Saturday 4th November 2023.
What would have been a nice trip to Gilkicker for some sea-watching, meeting up with both Geoff Farwell and Andy Fisher, turned out to be a nightmare. I finally got away around 12.30pm from my house, but got stuck in so much traffic in Portsmouth (the closure of the Eastern Road was the cause), that by the time I actually got there, I would of only got probably an hour or two in and what with my wife wanting picking up from Fratton Train station, I made my way back home. I was then going to miss a sighting of a Leach’s Petrel from Gilkicker (Geoff spotted one offshore and Andy managed to get onto the bird) and an even closer bird off Hill Head, that both Emma and Matt saw.
The weather was simply awful this morning with very heavy rain at times and very strong westerly winds that obviously kept the many Leach’s Petrels trapped in the English Channel and the Solent, where many birders benefited by adding this rare seabird on their year list. But not me! Fume! I am going to Gilkicker tomorrow at first light and try my luck and hopefully, a straggler just might be found going through the Solent. Emma and Matt Parked watched a Leach’s Petrel come in closer and closer and clearly exhausted, got caught out by the crashing waves and Emma managed to pick the poor bird up and deliver it to the TItchfield Haven volunteers to look after (see photo).
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I suppose it wasn't a complete ‘washout’ for me as I had my moth box on overnight, which attracted a total of four Light Brown Apple Moths. I was a bit disappointed as I was sure I saw a Noctuid moth species fluttering around by my moth box last night; but no sign this morning. To rub salt in a deepening wound, my dogs decided to chew up my brand new Hampshire Bird Report and made a right mess to the back of it. A day to forget, I think. Also seen off Hill Head this morning included a Storm Petrel, Fulmar and an Arctic Tern. Well done to those who braved the horrible weather this morning.
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