In the distance Sunburgh Head, on the Mainland. My father used to fly there and then get the helicopter onto the Oil Rigs where he worked for many years when I was a teenager.
A birding chum of mine, Denise Murray is preparing to make her way back from her two-week stay in the Shetland Islands. She has kindly allowed me to put some of her superb photos of some of the rarities she encountered during her stay there and although the weather was somewhat erratic (though I am not surprised for this time of year), the birds were top quality again. Again, many thanks Denise.
Probable Homeyer's Great Grey Shrike. It will be a UK first if accepted. This was photographed at Hillswick, Mainland.
Drake King Eider.
Hornermann's Arctic Redpoll at Toab, Mainland.
A Black-winged Stilt on Yell, Northern Isles.
Glaucous Gull in Lerwick, Mainland.
Myrtle Warbler at Bigton, Mainland.
Yellow-browed Warbler at Norwick, Unst.
Ortolan Bunting also at Norwick, Unst.
White's Thrush at Lerwick, Mainland. I believe that none other than our own Hampshire Birder, Andy Johnson, found the bird.
Two Feathered Ranunculus and a Pale Mottled Willow. The latter vibrating its wings before flying off.
A balmy 14 degrees outside in the garden this morning as I went about checking the moth box. I was a little late in going outside this morning and there were hardly any moths at all outside the box, bar one pristine Blair’s Mocha that was sitting on the rain guard. I cannot complain about that! Unfortunately, not a great deal in the moth box itself, just the usual regulars, but it's better than getting nothing at all like last Saturday.
Blair's Mocha.
The moths present this morning included the following:
1 Blair’s Mocha
1 Pale Mottled Willow
2 Feathered Ranunculus
2 Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 Crocidosema plebejana
5 Light Brown Apple Moth
The Chiffchaff could be heard again calling in the back gardens somewhere, however, I wasn't out there in the garden for too long. October is traditionally when some of our rarer birds turn up to our shores and today, a Blackburnian Warbler was found on the small island of Bryher, Isle of Scilly. This colourful North-American warbler was still present today and no doubt will attract a big crowd today, hot on the heels of a Two-barred Greenish Warbler and Swainson's Thrush that was present on the islands earlier this week.
The Bloxworth Snout moth I caught last night by my moth box.
I put my moth box on last night, the first time since last week and although it rained very heavily in the early hours of this morning, it produced a few surprises, notably a new micro moth species for my life list. A check on the moth box last night revealed an interesting macro moth of which turned out to be my 3rd Bloxworth Snout of the year which I quickly potted. There were a few Light Brown Apple Moths on top of the rain guard and one was huge and so I potted it, prepared to ID it tomorrow morning.
Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix.
There has been some controversy on how good the App Obsidentify actually is and how accurate after reading some of the comments on the Facebook Moth pages and one moth in particular this morning came up as Acleris hastiana, when in fact it was postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth). The new micro moth that was positively identified was a Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, which I thought was a little late for this moth, but it was most certainly a good third bigger than the rest of the micros present.
The micro moth Crocidosema plebejana.
The moths present in and around my moth box this morning included the following:
1 Angle Shades
5 Double-striped Pug
4 Lesser Yellow Underwing
1 Large Yellow Underwing
1 Bloxworth Snout
1 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix (NFY + LIFER)
1 Crocidosema plebejana
16 Light Brown Apple Moth
1 Eudonia angustea
1 Tachystola acroxantha
1 Box Tree Moth
3 Clepsis consimilana
1 Common Plume
Another interesting creature that turned up in my sodden garden, in fact on the glass of my back garden door, was a Yellow-striped Flatworm. Strangely, it is always around this time of year that they start to appear in my garden. I have seen them scale the brickwork at the back of my house in very wet conditions and due to the rain overnight, I found one making its way up my back kitchen door! Apparently, they are an invasive species that were probably brought in on house plants from Australia and not a good species to have for they do attack our native earthworms.
The Yellow-striped Flatworm. An annual visitor to my garden in Autumn in wet conditions.
At least two Chiffchaffs were calling in the back of the garden this morning, with at least one individual seen flitting about the trees in the drizzle. A quick look on Hants Birding and already some brave soul has gone birding this morning and found 3 Dartford Warblers within the gorse at Fort Cumberland. Well done that chap.
A large flock of Curlew flew west over the harbour towards the islands.
I thought I would have a quick trip over Budds Farm this early afternoon and who should turn up, three of the ‘Lazee’s’ out on a birding day out! I parked up at the top of the hill, intent to check out the pools in front of the Sewage Works, but when the guys (Andy Friend, Andy Dickety and Simon) told me that there was hardly anything to look at on there, I went off and parked up down by the car park near the harbour wall and joined the guys in a walk to Southmoor.
A pair of Little Egrets flying over the fields at Southmoor.
