Wednesday 29th December 2021.
The Pond at the southern end of The Oaks Crematorium this morning.
I was back to work today for just one day this week, which took me to The Oaks and Portchester Crematorium and also a jaunt across the top of Portsdown Hill and therefore, I was hoping to see a few notable sightings throughout my day. The weather first thing morning was simply grim, with heavy low cloud and drizzle and a blustery wind, which eventually gave way to bright sunshine and a bit of cloud. Again, temperatures remained very mild for this time of year, into double figures to be exact and the Met Office are predicting the warmest New Years Day ever recorded!
OK, I did not see all that much today, with just a Kestrel hovering over Portsdown Hill was the only noteworthy bird along there. The Oaks offered just a Jay and a thrush species sighting, though the weather was awful around midday and hardly anything else was seen, but I noticed the water level in the Pond was at an all time high here. Portchester Crematorium didn’t really offer any bird sightings, but I saw my first moth here in ages, a Double-striped Pug, that was perched high up in the exit of the South Chapel.
Some of the Glossy Ibis at Brading Marshes today. Photo by Isle of Wight birder, Linda Hammant.
In Hampshire today, an adult Little Gull and a Great Northern Diver were by the harbour entrance at Sandy Point, Hayling Island and a Black-throated Diver was seen in the area later in the day. Blashford Lakes hosted both the long staying female Red-crested Pochard on Ibsley North Lake and the drake Ferruginous Duck was still on the Kingfisher Lake. On Ibsley Water, a Caspian Gull and 8 Yellow-legged Gulls were counted. On the Isle of Wight, a flock of up to 11 Glossy Ibis are still present on Brading Marshes; an incredible number. Another incredible record is the long-staying Swallows at Porthole Farm, at Medmerry RSPB Reserve. Whatever next?
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