22nd - 23rd February 2026

Monday, 23rd February: A dry and occasionally hazily sunny morning, tempered by the fresh south-westerly breeze....

Selsey Bill: The first Eider of the year - a drake - dropped in offshore, where there was also a Slavonian Grebe, whilst an Avocet and five Fulmars went west, 35 Brent Geese went east and six Skylarks came in off the sea. Full log below. (PM/PB/P&LH/PA/AH/IP)

(0705-0935hrs) (SW, F5)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-throated Diver - 2E, 2W

diver sp - 1W

Slavonian Grebe - 1os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 5W

Gannet - 1E, 1W

Brent Goose - 35E, 12W

Eider - 1os

Common Scoter - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 5os

Oystercatcher - 1E, 1W

Avocet - 1W

Dunlin - 10W

Curlew - 2E, 2W

Turnstone - 50W

Mediterranean Gull - 6W, 1os

Common Gull - 2W

Great Black-backed Gull - 3W, 2os

Sandwich Tern - 3W

Razorbill - 1W

auk sp - 2W

Skylark - 6N

Meadow Pipit - 1

Pied Wagtail - 1N

Rook - 3W

(1245-1345hrs) (P&LH)

Great Northern Diver - 1os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Turnstone - 2

Mediterranean Gull - 5os

Common Gull - 4W

Great Black-backed Gull - 2W

Fulmars (above), Avocet & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were no Lapwings on the pool this morning, though there were still six Shelducks, six Gadwall, c80 Shovelers, c100 Teal and similar of Wigeon about, along with four Canada Geese, whilst the gull roost contained a couple each of Mediterranean, Common and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with another six of the latter going over, heading north. (PA/AH)

Lesser Black-backed Gulls (above), Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gulls & Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There wasn't a lot to report from the harbour this morning, though a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Greenshank, a Mediterranean Gull and ten Ringed Plovers were about, along with c150 Grey Plovers, c400 Knot and c800 Dunlin.

Also, at least 400 Golden Plovers and 1000 Lapwings came up from the far end. (P&LH/AH)

Dunlin (above) & Grey Plovers at Church Norton (AH)

North Wall: Two Spotted Redshanks were by the sluice and a Grey Plover was along White’s Creek, as well as a Black-tailed Godwit and lots of Wigeon and Teal, whilst further out on the mud were the regular Lapwings and Brent Geese.
A Kingfisher flew over the Breech Pool and 14 Tufted Ducks were on the water, and on the flooded fields there were 16 Shovelers, four Gadwall, 23 Canada Geese, six Brent Geese and an Egyptian Goose.
Three Little Egrets were with 15 Grey Herons around Owl Copse, but the only small birds along the bushes were eight Goldfinches, a Chaffinch, a Chiffchaff, three Cetti’s Warblers, a Long-tailed Tit, a Linnet and a few Blue Tits and Great Tits. (LP/GHi/MJa/CT)

Spotted Redshanks and Teal (above), Teal, Brent Goose, Teal and Canada Goose, Tufted Duck & Little Egrets and Grey Herons at the North Wall (LP)

East side: A look from White's Creek to Pagham Spit produced a Ruff, two Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, a clear increase in Pintail to c200 birds and a Stonechat.

There were still about 1000 Black-tailed Godwits and 450 Golden Plovers present, but seemingly a decrease in Lapwing and Brent Goose numbers. (PA)

Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Redshank and Teal (above), Knot & Stonechat along the East side (PA)

Sunday, 22nd February: Another fairly miserable morning, though fairly mild,, with persistent drizzle interspersed with spells of heavier rain in a brisk and blustery westerly....

Selsey Bill: A total of 141 Brent Geese heading east, including a flock of 48, was the clear highlight, with two Fulmars west the only other thing of note on a morning of very poor visibility. Full log below. (SH/IP/AH)

(0710-0925hrs) (W, F5-6)

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 3W

Brent Goose - 141E (inc a flock of 48)

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E

Turnstone - 4

Mediterranean Gull - 2E, 3os

Great Black-backed Gull - 2E, 4W, 2os

Sandwich Tern - 1W

Pied Wagtail - 1

(1315-1415hrs) (SH)

Turnstone - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E

Great Black-backed Gull - 1E, 2W

Goldfinch - 3

Brent Geese (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were only c300 Lapwings around the pool this morning, along with eight Shelducks, c50 Shovelers and Teal and c100 Wigeon. (AH)

Wigeon at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: There were plenty of birds around this morning, though nothing very rare, with two Marsh Harriers, two Bar-tailed Godwits and six Avocets the most notable, whilst c120 Brent Geese flew in from offshore and may have been migrating birds, though at least another 800 were up at the far end of the harbour.

