13th February 2026

Friday, 13th February: Another grey morning complete with a few showers, though the breeze was fairly modest, initially from the west, before backing to the east.......

The RSPB are looking for volunteers to help prepare the islands in the harbour for the return of the tern colonies. Anybody interested can turn up at the Visitor Centre (see below), or just meet them at Church Norton shortly after that time, and if anyone wishes to know more, pop into the Visitor Centre or ring them on 01243 641508

Below is a summary of the Tuesday; Wednesday; and Thursday we'll be out next towards the end of February:

Tuesday 24th of February: 09:30-12:30 Low tide is at 09:19. Please arrive at the visitors centre by 09:30 when we will depart for CN. Hopefully we should have a good 2 hrs 30/ 3hours window out there so will likely leave the islands by 12:30. Come back to the VC for a nice bit of coffee/tea and our lunch.

Wednesday 25th of February: 09:30-15:00 Low tide is at 10:26. Please arrive to the visitors centre for 09:30 if you're seeking a lift to site, otherwise park at CN car park for 09:45. We will be out on the islands until 13:30. I'm intending to achieve a good hit of the vegetation until 12:45 before we stop to have lunch. We'll depart the island by 13:30 after lunch and make an hours start with the red valerian at CN spit. Remind me to bring 4/5 wooden fence posts on this day too please as I'm terrible at remembering!

Thursday 26th February: 11:00-15:00 Low tide is at 12:04. Please arrive at the visitors centre for 11am. We will be out on the island until 3pm with a lunch break in between so I assure you I'll have a tea kit prepared. Hopefully by this point we may also have moved over to 'Breech island' to make a start with managing the vegetation there particularly for our nesting little terns.

Selsey Bill: It was another very slow morning! Full log below. (AH)

(0735-0835hrs) (W, F2, backing to E, F3)

Red-throated Diver - 1W, 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 2W

Common Scoter - 1E, 2W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 4os

Common Gull - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 2E

Common Scoters at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper and a Redshank were on the roadside pool, with at least 500 Lapwings around the main pool and fields, along with eight Gadwall, six Shelducks, c80 Shovelers, c150 Teal and c200 Wigeon, whilst two Snipe flew out from the channel opposite.

Also, a Siskin and a Raven went over, with a Redwing in the hedges,, whilst out in the harbour there were 650 Golden Plovers among more Lapwing, as well as an Avocet. (AH/PA)

Green Sandpiper (above) & Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Mill Pond Marsh: There were two Chiffchaffs in the hedges this morning, one singing half-heartedly, whilst a Raven was calling intermittently from the big trees, and there was also a vocal Cetti's Warbler about. (M&LL)

North Wall: The male and female Marsh Harriers were seen this morning, as were the three White-fronted Geese and two Egyptian Geese, but there were no Corn Buntings at Church Barton, though plenty of Yellowhammers were about.

The three Spotted Redshanks were in White's Creek as the tide dropped, as was a Kingfisher, but most of the activity was further down the harbour (see below), with the flooded fields just holding c30 Curlews and a dozen or so Shovelers and Teal and a couple of Gadwall. (AH/EB/TS/LP/SP/IH/MJa et al)

Spotted Redshanks (AH top two, EB lower), Redwing, Curlews, Oystercatcher & the view down the harbour (EB) at the North Wall

East side: There were still vast numbers of birds in the harbour this morning, including c1000 Black-tailed Godwits, c2000 Lapwings and Brent Geese, c500 Wigeon, c200 Teal, c60 Pintail, c400 Knot, c500 Dunlin, c50 Grey Plovers and at least 400 Common Gulls, with similar of Black-headed Gulls, a dozen Mediterranean Gulls and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls among them. (AH et al)

Pintail (above), Pintail and Black-tailed Godwits, Red-breasted Merganser, Knot & Common and Black-headed Gulls along the East side (AH)

10th - 12th February 2026

Thursday, 12th February: A very unsettled morning of heavy showers and spells of drizzle, interspersed with brief moments of brightness in a freshening north-westerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: It was the quietest morning of the winter! Full log below. (AH)

(0740-0840hrs) (WNW, F3-4)

Red-throated Diver - 1E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Brent Goose - 2E

Common Scoter - 1E

Oystercatcher - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 1os

Great Black-backed Gull - 1os

auk sp - 1W

Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper and a Redshank were in the roadside pool this morning, but only a dozen or so Lapwings were about, though wildfowl numbers had increased, with six Mute Swans, two Canada Geese, 12 Shelducks, four Gadwall, c80 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c150 Wigeon. (AH)

Green Sandpiper and Redshank (above) & Gadwall at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: Three Corn Buntings were in the trees by the Church Barton reservoir, along with a good selection of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Great Tits, Blue Tits, and Skylarks.
Three Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard and two Green Woodpeckers were around the flooded fields, as well as two Egyptian Geese, two Greylag Geese, 24 Canada Geese, two Mute Swans and a Gadwall.
The Grey Wagtail was again in the paddock, with two Pied Wagtails, and a Spotted Redshank was in White’s Creek along with all the usual species. (LP/SP/TRH/MJa)

Corn Buntings (above), Yellowhammers, Meadow Pipit, Greylag Geese & Gadwall at the North Wall (LP)

Chichester Marina: On the water this morning there were two pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Little Grebe and half a dozen Great Crested Grebes, with c200 Brent Geese and c60 Shelducks on the far banks, together with c500 Common Gulls and Black-headed Gulls and c50 Mediterranean Gulls.

