7th March 2026

Saturday, 7th March: A cool and grey morning, though more hazy than misty, in just a light south-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There were two more Bill scarcities seen this morning, with both a Red Kite and a Raven going east, whilst a Blackcap, a Goldcrest and four Chiffchaffs in the gardens suggested migration, but nothing was moving offshore, though a Black-throated and half a dozen Great Northern Divers were on the sea. Full log below. (SH/JA/BI/IP/P&LH)

(0630-0900hrs) (SE, F3)

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Black-throated Diver - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2os

Gannet - 1W

Shag - 7E

Common Scoter - 1E

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 6os

Red Kite - 1E

Oystercatcher - 3E, 10W

Turnstone - 1E, 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - 2E, 4os

Sandwich Tern - 15os

Meadow Pipit - 3N

Pied Wagtail - 4N

Blackcap - 1

Chiffchaff - 4

Goldcrest - 1

Raven - 1E

Sandwich Terns (above) & Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was back on the roadside pool this morning, along with two Redshanks, whilst two Avocets and two Lapwings wee on the main pool, with most of the wildfowl - c80 Shovelers, c50 Teal, c100 Wigeon, four Gadwall and 11 Shelducks - were on the floods behind. 

Also, a Red Kite went over the road, just to the south of the Ferry. (AH)

Green Sandpiper at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: A Cetti's Warbler was singing in Park Lane this morning, whilst around the farm and. the very wet fields were eight Brent Geese, 11 Curlews, 11 Shelducks, an Oystercatcher, two Linnets, two Pied Wagtails and c40 Meadow Pipits, but sadly no Skylarks.

Also, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were in the treeline that separates Park Farm from Greenlease. (IP)

Later on, a flock of c200 Golden Plovers went over the Wave roundabout, nearby. (P&LH)

Church Norton: There were still at least 500 Brent Geese about, mainly on the mud off the North Wall, but there was little else to report, with wildfowl and wader numbers much reduced, with a lone Bar-tailed Godwit starting to moult into summer plumage being the highlight, along a Black-tailed Godwit, with two Knot, a dozen Dunlin, a similar number of Ringed Plovers, 20 Grey Plovers, a flock of nine Turnstones that flew in and the usual Curlews, Redshank and Oystercatchers, plus just a few Wigeon, Teal and Shelducks..

There were a Firecrest, at least two Goldcrests and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits in Bluebell Wood, whilst Cetti's Warblers were everywhere around the Severals, with a Reed Bunting and a Sparrowhawk in the vicinity, too, but not much else beyond two or three Linnets and Skylarks along the beach and a Sandwich Tern offshore. (IP/P&LH)

North Wall: A Stonechat, a Grey Wagtail, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Goldcrest were around the paddocks this morning and three Marsh Harriers were over the reeds, whilst a flock of c80 Linnets were in the trees around the Slipe Field.

A Spotted Redshank, two Great Crested Grebes, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 18 Dunlin, and a couple of Grey Plovers were along White’s Creek, and two Tufted Ducks were on the Breech Pool, and in the flooded fields there were four Gadwall, 22 Shovelers, 41 Brent Geese and a Pintail.

At Owl Copse, a Bullfinch was calling from the far end, and 38 Cattle Egrets were in the trees with the usual Grey Herons, whilst at Halsey’s Farm a Kingfisher was by the outfall, a Sparrowhawk flew through and c30 Meadow Pipits, six Skylarks, two Long-tailed Tits, two Chiffchaffs, a Reed Bunting and six Linnets were around the fields. (MJa/LP et al)

Kingfisher (above), Great Crested Grebe, Stonechat & Linnets at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Wilson's Farm - There were still c40 Yellowhammers in the cover crop field, along with a Corn Bunting, half a dozen Chaffinches and c20 Linnets and Skylarks, with a few more of the latter, a couple of Reed Buntings and half a dozen Meadow Pipits along the bank, but beyond a Raven and a noisy pair of Buzzards there was really nothing else to report. (AH)

Yellowhammers (above), Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Raven & Skylark at Medmerry (AH)