More 'Vis Mig' & Highland Road Cemetery.

Tuesday 29th August 2023.

It is looking very Autumnal now in the Cemetery and hopefully, there will be a few passing migrants there over the coming months. The dogs are certainly getting better with their walking and I was very pleased with their behaviour today.

Up early again this morning, though not to do the moths. I left the moth box off last night as I didn't want to re-trap the same moths (gives them a fighting chance!), but putting my dogs out in the garden, up to 15 Yellow Wagtails flew over, with a flock of 14 flying west and a single bird a little earlier around 6.30am. High patchy white cloud was overhead, but again, not a drop of wind and so picking out the bird's calls was easy.

The female Sparrowhawk dashed in this morning to try and grab a small bird then settled briefly in nearby tree. A Magpie came in to check on the raptor. 

I took them for another walk around HIghland Road Cemetery, hoping for a migrant or two, but the only migrant I could find was a Chiffchaff; with just the one seen during my 45 minutes there. There was no sign of the Green Woodpecker again, but while standing in the south-east corner of the main footpath, I watched a female Sparrowhawk swoop in and I think it grabbed a small bird from a bush in front of me and then landed nearby in some trees (see photos). That was probably the highlight of the walk this morning, although my dogs behaved brilliantly with some other dogs they met at the gates today. So pleased.

Above, a female Sphaerophoria species of Hoverfly nectaring on a Yarrow plant and below, Horse Chestnuts are ripening, which is providing a banquet for the local Squirrels here in the Cemetery. The leaves can clearly be seen that they have been infested with the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moth caterpillars.

Above, both Yarrow and Lady Bedstraw grow well between the graves. Below, a Robin singing by one of the smaller footpaths. I can hear them 'ticking' now deep within the vegetation; a typical Autumn sound. 

Again, all the usual birds were present this morning between 8 and 8.45am including a small flock of 9 Goldfinches heading high west (migrant birds?). One or possibly two Chiffchaffs were seen this morning, though near impossible to get a photo of as both birds were deep within vegetation and would not pop out to show themselves fully. Buggers! At least the Sparrowhawk showed well out on the edge of the tree.

Above, a couple of Goldfinches with a pair of Starlings on a nearby Aerial. Below, a Honey Bee is attracted to a Rose on a grave.

The following birds were present this morning:

• Goldfinch
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Blackbird
• Herring Gull
• Sparrowhawk: female
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Starling
• Dunnock
• Robin
• Chiffchaff 

On the way to the Cemetery, I found a Small Dusty Wave moth perched on the front of a white painted house along Albert Road; the only moth seen this morning and no butterflies either, though I suppose it was a bit early for them.

Above, just a few Collared Doves were seen this morning, though their numbers will be increasing as the year gets older. Below, the Small Dusty Wave moth that I found while walking to the Cemetery.

I found out before writing this up on my blog, that Selsey Bill had recorded over 238+ Balearic Shearwaters  (Is that a record for Selsey Bill?) that flew east this morning!!!! Incredible numbers. Possibly the same three Glossy Ibis that were on the Meander Pools over at Hook with Warsash early last Saturday morning (they had flown off by the time we were there), are currently on Posbrook Floods this morning. More incredible news on a National scale is the report that BOTH Brown Booby and Red-footed Booby could be seen on Bishop Rock Lighthouse yesterday! Who would of thought that a pair of Boobies would be seen together here!!! What on earth is going on!! The latter bird even made the Good Morning Britain news last week. I think 2023 has to go down as the year for seabirds. Finally, as I am writing this in my garden currently, there is a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff calling in the garden behind me and also a Grey Wagtail has just flown over heading west. Autumn is certainly coming.