Baffins Pond & Kingston Cemetery.

Friday 27th January 2023.

A drake Tufted Duck on Baffins Pond.

This morning, after the sun finally broke through the clouds, I took a drive to Baffins Pond, in the centre of Portsmouth, for a change. In past winters, I have recorded both Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler in this land-locked site and there is always the chance of something a little unusual that possible could turn up. I was hoping for a Water Rail to be scurrying around the short grassy muddy areas by the perimeter if I was to be honest, but it wasn't to be today. None had been reported of late, but there was always the off chance.

Above, a Common Gull among Black-headed Gulls on the Pond. Below, several Cormorants were present fishing on the water. Apparently, there are fish within the Pond that include Carp, Rudd, Roach and Gudgeon.

There were a good number of Gulls present, mostly Herring and Black-headed Gulls, though there were a few Common Gulls among them. Wildfowl was mostly restricted to Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks and Mallards, though I did find a pair of Shovelers on the north-east corner as I was literally making my back to the car; showing down to about ten feet! Several Cormorants were on the water with a few more drying out their wings on the posts. A Grey Heron was following suit, making the most of the warming sun, though still in that northerly wind, it was only just above freezing!

This Grey Heron started to do a bit of preening in the sunshine.

A male Sparrowhawk belted over a couple of times and it looked as though it might have grabbed something on the small island in the middle of the Pond, but I never saw it fly off. Despite a good search for the Water Rails, it was not meant to be and so I made my way back to the car and took a drive to Kingston Cemetery for a search for Green Woodpecker; another species I have yet to see this year.

Above, a couple of Cormorant photos from the Pond and the male & female Shoveler. Just the one pair of Shoveler was a low number for here. I have seen double figures of this species in the past.

Highland Road Cemetery, my local patch, seems to be void of the usual Green Woodpecker of late and so I thought Kingston Cemetery, which is much larger and more trees, could be a possibility. Again, despite a good search, there was not a sign or sausage of one, though two ‘drumming’ Great Spotted Woodpecker made up for that. Both birds seem to be quite close to one another in the centre of the Cemetery, by the main road that cuts through the Cemetery. With February just around the corner, I am not surprised that these birds are now ‘drumming’ and getting their territories in order.

From top to bottom: one of the male Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen 'drumming' this morning in Kingston Cemetery. Snowdrops were out in bloom. One of a few Long-tailed Tits seen over the east side and a Stock Dove that was calling over on the west side of the Cemetery.

Other notable birds included a few Long-tailed Tits over on the east side and a female Goldcrest in a small conifer near where I parked my car. A Stock Dove was calling high up in one of the trees and showed very well in the sunshine. Apart from the usual many Crows, Magpies and Wood Pigeons, there wasn't a lot else of note to be seen; but a nice walk nonetheless. My first Snowdrops of the year were in bloom along the side of the main road.       

One of the male 'drumming' Great Spotted Woodpeckers in Kingston Cemetery this morning.