29th - 30th August 2026

Sunday, 30th August: A fairly mild morning of sun sun and lots of fast-moving grey cloud in a fresh and blustery westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A Puffin went west early this morning, as did five Black-tailed Godwits, two Black Terns went east and there were plenty of Gannets, Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns about, along with a Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit and a couple of Wheatears and Willow Warblers. Full log below. (SH/BI/PB/MRB/AGB/JBo/IP/AH/P&LH)

(0600-0830hrs) (WSW, F4-5)

Gannet - 4E, 83W

Common scoter - 3E

Kestrel - 1

Oystercatcher - 4E, 1W

Black-tailed Godwit - 5W

Turnstone - 23

Mediterranean Gull - 23E, 90W

Great Black-backed Gull - 28os

Sandwich Tern - 47E, 86W

Common Tern - 5W

Black Tern - 2E

Puffin - 1W

Swallow - 8W

House Martin - 4

Yellow Wagtail - 1

Tree Pipit - 1

Wheatear - 2

Willow Warbler - 2

Sandwich Terns (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

(1245-1630hrs) (P&LH/SH)

Gannet - 1E, 48W, 8os

Shag - 1W

Sparrowhawk -  1

Oystercatcher - 1W

Sanderling - 1

Dunlin - 6W

Turnstone - 42

Mediterranean Gull - 47W, 100os

Great Black-backed Gull - 5os

Kittiwake - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 8E, 37W, 20os

Common Tern - 41W

Swallow - 6W

House Martin - 1

Wheatear - 1

Sanderling (above), Gannets & feeding flock at the Bill (LH)

Ferry Pool: A juvenile Shelduck was the only bird on the pool this morning, with just a Whimbrel and a handful of Redshanks and Teal in the channel opposite and absolutely nothing to report around the Tramway.. (AH/PB/MRB)

Whimbrel at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were a few migrants about this morning, including three Whinchats, two Redstarts, a Sedge Warbler, two Whitethroats and up to three Wheatears around the horse field area, a Spotted Flycatcher and four Wheatears along Rectory Lane and another Spotted Flycatcher, and a couple of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff in the churchyard, plus two Swifts, a dozen Sand Martins and c70 Swallows seen over the harbour.

The harbour was fairly quiet, though there were two Greenshanks, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a handful of Whimbrel, eight Grey Plovers, ten Dunlin and c30 Ringed Plovers among the usual Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers. (PB/MRB/AGB/JBo/IP/AH/BI/P&LH et al)

This  evening, two Little Terns flew over the harbour, though there were only half a dozen Sandwich Terns about, along with a Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, two or three Whimbrel and a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, with a juvenile Kittiwake and three Gannets going west offshore.

Also, a Willow Warbler was among a mobile tit flock behind the hide, a Whinchat was still in the horse field, two or three Wheatears were along the spit and c20 Sand Martins went over. (AWi/AH)

Whinchats (above), Wheatear, Blackcap (AH), Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatears & Bar-tailed Godwit (LH) at Church Norton 

North Wall: Two Spotted Redshanks were along White’s Creek and a Kingfisher was by the sluice, whilst a Wheatear was along the wall and a few Sedge Warblers were in the reeds.
At Halsey’s Farm, two Redstarts were along the hedges as well as six Whitethroats, and three Whinchats were around the fields, while c70 swallows passed overhead. (LP/MJa/EB/SBr)

This evening three Little ringed Plovers dropped in briefly on the Breech Pool and a steady movement of Yellow wagtails and Sand Martins went over. (CS)

Redstarts (above), Whinchats, Wheatear, Sedge Warbler & Spotted Redshanks at the North Wall (LP)

East Side: There wasn’t too much along the East Side on the rising tide, although 14 Wigeon, 11 Pintail and four Teal were asleep on the mud, and a few Dunlin, Ringed Plovers and a couple of Whimbrel were also about. (LP)

Whimbrel (above) & Wigeon and Pintail along the East side (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - A Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were on the Stilt Pool this morning, whilst the banks held a Whinchat, a Stonechat, seven Yellowhammers, three Meadow Pipit, a Pied Wagtail and c30 Yellowhammers, plus six Swallows, eight Sand Martins, a Peregrine, a Kestrel and a Buzzard over. (SH)

Saturday, 29th August: At long long last, a morning of persistent heavy rain in a fresh southerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: A Little Gull, 111 Gannets and 469 Mediterranean Gulls went west, but it was fairly slow in the poor conditions. Full log below. (JA/SH/BI/IP/AH)

(0605-0805hrs) (SSW, F5)

Great Crested Grebe - 1E

Gannet - 6E, 111W

Oystercatcher - 4E, 1W

Turnstone - 27

Little Gull - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 4E, 469W

Black-headed Gull - 120W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 10os

Sandwich Tern - 1E, 2W, 7os

Common Tern - 3W

Swallow - 13W, 5S

Sand Martin - 10W

House Martin - 3

 

Gannet (above), Mediterranean Gull & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

A Balearic Shearwater went west at 1230hrs and four Black Terns, 31 Common, Terns and 243 Sandwich Terns, plus a Bar-tailed Godwit and the first returning Guillemot went west this afternoon, too. Full log below. (SH/AH/JA)

(1215-1800hrs)
Balearic Shearwater - 1W (1230hrs)
Gannet - 15E, 216W, 30os

Oystercatcher - 2W
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1W
Turnstone - 13
Mediterranean Gull - 116W

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3W
Great Black-backed Gull - 2W
Kittiwake - 2E
Sandwich Tern - 8E, 243W
Common Tern - 31W
Black Tern - 4W

Guillemot - 1W
Swallow - 21W
Sand Martin - 36W

Sandwich Terns (above), Common Terns & Gannet at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There was nothing on the pool this morning, though a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, two Black-tailed Godwits, two Lapwings, six Redshanks, a juvenile Shelduck and eight Teal were in the channel opposite. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper & Lapwing at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There was not  a lot to report this morning, with nothing ion the hedges and just a couple of Whimbrel, ten Curlews, c20 Ringed Plovers and c40 Dunlin and Oystercatchers out on the mud. (AH)

Whimbrels at Church Norton (AH)

The stormy weather pushed a few terns into the harbour this evening, with a Roseate Tern and two Black Terns among the roosting flock of c75 sandwich Terns, ten Common Terns, c100 Mediterranean Gulls and c200 Black-headed Gulls. 

There were also at least five Whimbrel, half a dozen Grey Plovers and 50+ Ringed Plovers and  Dunlin about, too, with c100 Sand Martins and c50 Swallows feeding low over the mud. (AH/AB)

Roseate Tern (above), Black Tern & Sandwich Terns and Common Tern at Church Norton (AH)