A couple of Redwing over Pembroke Road.

Friday 6th February 2026.

The female Black Redstart showed relatively well up in the bare tree. 

More and more rain this morning threatened to dampen the whole day and a lot more is set to come over the next 6 days (according to the Met Office)! Though it was damp throughout the morning with some very heavy showers at times, this afternoon was much drier and with hardly any wind, it was rather mild with midday temperatures around 10 degrees.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The view from my Office window in Pembroke Road!

A good total of 15 bird species were seen today, though all were seen on my first shift despite being rather sunny this afternoon. Pick of the bunch went to the pair of Redwing flying over and heading east low over the road. I had heard them earlier before I actually saw them, so I can only assume they were in the neighbouring trees?

The very wet weather overnight produced big puddles on the Bowling Green, but a pair of Pied Wagtails found the place to its liking and remained there for at least 20 minutes or so. Good numbers of Herring Gulls were seen today and a few Great Black-backed Gulls, but no Black-headed Gulls whatsoever! Again, no Brent Geese flew in from the harbour, though at least 50 birds were seen on Southsea Common later in the morning and many more over at Eastney during midday. A small group of 5 Blue Tits were high up in the trees before flying off north over the houses.

Yesterday, a Goldcrest was calling within the Holm Oaks here and a Jay was seen briefly flying south over the road  and into the Holm Oaks.

My Garden:

Another photo of the female Black Redstart. The bird has now spent nearly 3 months in and around my garden.

Once again, the female Black Redstart was seen perched high up in the bare tree at the back of my garden and I managed to grab a few photos of the bird despite the poor weather this morning. This afternoon, the male Blackcap was singing its heart out deep within my neighbours Bay Tree, but I failed to get any sighting of the bird.

Above, up to three Blue Tits were in my garden and enjoying the Fat Balls and below, a pair of Blackbirds were also present including this female bird.

In Hampshire today:

Virtually, all the news came from Weston Shore, Southampton, today where the Black-necked Grebe was still showing well offshore along with two Great Northern Divers and up to 44 Great Crested Grebes. Three Russian White-fronted Geese were still on Farlington Marshes as well as a Water Pipit. Five Purple Sandpipers were on the rocks at Southsea Castle and both Long-tailed Duck and Red-necked Grebe were off Hayling Oyster Beds within Langstone Harbour. It looks as though the Snow Bunting that was at Black Point earlier this week had returned to East Head, on the opposite side of the harbour near West Wittering.