17th May 2026

Sunday, 17th May: Another bright and breezy morning, slowly warming up as the day progressed, but the breeze remained fresh and from the south-west........

Selsey Bill: Another quiet morning, though 37 Common Scoters and three annoyingly unassignable grey geese went east and 16 Little Terns were feeding off Hillfield Road. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH/JA)

(0600-0815hrs) (SW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1E

Gannet - 2E, 14W

grey goose sp - 3E

Common Scoter - 37E, 2W

Oystercatcher - 2W

Dunlin - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 3W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1os

Great Black-backed Gull - 4os

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 134os

Common Tern - 6os

Little Tern - 16os

Pied Wagtail - 1

Linnet - 1

Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover and a pair of Shovelers were at the back this morning, but otherwise there were 38 Avocets, 62 Black-tailed Godwits, three Redshanks, four Gadwall, eight Shelducks and c30 Mallard spread between the pool and the channel opposite, plus the Sedge Warbler singing again from the Small Pool.. (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: :At least 20 House Martins were present this morning, with many collecting mud from close to the barn, but only three Swifts and two Swallows were accompanying them, whilst, also, a pair of Stock Doves were feeding in the fields. (IP)

Church Norton: At least 250 Sandwich and over 50 Little Terns, but only two Common Terns, were seen, along with large numbers of Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls on Tern Island.

A female Marsh Harrier drifted into the harbour from the sea attracting the attention of the local crows, whilst wader variety was evident, but not numerous, including 29 Dunlin, ten Grey Plovers, three Whimbrel, two Turnstones, a Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Curlew, two Redshanks and numerous Oystercatchers, plus six Knot and five Dunlin that flew west close offshore.

The most interesting bird was probably the Lesser Whitethroat that appeared to come in off the sea (possibly from the beach) diving into the first small bramble it could find, then moving to a larger area of undergrowth.

Also, two pairs of Tufted Duck and a pair of Shelducks were on the second Several, with at least three male Reed Buntings in the area, plus the usual Reed, Cetti's and Sedge Warblers, with several Blackcaps singing from Bluebell Wood, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker a Buzzard and a Jay also seen (IP).

North Wall: There was a lot of Cuckoo activity along the wall this morning, with at least four different birds seen and heard, from the paddock down to Halsey’s Farm. where there was also an adult and a juvenile Mistle Thrush and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the trees, and two Chaffinches, a Skylark 13 Cattle Egrets, and two Buzzards and 18 Cattle Egrets around the fields.

A pair of Teal were on the Breech Pool, as well as two Tufted Ducks, the Mute Swan family, and the nesting Great Crested Grebes, whilst a Little Grebe was on its nest along Owl Water, a Kingfisher was seen carrying a fish off across the fields towards Marsh Farm, and the Marsh Harriers were very active over the reeds, with the male seen continually carrying sticks to the nest site.

Also seen this morning were 12 Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, a Blackcap, two Chiffchaffs, three Reed Buntings, three Swallows, and five more Buzzards.(LP/MRi/DHi/MJa/S&SaH)

East side: There was very little to report from the side of the harbour on the rising tide, with most waders right over on the far side, though at least a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plovers, c20 Turnstones, c50 Ringed Plovers and a few Dunlin were noted.

There were at least 40 Little Terns up towards the harbour mouth, among many Sandwich Terns, but c30 Great Black-backed Gulls and six Common Seals was about all there was, otherwise. (AH/LP/MRi/DHi)