There were at least 100 Grey Plovers, 500 Knot and 1000 Dunlin out on the mud, whilst c2000 Lapwings, c600 Golden Plovers and c800 Black-tailed Godwits flew up several times from the far end, but a Jay, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and c20 Long-tailed Tits were the only land-birds noted. (AH et al)

Marsh Harrier (above), Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwits, Golden Plovers and Lapwings & Long-tailed Tit at Church Norton (AH)

Medmerry: Easton Lane to Marsh Barn - Around 100 Fieldfares were in the fields by the Easton Lane car-park this morning, whilst two Stonechats, four Goldcrests, three Cetti's Warblers, a Reed Bunting and two Yellowhammers were along the banks.

Also, a Water Rail was in one of the pools, c100 Brent Geese were on the reserve and a Buzzard went over. (S&SaH)

West Wittering: A large flock of up to 1000 Mediterranean Gulls were in the fields this afternoon. 

Also a Raven went over and a curiosity - a flock of ten Helmeted Guinea Fowl, scrubbing about in the hedgerow - obviously feral, but not obviously in captivity. (GM)

Long Pool: A look along the pool late this afternoon produced four Yellowhammers, two Reed Buntings, five Linnets and a calling Cetti's Warbler, whilst a Greenshank, a female Red-breasted Merganser and a drake Gadwall were in Ferry Channel and 51 Avocets were roosting out in the harbour, along with innumerable Golden Plovers and Lapwings. (AH)

Red-breasted Merganser (above), Avocets, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting & Linnet along the Long Pool. (AH)

19th - 21st February 2026

Saturday, 21st February: A murky and overcast morning in a fresh westerly breeze............

Selsey Bill: What looked like the first Brent Geese of the spring heading east, 23 in total, including a high-flying flock of 16, two Fulmars west, 19 Sandwich Terns offshore and six Great Northern Divers on the sea were the highlights this morning. Full log below. (SH/PB/ZS/MRB/AGB/JB/IP/AH)

(0700-0900hrs) (W, F5-6)

Great Northern Diver - 6os

Red-throated Diver - 3E, 2os

Great Crested Grebe - 1os

Fulmar - 2W

Gannet - 3W

Brent Goose - 23E, 5W

Red-breasted Merganser - 5E, 1W, 4os

Oystercatcher - 3W

Sanderling - 2W

Turnstone - 5

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Great Black-backed Gull - 3E, 5W, 4os

Sandwich Tern - 19os

Pied Wagtail - 1

Fulmars (above) & Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: There were c180 Golden Plovers among c1500 Lapwings on the field and pool this morning, with six Shelducks,  five Gadwall, c80 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c150 Wigeon also present and an Avocet flew down the channel opposite. (AH)

Golden Plovers (above), Golden Plovers and Lapwings & Gadwall, Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Park Farm, Selsey: The flooded fields appear to be very attractive to the local birdlife, with six pairs of Shelducks scattered around, along with c70 Brent Geese, 12 Curlews, a pair of Mute Swans, nine Pied Wagtails, a Green Woodpecker and c30 Meadow Pipits.

There was also a calling Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Black Backed Gull among the regular species and a Raven sat on the farm buildings roof, before heading off west, cronking as it went. (IP).

North Wall: Three Spotted Redshanks were in White's Creek this morning, with c500 Brent Geese, c500 Golden Plovers and c1000 Lapwings in the harbour.

There were also two Marsh Harriers and a Buzzard about, with a Water Rail in the Breech Pool, a Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail in the paddocks, two Goldcrests along Church Lane and four calling Cetti's Warblers along the wall .

At Halsey’s Farm, two Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, a Song Thrush, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Chaffinch and two Greenfinches were along the hedgerows. and a pair of Stonechats were in the field. (MRB/AGB/JB/S&SaH/LP/MJa)

Spotted Redshank (above), Song Thrush & Stonechats along the North Wall (LP)

East Head: A Great Northern Diver and a Slavonian Grebe were off Ella Nore this afternoon. (SM)

Fishbourne Creek: A Little Gull was at Dell Quay this morning, whilst the drake Goldeneye was still present, along with a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Kingfisher and six Greenshanks. (MRB/AGB/JB/JC)

Chichester Canal: The flock of Siskins - at least a dozen - were present again today near the Birdham Road end. (BI)

Church Norton: There wasn't much to report beyond the usual species this morning, though a Peregrine was the islands and an Avocet, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, a pair of Little Grebes, a Mediterranean Gull and half a dozen Common Gulls were in the harbour, along with c100 Knot, c100 Grey Plovers, c1000 Dunlin, c200 Brent Geese, c50 Wigeon and c20 Shelducks, with at least 300 Golden Plovers and 1500 Lapwings coming up from the far end. 

