1st October 2026

Thursday, 1st October: After the overnight rain cleared just after dawn, a warm morning of sun and white cloud in a moderate north-westerly breeze.....

Selsey Bill: Two Bonxies were lingering offshore this morning and over 300 Gannets went west, along with a limited amount of visible migration. Full log below. (PB/SH/KT/AH)

(0700-0900hrs) (NW, F3-4)

Gannet - 335W

Shag - 2E

Turnstone - 7

Great Skua - 2os

Mediterranean Gull - 3W

Great Black-backed Gull - 3W

Kittiwake - 7W

Sandwich Tern - 2E, 5W

auk sp - 16W

Swallow - 9E

Grey Wagtail - 1E

Pied Wagtail - 4W

Meadow Pipit - 21W

Linnet - 5

Gannets (above) & Meadow Pipit at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: Early this morning there were two Snipe, a Dunlin, three Redshanks, six Teal and c80 Lapwings on the pool, but just a Kingfisher, an Avocet, a handful of Redshank and c30 Teal were in the channel opposite. (AH/PA)

The Little Stint re-appeared again early this afternoon as the tide rose. (RJS/MG)

Snipe (above), Avocet & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Two Spotted Flycatchers, a Whitethroat and a couple of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were behind the hide this morning, with a Lesser Whitethroat and eight or nine Stonechats around the horse field area and a Firecrest between the Severals, with more Chiffchaffs spread throughout, and c20 Swallows went over, too.

Also, in the harbour there were four Greenshank, a Whimbrel, two or three Bar-tailed Godwits, c20 Grey Plovers and similar of Dunlin, plus two Kingfishers around the metalwork. (PA/AH/KT/RJS/MG/EB et al)

Spotted Flycatcher (above), Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: There were ten Stonechats and two Chiffchaffs around the paddock and along White’s Creek were two Spotted Redshanks, an Avocet, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 36 Black-tailed Godwits and the usual Redshanks, Curlews, Lapwings, Wigeon, Pintail, Teal and Shelducks.

Three Grey Wagtails, two Pied Wagtails, a Redshank and a Dunlin were on the Breech Pool, and along the bushes there were two more Stonechats, six Blackcaps, three Yellowhammers, a Whitethroat, four Reed Buntings, seven more Chiffchaffs, five Cetti’s Warblers and eight Long-tailed Tits, whilst a Kingfisher flew through and four Meadow Pipits and six Skylarks passed overhead.

At Halsey’s Farm, 50 Cattle Egrets were again in the newly mown fields, and two Snipe were by the rife, with a Water Rail in its usual spot and a Bar-tailed Godwit in the channel by the outfall. (LP/TRH/MJa/IH/SP/CT/CRJ et al)

Blackcaps (above), Long-tailed Tit, Stonechats, Avocet, Shelduck & Cattle Egret at the North Wall (LP)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to the Stilt Pool - The White Stork was up over the reserve this morning, gaining height and eventually drifting off east, whilst a Peregrine, a Kestrel, two Red Kites, a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard were also taking advantage of the conditions.

Alsop, two Snipe and two Greenshanks were on the stilt Pool, with another of the latter, a Kingfisher and two Egyptian Geese were on the reserve, with a Gannet and three Sandwich Terns seen offshore.

The banks were busy, too, with a Whinchat, a Wheatear, a good count of 39 Stonechats, five Dartford Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, four Cetti's Warblers, five Yellowhammers, two Pied Wagtails, c20 Skylarks and c50 Meadow Pipits and Linnets noted. (S&SaH/PB)