Black Redstart briefly by Southsea Castle.

Thursday 23rd November 2023.

I had to hurry to take this photo of the male Black Redstart this morning as one of the workman by Southsea Castle flushed it shortly afterwards.

After my first shift at Pembroke Road this morning, I took a drive down to the Southsea Castle, for recently, there have been sightings of both Black Redstarts and a Purple Sandpiper. The weather was a tad breezy, but nowhere near as windy as the last time I was here as I made my way from the D-Day Museum car park up to the Castle. It was now overcast and with a north-westerly wind blowing, I made my way to the top to the east of the Castle and checked the rocks below for the Purple Sandpiper. Sadly, despite a lengthy search for the birds, there were no signs of any whatsoever; just a small flock of Black-headed Gulls on the rocks for compensation. However, something flitted about on the rocks and there I saw a superb adult male Black Redstart. I had to be quick in taking a photo as one of the workmen there was walking towards the bird and annoyingly, the photos I managed to grab were not very sharp. After the chap had left, there was no sign of the bird, despite carefully checking all the Castle the best I could. Hurrumph!

Above, the east side of Southsea Castle where a Black Redstart could be hiding? Below, a Double-striped Pug moth by the moth box last night.

Above, one of four Light Brown Apple Moths from last night.

I did scan the Solent for anything of note, but all was very quiet on the sea and as I was walking back to the car park, a pair of Siskins flew over and dropped into the bushes, but out of view. Not a great deal else here really, but a small flock of around 15 Brent Geese were on Southsea Common. Earlier today, on my first shift, I logged 13 species of bird during the hour I was there and that included a distant Kestrel hovering near the sea-wall! I had the moth box on overnight, the first time in about three weeks due to constant wet or windy conditions overnight and the result was just five moths: 1 Double-striped Pug and 4 Light Brown Apple Moths.