Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Some cracking photos.

Wednesday 16th November 2022.


This Short-eared Owl was over Southmoor earlier this week. Photo by Pete Appleton. Southmoor seems to be a good area for this species during the winter months.  

Though I never did any birding today or even put the moth trap on overnight (too wet and windy!!)I thought I would do a quick update on this week's birds around our area and also put some photos that were kindly permitted by Rebecca Hitchcock and Pete Appleton. Many thanks guys. Again, the weather has been rather wet so far with very heavy showers and accompanied by a strong southerly wind to go with it. I did top up the bird feeders and almost immediately swamped by the local House Sparrows and both Blue and Great Tit!


Above, another superb photo of the same Short-eared Owl at Southmoor. Photo by Pete Appleton. Below, a Common Snipe about to join a companion and a pair of Teal at Titchfield Haven. Photo by Rebecca Hitchcock. 

However, there have been a few interesting birds noted of late including an adult Little Gull on the Southsea shoreline and not too far away from Canoe Lake, apparently. A total of 8 Purple Sandpipers are gracing the shoreline in front of Southsea Castle and good numbers of Divers are now being reported at various locations along our coastline. Tuesday was a hellish day with appalling weather and not a great deal was noted, though fellow ‘Lazee Birder’ Andy Friend filmed an adult Yellow-legged Gull on Ibsley Water, Blashford Lakes and the day before, a female Red-crested Pochard was also filmed by him.


Above and below, a male Marsh Harrier quartering over the reedbeds at Titchfield Haven and being hassled by the local Lapwings. Photos by Rebecca Hitchcock.

Blast from the Past: Nearly this time ten years ago, my family and I paid a visit to Portland where I saw a Black Redstart, the Purple Sandpipers and a few seabirds off the Bill. On the 12th of November 2012, I went and ‘twitched’ the female / immature Hooded Merganser off Pagham Harbour’s North Wall. For some strange reason, the immature Hooded Merganser that turned up at Portland in a drainage ditch some time before the Pagham bird was never accepted as a genuine wild bird, despite having no rings or the wings clipped, yet this one at Pagham was accepted as a wild bird!


The female / immature Hooded Merganser off the North Wall, Pagham Harbour.



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