Quiet at both Southsea Castle & Eastney harbour entrance.

Sunday 19th November 2023.

Brent Geese on Southsea Common this morning. There were a good number of juvenile birds present, which meant that it was a good breeding season.

I took the dogs for a walk around Southsea Castle this morning and armed with my ‘birding gear’, I gave the area a good thorough checking for the Purple Sandpipers and also for any Black Redstarts lingering around the Castle. Sadly, neither were seen and again, there was a very limited view of the rocks by the new promenade being built and what with a very blustery south-westerly wind coming in off a very choppy Solent, it wasn’t easy to view here either. In fact, I hardly saw anything of note, bar a few Gulls going over the sea and so, I took the dogs for a different walk by the harbour entrance at Eastney. I expect the Purple Sandpipers were down there somewhere, but it is going to be difficult to locate them with the limited viewing opportunity here currently.

Above, some of the Brent Geese present on Southsea Common. Below, Starlings bathing in the puddles by the harbour entrance.

Above and below, this Grey Heron flew high over Langstone Harbour heading east.

Above, a Great Tit enjoying the fatballs I put out for the birds in my garden.

As I walked across the car park near the Castle, a small flock of Brent Geese flew low over my head and I knew they were heading to the large green near the Memorial Monument. So I took a drive there and counted 65 Brent Geese grazing on the grass close to the main road, with a lot of Herring Gulls and Carrion Crows nearby. The tide was out within Langstone Harbour when I arrived by the Harbour entrance and I was hoping for an Auk or something interesting on the water, but there was very little bar with a few loafing Black-headed Gulls. The wind was still strong as we passed a large flock of Starlings bathing in the puddles and headed towards the spit opposite the Hayling Ferry. A Rock Pipit flew over my head and landed near the upturned small boats, but simply vanished when I needed where I thought it landed. Out in the harbour, all I could find was a distant Great Crested Grebe swimming in the harbour and a small flock of Oystercatchers and a lone Curlew on the mudflats. A Grey Heron flew east high over the harbour, but very little else here of note today.

The 'Lazee's' done a sea-watch from the shelter at Gilkicker this morning and the highlights included this Little Gull (photo by Andy Tew) and probably yesterday's female Common Scoter. Mark Francis scored again with a Grey Phalarope off Hill Head this morning.