4th July 2026

Saturday, 4th July: After a grey and surprisingly cool start, an increasingly warm morning of sunshine and white cloud in a moderate north-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: There were just the same eight species recorded again this morning as the mid-summer doldrums set in! Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0650-0805hrs) (NW, F4)

Gannet - 5W

Mediterranean Gull - 6W

Great Black-backed Gull - 3W

Sandwich Tern - 100os

Common Tern - 3os

Little Tern - 2os

Swift - 3

House Martin - 12

Common Tern (above), Little Tern, Sandwich Tern & Mediterranean Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The pair of Little Ringed Plovers still had all three fast-growing youngsters this morning, and the Shelducks still had five ducklings, but the Oystercatchers appeared to be down to one chick, with there still a dozen adult and 15 young Avocets present, too. (AH)

Little Ringed Plover chick and Avocet chick (above), Little Ringed Plovers & Oystercatcher chick at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The Barn Owl was out hunting at Halsey's Farm early this morning. (AD) At the Breech pool there was little on offer beyond six Black-tailed Godwits and a few Mallard, whilst a single Kestrel was over the fields nearby (OM)

Barn Owl at the North Wall (AD)

East side: A fairly unco-operative summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank was amongst a dozen or more Redshanks and other waders at the far end of White's Creek before being lost to view, but later it or another was seen again for a while (when its plumage seemed a little less intense, raising thoughts of it perhaps being a second bird). Other waders included at least three Whimbrel, c.10 Curlew, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 6+ Lapwings, a Knot and three Grey Plovers, whilst two Little Terns were fishing in the channel. (OM)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were again five Greenshanks on the Stilt Pool this morning, along with two Common Sandpipers, two Avocets, a Ringed Plover, four Lapwings and four Oystercatchers, plus a single chick.

Also up to four Common Terns came and went from the pool, with another dozen around the rafts, whilst half a dozen Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore and a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard went over.

The banks were fairly busy, with two Dartford Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, a Sedge Warbler, seven Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, c30 Whitethroats, three Stonechats, four Reed Buntings, c30 Yellowhammers, a dozen Skylarks and c50 Linnets seen, along with two Swifts and half a dozen Swallows over. (S&SaH)

Greenshanks (above), Common Tern, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat & Linnet at Medmerry (AH)