A look round Salterns Copse produced a Tree-creeper at the far end, along with several Song Thrushes, Chaffinches, Great and Long-tailed Tits and dozens of Blue Tits, plus a pair of Buzzards. (AH)

Brent Goose (above), Song Thrush, Buzzard & Common and Black-headed Gulls at Chichester Marina (AH)

Wednesday, 11th February: The breeze had freshened and shifted to the west overnight, leaving it mostly grey, though fairly mild, despite the blustery conditions...

Selsey Bill: It was another quiet morning, with only Red-throated Diver numbers reaching double figures. Full log below. (AH)

(0750-0850hrs) (W, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 11E, 1W

Great Crested Grebe - 1E, 1W

Brent Goose - 2E

Curlew - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 4os

Great Black-backed Gull - 3os

Sandwich Tern - 3os

Razorbill - 1E

auk sp - 3W

Red-throated Diver (above) & Curlew at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was in the roadside pool again this morning, whilst c500 Lapwings were spread around the main pool and field, along with six Shelducks, five Gadwall, c80 Shovelers, c50 Wigeon and Teal, five Common Gulls and three Great Black-backed Gulls, whilst seven Red-legged Partridges were along the southern bank and a Buzzard went over. (AH/JC) 

Green Sandpiper (above), Gadwall and Shovelers & Wigeon and Lapwings at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: There were five Corn Buntings and 35 Yellowhammers in the fields ear-marked for development at Church Barton Farm this morning. (PA)

Corn Bunting at the North Wall (PA)

A Grey Wagtail was around the paddocks, along with two Pied Wagtails and a Goldcrest, while two Spotted Redshanks, c900 Black-tailed Godwits, c300 Golden Plovers, c3000 Lapwings and c2000 Brent Geese were along White’s Creek and the adjacent harbour, along with all the regular species, and two Ravens flew over and across the harbour.
Two Rock Pipits, six Reed Buntings and four singing Cetti’s Warblers were along the wall, and out it the flooded fields there were the three White-fronted Geese, 16 Gadwall, 18 Shovelers, 29 Canada Geese, six Egyptian Geese, a Cattle Egret, a Little Egret, and 36 Curlews, with two Marsh Harriers up over the reeds.
Fifteen Grey Herons were in and around Owl Copse, but it was quiet at Halsey’s Farm with just two Buzzards in the trees and a couple of Skylarks up singing. (MJa/CT/LP/PA)

Spotted Redshank (above), Grey Heron & Grey Wagtail at the North Wall (LP)

Church Norton: There were at least 500 Knot, 100 Grey Plovers and 1000 Dunlin spread across the mud this morning, along with a Greenshank, c200 Brent Geese and just a few Wigeon and Teal, whilst a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were on the water and c30 Common Gulls and half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls were among c200 Black-headed Gulls.

Also, vast numbers of birds - c1000 Black-tailed Godwits, c2500 Lapwings and c300 Golden Plovers - repeatedly came up from the North Wall end, though the birds at the southern end were completely unconcerned.

The sheltered hedges held a few birds this morning, including a Goldcrest and at least two Chiffchaffs among many Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, with a few Chaffinches and Greenfinches about, too. (AH/JC).

Chiffchaffs (above), Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Gulls and Knot & Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 10th February: A mostly grey and mostly dry morning, beyond the odd shower, in a moderate south-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: A few Red-throated Divers were moving about and a flock of eight Wigeon went east, but it generally remains slow. Full log below. (AH)

(0745-0900hrs) (W, F3-4)

Great Northern Diver - 2os

Red-throated Diver - 14E, 5W, 6os

Great Crested Grebe - 1W, 1os

Gannet - 2os

Wigeon - 8E, 2W

Common Scoter - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 4os

Oystercatcher - 1E

Turnstone - 8

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 3os

Common Gull - 4E

Sandwich Tern - 5E

Red-throated Diver (above) & Red-breasted Mergansers at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were a lot less birds around than recently this morning, with just c400 Lapwings, a pair of Gadwall, 16 Shelducks, c75 Shovelers and c50 Wigeon and Teal spread about, plus c25 Common Gulls and c100 Black-headed Gulls. (AH)

The Green Sandpiper and an Avocet were on the pool this afternoon. (AHu/AH et al)

Gadwall and Lapwing (above) & Shoveler at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were still at least 500 Knot in the southern end of the harbour, along with similar of Dunlin and c50 Grey Plovers, with c150 Brent Geese and c20 Shelducks about, too, but only a couple of dozen Wigeon and Teal were present.

Most of the activity was at the other end of the harbour, with c500 Golden Plovers and c1000 Lapwings coming up from the Ferry Channel area, and another 1500 of the latter, along with c800 Black-tailed Godwits and c500 Brent Geese coming up from the North Wall area.

Otherwise, a Marsh Harrier was briefly up at the North Wall end and a Buzzard was sat out in the harbour, with two more going over, but a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the car-park was about it for land-birds. (AH/ATh)

A Spoonbill was reported present in the harbour this afternoon - the first of the year. (per Birdguides)

Knot (above), Grey Plover, Golden Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits & Great Spotted Woodpeckers at Church Norton (AH)