Tuesday 31st May 2022.
The last day of May was sunny with showers. I was quite busy at work most of the day. It took me to both The Oaks Crematorium and also to the Rose Green area in West Sussex and along the way, there were a few noteworthy sightings. I have not had the moth box on recently, due to me being rather tired of late, but I will be turning the box on tonight and really looking forward to checking the moth box first thing in the morning. Having both Thursday and Friday off to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Anniversary on the throne (thank you, your Majesty), an extra long weekend beckons.
Not quite a midweek update, but Monday was interesting due to the fact that I saw a probable Black Kite drifting low over Portsdown Hill mid-morning. I saw the bird at a distance first of all, but knew immediately it was a Kite judging by wing shape and size, which ruled out a Common Buzzard. I was driving at the time and although I was only doing 30mph, on nearing the bird, I noticed the tail shape was most definitely square and not deeply forked like a Red Kite and the bird was quite dark. I have had trouble getting my previous sightings of Black Kite accepted by the Hampshire Rarities Committee, mostly due to the fact of no photographic evidence and so I shall simply keep this sighting to my blog, though I did put a post on the 'Lazee Birders' Whatsapp group.
This superb Roseate Tern was photographed leaving the South Scrape at Titchfield Haven last Friday. Photo by Mark Francis.
Other notable sightings that morning included at least 3 hovering Kestrels along the Hill and another Kestrel seen flying over Southbourne, near Emsworth. The Great Spotted Woodpecker was quite noisy this morning by its nest site at Portchester Crematorium, though I could not get any sightings of the bird due to all the leaves in the way.
A check for moths around Portchester Crematorium produced 2 Small Dusty Wave, 2 Double-striped Pugs, a lone Garden Carpet and the micro moth, Eudonia angustea. Over The Oaks Crematorium, I found one of last week's Pale Tussocks perched in the same area, by the exit of the Main Chapel and was still present this morning with another individual.
The Eleonora's Falcon at Worth Marsh, Kent. Film footage by James Cutting.
The big rarity at the moment in the UK is the pale morph 2nd summer Eleonora's Falcon at a place called Worth Marsh on the east side of Kent and some of the guys I know kindly allowed me to use their superb photo/video of the bird. It has been in company with a female Red-footed Falcon, a few Hobbies plus nearby, both Caspian Tern and Sardinian Warbler have been found near there over the past weekend. A really superb weekend for those who travelled there. More locally, I have also been told that an adult Rose-coloured Starling has been feeding in Fawley and that elusive Long-tailed Duck on Blashford Lakes had returned back on Ibsley Water! My guess is that the bird was resting on the other side of the spit when Andy and myself were there last Saturday.
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