15th - 16th July 2026

Thursday, 16th July: The weather is pretty unchanging at present, with another very warm and sunny morning just moderated by the fresh north-easterly breeze........

Selsey Bill: Apart from a big flock of Mediterranean Gulls on the bar, it was just the usual mix this morning. Full log below. (AH)

(0700-0800hrs) (NE, F5-6)

Gannet - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 6W, 75os

Great Black-backed Gull - 6os

Sandwich Tern - 30os

Little Tern - 6os

Swift - 4

Swallow - 8E

House Martin - 15

Little Tern (above), Sandwich Tern & House Martin at Selsey Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just the Shelduck family, a juvenile Oystercatcher and the six adult and five young Avocets on the pool this morning, whilst four Cattle Egrets were in the fields. (AH)

Shelduck family (above), Oystercatcher & Cattle Egrets at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: A Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers and a Black-tailed Godwit were on the flooded field this morning, along with a Teal and an adult and two young Little Grebes, plus a couple of Reed Warblers in the reeds and four Swallows over. (AH)

Green Sandpiper (above), Common Sandpiper & Little Grebe chick at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

East side: In White’s Creek this morning there were two Spotted Redshanks and 39 loafing adult Mediterranean Gulls, whilst along the East side there were three Great Crested Grebes, another 100 Mediterranean Gulls, a few Great Black-backed Gulls, c50 Herring Gulls, nine Black-tailed Godwits and a single Bar-tailed Godwit, with six Goldfinches and a Greenfinch in the bushes. (CRJ)

North Wall: An adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the harbour, a Kingfisher, two Spotted Redshank and two Common Sandpipers were in White's Creek and five Little Terns were in the channel this morning, along with c60 Grey Plovers, a Whimbrel, 15 Curlews, c50 Redshanks and 22 Black-tailed Godwits.

Also, a Yellow Wagtail went over the wall, but a handful of Reed Buntings, a couple of Chiffchaffs and Linnets and a Reed Warbler, was about it, otherwise beyond ten or so Swallows and Sand Martins over and seven Cattle Egrets in Owl Copse.. (AWi/LP/SP/CRJ/MJa)

Spotted Redshank (above), Common Sandpiper & Kingfisher at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: There was a continuous arrival of (mainly) adult Mediterranean Gulls coming into the harbour from the west, producing a cautious estimate of at least 800 birds present by mid-morning, along with the usual Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls in reduced numbers and a handful of Little Terns.

Otherwise, there were just a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and a few Curlews about, with a couple of Skylarks and half a dozen Linnets along the front and a couple of Swallows over. (AH)

Sandwich Tern (above) & Mediterranean Gulls at Church Norton (AH)

Later, a look along the west side produced a Whimbrel, several Redshanks, Curlews and Lapwings, plus a Meadow Pipit. (EB)

Whimbrel (above), Lapwing, Redshank & Meadow Pipit at Church Norton (EB)

This evening there were up to a dozen juvenile Mediterranean Gulls and the first Common Gull since May among the vast numbers of birds on the mud, with at least ten Little Terns still about, along with c30 Black-tailed Godwits. (AH)

Mediterranean Gulls (above) Common Gull and Sandwich Terns & Black-tailed Godwits at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were five Common Sandpipers, four Greenshanks, a Redshank,, a Black-tailed Godwit, one young and six adult Oystercatchers and four Lapwings on the Stilt Pool this morning, with two more Common Sandpipers, a Whimbrel, two Curlews, five more Lapwings, c25 Common Terns and c20 Mediterranean Gulls on the reserve, plus three Little Terns offshore and a House Martin, c30 Sand Martins and Swallows, a Buzzard and two Kestrels over.

Also, seen from the banks were a Yellow Wagtail, five Meadow Pipits, two Chiffchaffs, two Reed Warblers, c20 Whitethroats, two Stonechats, four Greenfinches, c20 Yellowhammers and c50 Goldfinches. (S&SaH)

Wednesday, 15th July: The north-easterly breeze dropped overnight, but quickly picked up again this morning, and it continues very warm and sunny....

Selsey Bill: At least 25 Little Terns, of which ten were juveniles, were feeding off Hillfield Road this morning, though it was otherwise predictably slow. Full log below. (AH)

(0700-0815hrs) (NE, F5-6)

Gannet - 4os

Mediterranean Gull - 2E

Sandwich Tern - 40os

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 25os (inc 10 juvs)

Swift - 6

Swallow - 7E

House Martin - 12

juvenile Little Terns (above), Little Terns, Little Tern and Common Tern & Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: An adult and three juvenile Little Ringed Plovers were at the front this morning, with the Shelduck family, the Oystercatcher family and six adult and five young Avocets present, too. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above) & Avocet and Shelduck family at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: A quick look produced two Spotted Redshanks and three Black-tailed Godwits on the Breech Pool, a Common Sandpiper near the sluice and the first Marsh Harrier in quite a while going over. (AH/LP/SP et al)

Spotted Redshanks (above) & Black-tailed Godwit at the North Wall (AH)

East side: There weren't too many waders about this morning, with just a Whimbrel, four Curlews, six Lapwings, c30 Black-tailed Godwits and c40 Redshanks spread along White's Creek and the channel, whilst further down, a large loafing flock of gulls contained c150 Mediterranean Gulls, including one juvenile, c30 Great Black-backed Gulls and c200 Herring and Black-headed Gulls.

Also, at least a dozen Little Terns were feeding in the harbour and a handful of Sand Martins and Swallows went over. (AH)

Whimbrel (above), Little Tern & Mediterranean Gull along the East side (AH)