Wednesday 24th September 2025: Selsey boat trip

On a cold but sunny morning, six SDOS members and five Selsey Birders gathered on the key at Ichenor for a private pelagic boat trip. The intrepid birders were all in high spirits and the very accommodating captain had us on board and away quickly. The cold north east wind was blowing offshore so we weren't sure how choppy it would be once we left the lea of the land. As we left the harbour a few regular gulls and some Sandwich Terns were seen, and several waders pottered on the shoreline.

We hadn’t gone far before a large, dark Skua was spotted chasing a gull. Luckily someone on board managed a quick snap, which confirmed the ID as a juvenile Pomerine Skua, a lifetime tick for me! 

Pomerine Skua (Andrew House)

Once out of the harbour we headed for a few miles south of Selsey Bill. The Selsey Birders were thrilled to be able to see their usual sea watch location from a different angle.  The swell was fairly mild allaying any fears of an unpleasant trip. We came across a mélange of gulls that also included a good few gannets enabling us to get up fairly close to these magnificent birds. 

Gannet (Andrew House)

There was a constant trickle of hirundines, mainly Swallows, migrating across the water, with a distant pair of Scoter, and several flocks of Wigeon added some interest. After a while of enjoying the sunshine on a boat out at sea but not spotting any new birds we decided to return to the harbour, with the tide now almost fully high. A couple of sand bars were tightly packed with waders,  including large numbers of Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwits,  interspersed by a few Curlew. A small  flock of Sanderling whizzed past and about twenty Shelduck flew rounds before settling on the water. A flock of Brent Geese were also seen here.

After landing, we retired to the historic Ship Inn for a very good lunch, to round off a thoroughly enjoyable outing.