Friday 29th September 2023.
I arrived at work earlier than normal this morning and so took the opportunity to take a walk from Pembroke Road, through an alleyway by the Bowling Club and up to the Kings Battery and Long Curtain Battery, by the moat just before the seafront. It even involved walking through a lit tunnel to the moat which was quite exciting, though it was sad to see someone sleeping rough in a tent along that alleyway. I would have not noticed them hidden behind the bushes till I heard someone cough. Very sad.
On a positive note, I have never been in this part of Old Portsmouth and so kept an eye out for anything of note. Luckily for me, a very showy Chiffchaff was by the footpath and a ‘ticking’ Robin showed well on the edge of a bush. Overhead, flocks of Meadow Pipits were flying over, heading south. By the moat, good numbers of both Starling and Feral Pigeon were making use of the holes in the walls and back in my workplace, a Linnet flew high over, calling in doing so. Where I had been had so much potential for something unusual to be lurking about, like a rare Warbler or a Wryneck. Maybe next time?
This gave me the urge to take the dogs back over Highland Road Cemetery again this morning and so after my first shift, off we went. My highest species total this week was achieved with 23 species seen this morning. I wonder how many I would see if I spent all day here? I had a chat with some ‘old boy’ who was complaining about the lack of birds here!! I suggested that it was Autumn and I had seen over 20 species here yesterday. He asked where all the breeding birds were, so I had to explain what Autumn entails and the birds that come and go here. Some people you have to educate, but there is a way in doing it and smiling, he left having that bit more knowledge to think about. Sometimes, I have seen people ridiculed for simply not understanding, but what's wrong with some reasonable education and some simple explanations. I might be approaching 60 years old and have been birding probably 50 years, but I am still learning all the time. We all are.
Back to the birds and while chatting to the ‘Old Boy’, a Grey Wagtail flew over, as I pointed it out and later along my walk, a Pied Wagtail was heard to fly over, though not seen. The early morning patchy cloud was now disappearing and a clear blue sky was now in its wake as a pleasant sunny day beckoned. A pair of Sparrowhawks circled low over the Cemetery, much to the annoyance of the local Corvids, but it was nice to see them passing each other until one flew off and the other flew higher and higher heading south.
The Woodpeckers have not been seen for a while, especially the Green Woodpecker, but the female Great Spotted Woodpecker was first heard then eventually seen flying into the old Conifer over on the south-east corner of the perimeter path. It showed well for a while, but a bugger to photograph in the shadow of the branches. Again, the only Warblers to be seen in the Cemetery were the Chiffchaffs with at least a dozen scattered around the area. Four were seen together over on the east side and one bird over on the west side was heard briefly singing.
Overhead, small numbers of Siskins were heard calling, but virtually impossible to see against the blue sky; though the Meadow Pipits were a tad more easier. The Jay showed well over on the north side, flying down to plant an acorn between the edge of the path and a gravestone. Then it flew back up into the trees as me and the dogs slowly approached. A second bird was heard some distance behind us, which was probably its mate. The dogs behaved well this morning and I even introduced them to a couple of Special Constables that were walking around the perimeter footpath. I had a nice chat with them of which they asked me if I had seen any unruly behaviour or drug-takers within the Cemy. I told them I have seen the occasional chap smoking a ‘joint’ and the odd homeless chap (I assume?) sitting on the benches, but nothing dodgy. Good to see the Special Constables around though patrolling the area. A dangerous dog was reported here on Facebook recently, in which I was shown a photograph of the dog. I think I had seen it before, though all dogs have the potential to get a bit stroppy now and then. I personally want to see them all on leads, but I see it all too often, some not on their lead within the Cemy.
- Sparrowhawk (male + female)
- Herring Gull
- House Sparrow
- Starling
- Robin
- Wren
- Dunnock
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Chiffchaff
- Goldfinch
- Siskin
- Meadow Pipit
- Grey Wagtail
- Pied Wagtail
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Wood Pigeon
- Feral Pigeon
- Collared Dove
- Blackbird
- Carrion Crow
- Magpie
- Jay
I have just started reading my latest edition of Birdwatch magazine and I read with interest Mark Avery’s column he has written about the state of our present Government and the broken promises made by this shower of undesirables. I hate politics with a vengeance, but that's not what this blog is all about. I am watching Paul Whitehouse's interesting programme about the state of our rivers, streams and even the sea and the pollution that is allowed to go unchecked. I will be voting next year and lets say, this current Government will NOT be getting my vote. Enough said. The weekend is nearly here and more birding with the boys tomorrow. Happy days.
Late this afternoon, after my second shift, my garden hosted a Hummingbird Hawk-moth briefly. The moth came in, had a nosy around the last remaining Lavender flowers and then headed off fast south over the gardens. While I was watching this, I heard the alarm calls of some birds and looking up, a female Sparrowhawk was soaring high above my house until drifting off east and most likely one of the birds seen this morning over the Cemetery.
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