20th August 2026

Thursday, 20th August: After heavy overnight rain, a quite warm morning of sunshine, white cloud and the odd shower in a blustery westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: There were good numbers of Gannets again this morning, flying into the massive offshore feeding flock from the east and then slowly drifting off west, with a few Common and sandwich Terns going west, too. Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0650-0820hrs) (W, F5)

Gannet - 425W

Oystercatcher - 6W

Dunlin - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 500os

Common Gull - 2W, 1os

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2os

Great Black-backed Gull - 5os

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 20W

Common Tern - 29W

Swallow - 9W

House Martin - 3

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

Ferry Pool: There were just an Avocet on the pool and four Redshanks in the channel, with more interest in the vicinity in the form of a Glossy Ibis over the Visitor Centre mid-morning, three or Willow Warblers near the hide and two Cattle Egrets in the field south of the pool. (RP/AH)

Willow Warbler (above) & Cattle Egret at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A juvenile/female Redstart was showing well behind the hide this morning, a Spotted Flycatcher was in the bushes around the horse field and a couple of Willow Warblers were around the churchyard, but, otherwise the hedges were very quiet.

Also, a Green sandpiper flew over the Severals, an immature Marsh Harrier was hunting over the harbour and a few Swallows flew through, but two or three Whimbrel, half a dozen juvenile Shelducks and the usual Curlews, Redshanks and Oystercatchers was it for the harbour. (CRJ/KB/AH/KT/EB et al)

Redstart (CRJ top, AH lower) (above), Whimbrel (AH) & an abandoned yacht on the beach (CRJ) at Church Norton

North Wall: Two Willow Warblers and two Jays were down the lane by the stables, but elsewhere it was very quiet, with just a Spotted Redshank and a few Redshanks along White’s Creek, and nothing on the Breech Pool or along the wall.

At Halsey’s Farm, two Kingfishers were along the rife and six Teal, a Little Grebe, a Lapwing, two Black-tailed Godwits and two Snipe were on the mud, while a few Reed and Sedge Warblers were in the reeds, and a Sparrowhawk, four Buzzards and a Kestrel passed overhead. (LP/SP/KU)