Currant Pug added to year list.

Saturday 13th August 2022.

My first Currant Pug of the year finally made it to my year list.

A sticky, balmy night produced a few moths of note which included my first Currant Pug of the year, which was perched on my washing line cover. A Flounced Rustic and 2 Langmaids Yellow Underwing were noteworthy as well as the Canary-shouldered Thorn (probably yesterday's individual) and up to 5 Marbled Beauty’s today.

A solitary Flounced Rustic was in the moth box. 

Fairly quiet among the micro moths though a Cherrybark Tortrix and a Codling Moth were probably the pick of the bunch. A reasonable total of 88 moths of 30 species today. You can tell Autumn is just around the corner as a Robin was ‘ticking’ in my back garden and soon launched into a bit of ‘sub-song’. It is supposed to be one of the hottest days of the year today and so birding is probably going to be just in the morning before it gets too hot. Thunderstorms are predicted for Monday and Tuesday next week, rain of which we are all so desperately needing at the moment as the UK has imposed a Hosepipe ban!    

The following moths were present this morning:

• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Flounced Rustic
• 6 Garden Tiger
• 1 Riband Wave
• 2 Langmaids Yellow Underwing
• 2 Lime-speck Pug
• 5 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Currant Pug (NFY)
• 8 Small Dusty Wave
• 1 White Ermine
• 5 Marbled Beauty 
• 1 Square-spot Rustic
• 4 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Vines Rustic
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 1 Canary-shouldered Thorn
• 2 Yponomeuta sp.
• 15 Common Plume
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 2 Tachystola acroxantha
• 4 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Pyrausta aurata
• 5 Blastobasis adustella
• 2 Brown House Moth
• 3 Acleris laterana/comariana
• 3 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Cherrybark Tortrix
• 2 Monopsis crocicapitella
• 2 Bryotropha affinis
• 1 Codling Moth

Amazing day on the south coast.

Saturday 13th August 2022.

Above and below, the adult Roseate Tern on the beach in front of the Sailing Club. 

Well it was a cracking days birding with Mr Fisher again and this time, we joined three other ‘Lazee Birders’ while at Hill Head this morning that included Andy Friend, Kevin Brookes and Simon (not sure of last name!). We were all down by the Sailing Club checking out the Tern roost for both Black and Roseate Tern and thankfully, we came up trumps. We all knew that it was going to be one of the hottest days of the year, but at least there was some breeze by the coast today otherwise it could have been unbearable. Not only did we get successful at Hill Head, but we also did a trip around the Hook-with-Warsash reserve and notched up another ‘year-tick’.

My birding day kicked off by picking up Andy, but not before checking out his moth box and the surrounding area. From here, while enjoying a ‘shop bought’ Coffee, the following moths were present: 

• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Vines Rustic
• 1 Willow Beauty
• 1 Small Dusty Wave
• 2 Common Wainscot
• 1 Straw Dot
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Yellow Shell
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 2 Carcina quercana
• 2 Agriphila tristella
• 2 Rush Veneer
• 3 Blastobasis adustella
• 1 Mother-of-Pearl

Eventually we were on our way to Hill Head and hopefully a low tide with plenty of Terns to go through. Yes, there was a bit of beach left for the Terns, but they seemed to be roosting in front of the sailing club, but where we were parked up, literally adjacent to the River Meon, I checked the dead calm Solent first for any Terns. There was a large mixed flock of both Gulls and Terns some distance out (a scope job!) out over the water, but a small duck intrigued me and I identified it as a female Common Scoter.

A Black Tern was flying among Common Terns and Gulls over the Solent (furthest bird right).

Among the mixed flock of Gulls and Terns, I found a Black Tern and quickly got Andy onto it as it was a ‘year-tick’ for him. The bird was busy swooping down and picking off insects off the sea among good numbers of Common Terns and Gulls. We were soon joined by fellow ‘Lazee’ Mark Francis (Franno), who is a staunch regular here and comes up with some nice seawatching stuff! He told us some other ‘Lazee’s’  were here and sure enough, we could see them in the distance in front of the Sailing Club. So we quickly climbed back into the car and parked up to join the other guys.

Adult and juvenile Little Tern on the foreshore in front of the Sailing Club. 

From here, a large gathering of Terns settled in front of the Sailing Club and although they were disturbed by a few walkers venturing into the rising tide, we enjoyed not only at least two Black Terns (both adults), but also our first Roseate Tern of the year (see photos top of page). Andy Friend managed to pick out the bird among the many Common, Sandwich and Little Terns present and asked me to double-check of which I quickly agreed. The bird had a ring on its right leg which helped confirm that it was one of the pair that had been present here all week. Superb; this is one tern species I was hoping to see today.

