Calling Goldcrest & a few flocks of Brent Geese today.

Wednesday 11th February 2026.

Just some of the Carrion Crows and a Herring Gull in the field just east of the Bowling Green. I took this photo from my parked car when I arrived.

A cool and damp start to the morning and with more overnight rain, everywhere was damp. However, it remained dry during my first shift at Pembroke Road today, but though the temperature was in double figures, which is much higher than normal for this time of year, the cold westerly wind certainly reminded you that winter was still here! The rain eventually arrived around 3.15pm on my second shift at Pembroke Road and remained throughout the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. However, that didn't stop the male Blackcap singing its heart out within my garden!

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The Bowling Green at Pembroke Road. Could a Hoopoe be discovered this Spring this year?

A total of 14 bird species were recorded this morning of which there were two small flocks of Brent Geese heading eastbound from Portsmouth Harbour and a Goldcrest was calling somewhere within the Holm Oaks when I arrived for my first shift. Also on arrival, there was a chap feeding the Herring Gulls and Carrion Crows, which completely surrounded him and his small dog, in the field just east of the Bowling Green. I counted at least 40+ Carrion Crows and about a dozen Herring Gulls picking off the seed he was throwing at them.

Surprisingly, I didn't see any Black-headed Gulls today, but the Great Black-backed Gulls put in a good performance with at least four seen around the Governor’s Green area along with at least 30+ Herring Gulls searching for earthworms on the damp grass. At least a third of them were juvenile birds. A single Blue Tit was displaying high up in the trees, fluttering his wings and calling excitedly to its mate below him. As per usual, most of the species seen or heard would be in the first 20 minutes when it was fairly quiet (apart from the noisy cars rushing past) and occasionally, something unusual might fly past.

In Hampshire today:

A Ring-necked Parakeet in a fellow birders Southsea garden yesterday.

Starting in the Southampton area, there was a female type Velvet Scoter and a Black-necked Grebe off Weston Shore this morning and a White-tailed Eagle was over the Calshot area. The Snow Bunting reappeared at Black Point, Hayling Island and the Long-tailed Duck and male Scaup were in Langstone Harbour again. The six Glossy Ibis were on Posbrook Floods this afternoon. A Ring-necked Parakeet has been visiting a Southsea garden recently and I hope to pay a visit to see the bird(s) tomorrow morning, if all goes well.

A cracking photo of one of the Bitterns at Blashford Lakes. Photo by Andrew Dickety.