20th - 21st July 2026

Tuesday, 21st July: The north-easterly breeze eased a little overnight and it became increasingly cloudy through the morning, leaving it very warm and muggy...........

Selsey Bill: There were a few Swifts and huirundines about this morning, but the most notable thing offshore was a pod of ten or so Bottle-nosed Dolphins heading east. Full log below. (AH/IP/P&LH)

(0655-0825hrs) (NE, F3)

Gannet - 2W

Common Scoter - 2E, 3W

Oystercatcher - 2E, 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 3E, 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1os

Sandwich Tern - 30os

Common Tern - 1os

Swift - 25

Swallow - 3E

Sand Martin - 8E

House Martin - 25

Linnet - 6E

Bottle-nosed Dolphin - 10E

Sandwich Tern (above), Mediterranean Gull & House Martins at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Oystercatcher family and the Shelduck family were still present this morning, along with five adult and three young Avocets and a lo0ne Lapwing, plus a couple of Cattle Egrets with the cows.

There were also a Greenshank, a couple of Avocets and half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks in the channel opposite. (AH/P&LH et al)

Lapwing (above), Shelduck family (AH), Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit & Avocet (LH) at the Ferry

Mill Pond Marsh: A Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were present again today, along with seven Black-tailed Godwits, four juvenile Little Grebes, a Teal and two Gadwall, with a Reed Warbler and up to seven Whitethroats along the front and a Grey Heron at the top of the trees at the back. (P&LH)

Grey Heron at Mill Pond Marsh (LH)

All the birds on the flooded field were still present this evening, too. (AH)

Green Sandpiper on Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: There were just c50 Sandwich Terns and c100 Mediterranean Gulls in the harbour this morning, along one Little Tern, two Common Terns, with three Whimbrel, ten Curlews and 15 Black-tailed Godwits, with a Cetti's Warbler and eight Linnets along the front and two Swallows and four Sand Martins over. (P&LH)

North Wall: There were four Spotted Redshanks on the Breech Pool early on, before they all flew out into the harbour and the usual mix of Redshanks, Lapwings, Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews were along White’s Creek, whilst further out on the mud there were two Greenshanks, a Whimbrel, eight Dunlin and half a dozen Knot and Grey Plovers. .
Two Sedge Warblers, a few Reed Warblers and Whitethroats and four Linnets were along the wall, two Pied Wagtails were by the sluice and a few Swallows and sand Martins went over, whilst the young Cattle Egrets were exploring around their nest in Owl Copse, and ten more were in the harbour and a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a Buzzard went over. (LP/AH/AT et al)).

Spotted Redshanks (above), Cattle Egrets, Linnet & Pied Wagtail at the North Wall (LP)

Monday, 20th July: After a cool start, another warm and sunny day in the moderate to fresh north-easterly breeze...

Selsey Bill: The first returning Willow Warbler and a Turnstone were the highlight of another slow morning. Full log below. (IP/AH)

(0705-0805hrs) (NE, F4)

Gannet - 2W

Turnstone - 1

Mediterranean Gull - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 20os

Little Tern - 1os

Swift - 10

House Martin - 10

Willow Warbler - 1

Turnstone (above), Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: It was just the usuals on the pool this morning, namely an adult and three juvenile Little ringed Plovers, the pair of shelducks and five growing ducklings, the pair of Oystercatchers and two juveniles and five adult and four young Avocets.

A look round the Tramway found a couple of Blackcaps and Whitethroats, but not too much else, though a couple of Whimbrel and a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks were in the adjacent harbour. (AH)

Little Ringed Plovers (above), Shelduck family, Blackcap & Whitethroat at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: There were two Green Sandpipers present this morning, though only one Common Sandpiper, along with nine Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Teal, whilst a couple of Sedge and Reed Warblers were at the front and a handful of Swallows went over. (AH/PA)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Sedge Warbler and Wood Pigeon at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: Two Lesser Whitethroats were in the churchyard and two Ravens went over together, but there was nothing else on the land-side, whilst in the harbour there were still c200 Sandwich Terns and similar of Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls, though Tern Island was completely deserted.

There were a few waders further down the harbour, including four Whimbrel, eight Curlews, c25 Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits and c200 small waders that were, presumably, Dunlin. (AH)

Later on, a Common Sandpiper and four Common Terns were among the birds in the harbour. (PA)

Lesser Whitethroat (above), Raven, Whimbrels & Sandwich Terns at Church Norton (AH)

East side: A summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was among a good selection of waders this morning, including 34 Knot, 161 Dunlin, c30 Grey Plovers, a Snipe, two Common Sandpipers, six Bar-tailed Godwits, six Whimbrel, eight Ringed Plovers and four Turnstones.

There were also six adult and four juvenile Little Terns around the spit, an unexpected Pochard flew along the side of the harbour and c60 Sand Martins and six Swallows went over..(PA)

Little Tern (above), Knot & Pochard along the East side (PA)

North Wall: In Whites Creek this morning there were four Greenshanks, four Spotted Redshanks, six Black tailed Godwits and four Redshanks, plus the six Mute Swan cygnets, whilst also a Peregrine went over.

Behind the sluice gates there was quite a bit of Reed Warbler activity., but in the ever-decreasing Breech Pool there was just a Lapwing, a Black-tailed Godwit, three Little Ringed Plovers and there was still just enough water for a Grey Heron to catch two small fish.

Along the wall it was fairly quiet, apart from a mixed flock of eight Long-tailed Tits and ten juvenile Blue Tits, whilst in Owl Copse the three Cattle Egret chicks were moving around the nest area and stretching out their wings, with 14 more fling into the area, whilst at Halsey's Farm the Water Rail showed briefly, 12 Swallows went through, a Kingfisher came in from the harbour and three Buzzards were further back. (GHi/LP/BFF/MJa/PA et al)

Water Rail (above), Cattle Egrets, Grey Heron, Long-tailed Tit & Blue Tit at the North Wall (GHi)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - This evening two Arctic Skuas were offshore from the Stilt Pool, chasing terns, whilst on the pool itself there were a Green Sandpiper, three Common Sandpipers, three Greenshanks, three Lapwings, four Redshanks and six adult and two young Oystercatchers, with a Whimbrel on the reseve and ten Common Terns around the rafts.

The banks were quiet, with just a Dartford Warbler, two Whitethroats and 11 Yellowhammers noted, but it was busy overhead, with a Hobby, a Kestrel, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, c30 Swallows and c70 Sand Martins seen. (SH)