Above and below, one of the Black Terns present on the foreshore in front of the Sailing Club among the Common Terns.

 

After an hour or so in the bright hot sunshine, Andy Friends suggested giving Hook-with-Warsash a try, for he was desperate to see a Yellow Wagtail today for his Hampshire Year List and so Andy and I followed the guys to the east side of the reserve and walked down a pathway out in the sticks. From here, there was a large horse paddock to the north, but we could not find any Yellow Wagtails flying about the horses feet. However, after discovering a few birds fluttering about some brambles on the opposite side of the footpath, of which two birds were obviously young Stonechats with a few Common Whitethroats among them, another bird looked a bit different. Andy Friend’s scope is in a league of its own. His Swarovski BTX scope is like looking through a glass window as the clarity of the image you are looking at is stunning. This helped distinguish the juvenile Stonechat from our first Whinchat of the year and in fact, there were actually two present!

Above, our first Whinchat of the year. We were not lucky enough to see one in the Spring, but Autumn is probably the most reliable time to see them here on the south coast. Below, three of the four Glossy Ibis feeding on the Meander Pools.

The Whinchat was my second new bird for the year and Andy Fisher's third and after getting a good view of the bird and me getting some photos, we soon made our way to the Meander Pools on the reserve, although it was a bit of a trek. On our way there, we saw a few more Common Whitethroats and as we were nearing the burnt Gorse area (sadly another fire caused by who knows what recently), a pair of Glossy Ibis flew over our heads, heading to the small pools; a prelude for what was to come . This was now Andy Fisher's fourth ‘year-tick’ of the day, which made him most happy. As we got to the first pools, we could clearly see all FOUR Glossy Ibis feeding on one of the pools among a few Little Egrets. Though a bit distant, I got some reasonable photos of the birds and realised this is the biggest number of this species I have ever seen together.

Above, good numbers of Little Egret were present on the Meander Pools and below, two of the four Glossy Ibis feeding in the shallow water. Due to this drought we are going through, water levels like this are scarce along the coast. 

A Green Sandpiper flew low over the back of the Pools to add to our superb day list and at least three Common Sandpipers were present along with a large gathering of Black-tailed Godwit. Up to three Wheatears were using the fence posts and showing reasonably well, while a few Skylarks, Linnets and Goldfinches were noted on the grassy tussocks by the pools. Moving along a bit, one of the small islands held a pair of Spoonbills that were asleep for a while, until a Magpie came into land on the island and woke one of the birds up. On this island, not only were there the Spoonbills, but also three Little Egrets and a Grey Heron! Incredible. 

Above and below, two Spoonbills, two Little Egrets and a Grey Heron on this small island on the Meander Pools.

We decided to walk around the back of the reserve to get back to our respective vehicles, notching up a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over the trees and a couple of Sandwich Terns flying close by along the shoreline. We passed some very grand houses along the way, but all I could think about was getting a well deserved pint in one of the local pubs and eventually, we all ended up in the Cob & Pen in Fareham, notching up both Common Buzzard and a Kestrel along the way. The guys wanted to round their day off at Farlington Marshes for the Yellow Wagtails, but we headed off home instead, reflecting on a superb day's birding.    

Above, a pair of Wheatears on the reserve. Up to three birds were seen here. Below, one of the Sandwich Terns fishing along the shoreline by the reserve. 

A good couple of hours birding.

Friday 12th August 2022.

The Pied Flycatcher at The Triangle Field, Hayling Island, this morning.

I had the opportunity today to notch up some nice Autumn birds that have been frequenting locally in Hampshire and my first port of call was going to be ‘The Triangle Field’ near Sparkes Marina, on the south east side of Hayling Island for the reported two Pied Flycatchers present there. Should I get lucky, I would then take a drive over to Titchfield Haven and check out the Terns upon the reserve, for I knew it was going to be high tide over the Solent. One thing though I was going to have to negotiate was the very hot temperature today which could exceed 90 degrees fahrenheit!

Above, this Sparrowhawk flew low over the Triangle Field, but flew off south. Below, the area where the Pied Flycatchers were seen.

Though the traffic was a little heavy going down through Hayling, I soon parked up within the large car park at Sparkes Marina and fortunately for me, I bumped into both Andy Friend and Andy Tew who had been looking for the Flycatchers. They had a negative result, but they were sure the birds were still there. After a brief chat, I then made my way to an area of Hayling I have never been before and came across a small field with brambles on one side and private gardens on the other. In the middle were three Ash trees and this is supposedly where the Flycatchers were. In fact, it took me no less than 5 minutes for one of the Pied Flycatchers to briefly appear, but I had to wait another ten minutes in the hot sunshine before I could get another glimpse.

