flew west and four Common Scoters went east. Full log below. (AW)

(1000-1100hrs)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Pintail - 5W

Common Scoter - 4E

Sandwich Tern - 5os

House Martin - 1N

Common Scoters (above) & Sandwich Tern at the Bill (AW)

Ferry Pool: It was another busy morning, with two Ruff, a Green Sandpiper, a Snipe, two Avocets, a Curlew, an Oystercatcher, six Redshanks, six Lapwings, c20 Black-tailed Godwits, a Cattle Egret, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron, 18 Shelducks, eight Gadwall, 27 Teal, 64 Shovelers and 82 Wigeon around the pool and fields.

Also, a Common Gull and half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were about, a Spotted Redshank and 23 Black-tailed Godwits were in Ferry Channel, a Raven and three Buzzards went over, as did two Sand Martins, whilst a Blackcap, three Chiffchaffs and two Cetti's Warblers were in the adjacent hedges. (JC/AH/AW)

Spotted Redshank (above), Black-tailed Godwits (AW), Cattle Egret & Avocets (AH) at the Ferry

Church Norton: There were three Wheatears on the beach this morning, moving steadily east along the spit, with a few Linnets and Skylarks in the vicinity, too, but a couple of half-heartedly singing Chiffchaffs were it for the hedges.

Two Slavonian Grebes were offshore again, along with a Sandwich Tern and a Red-breasted Merganser, with a pair of the latter in the harbour, along with c25 Wigeon and Teal, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits, two Ringed Plovers and just a few Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers, whilst at least 100 Mediterranean Gulls were among the burgeoning number of Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

Wheatears (above), Linnet, Red-breasted Mergansers & Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Windmill area - A Wheatear was along the beach this morning, along with a single Meadow Pipit, whilst offshore there were two Great Northern Divers and seven Red-breasted Mergansers. (AH)

Wheatear (above), Meadow Pipit & Great Northern Diver at Medmerry (AH)