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

Merlin (above), Little Gull, Red-throated Diver, Mediterranean Gull & Swallow at the Bill (AH)

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

Shovelers at the Ferry (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)

Firecrest (above), Blackcap, Chiffchaff & Greenshank at Church Norton (AH)

Later in the morning, a distant Spoonbill was on the mud towards the east side, with otherwise a single Greenshank and modest numbers of Redshank, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail and Grey Plovers in the harbour and just a single Great Crested Grebe was on the sea. Also, a small bush at the field end of Bluebell Wood held around 15 Long-tailed Tits, three Chiffchaffs and a Meadow Pipit. (RBe) 

Spoonbill (above), Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit & Meadow Pipit at Church Norton (RBe)

Long Pool: There were a pair of Blackcaps among the usual common passerines along the path, whilst a single Avocet was in the Ferry Channel, along with a few Redshanks, Shelducks, Mallard and Teal. (RBe)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit were along White’s Creek, as well as 16 Black-tailed Godwits, and numerous Redshanks, Lapwings and a Grey Plover with a few Dunlin further out on the mud.

A Snipe dropped into the saltmarsh, and a good selection of Wigeon, Pintail, Teal, Shelducks, and Mallards were on the water along with a Great Crested Grebe, a Little Grebe and 12 Brent Geese.

It was busy around the bushes and hedgerows with two Chiffchaffs, two Chaffinches, a Yellowhammer, six Stonechats, eight Reed Buntings, a Jay, a Green Woodpecker, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Song Thrushes and multiple Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Dunnocks and Robins.

Ten more Stonechats were in the field by Church Barton Reservoir and a Grey Wagtail, two Pied Wagtails and ten Blackbirds were around the paddock.

At Halsey’s Farm, 16 Meadow Pipits and six Stonechats were around the fields, and a Kingfisher was by the outfall. (TRH/LP/CRJ)

This evening a Tawny Owl was at Halsey's Farm again., (LP)

Bar-tailed Godwit (above), Yellowhammer, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Jay, Kingfisher (LP), Pied Wagtail & Wigeon (CRJ) at the North Wall

Sidlesham: Two Tawny Owls were calling loudly along Cow Lane this evening. (AH)

West Itchenor: The wintering Common Sandpiper and two Whimbrel were in the harbour this afternoon, just east of the Sailing Club. (PH)