Razorbill in the harbour entrance late this afternoon.

Wednesday 4th October 2023.

This Razorbill showed well, if very fleetingly, from the shoreline at Eastney Harbour entrance late this afternoon. 

I was a bit busy today and therefore, I took the dogs out a lot later than expected. In fact, it was after my second shift and seeing they are behaving very well on their leads, I took a risk and so decided to try my luck at Eastney harbour entrance. I had to first put the dog seat belts in the car first and then strap the dogs to them before heading off (it is a legal requirement). Time was getting on a bit and arriving at just after 4pm, I made my way first to the Hayling Ferry Terminal.

Two more photos of the Razorbill this afternoon.

Almost immediately, up popped an Auk species close into the shoreline, but it quickly disappeared again underwater only to surface about thirty yards away. So, holding my camera and the dog's lead at the same time proved challenging and I was hoping that the Auk was going to be my first 'Hampshire' Guillemot of the year. Nope! After grabbing some photos of the Auk, I could then check it out on my camera and sure enough, it was an adult Razorbill that was moulting into winter plumage. Haroo!

The Starlings are very confiding around the car park.

Though to be honest, it was still a nice bird to see as it swam up and down the harbour entrance until disappearing somewhere. Not a great deal else out in the harbour entrance except for a few Herring and Black-headed Gulls and a lone Great Black-backed Gull that was sat on one of the buoys. A little later, an adult Mediterranean Gull flew over my head near the Boathouses. A large flock of Starlings was by the car park, with some just a few feet away from where we sat. 

Above, these Starlings were gathering on the Lifeboat Station building and below, the usual flock of Turnstone were roosting on one of the boats north of the Ferry Terminal within the harbour.

I was pleased that the route to the Ferry Road Car Park had been tarmacked, though the car park itself is still as bumpy as usual as we parked up at the southern end of the car park to take a stroll. My dogs were introduced to the sea again, but they didn't really take a blind bit of notice as I searched the area for anything of note. A small contingent of Black-headed and Herring Gulls were present in the car park, but nothing of real note within the Water Treatment Works, bar a few Wood Pigeons and Magpies. A pair of Swallows flew over heading south and a Greenfinch flew west and that was it!   

Above, Buddy and Ted on their first visit to Eastney Outfall. Below, the harbour entrance looking north into Langstone Harbour.

Earlier today, on my first shift at Pembroke Road, there were a few notable sightings that included a Siskin flying west; a small flock of 4 ‘alba’ Wagtails also heading in the same direction and a Meadow Pipit flying south. In the trees opposite me, I could hear a Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and a Song Thrush calling, though no sightings of the aforementioned Birdee’s!