An Arctic Tern from Southsea seafront.

Friday 21st April 2023.

One of the Common Terns perched on this buoy some 100 yards offshore in the rain. Its mate was circling above the bird.

This morning started again with a bright blue sky and blazing sunshine, but I knew that was going to disappear around midday as rain was forecast and so I had to make the most of a two-hour sea-watch from my usual shelter at Southsea Beach. Earlier today, a superb male Peregrine flew low over the rooftops by Winter Road here in Southsea, to start the day off nicely around 8am. I was hoping for my first Swift of the year and always kept an eye out above me, but none seen today so far.

At least there was a small movement of Common Terns passing through the Solent during my two hours here.

After finishing what I was doing this morning, I grabbed my birding gear and decided to do a couple of hours sea-watching over the Solent. During my two hours, I grabbed another ‘year-tick’ as an adult Arctic Tern went slowly by with two Common Terns for close comparison. The shorter neck and billed bird and also slightly smaller in build clearly distinguishing it from the closely related Common Terns as the bird headed east. Though there wasn't a great deal of variety, there were plenty of Terns going through.

And another!

Most, I assume, were well established birds that were simply fishing out in the Solent, but I did have a few purposeful flocks heading low over the water heading east with at least 30 Common Terns heading east and much smaller numbers of Sandwich Tern seen further out numbering around 6 birds in total during my stay. I only saw the one Whimbrel this morning, heading east low over the Solent (see photo) and an adult Shag was flying low over the sea heading west.

This distant Whimbrel was the only wader seen this morning with Horse Sand Fort in the background. 

I got a phone call from fellow ‘Lazee’, Andy Friend, who told me he was birding from the shelter at Gilkicker and he was getting large numbers of Swallows coming in from the sea. I had none whatsoever, however, a chap who was swimming earlier here came over for a chat and told me that he had a flock of 5 birds fly over his head while he was swimming! I did lose around 20 minutes studying the Solent as a different chap had a long conversation with me about the local bird life here and surprised me with the fact he saw a Heron perched on one of the Shelters here yesterday and would not move for anyone! Very odd!

I have not seen any Swifts yet here over Southsea, but this is some film footage from last year with the Swift using our nestboxes in my street where I live. They should be back soon and I am hoping to get more Swift boxes up before they arrive.

The rain did eventually come in around 11.30am and by midday, I had to call it a day because I had other things to do today. I got a little wet walking back to the car, but as I was driving back home, Andy Friend rang me to say he just had a pair of Arctic Skua heading east in my direction! Bugger! Another ten minutes and I would have probably seen them.   

Birding pal, Dave Levy, has been birding up at Minsmere RSPB Reserve, Suffolk and took these superb photos of a Bittern there. Sadly, we never got to see any at Blashford Lakes last winter. Maybe this year?