29th October 2026

Thursday, 29th October: A fairly grey morning, if quite mild, almost still to start with before the breeze picked up slowly from the east......

Selsey Bill: Highlight this morning was a female Merlin catching a Goldfinch along the beach and sitting with its prey on the groynes, whilst there were also two Little Gulls going west and a Swallow over the Oval field. Full log below. (IP/AH)

(0710-0840hrs) (E, F1-2)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 1W

Shag - 1E

Brent Goose - 2W

Wigeon - 13os

Common Scoter - 1os

Merlin - 1

Oystercatcher - 2E

Turnstone - 2

Little Gull - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 23W

Great black-backed Gull - 2W

Wood Pigeon - 314S

Swallow - 1

Pied Wagtail - 5W

Meadow Pipit - 3W

Goldfinch - 75

Ferry Pool: There were just nine Shovelers, c30 Teal and half a dozen Mallards on the pool this morning. (AH)

Church Norton: A Firecrest, a Blackcap and half a dozen Chiffchaffs were in the churchyard this morning, with a handful of Linnets and a couple of Reed Buntings along the path to the beach, but it was quiet generally, and all the gulls had moved on offshore.

Three Greenshanks were in the harbour, along with a few Grey Plovers and Redshanks, plus c20 Brent geese and c40 Wigeon, but that was about it. (AH)