Temperatures are dropping.

Tuesday 6th December 2022.

Sanderling on Eastney Beach this morning.

Temperatures are falling daily here on the south coast with an Arctic feel all week and set to get a lot colder over the weekend, with wintry showers forecast by the Met Office. It was around 7 degrees this morning when I took a slow stroll by Fort Cumberland and Langstone Harbour entrance, but in that north-easterly wind, it felt like around 3 degrees. As it was a bright, sunny cloudless sky, I thought I would take a walk. What better place than to kick off with Fort Cumberland to check if the Little Owls were there.

Above & below, Common Gulls on Eastney Beach.

Sadly not and if it wasn't for the entertaining Sanderling on the beach and a group of four Stock Doves, it really could have been a wasted trip to Fort Cumberland. Parking up in the usual place, adjacent to the Common, I walked down the path to the beach and headed slowly east along the concrete track. Looking down to the water line, I could see a large group of Sanderling in a tight flock by the edge of the water and concrete blocks, though there was a lady walking straight towards them and though flushed, they all returned to the edge of the water and quickly settled again.

Sanderling on Eastney Beach.

I carried on along the concrete path, checking the ruined buildings to the north in case a Black Redstart might be lurking, but I found none. There were plenty of Feral Pigeons around the buildings and a couple of Alsatian Guard Dogs were seen patrolling the area to deter would-be idiots with nothing better to do! Thankfully, there was just the one Naturist present, although he was harmless enough and for those not familiar with the area, this is a well-known Naturist site.A pair of Common Gulls showed well along the concrete embankment I was walking on (see photo), but a good scan over the sea looking towards Hayling Island, proved fruitless, with nothing at all to be seen.

Sanderling on Eastney beach again!

I was getting up to the area to look for the Little Owls when I bumped into a fellow birder. We had a quick chat and before he left, he told me there was no sign of any Owls or Black Redstarts seen here by him. All that remained was a group of four Stock Doves perched on the fence posts. Not even a Stonechat to liven things up here either, which was really disappointing, so I slowly made my way back to the car.

Above, one of the Stock Doves by Fort Cumberland. Below, Eastney Beach looking west.

Above, a female House Sparrow by the edge of Fort Cumberland. Below, more House Sparrows by the small track near where I parked my car.

Above, one of the many Starlings present by the Hayling Ferry Terminal, hoping I had some food. Below, Brent Geese in Langstone Harbour near Milton Lakes.

After a quick check on Birdguides (Black Brant & White-fronted Geese still on Farlington Marshes, but no sign of the Grey Phalarope this morning), I made my way down to the spit opposite Hayling Ferry Terminal. It was a lot windier here and I didn't spend too much time with this Arctic blast coming in off the harbour. The local Starlings surrounded me on the ground, hoping for a breadcrumb or two as did the large contingent of Black-headed Gulls flying low over my head! Sorry guys, but I had no food to give. Out in the harbour, looking towards Milton Lakes, there were at least 60+ Brent Geese on the water and out over the southern half of Langstone Harbour, I picked out about 30+ Turnstone on the sunken WW11 Bridge.   

This Short-eared Owl was at Farlington Marshes last week, in the Point Field. There have been two birds present and are still being reported most days. Photos by Rebecca Hitchcock.

Ten years ago this very week, we were watching these Waxwings on a housing estate in Hedge End. With this cold snap arriving, will we get lucky with these gorgeous birds again?

This male Hen-harrier was filmed in the New Forest, last weekend (site withheld for obvious reasons). Filmed by James Cutting.