The day was bright and sunny, with a light south-westerly blowing over on the incoming tide, it was a pleasant walk and a good catch up on what the guys had seen and it didn't take long for Mr Friend to pick up a female Sparrowhawk being hotly pursued by a Magpie across the flooded fields. Last Winter, the sea reclaimed a large area of Southmoor, turning it into muddy pools and grass that looks as though it might benefit the local waders and wildfowl that were clearly taking advantage of the area. Hopefully, the wintering Short-eared Owls will enjoy it too?
Greenshank were present on Southmoor, where up to a dozen birds were counted.
I could see in the distance, a gathering of at least 12 Greenshank were resting by the creek along with smaller numbers of Grey Plover, Redshank and Oystercatcher, though there was a good number of Teal present, though looked quite restless with patrolling Kestrels and Sparrowhawks around. Out in Langstone Harbour, I picked up at least four Great Crested Grebes on the water, but no sign of any Black-necked Grebes yet, but I do expect there might have been one or two in the harbour by now.
There were a good number of Little Egrets around.
From the end of the footpath, which was now split due to the breach, looking north, we could see the waders and wildfowl present fairly clearly and Andy Dickety, the only one packing a scope, could not find anything of note other than that already mentioned. A close Little Egret was stationary fishing in the nearby creek, one of around a dozen birds around the area, but no Cattle Egret among them. Yesterday, Andy Friend watched an adult Purple Heron fly across from Farlington Marshes over to Broadmarsh and there was always a chance the bird could be over here, but no sign of the bird during our short trip here.
One of four Rock Pipits present along the shoreline.
The walk back to the car park produced a nice flock of four Rock Pipits with a Meadow Pipit among them along the tideline / seaweed. They all showed very well and were reluctant to fly too far until they all headed off over the harbour. A group of 7 Little Grebes were in a single bunch just offshore and further south out into the harbour, I saw the head of a Harbour Seal poking out of the water, while I was searching for the Osprey that has been present of late. A male Kestrel was seen hovering near the car park, but soon flew off on our approach and finally, a Chiffchaff was heard calling in vegetation nearby. The guys were going off to Farlington Marshes, where earlier, Andy Dickety had a Harbour Seal sat on the mudflats within the harbour just off the Lake earlier this morning. We said our goodbyes and I headed off back into Portsmouth.
Above, the 'Lazee's' Andy Dickety, Andy Friend and Simon making their way back to the car park. Below, the Harbour Seal photographed off Farlington Marshes by Andy Dickety earlier today.
Gannets were passing through over the sea on a regular basis.
Having the day off, I was wondering on where to go today and seeing that it was still overcast and blustery after this mornings early rain shower, I thought I would try Selsey Bill for a possible Skua or Shearwater and maybe later, it the Barred Warbler at Climping puts in an appearance, then a trip there afterwards would be on the cards. But first, there was a Mr Andrew Fisher to pick up.
Above, the Black Rustic moth by Andy's moth trap this morning and below, the micro moth Acleris aspersana. I have re-identified this moth judging by my field guide and although the white spots do not show up clearly in my photo, they did in other photos.
I did not bother to put the moth box on in my garden overnight, however, Andy did and though there were not many moths, there were some nice individuals on show including a Black Rustic, 2 Eudonia angustea, 2 Light Brown Apple Moth, 2 Tachystola acroxantha and a micro that I have re-identified as Acleris aspersana, which is a new micro moth for my life list. Though a little late for this species, it most certainly matched the drawing in my field guide. Sadly, to be totally sure, this moth has to be dissected to ascertain if it is this species or the closely related Acleris notona. But my money is on the former. While checking the moths over a cup of coffee, a pair of House Martins drifted over.
Above, an immature Gannet and below, one of many adults passing through.
On our way to Selsey Bill, a male Sparrowhawk flew low over the road, with prey in its talons as we drove south down the B2145. On arrival, a Digger was being dropped off for some workman who was working on the recently renovated Retirement Home gardens. We parked safely away from the long vehicle and quickly occupied the empty bench and then spent the next few hours enjoying a busy morning offshore. However, I was regretting bringing some gloves and will most certainly look at bringing my winter gear in future, especially with the light northerly wind blowing down my neck!
The dark-phased Arctic Skua passing fairly close in heading east.
As mentioned before, it was quite busy offshore with good numbers of Gannets, both adults and immature birds, going through almost consistently. Brent Geese were going through in small numbers, probably having crossed the English Channel early this morning to reach our shores. All birds seen were heading westbound. Large numbers of Auks went through, mostly eastbound, but the vast majority were very distant birds, though we got lucky with a pair of Guillemots and a Razorbill settling down on the sea not too far from the shore. At least 5 Shags were seen flying eastbound and at least 4 Sandwich Terns flew past and at least 3 Med Gulls also heading east.
From top to bottom: adult Med Gull, Brent Geese and a Shag.
