Moths are back and first Jay of the year.

Tuesday 4th January 2022.

The micro moth Monopsis crocicapitella/obviella in my house today.

I caught up with my first Jay of the year, when I spotted one flying over the Hulbert Road and into the trees as I came off the A3 and made my way to Waterlooville. A Nuthatch was also heard today, but sadly no sighting when I was at The Oaks Crematorium early this morning. If all goes well, Blashford Lakes is on my radar this Saturday. Three Common Buzzards were seen this morning while travelling north out of Portsmouth on the M275, including two birds perched on the same roadside lamp! All quiet along Portsdown Hill with just a couple of Pheasants seen along with a male Kestrel near Fort Southwick.

A quick change of subject with ‘micro’ moths being seen of late in and around my house. My first Beautiful Plume of the year was perched outside my kitchen window yesterday and inside the house, we had a White-shouldered House Moth and a couple of Monopsis crocicapitella/obviella. They are either one or the other species, but they require dissection of the genitalia to be certain of identification. No thanks!

This gorgeous male Black Redstart was found and photographed by Pete Appleton over at HMS Daedelus, over in Gosport this morning.

The inclement weather first thing this morning produced a sighting of a Leach's Petrel offshore from Netley, near Southampton for nearly an hour, but the bird soon disappeared afterwards and not found subsequently. A Velvet Scoter and 2 Great Northern Divers were off Black Point, Hayling Island and off the Hayling Oyster Beds, there were 5 Black-necked Grebes, a Slavonian Grebe and the long staying Long-tailed Duck. Cold weather is making a return this week with wintry showers forecast. I have some long distance jobs to do over the next few days and so hopefully, will catch up with a few more 'year-ticks'.