Wildlife around Fishbourne

Birds, marine life, and the natural habitats of the harbour edge

Fishbourne's position on the edge of Chichester Harbour places it adjacent to one of the most important wildlife habitats in southern England. The harbour is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, and a Ramsar wetland of international importance, primarily for its populations of overwintering wading birds and wildfowl.

Brent geese are the most visible winter visitors, arriving from their Arctic breeding grounds each autumn in their thousands. They feed on eelgrass in the harbour at low tide and graze on waterside fields and playing fields during high water. The sound of brent geese calling as they fly in formation over Fishbourne on winter evenings is one of the characteristic experiences of living in the village.

The mudflats and saltmarshes of Fishbourne Creek and the wider harbour support dunlin, redshank, curlew, grey plover, and many other wading species. At low tide, the feeding flocks create a spectacle that draws birdwatchers from across the region. Little egrets, once a rarity in Britain, are now a common sight in the harbour creeks.

In summer, the harbour supports breeding terns, oystercatchers, and ringed plover, and the saltmarsh provides habitat for specialised plants including sea lavender and glasswort. The seagrass beds in the harbour channels are an important habitat for seahorses, cuttlefish, and juvenile fish.

The fields and hedgerows around Fishbourne village support farmland birds, including skylarks, yellowhammers, and barn owls. The mix of arable and pastoral land on the coastal plain provides the variety of habitat that many farmland species need. The lanes south of the village towards Dell Quay are particularly good for spotting birds of prey, with kestrels and buzzards regularly seen hunting over the fields.