16th February 2026

Monday, 16th February: A bright, but fairly cool morning in a fresh and blustery westerly.....

Selsey Bill: A first-winter Little Gull went east, but it was generally another slow morning. Full log below. (P&LH/AH/IP/PB/JB)

(0745-0900hrs) W, F6)

Red-throated Diver - 8E, 3W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 1E

Brent Goose - 7E

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Oystercatcher - 1W

Turnstone - 15

Little Gull - 1E

Mediterranean Gull - 4os

Common Gull - 1W

Great Black-backed Gull - 1W, 1os

Sandwich Tern - 4E, 2W, 4os

auk sp - 1E

Mediterranean Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool: The Green Sandpiper was back on the roadside pool this morning, and there were a lot of waders around the main pool and adjacent field, including two Spotted Redshanks, two Snipe, a dozen Avocets, c30 Redshanks and Golden Plovers, c50 Black-tailed Godwits and c1500 Lapwings.

There were also the usual wildfowl including eight Shelducks, six Gadwall, c80 Shovelers, c100 Teal and c200 Wigeon, with one or two Mediterranean and Common Gulls among the Back-headed Gulls. (AH/CRJ et al)

Green Sandpiper (above), Spotted Redshanks, Redshanks, Gadwall and Shovelers & Avocets, Redshanks, Black-tailed Godwits and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

North Wall: The three Spotted Redshanks were again by the sluice this morning before trhe tide rose, and out in the harbour there was the usual vast amount of Lapwings, along with c300 Golden Plovers, whilst the three first-winter White-fronted Geese were in the Honer fields, along with114 Curlews, c100 Brent Geese, a Little Egret and Black-tailed Godwits and 15 Grey Herons, were in and around Owl Copse.

Two Rock Pipits were along the wall and on the Breech Pool there were eight Tufted Ducks and a Great Crested Grebe, whilst elsewhere, two Skylarks were at Halsey’s Farm, two Chaffinches, four Greenfinches, a Cetti’s Warbler and two Goldfinches were along the bushes, both male and female Marsh Harriers were over the reeds, and a Grey Wagtail, two Pied Wagtails and a Song Thrush were in the paddocks. (LP/CT/GHi/MJa/GR)

Spotted Redshank (above), Rock Pipit, Brent Geese, Grey Herons & Tufted Ducks at the North Wall (LP)

Chichester Canal: Half a dozen Siskins were in the trees midway between the Donnington and Birdham Roads this morning, with a Redwing,  three Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests and eight Long-tailed Tits seen, too, along with two Little Grebes, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and two Buzzards. (P&LH)

Church Norton: Around half a dozen Siskins were among c25 Goldfinches in the trees at the bottom of the path to the harbour this morning, along with a Chiffchaff and a few Long-tailed Tits.

There were eight Bar-tailed Godwits - the most seen this winter - among the large numbers of Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plovers getting pushed around by the rising tide, along with 500+ Brent Geese, c25 Common Gulls, half a dozen Pintail and c50 Wigeon and Teal.

Again there were vast numbers of birds coming up from the North Wall area, including c1000 Black-tailed Godwits, c500 Golden Plovers and 2000 Lapwings, presumably being disturbed by the couple of distantly viewable Marsh Harriers in the same area. (AH/CRJ)

Siskins (above), Long-tailed Tit, Bar-tailed Godwits, Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover and Knot, Grey Plovers and Knot & Common Gull at Church Norton (AH)