Another couple of photos of the Pied Flycatcher this morning.

Eventually, one bird flew out of one of the Ash trees and picked off an insect on the dried grass that was covered with Yarrow plants. It then flew back into the same tree where I got a few photos of the bird. Then it showed itself much better and I managed to grab some half decent photos of the bird, which was a very welcome addition to my ever growing year list. There was probably a second bird seen, but it flew high into the same Ash tree, but failed to show again. Meanwhile, the original bird flew further north into a nearby group of trees by a footpath and lost to view.

Above, the view of the River Meon looking north with plenty of Terns to search through. I was quite lucky when I found an Arctic Tern among the many Common Terns. Below, one of the Common Terns hovering nearby over the river.

Earlier, a female Sparrowhawk flew low overhead and headed off south, thankfully! A small group of Goldfinches flew over and a large gathering of House Sparrows were the only birds of note during my time there. A couple of Gatekeeper butterflies were seen along with a lone Small White butterfly. Well happy with the ‘Pied Fly’ under my belt, I headed off to a nearby shop for some lunch and then made my way to Titchfield Haven.

Above and below, I managed a couple of record photos of the Black Tern as it flew out into the Solent.  

On arrival, the sea was probably at its highest and so no looking on the beach for the Terns. So it was now to check the Terns resting on the island and posts on the River Meon. Earlier in the day, the wandering flock of four Glossy Ibis had been seen feeding along the River but flew off towards Warsash. From the comfort of my car, I shielded myself from the sun by sitting on the lip of the boot of the car, with the boot lid raised and setting up the scope from there. Thankfully, there was a good number of Terns present, which were mostly adult and juvenile Common Terns, but I did find one Arctic Tern among the throng, which was another addition to my year list. The shorter bill and body shape distinguished it from the neighbouring Common Terns.

Above, one of at least three Little Egrets flew over the reserve and below another Common Tern flying over the River Meon.

Also present was one lone Sandwich Tern, but getting decent photos was going to be challenging again due to the heat haze. As expected, the Terns here are always jumpy and those resting in front of the South Scrape all took off and flew over as a Sparrowhawk flew off north over the reserve. I was hoping for one of the ten Black Terns reported this morning, but checking the flock of Terns, all I could find were Common Terns. However, around 15 minutes later, the flock on the South Scrape all took off again and this time I was in luck as I spotted a Black Tern flying among the Terns. Getting a photo proved difficult, but on my second attempt at photographing the bird, I managed to snap a few photos as it flew out to sea with three Common Terns. My third ‘year-tick’ of the day, which puts me on 203 species for the year.

More Common Tern photos.

I spent a good hour here and though I had to be patient with all the cars passing by, there were a few notable birds seen including a flock of Sand Martin flying through. A Common Buzzard was seen soaring very high over the reserve and back down on the River, both Great Crested and Little Grebe were seen swimming. A lone Oystercatcher was among the Terns on the small island on the River and at least three Little Egrets were flying over the reserve. Apparently, there were ten Black Terns seen on the South Scrape of which I am wondering why they all did not take off when the Terns there took flight? Never mind, a good few hours birding and then back home.

Canary-shouldered Thorn the highlights this morning.

Friday 12th August 2022.

This Canary-shouldered Thorn was my second of the year.

It was a breezy start to the morning and I wasn't surprised that there were not many moths on the white sheet or on top of the moth box, but yesterday’s Langmaids Yellow Underwing was. For a change, there were no new moths for my life list and the best the macro moths could offer was my second Canary-shouldered Thorn of the year, a beautiful little individual that was on the back of the white sheet.

Above, a Grey/Dark Dagger is always welcome in my moth box. Below, this micro moth Cochylis atricapitana was present last night, but disappeared by the morning.  

Last nights Cochylis atricapitana.

My first Setaceous Hebrew Character for a while was present as was a Grey/Dark Dagger (this species has to be dissected to be totally sure on the correct ID) and 3 Marbled Beauty was more than usual. A good spread of micro moths again, with two Diamond-back Moths probably the pick of the bunch. There were 76 moths of 31 species present today.

Hawthorn Moth.

