A blast from the past!

Wednesday 8th March 2023

Ten years ago today, 11 Purple Sandpipers were seen feeding by Southsea Castle and have been ever since during the Winter and early Spring period.

Today was a bit of a washout with near non-stop rain all day and so I did not venture out today apart from looking after our grandchild Isabelle for around an hour early this morning. In fact, the only bird I saw today was a Blackbird feeding on the Apple halves in my garden and a few House Sparrows also in the garden enjoying the Sunflower hearts within the feeder.

The weather was still very cold and although we had rain all day, further north in the County, snow had laid overnight and a few snow showers still lingered. It even settled as far south as Clanfield and the news services were warning drivers to not go out in the icy conditions. More snow is forecast overnight in the north of the County and hopefully, it will stay there. It just might push something interesting down further south. Fingers crossed.

From top to bottom, Geoff Farwell, myself and Geoff again birding at St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight way back in 1984! Both of us had lots of hair then! Cracking trip though.

So, though I have not been birding since Sunday, I thought I would do a ‘blast from the past’ by going back 10, 20, 30 and even 40 years ago! Bloody hell, I feel terribly old! I have been logging my bird sightings since 1977 and so I had the opportunity to go through my old log books. So I shall kick off March 8th 2013. I was actually birding in horrible conditions again (deja vu!) at Southsea Castle where I saw up to 11 Purple Sandpipers. That was the good news, or the bad news was that my DSL camera at the time got water damaged and with a trip to Cyprus coming up a few weeks later, that's how I got into Bridge Cameras. Meanwhile, Farlington Marshes was hosting on this date, a Red-breasted Goose and a Spoonbill.

Me sea-watching off St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight nearly 40 years ago

Twenty years ago today, I was at Portland Bill with my sons Nathan and Daniel. Yes, I used to take them a lot on my birding trips and although they were not really into birds, they always kept themselves entertained. Christ, I miss them, but that's another story. Portland Bill hosted the usual Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbill, Fulmar and a Great Northern Diver plus two Purple Sandpipers on the rocks below. While the boys were playing on the skateboard, I checked out Portland Harbour from Sandsfoot Castle where I saw both Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes plus a good number of Mergansers in blustery cold conditions.   

Summary of our sightings on 21st April 1984 at St. Catherine's Point.

Thirty years ago on March 5th (no birding on the 8th), I took a trip down to Farlington Marshes and although all the usual waders and wildfowl were present, I also saw a superb male Merlin flying over the seawall and out into the harbour and also a singing male Reed Bunting.

Forty years ago on this date, sadly I have no bird news at all as it seems I took a 8 month break from writing up my bird reports. However, I have provided a photo of both Geoff Farwell and myself on a big seawatch at St. Catherines Point on the Isle of Wight. This took place well before I was driving and also mobile phones; but in April 1984, we caught the Ferry across and then got the bus all the way to spend the weekend at this good seawatching area. If I remember rightly, we did notch up some good birds including Velvet Scoter, Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater, Little Gull, Black-throated Diver, Hobby and Pomarine Skua on the 21st April.

This photo was taken at Church Norton, West Sussex in 1983! Oh to be able to wear a size 33 pair of Jeans again!!!

Will I be reporting what was seen 50 years ago we shall see, but the birds that are being seen regularly in the UK now for example: Little Egret, Great White Egret and Glossy Ibis are near common whereas Tree Sparrow, Willow Tit and Yellow Wagtail that we saw regularly all those years ago are so rare now on the south coast.