Back to the Cemy.

Monday 6th February 2023.

A cloudless sunny afternoon in the Cemetery.

It seems like a while since I have added anymore entries to my blog, but over the weekend, I have picked up a Chest infection which laid me low all over the weekend and although I felt a bit better this morning and took a stroll around Highland Road Cemetery this afternoon, I don't think I am quite ‘out of the woods’ yet!

Above, this Starling was singing from the well pruned tree at the south of the Cemy. Below, I found the female Great Spotted Woodpecker high up in a Horse Chestnut Tree by the main footpath.

Before I go on about today's birds, the male Blackcap was back again in the garden on Friday and Saturday and my wife was kind enough to get me some more Fat Balls, Suet Pellets and Apples for the birds, which should be enough to feed them for the forthcoming month. More cold weather is predicted over the coming weeks, however, last weekend was rather mild with temperatures down here in Southsea reaching up to 15 degrees.

Above, pairs of Carrion Crows were searching the leaf litter for something to eat and below, one of several Robins around the Cemetery.

Also on Friday, I had to go to the centre of the City of Portsmouth and before my appointment, I took a walk around Victoria Park, which is close to the Guildhall. From here (I have not been here for many, many years), a male Sparrowhawk was seen soaring high over the buildings and a Grey Wagtail was also seen flying over the buildings too. Apart from the Herring Gulls and Wood Pigeons, all was very quiet within the Park, with just a Great Tit to add to a small total of birds.

Some of the Daisies peeking out of the short grass.

Back to today. Again, a rather low number of species were seen or heard today, despite the mild, sunny weather. There was a notable absence of some species, with no sign of the Jays among the graves or any Sparrowhawks soaring over. The female Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen banging away at one of the Horse Chestnut trees by the footpath at the southern end of the Cemetery. Though, yet again, no sign of the Green Woodpecker which leads me to believe that this bird has succumbed to either old age or predation?

I put my moth box on in my garden for the first time this year last Friday night. Despite being overcast at first, the cloud had obviously cleared by morning and as expected, it yielded no moths at all!  

I thought it was mild enough for an early butterfly or two or even a Hoverfly to be on the wing, as it was so mild and windless, but none to be seen; just a few House flies perching on the boughs of trees. A few Daisies were sprouting through the grass and the only other plants to be seen were Common Groundsel and a few Crocuses also in bloom. 

A friend of mine, who recently moved to Middlesborough. He filmed this superb female Goshawk enjoying its breakfast of Wood Pigeon in his garden! I am very jealous!

Birds seen and heard in and around the Cemetery today included the following:

• Herring Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Robin
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Wren 
• Goldcrest

Back in Hampshire, both the Shorelark at Hurst Beach and the Great Grey Shrike near Denny Wood were still present this morning and, of course, the long-staying adult Sabine’s Gull is still present at Southmoor. Two Long-tailed Ducks and 4 Black-necked Grebes were nearby in Langstone Harbour along with many Goldeneye, Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes. Just  the two Glossy Ibis seen today behind the Bridge Street Floods near Titchfield.

A quick update on new discoveries this afternoon include a sighting of a Bittern on Farlington Marshes. It was seen from the Viewing Platform overlooking the Lake. Three Short-eared Owls were also seen around the Point Field, though sadly flushed by some walkers going through the field instead of around it. A juvenile Iceland Gull was seen late this afternoon near Redbridge Wharf, Southampton and hopefully, might hang around during the week. I got a text from birding buddy Geoff Farwell this morning, to say that he went birding from Pigeon House Farm to Hookheath Farm, where he had at least 10 Common Buzzard, 3 Red Kite, 14 Mandarin Ducks, 40 Stock Doves, 28 Skylark, a Marsh Tit and 85 Yellowhammers!