The best sighting by far here this morning was of the dark-phased Arctic Skua moving east close in and I only just managed to grab a few photos of the bird before it disappeared behind the wall in front of us. It was our first of the year and while trying to photo the Skua, a drake Eider flew east fairly close in and the only other duck seen this morning here was a drake Wigeon also flying east. There were also plenty of passerines going over which were mostly Meadow Pipits, which got a local male Kestrel interested as we even saw it soaring high over the sea. House Martins and a few Swallows were also on the move over the sea and even a Little Egret was seen flying east low over the calm sea. So plenty to look at during our two hour trip here.
The drake Eider heading east with an immature Gannet.
Andy asked me if the Barred Warbler had been reported yet and a quick check on Birdguides revealed that it was still in its usual Hedge near the village of Climping. We first, though, got some refreshments first before making the 35 minute drive to the location and on reaching the car park at West Beach. Paying the fee, we took the long walk along the beach, enjoying views of a Kestrel along the dunes and also a female Stonechat was on show in a small bramble. A local birder joined us in making our way to the favourite hedgerow of the bird and also along the way, there must have been at least 10 Clouded Yellow butterflies seen along the way and on the way back too.
The Barred Warbler at Climping today.
We didn't rush there, just simply took it easy walking about a mile to the site, joining around 6 other birders present enjoying superb views of the Barred Warbler. It has been many years since I have seen this species; the last, I think, was on Hayling Island and seeing this bird again reminded me of how big and grey this attractive warbler is. It was faithful to a 60 feet length of hedgerow where it was mostly feeding on Blackberries and in the bright sunshine, showed very well at times and I even managed to film footage of the bird. We spent the next 20 minutes or so enjoying the bird when it came out of hiding and it was also joined by a female Blackcap while we were there. Behind us, a large number of Gull, including a lot of Med Gulls, were in the ploughed field.
From top to bottom: the Barred Warbler, the location of the Warbler and one of many Clouded Yellow butterflies on the beach.
Having enjoyed a lengthy time with the bird, thinking of my 2hr parking ticket, we made our way back and I have to admit, I was absolutely knackered by the time I got back to the car. I think I currently have the makings of a chest infection and the coughing I was going through was damn painful. Groan! Nevertheless, a superb day birding with two more ‘year-ticks’ under my belt.
Film footage of the Barred Warbler this afternoon at Climping.
The lovely colours of Autumn reflecting in this photo of the Cemetery.
It was back over my ‘local patch’, Highland Road Cemetery this morning and on such another lovely day (just a bit windier than yesterday), I felt there could be something exciting within the area, like a Yellow-browed Warbler or the like. But it wasn't to be, but there was plenty to look at and also an impressive list of birds recorded this morning. There were quite a few dog walkers this morning, but all were polite and all but one had their dogs on leads, which is always a bonus.
Top photo: Ivy Bees nectaring on the Ivy plants. Bottom photo: a Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax bathing in the sunshine.
The strong fragrance of the flowering Ivy within the Cemy was intoxicating and it attracted tons of Bees, Hoverflies and even Butterflies to nectar on the bountiful supply of food for them. Honey Bees, Ivy Bees, Drone Flies and Tapered Drone Flies were all abundant as were Common Wasps enjoying the Ivy plants and some of the towering plants were quite impressive. Normally, the Council workers pull off the Ivy from the gravestones every so often, but some of the Ivy Plants are growing up to 20 feet tall in places; huge feeding stations for the Bees etc, which can only be a good thing!
This Chiffchaff was in the Pine in the south-east corner of the Cemy.
Though nothing rare of note was found regarding the bird life here, there were at least three Chiffchaffs seen this morning in various areas of the Cemy and a pair of Goldcrests showed relatively well in one of the Horse Chestnut trees and another bird was calling in one of the Holm Oaks. The colourful Jay was seen again, hopping from one gravestone to another and overhead, a Chaffinch, Greenfinch and a Meadow Pipit were seen.
Top photo, one of the towering Ivy Plants growing and engulfing a gravestone, which provides a huge source of food for insects. Bottom photo: a Red Admiral was one of two species seen this morning.
Butterflies were few and far between this morning, despite being such a sunny day, with just the one Red Admiral and one Large White seen. Still, a lovely walk again around my favourite part of Portsmouth. Sadly, I made up my mind this week that Scruff has had his last walk around Highland Road Cemetery as his back legs simply cannot take the distance anymore. He is well over 15 years old now and old age has crept up on him. He had some good times here, chasing the Squirrels when he was young (never got even close to them, lol!) and sniffing all the passing dogs. Lovely memories, but it feels a part of me is missing when he is not with me here.
Above, this juvenile Blackbird was feeding on the Yew Berries with a male nearby. Below, this Yew is covered in a Clematis type plant. Colourful though!
The following birds were seen here this morning:
Herring Gull
Black-headed Gull
Blackbird
Robin
Wren
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldcrest
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Jay
Magpie
Meadow Pipit
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Above, a Jay showed again within the Cemy, but just a single bird was on show. Below, several Robins were seen today, including this one which sang briefly.
