7th - 8th August 2026

Saturday, 8th August: Another very warm and sunny morning after a cool start, with the breeze moderate and from the south-east.......

Selsey Bill: Yet another very slow morning! Full log below. (AH/IP)

(0650-0805hrs) (SE, F3-4)

Gannet - 2E

Turnstone - 15

Mediterranean Gull - 25os

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W

Sandwich Tern - 2W

Swift - 1

House Martin - 3

Linnet - 1

Sandwich Tern (above), Turnstone & Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Two Common Sandpipers and a Pied Wagtail were on the shingle islands this morning, but, otherwise there were just an adult and a juvenile Avocet and c20 Black-headed Gulls. 

It was quiet again around the Tramway, with just a handful of Whitethroats and a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker noted.(AH)

Common Sandpipers (above) & Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: Two juvenile Willow Warblers were in the hedges early this morning, whilst a Kingfisher was on the Mill Pond and a Coal Tit was in the garden. (M&LL)

North Wall: There was a bit of activity in the bushes behind the sluice this morning, with a Willow Warbler, two Sedge Warblers, six Reed Warblers and four Whitethroats, whilst out in the harbour c50 Swallows were over the water and three Great Crested Grebes, eight Black-tailed Godwits, four Greenshanks, c20 Dunlin, 12 Ringed Plovers, a Grey Plover and c120 Redshanks were along White’s Creek.

It was quiet along the wall although two juvenile Shelducks and six Gadwall flew over and two Sparrowhawks were over Owl Copse, whilst at Halsey’s Farm a Garden Warbler, two lesser Whitethroats, a Blackcap and multiple Whitethroats were along the hedgerows and five Buzzards were circling high overhead.

A few butterflies were also about with three Clouded Yellows, a Small Heath and a Comma being the highlights. (LP/SP/IP/MJa)

Great Crested Grebe (above) & Clouded Yellow at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: A few waders were in the harbour late this afternoon, including a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, ten Whimbrel, two Dunlin and 25 Ringed Plovers. (AH)

Greenshank (above), Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel & Dunlin and Ringed Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

East Head: A Swallowtail butterfly was reported from the  dunes this afternoon. (per AB)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There was quite a lot of activity early on, though it was quieter later, most notably a gathering of c1000 Sand Martins over the reservoirs opposite the poplars, with 200 more over the Stilt Pool, though only 20 Swallows were seen.

Also of note, three Marsh Harriers - possibly a female and two juveniles - were up together, with a Sparrowhawk and two Kestrels also about, whilst there were still c40 Common Terns present, too, and the Stilt Pool held three Greenshanks, four Common Sandpipers, two Dunlin, ten Lapwings, eight Redshanks and four Oystercatchers, with a Whimbrel on the reserve.

Along the banks there were nine Yellow Wagtails, a Pied Wagtail, two Meadow Pipits, nine Stonechats, a Lesser Whitethroat, c20 Whitethroats, two Dartford Warblers, three Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, four Reed Buntings and nine Yellowhammers. (SH/PB/AH)

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

Friday, 7th August: After a cool and faintly autumnal start, another very warm and sunny morning in a light to moderate north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: It was another quiet morning, though 18 Turnstones were on the beach. Full log below. (AH/IP/P&LH)

(0650-0820hrs) (NW, F3)

Common Scoter - 4W

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 18

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W, 3os

Sandwich Tern - 3E, 8W

Swift - 2

Green Woodpecker - 1

Sand Martin - 2

House Martin - 16

Pied Wagtail - 3

Goldfinch - 25

Sandwich Tern (above), Turnstone & House Martin at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were just two adult and three juvenile Avocets, a juvenile Oystercatcher and a Lapwing on the pool this morning. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Later, a Snipe, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, three Lapwings, four Oystercatchers and c20 Redshanks were in Ferry Channel and five Cattle Egrets were roosting in the harbour, whilst a Kingfisher, a Song Thrush and nine Swallows were around Red Barn Ditch. (P&LH)

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Mill Pond Marsh: There were just two Lapwings and six Moorhens on the flooded field this morning, with a Willow Warbler, a couple of Reed Warblers and half a dozen Whitethroats in the bushes and ten Swallows and a Sparrowhawk over. (AH)

A look around Sidlesham Quay early this morning found a Spotted Flycatcher and a Garden Warbler in a mixed flock by the stone wall towards Owl Point. (BI)

Sparrowhawk (above), Lapwings & Whitethroat at Mill Pond Marsh (AH)

North Wall: Two Common Sandpipers and a Snipe were in White’s Creek first thing this morning, with a Greenshank further out in the harbour, whilst two Whimbrel were in the channel towards Halsey’s Farm, along with several Curlews, of which three were tagged. 

A Grey Wagtail was in the paddocks, 12 Swallows were around the stables and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker and a Jay were in the surrounding trees, whilst a few Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats and Linnets were along the bushes and a Kingfisher flew through but it was generally quiet along the wall.

At Owl Copse four Sparrowhawks were high over the trees and the three young Cattle Egrets were still on their nest, whilst at Halsey’s Farm there was just a Lapwing on the mud and 58 Cattle Egrets were split between the harbour and the rife. (JC/LP/SP/MJa/MaJ/EB/JDW/CT/TS/S&SaH et al)

Reed Warbler (above), Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Cattle Egrets (LP) & Wasp Spider (SaH) at the North Wall

East side: A Wheatear was along the East Side this morning and a few Willow Warblers were in the tamarisk, whilst out in the harbour there was a good number of waders including c100 Dunlin, 24 Ringed plovers, four Grey Plovers, four Greenshank, c150 Redshanks, a Whimbrel and a few Curlews, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits. (LP/SP et al)

Wheatear (above), Greenshank & Ringed Plover along the East side (LP)

Church Norton: It was very quiet this morning, with a Ringed Plover, three Whimbrel, half a dozen Curlews and c40 Oystercatchers about it for the harbour, and with just the odd Whitethroat to be found in the bushes, plus two Sparrowhawks and a Jay. (P&LH/AH)

Whimbrel (above) & Sparrowhawk at Church Norton (LH)

This evening a female Marsh Harrier was hunting over the harbour and there was also a Wheatear on the beach and a single Sand Martin was among c20 Swallows.

Also, a Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper were in the harbour, along with a good dozen Whimbrel, similar of Turnstones and c30 Redshanks. (AH/NBd/R Phillips)

Marsh Harrier (above), Sand Martin, Greenshank & Whimbrel at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - There were still c40 Common Terns, including at least five juveniles, around the Stilt Pool this morning, along with four Greenshanks, four Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, ten Lapwings and eight Oystercatchers, with another Common Sandpiper, a Whimbrel and two Snipe on the reserve and four sandwich Terns offshore.

Also, eight Yellow Wagtails and nine Meadow Pipits were along the banks, together with seven Stonechats, a Lesser Whitethroat, 13 Whitethroats, five Willow Warblers, a Reed Warbler, five Sedge Warblers and eight Yellowhammers, with c50 Swallows and c200 Sand Martins going over, along with two Sparrowhawks, a Buzzard and a Kestrel. (S&SaH)

Fishbourne Creek: There were a few waders along the creek this morning, including a Greenshank, three Whimbrel, two Turnstones, six Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Curlews, c80 Redshanks and c75 Oystercatchers, as well as a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a wallow and a Sand Martin went over. (P&LH)