29th March 2026

Sunday, 29th March: A cool and mostly grey morning in a light to moderate south-westerly breeze......

Selsey Bill: It was another slow morning, with a Slavonian Grebe and 15 Sanderlings going east the only things beyond the usual. Full log below. (SH/BI/IP/JA/AH)

(0630-0900hrs) (SW, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 1os

Slavonian Grebe - 1E

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 18W

Shag - 2E

Common Scoter - 4E, 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 6W, 7os

Oystercatcher - 4E, 4W

Sanderling - 15E

Turnstone - 16

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Common Gull - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W, 3os

Sandwich Tern - 7E, 3W

Chiffchaff - 1

Linnet - 1

Shag (above), Red-throated Diver & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was quieter around the pool and fields this morning, with two Avocets, four Lapwings and c50 Black-tailed Godwits the only waders present, together with a dozen Shelducks, eight Gadwall, c30 Wigeon and Teal and c50 Shovelers.

There were also a Blackcap and three Chiffchaffs around the Discovery Area. (AH)

Gadwall (above) & Black-tailed Godwits at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A Kingfisher was by the sluice and there were still c100 Teal in the harbour, but there were just eight Teal and three Pintail about, whilst out on the mud there were plenty of Redshank and more distant, a mixed group of c70 waders containing mostly Grey Plovers, with a handful of Dunlin, two Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

The three White-fronted Geese flew over the Breech Pool early on, but on the water, there was just a Great Crested Grebe, a Little Grebe, the pair of Mute Swans and four Teal, with the last remaining Brent Goose, two Canada Geese, two Little Egrets and four Curlews in the fields.

Three Buzzards and both male and female Marsh Harriers were about, and there was the usual activity from the Grey Herons, Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets around Owl Copse, also two Little Grebes were nest building on Owl Water and at Halsey’s Farm, two Avocets were along the Rife and and a few Skylarks were over the fields. (MJa/LP/CT/AWr)

There were also three Willow Warblers singing along Mill Lane, towards Halsey's Farm early this morning. (ML)

Skylark (above), Brent Goose & Avocets at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: The Wheatear was around the concrete blocks again this morning, and a Willow Warbler singing nearby, but the hedges were generally quiet.

A dozen Black-tailed Godwits were in the harbour, but there were few waders about on the rising tide, and just a dozen or so Wigeon and Teal and two dozen Shelducks, whilst up to 20 Sandwich Terns and 60 Mediterranean Gulls were among the Black-headed Gulls on and around the islands. (AH/AB)

Wheatear (above), Sandwich Tern, Black-tailed Godwits, Jay & Robin at Church Norton (AH)

Chichester GPs: Ivy Lake complex - The first Common Tern of the year was present this morning, along with an adult and a first-winter Little Gull and c20 Sand Martins.

There were also eight Chiffchaffs, four Cetti's Warblers, nine Egyptian Geese and 13 Pochard noted. (S&SaH/BI/AB)