The following moths were present this morning:

• 1 Canary-shouldered Thorn
• 10 Garden Tiger
• 1 Willow Beauty
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Grey/Dark Dagger
• 1 Langmaids Yellow Underwing
• 4 Double-striped Pug
• 4 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Riband Wave
• 2 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Small Dusty wave
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 3 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 11 Common Plume
• 5 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Yponomeuta sp.
• 2 Clepsis consimilana
• 3 Apple Leaf Miner
• 2 Blastobasis adustella
• 2 Diamond-back Moth
• 6 Acleris laterana/comariana
• 1 Blastobasis rebeli
• 4 Brown House Moth
• 1 Monopsis crocicapitella
• 1 Mother of Pearl
• 1 Tachystola acroxantha
• 1 Celypha striana
• 1 Hawthorn Moth
• 1 Pyrausta aurata

Two more micros added to life list.

Thursday 11th August 2022.

The micro moth Aethes cnicana, another moth added to my life list.

A clear cool start to the morning with a little light breeze to check the moth box out and though nothing exciting among the macro moths, there were another two new species to my life list present this morning. Both Aethes cnicana and Clepsis rurinana were identified using the Obsidentify App and also the micro moth Acleris laterana/comariana was identified. This particular species is too difficult to identify by just looking at it and requires a dissection  to be sure. Still, a smart little moth anyway.

This Clepsis rurinana was also added to my life list. Reminiscent of a small Light Brown Apple Moth, I had to look closely at this moth and let Obidentify App do its thing!

There were 91 moths of 38 species this morning and again, nothing new among the macro moths this morning, but I am sure something of note will turn up soon. It's been a cracking week for moths so far and with the temperature rising into the 90’s over the weekend, I wonder if anything very rare will arrive in my box again. Other insects within the moth box, for it always attracts something odd, included two Birch Shieldbugs, 2 Harlequin Ladybirds and a small Bug called Lygus maritimus.

Birch Shieldbug. There were at least two of these small insects within my moth box.

While checking the moth box, the local House Sparrows gave off their alarm call and sure enough, the female Sparrowhawk was on the hunt again and came bombing through the gardens. I didn't see if she was successful at all, but all the birds scattered.  

The micro moth Clepsis laterana/comariana.

The following moths were present this morning:  

• 8 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Lime-speck Pug
• 4 Small Dusty Wave
• 1 Riband Wave 
• 4 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 11 Garden Tiger
• 1 Silver Y
• 1 Turnip Moth
• 2 Common Rustic
• 7 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Square-spot Rustic
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 2 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Langmaid's Yellow Underwing
• 1 Vines Rustic
• 1 Grey/Dark Dagger
• 13 Common Plume
• 2 Brown House Moth
• 1 Anania coronata
• 1 Mother of Pearl
• 1 Clepsis consimilana
• 1 Blastobasis rebeli
• 3 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 2 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 1 Clepsis rurinana (NFY + LIFER)
• 2 Apple Leaf MIner
• 1 Bramble Shoot Moth
• 1 Celypha striana
• 1 Aethes cnicana (NFY + LIFER)
• 1 Blastobasis adustella
• 3 Tachystola acroxantha
• 2 White-shouldered House Moth
• 1 Swammerdamia pyrella
• 1 Bryotropha basaltinella
• 2 Yponomeuta species.
• 1 Acleris laterana/comariana

Late evening update, I checked the moth box at 10.30pm tonight and already, the micros are pouring in. Currently, there are 2 Acleris laterana/cmoariana, Rush Veneer, Cochylis atricapitana, Monopsis crocicapitella, Clepsis consimilana, Apple Leaf Miner and several Double-striped Pugs and Common Plumes all around the white sheet and the top of the moth box. 

More migrants to my moth box.

Wednesday 10th August 2022.

My first Flounced Rustic of the year.

Another hot day beckons as I was up early again this morning to check the moth box. Two Bordered Straw, 2 Jersey Tigers (though they possibly could be home-grown?), 1 White-point and a Diamond-back Moth were the migrant moths this morning, while two micro moths, Pleurata bicostella and Isophrictis striatella were added to my life list. Garden Tiger numbers have reached a new height with 18 counted this morning, but Pompey Moth-er, Mike Wearing, is currently getting well over 20+ of this beautiful species. 