Also, just a single Great Crested Grebe was on the sea, c30 Turnstones were on the beach, several Cetti's Warblers and a pair of Stock Doves were around the Severals and three Goldcrests and a pair of Long-tailed Tits were in Bluebell Wood.  (AH/PB/ZS/IP et al)

Grey Plover and Knot (above) & Brent Geese at Church Norton (AH)

Friday, 20th February: A grey, though slightly milder morning in a brisk south-westerly breeze............

Selsey Bill: A Merlin flying west, well offshore was the highlight of another fairly quiet morning. Full log below. (P&LH/AH)

(0745-0900hrs) (SW, F4-5)

Great Northern Diver - 3os

Red-throated Diver - 4W

Gannet - 1W

Brent Goose - 5W

Shelduck - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1E, 2W, 2os

Merlin - 1W

Oystercatcher - 3W

Turnstone - 19

Common Gull - 7W

Great Black-backed Gull - 2os

Sandwich Tern - 3W

Red-throated Diver (above), Sandwich Tern & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was back this morning, whilst six Black-tailed Godwits, c30 Redshanks and c1000 Lapwings were around the pool, along with three Gadwall, eight Shelducks, c60 Shovelers and Teal and c150 Wigeon, whilst a couple of Mediterranean and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in the gull roost. 

Also, c35- Avocets, c350 Golden Plovers, c75 Dunlin, six Curlews and another c1500 Lapwings were in the harbour, viewable from the Tramway. (P&LH/AH)

Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings Shovelers, Wigeon and Teal at the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: A Greenshank, an Avocet and a dozen Ringed Plovers were about the harbour this morning, along with c100 Knot, c200 Grey Plovers and c500 Dunlin, with c350 Brent Geese, c30 Shelducks, 50 or so Wigeon and Teal, two Mediterranean Gulls and four Common Gulls also present. (P&LH)

Chichester Marina: The Black-throated Diver was in the channel off the Marina early this afternoon. (PH)

Chichester Canal: A look from Stockbridge to Poyntz Bridge produced a Raven and a Great White Egret flying over and two Bullfinches and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker in the hedges. (C Murphy)

Fishbourne Creek: From Dell Quay at high tide, the drake Goldeneye and four Red Breasted Mergansers could be seen towards Chichester Marina, and there was an impressive flock of 600 Black-tailed Godwits, plus a single Bar-tailed Godwit among the roosting waders. (C Murphy)

Black-tailed Godwits and Wigeon at Fishbourne Creek (C Murphy)

North Wall: A Spotted Redshank was in White's Creek this morning, whilst at least 300 Golden Plovers, 2000 Lapwings and 1000 Brent Geese were in the harbour, but a few Redshanks, Curlews and Dunlin were about it for the Honer fields

The Grey Herons were active in Owl Copse and a few Wigeon and Teal were at Halsey's Farm, along with a pair of Brent Geese, a Black-tailed Godwit and a few Stock Doves. (AH/MJa/CT et al)

Black-tailed Godwit (above), Stock Doves & Brent Goose at the North Wall (AH)

Thursday, 19th February: After heavy overnight rain, a dry, but cool and grey morning in a freshening northerly breeze.......

Selsey Bill: A Velvet Scoter dropped in offshore, but it was another quiet morning, otherwise. (AH/IP)

(0755-0855hrs) (NNE, F3)

Red-throated Diver - 1E

Gannet - 1W

Velvet Scoter - 1os

Common Scoter - 1E, 4os

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1os

Turnstone - 11

Common Gull - 1E

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W, 2os

Red-breasted Merganser at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: A Ruff flew out from the field when the 1000+ Lapwings (including an oddly pale bird) all went up, but there were no other waders about except the Green Sandpiper, and almost al the wildfowl - c60 Shovelers, c80 Teal and c150 Wigeon, plus four Gadwall and ten Shelducks - were all on the flooded fields. (AH)

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

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: A flock of c40 Cattle Egrets were in the flooded field east of the dairy unit, but it was generally slow-going, with just a couple of Yellowhammers and Linnets along Church Farm Lane, a handful of Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches in the various cover crops and a few Curlews, Stock Doves and Common Gulls among the commoner species in the fields. (AH)

Cattle Egrets (above), Yellowhammer & Linnet at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Drayton Pits: Two Egyptian Geese and two White-fronted Geese were with the motley band of Greylag and Canada Geese in the adjacent fields this morning. (BI)