Roseate Tern & Arctic Skua through the Solent.

Friday 4th May 2023.

Some serious sea-watching from Southsea seafront Shelter.

I had a good feeling today that something like a Pomarine Skua would pass through the Solent today and so after I finished my job this morning, I headed off down to my usual shelter overlooking the Solent and after settling down with my birding gear, the two hour sea-watch kicked off superbly with not only a pair of Swallows flying in off the sea, but a superb pale-phased Arctic Skua! 

Several Sandwich Terns were flying along the shoreline at high tide, but most were too quick most of the time to grab a photo. 

A south-westerly wind was blowing through the harbour and conditions looked perfect for a Skua or two and the light seemed just about perfect. I had read earlier that East Sussex had scored early with sightings of Pomarine Skua’s and even Selsey Bill had a few too. Hampshire scored with several seen early morning too from Sandy Point and Cut Bridge to the far west of Hampshire also notched up some of these majestic beauties. Sadly, though I never had any during my stint at Southsea, I was rewarded with a superb Arctic Skua that simply looked fantastic through the scope, but it would have looked crap on camera as it was too distant.

This Feral Pigeon 'photo-bombed' this photo of a passing Sandwich Tern.

Maybe there was no Pomarine Skua yet to add to my year list, but I did notch up a superb Roseate Tern flying low with four Common Terns heading east. Possibly the same bird that was off Hill Head recently, the bird stood out among the Common’s like a sore thumb and what a cracking bird it looked too in this superb light. Well pleased with that, there was a reasonably nice selection of sightings that included good numbers of Hirundines coming in off the sea that involved at least 13 Swifts and 8 Swallows. Just amazing to think from where they have come from for such a tiny creature and to think they are landing on our shores again. One of the brilliant spectacles of British birding.

Good numbers of Swifts came in off the sea in ones and twos.

Other notable birds included several wader species: one Sanderling, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Oystercatcher that were all heading eastbound. A single Shag was seen flying north over the Solent some distance out, but showed well when it eventually headed off west towards Southsea Castle area. I’m sure it will not land there as the Council are still finishing off the new seawall defences there. There was a small movement of both Sandwich and Common Terns going through, 12 and 8 respectively, all looking purposely heading east instead of fishing along the shoreline.

Another photo of one of the Swifts.

Later on the way back home, I cast my vote in the local elections and on my way back, I looked up to hear and watch a Jay making the strangest of noises up in a roadside tree opposite Highland Road Cemetery. It certainly grabbed a few people's attention who were having second guesses on the bird's identification, lol!   

Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls resting together on the Solent.