Above, two Bordered Straws were present and below, two Jersey Tigers graced my moth box.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Flounced Rustic (NFY)
• 2 Bordered Straw
• 2 Jersey Tiger
• 18 Garden Tiger
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 3 Marbled Beauty
• 6 Bright-line Bright-eye
• 3 Lime-speck Pug
• 8 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Yellow Shell
• 5 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Grey/Dark Dagger
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 2 Vines Rustic
• 1 White-point
• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Square-spot Rustic
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 1 Turnip Moth
  
• 1 Mother-of Pearl
• 3 Tachystola acroxantha
• 2 Beautiful Plume
• 2 Garden Pebble
• 1 Diamond-back Moth
• 7 Common Plume
• 1 Bramble Shoot Moth
• 4 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Pyrausta aurata
• 1 Pleurata bicostella (NFY + LIFER) 
• 1 Acrobasis advenella
• 3 Blastobasis adustella
• 1 Hawthorn Moth
• 1 Oegoconia quadripuncta
• 1 Swammerdamia pyrella
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 1 Carcina quercana
• 1 Isophrictis striatella (NFY + LIFER)
• 1 Yponomeuta species.
• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Monopsis crocicapitella
• 1 Bryotropha basaltinella

Above, the Temminck's Stint on Sidlesham Ferry Pool was still present today. A much better and clearer photo of the bird. Photo by JB (Lazee Birder). Below, a Flutter Fly, Palloptera muliebris, that was in my kitchen this evening.

In Hampshire today, one of the ‘Lazee Birders’ Franno, scored with 6 species of Tern on the ‘Rainbow bar’ off Hill Head this morning. One Roseate, 4 Black Tern, 1 Arctic Tern, 4 Little Terns and both Sandwich and Common Terns were present at low tide and a further 6 Black Terns were seen around midday at the same site. An Osprey was at Fishlake Meadows again and a Whinchat was at Hook-with-Warsash reserve. I did not go out after all, but while eating lunch, a female Sparrowhawk flew into a nearby bush, but I don't know if it was successful in grabbing one of the many House Sparrows present.

Over in West Sussex, the Squacco Heron was still showing well in its usual haunt and up to 64 Cattle Egrets were counted in the roost this afternoon!

Above, a Black Tern off Hill Head and below, a Roseate Tern also off the same place (furthest bird behind the Common Tern).

Below, an Arctic Tern also off Hill Head this morning. All the Tern photos photographed by Franno.

Temminck's Stint brings up the 200.

Tuesday 9th August 2022.

A record shot of the Temminck's Stint on the Ferry Pool this afternoon despite the heat-haze. It brought up my 200th species for the year before it was eventually flushed by a Sparrowhawk. 

A Temminck's Stint was reported again on Sidlesham Ferry Pool late morning on Birdguides and so needing just one more species for the 200 for the year, I made my way early afternoon along the A27 eastbound to view the bird. The best time to get a look at the bird was probably in the morning, for when I arrived, all I could find were a small flock of four Dunlin. It took a fellow birder to find the bird and trying to photograph the Temmincks in that heat haze at the back of the Ferry Pool proved challenging.

Above and below, Black-tailed Godwit were in good numbers still on the Ferry Pool. Water is somewhat scarce due to this heatwave we are all now experiencing.

 

The good news was it was still there and although not quite at the back of the Pool, it was still a bit distant and the heat haze was a problem. After watching it for around ten minutes, a male Sparrowhawk flew low over the Pool and put up all the waders, including the Stint and that was the last we saw of it. A few old birders joined me and this other chap and asked if the Stint was still there and to their disappointment, we told them that the bird had been flushed. Apparently, it did return a lot later in the early evening along with a juvenile Cuckoo.

Blue-tailed Damselfly were the only species present this afternoon on the small pool.

There were at least 75+ Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Lapwing, 4 Redshank and 4 Dunlin still present, though this morning, there were 3 Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper, but they had gone. The male Sparrowhawk remained at the edge of the Pool within a small bush, but soon disappeared. Common Buzzards numbered at least four birds, including one that landed in the same bush as the Sparrowhawk earlier. I gave the bushes within the fields a good look for a possible Whinchat, but no diamonds.

A Grass Snake showed briefly on the pool.

I soon got a bit restless and hot (creeping up to 30 degrees again!) and so made my way back to view the small Pool again and though there were no Dragonflies around this time, there were a few Blue-tailed Damselflies flying around. One of the Grass Snakes came out of hiding briefly and swam across the water until hiding behind some vegetation. Whirligig Beetles were present close by as were a few Pondskaters on the calm water, but no sign of any Marsh Frogs today. Never mind, I was more than happy with what was there. 

One of the Common Buzzards by the Ferry Pool.

The Squacco Heron was present again in its usual place along with 60+ Cattle Egret nearby in the roost. A Great White Egret had joined the roost later in the evening. Back in Hampshire, a Roseate Tern and two Black Terns were off Hill Head this evening.