A quick update.

Tuesday 24th October 2023.

Ring Ouzels have been present by the Chalk pit on Portsdown Hill over the past several days and though elusive at times, when they do show, they can offer some good photos to be taken. This, and the photo below, was taken by Emma Parkes.

Sadly, I have been in the ‘wars’ of late with a raging toothache and being quite snotty with it too! I got to see the Dentists this morning, so they sorted the teeth out, but I am so blocked up that I am struggling to sleep at night, which, of course, has a knock on effect by being tired throughout the day! Haroo! But that has not stopped me from spotting some nice birds over the past few days.

Regrettably, I did not take my camera with me when I took the dogs for a walk on Sunday afternoon and then got caught in a huge downpour while I was walking them through Highland Road Cemetery. My intention was to just walk the dogs quickly around the Cemetery as I had a lot of work to do at home and even though it was bright and sunny when I exited the front door, I could see in the distance a large menacing cloud heading our way. So, I hurried my pace and the dogs followed suit.

Two Green Woodpeckers were seen very well together, first flying over my head and then landing in the trees in the southern half of the Cemetery and would have made a decent photo. Fume! Then the rain came. I was lucky enough to be halfway round the Cemetery and quickly sheltered under a large tree for around ten minutes. From here, I got to see a couple of Jays, a Chiffchaff (possibly two), several Blackbirds, a Song Thrush and a few Robins. A Goldcrest was heard and all the time I was watching the birds, with my dogs waiting patiently below me, the rain was tipping down.

This wasn't my bird I saw in the Cemetery, but fellow birder, Pete Appleton took this photo of a Green Woodpecker recently.

When it eased up, there wasn't that much else to be seen on my walk back home, but the rain still came down and so I took a bit of a soaking for my efforts. Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, took a drive north to Gander Down, near Winchester where he had the following sightings: 8 Common Buzzard, 6 Red Kite, 3 Raven, 140 Stock Dove, 75 Golden Plover, Peregrine, Firecrest, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Stonechat, 22 Fieldfare, Redwing, 18 Yellowhammer and 6 Corn Buntings.

This male Stonechat was also seen on Portsdown Hill. Photo by Emma Parkes.

Yesterday, I was on Portsdown Hill waiting  in the car park for some friends to arrive by Micks Monster Burger Van, checking out the many Herring Gulls and Carrion Crows scrounging for bits of roll and other food items, when I spotted a small Gull flying overhead. I knew immediately that it was a juvenile Little Gull, but with no binoculars to hand, I had to double-check that Ross’s Gull had to be ruled out. I have seen the latter species twice now and this was most certainly not a Ross’s; but I have never seen a Little Gull here before and so promptly put my sighting on the ‘Lazee’ Whatsapp site. A little while later, while checking the Herring Gulls, I picked out an adult Yellow-legged Gull as well. What else goes unnoticed in this area. A White-tailed Eagle was seen from here yesterday by Barry & Margaret Collins, who later saw it or another one over Thorney Island!

I had a busy morning today and just before I headed off towards the Dentists, I took the dogs for a quick walk around the block and on the way back, a flock of 6 Redpolls flew low overhead. It has been a good Autumn for this species so far (especially for me), with many reported in various locations.