20th May 2026

Wednesday, 20th May: Another very blustery morning, fairly mild, with a mix of sunshine and fast-moving cloud in the fresh south-westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A Storm Petrel was lingering offshore for a short while early this morning, and there were a few more Great Northern Divers about than of late. Full log below. (PA/SH/AW/PB/AH)

(0530-0900hrs) (SW, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 1E, 3W, 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 1E, 1W

Storm Petrel - 1W (0605-0615hrs)

Gannet - 4E, 57W

Shag - 1E

Common Scoter - 19E

Oystercatcher - 2E

Sanderling - 4W

Mediterranean Gull -

Great Black-backed Gull - 3W, 5os

Kittiwake - 4W

Sandwich Tern - 120os

Common Tern - 5os

Little Tern - 18os

Guillemot - 3W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 1W

Swift - 2

Swallow - 3

House Martin - 6

Great Northern Diver (above), Fulmar, Kittiwake, Little Terns (AW), Common Tern, Sanderlings & House Martin (AH) at the Bill

Ferry Pool: A Little Ringed Plover, two Redshanks, 39 Avocets and c40 Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool this morning, with another c25 of the latter in the channel, along with a Greenshank, whilst wildfowl on the pool comprised a pair of Shovelers, three Gadwall, six Shelducks and c20 Mallard. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover (above), Greenshank & Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Three Spotted Flycatchers were behind the hide this morning, and a Wheatear was on the concrete blocks, though otherwise it was just the usual odd Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat present.

There was no sign of any Roseate Terns this morning, though 100+ Sandwich Terns, c20 Little Terns and three or four Common Terns were on the mud, along with just a few Ringed Plovers and a Black-tailed Godwit. 

(S Wilson/AH/PB/NR/TG-P/HR/DMe et al)

Spotted Flycatchers (above), Wheatear & Common Tern at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: It was very windy along the wall this morning, and predictably there wasn’t much to see, although three Marsh Harriers were over the reeds, and two Swifts were higher up, whilst along the bushes there was a Cuckoo and a few Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers, and Reed Buntings, with a Lesser Whitethroat calling at Owl Copse..

The regular Swallows were around the stables, and a Green Woodpecker flew through, but out in the harbour there was just a Curlew and a Whimbrel out on the mud. (LP/KU/CT/SP/MJa/DHo)

Cuckoo (above), Swallow & Sedge Warbler at the North Wall (LP)