Wheatears at Eastney Outfall.

Friday 17th March 2023.

My first Wheatear of the year. Amazingly, this is the same date I saw my first one last year!

This afternoon, having read on the Hants Birding website that a pair of male Wheatears had been seen this morning just east of Southsea Castle; I just had to go and have a look if I could see the birds for myself. This morning's rain had departed and now it was bright sunshine with a clear blue sky overhead and so parking up near the Pyramids, I took a stroll to where the new Seawall Construction was taking place.

Above, the lone Sanderling on the Sewage Pipe. Below, another photo of the male Wheatear, whereas the second bird was seen on the perimeter fence.

Despite a good search on the beach and by the large rocks, there were no sign of any Wheatears, which was very disappointing. So I took a drive down to Southsea Common where a small flock of Brent Geese were the only birds of note. Next, I took a drive along the seafront to Eastney beach and tried my luck there. Nope. The only birds of note seen here were around a dozen Mediterranean Gulls resting on the shingle. So I gave it one more shot and tried my luck again around the Water Treatment Works by Eastney Outfall.

Above, the male Stonechat on the perimeter fence with Meadow Pipits. Below, one of the Meadow Pipits.

Yep, that meant driving very cautiously through the large car park and its notorious horrible potholes. After safely negotiating them, I parked up and quickly checked both the beach by the harbour entrance and also the field to the west of the car park. Again, no Wheatears at all, just the usual contingent of around 50+ Brent Geese loafing in the field. Then I caught sight of an interesting passerine perched on the perimeter fence way in the distance, of which I found out later, was a male Stonechat. But still, I had to go and check it and that's when I came across my first Wheatears of the year. Brilliant.

Above, there was a pair of Mediterranean Gulls on the beach by the car park, with this individual sporting a rather muddy beak! Below, not the sharpest photo I have ever taken of the male Stonechat!

I took the slightly muddy track around the south side of the Water Treatment Works and on the rocks way in front of me, up popped a male Wheatear. Quickly taking a few photos, I noticed a lot of passerines on the perimeter fence which turned out to be three Meadow Pipits, the male Stonechat I had seen earlier and another male Wheatear, though taking a photo with the sun behind them was never going to be easy. Well pleased with the Wheatear sightings, I checked the Sewage Pipe for anything of note and at the very end of the Pipe, there was a lone Sanderling. Apart from a Cormorant and a few Gulls, nothing was on the sea and so I made my way back to the car.

I put on the moth box last night seeing it was rather mild, though despite the wet weather this morning, I was rewarded with three moths: a Light Brown Apple Moth (above), a Double-striped Pug (below) and a Beautiful Plume, which was seen last night but had flown off by morning.

In Hampshire today, the persistent southerlies have been helping migration as there was a sprinkling of migrants again that included a pair of Little Ringed Plovers and 10 Sand Martins on Testwood Lakes, several Wheatears and Chiffchaffs at various locations and a pair of Short-eared Owls on Farlington Marshes again. The long staying juvenile Iceland Gull is still present off Redbridge, Southampton. Nationally, it seems to be a good Spring for Alpine Swifts, for they  seem to be at many locations and even a Red-rumped Swallow was seen today. Eyes to the skies as they say.