25th April 2026

Saturday, 25th April: After a cold and grey start, an increasingly warm and sunny morning in a light to moderate breeze, north-easterly before shifting to the south-east.....

Selsey Bill: It was a lot quieter this morning, though a fair mix of species were recorded, including an Eider west and an Arctic Skua, 22 Whimbrel and 19 Bar-tailed Godwits east. Full log below. (JA/SH/PB/MRB/PM/BI/PA/JFi/IP/RHa/AH/NM et al)

(0515-0900hrs) (NE, F2-3)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 4os

diver sp - 2E

Fulmar - 1E

Gannet - 12E, 14W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 4E

Shelduck - 5W

Eider - 1W

Common Scoter - 94E, 13os

falcon sp - 1N

Oystercatcher - 16E, 1W

Sanderling - 3E

Whimbrel - 22E

Curlew - 1E

Bar-tailed Godwit - 19E

Arctic Skua - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 5E

Black-headed Gull - 29E

Common Gull - 7E

Great Black-backed Gull - 9E, 14os

Kittiwake - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 90E, 20os

Common Tern - 13E

'Commic' Tern - 96E

Little Tern - 3E, 1os

auk sp - 1W

Swallow - 4N

House Martin - 2

Yellow Wagtail - 1N

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Meadow Pipit - 1N

Wheatear - 4

Chaffinch - 1

Common Scoters (above) & Brent Geese at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A drake Garganey - the first seen anywhere other than the Bill this spring - was on the pool this morning, along with a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, three Little Ringed Plovers, 11 Avocets, a drake Wigeon, seven Gadwall, eight Shovelers and 16 Shelducks, whilst two Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank and three Whimbrel were in the channel opposite and a Red Kite went over the Discovery Area.. (MRB/PA/aH/GJa/GW et al)

Garganey (above), Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plovers & Spotted Redshank at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A male Cuckoos was displaying to a female along the wall this morning, with a Wheatear, two Yellowhammers, a Chiffchaff, four Lesser Whitethroats, five Whitethroats, four Blackcaps, five Reed Warblers, 12 Sedge Warblers, two Cettis Warblers, four Reed Buntings and four Swallows also noted, along with a singing Firecrest at Halsey's Farm and .two Song Thrushes, a Green Woodpecker, a Pied Wagtail, two Swallows and a Jay around the paddocks.

Also,, Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and three Whimbrel were in White's Creek, two Gadwall were in the Breech Pool, up to ten Cattle Egrets were on nests in Owl Copse and two Marsh Harriers, four Buzzards and three Kestrels went over. (DHo/S&SaH/GJa/LP/MJa/KU et al)

Cuckoos (above), Wheatear, Swallow, Yellowhammer (DHo), Common Sandpiper, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler & Jay (LP) at the North Wall

Mill Pond Marsh: A Cuckoo was present again this morning, along with two Gadwall, a Swift and a Lesser Whitethroat. (LL/CN)

Church Norton: There were at least 35 Little Terns in the harbour this morning, along with at least five Common Terns and 200 Sandwich Terns among the many Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls.

Also, two Bar-tailed Godwits, at least five Whimbrel and two Curlews and Turnstones were about, along with c25 Grey Plovers, a dozen Ringed Plovers and at least 40 Dunlin, but it was just the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap in the hedges. (AH)

Common Tern (above), Common and Little Terns & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Runcton: South of the village this morning, there were a Pair of Mute Swans with a nest, five Shelducks, 14 Mallard, a Shoveler, five Gadwall, three Teal, 12 Tufted Ducks, three Pochard, a Little Grebe, a Grey Heron, four Cattle Egrets, two Buzzards, a Kestrel, 16 Coots, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover, two Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, four Whitethroats, four Blackcaps, four Cetti’s Warblers three Chiffchaffs, a Reed Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, two Goldfinches and a male Reed Bunting. (CRJ)

Medmerry: Ham viewpoint - A Nightingale was reported as singing again near here this morning. (per GW)

Medmerry: Stilt Pool -- A male Ruff, just starting to get summer plumage, was on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with three Little Ringed Plovers, and a Yellow Wagtail went over. (AB)