26th August 2026

Wednesday, 26th August: A very warm and muggy morning under mainly grey skies and in just a light north-easterly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A pretty quiet morning, with the big gull flock having mostly moved off east, though a few Common and Sandwich Terns, a Kittiwake and a few hirundines were about. Full log below. (AH)

(0650-0805hrs) (NE, F2-3)

Gannet - 3E, 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 250os

Kittiwake - 1E

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 2W

Common Tern - 1E, 6W

Swallow - 8E

Sand Martin - 7E

House Martin - 11E

Common Tern at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The juvenile Ruff was on the remnants of the pool early this morning, along with a Redshank and a juvenile Shelduck, whilst in the channel opposite there were a Common Sandpiper, three Curlews, c60 Redshanks and eight Teal, plus a Kingfisher. (AH)

Ruff at the ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: There was a good selection of warblers along Mill Lane this morning, including four Lesser Whitethroats, a Sedge Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, two Willow Warblers and half a dozen Whitethroats and Blackcaps. (AH)

Cetti's Warbler (above), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat & Blackcap at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

Church Norton: A juvenile Osprey was hunting the harbour at high tide this morning, whilst an incredible 138 Yellow Wagtail with 118 counted on the deck, along with a a Golden Plover, in the fields along Rectory Lane at dawn, and four Wheatears, three Spotted Flycatchers, a Garden Warbler, 15 Blackcaps, 12 Whitethroats, three Willow Warblers were around the Severals area later on.

Also, a Green Sandpiper flew over Greenlease Farm, whilst out on the mud there was the autumn's first juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, the juvenile Little Stint again, 12 Knot, and three Greenshanks, a Bar-tailed Godwit, the first pair of returning Wigeon, three Pintail and six Teal were in the harbour. (PA)

Osprey (above), Golden Plover, Yellow Wagtail & Pintails at Church Norton (PA)

North Wall: The Osprey was seen over the harbour from the wall, too, whilst the bushes held a mix of migrants, including a dozen Whitethroats, three or four Lesser Whitethroats, Reed, Sedge and Willow Warblers, along with two Wheatears in the Owl Point field and c50 Swallows over.

There were also a couple of Kingfishers about, a Snipe and a Lapwing in Bremere Rife, along with half a dozen Cattle Egrets, and 16 Little Egrets and ten Grey Herons were in the harbour. (LP/CT/MJa/AH/KU et al)

Osprey (above), Wheatear, Swallow, Snipe, Cattle Egrets & Little Egrets at the North Wall (AH)