A good species tally over the Cemy this morning.

Friday 20th October 2023.

Looking very Autumnal in the Cemy. Love it!

Thankfully, the rain has kept off all morning and I even managed to give my dogs a walk around Highland Road Cemetery this morning in bright sunshine and surprisingly mild temperatures. My first shift this morning was relatively quiet, though I did record a couple of Jay sightings as it flew over Pembroke Road and overhead, a Chaffinch, a few Siskins and a single Meadow Pipit all flew west. Two distant flocks of Brent Geese flew east over the Solent from my viewpoint, numbering around twenty in one flock and ten in the other flock plus a Cormorant was seen flying south towards the Solent. The Governor’s Green was covered in Wood Pigeons again with at least forty present.

Above, this Blue Tit was one of four seen at the top of this tree along with a sizeable flock of Wood Pigeons. Below, there were still good numbers of Red Admiral butterflies present.

As expected, there were a few dog-walkers present this morning as I arrived around 9.15am. A light westerly was blowing, but after a period of easterlies into the UK, there was always a chance of a Yellow-browed Warbler (there was one in a Poole, Dorset, Cemetery yesterday), but the best I could come up with were Chiffchaffs. In fact, at least four ‘Chiffs’ were still present this morning and always proving a bit tricky to photograph as they flicked about in the bushes and trees.

Above, the Wrens were difficult to locate in the bushes, but this individual popped out for a while on this gravestone. Below, one of the two Jays showed well this morning. This one was by the Mausoleum.

The Green Woodpecker showed again briefly this morning as it flew across the Cemetery and stopped somewhere around the Mausoleum area. The female Sparrowhawk showed well briefly twice, but too quickly for a photo. Four species of finch were noted, including a flock of three Siskin and a Chaffinch (the latter is scarce here). Up to 6 Blackbirds shared the same tree by the Mausoleum, with a Jay nearby. Butterflies seen here today included several Red Admirals and a single Speckled Wood, both enjoying the flowering Ivy plants still along with plenty of Drone Flies, Common Wasps and Ivy Mason Bees.

Above and below, this Speckled Wood butterfly showed well in the Ivy.

A good selection of birds this morning with at least 24 species seen this morning during my hour there that included the following:

• Green Woodpecker
• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Chaffinch
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Siskin (3)
• Meadow Pipit
• Pied Wagtail
• Wren
• Robin
• Blackbird
• Song Thrush
• Carrion Crow
• Jay
• Magpie
• Chiffchaff (4+)
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Skylark
• Sparrowhawk (female)
• House Sparrow
• Starling

Some of the six Blackbirds at the top of the trees by the Mausoleum.

In Hampshire today, two of the ‘Lazee Birders’ notched up some Ring Ouzels at their respective sites this morning. Pete Gammage had one Ring Ouzel behind Fort Widley and Graeme Loader notched up at least four Ring Ouzels (including two males - see photo) at Butser Hill. Woolmer Forest had 25 Fieldfare flying over and a late Swift was seen in the north of the county at Tweseldown. 3 Glossy Ibis and 2 Cattle Egret was still present at Posbrook Floods.

Fellow 'Lazee Birder' Graeme Loader managed this shot of a male Ring Ouzel at Butser Hill today.