Sunday 31st December 2023.
As another year draws to a close, I had a look back at some of the most exciting sightings I had throughout the year on a month to month basis. I ended up with a good total of 211 bird species seen in the UK and 203 in Hampshire (which put me in 8th place in the Hampshire listers). I was more than happy with that as I spent most of this year birding in Hampshire only. Something I have never done, I might add. The weather has been very erratic all year with plenty of storms and heatwaves and no snow whatsoever here on the south coast. So I shall go through my year month by month as follows:
January was a busy month, especially starting off by getting to a 100 species first to win the Pye/Fly cup (a birdrace between Mr Andrew Fisher and myself of which Andy won this year). Arguably, I think my bird of the year was seen in January; the superb adult Sabine’s Gull seen at Southmoor, north of Langstone Harbour. Other nice sightings included scarce Hampshire birds that included White-fronted Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Long-tailed Duck (after many attempts!), Velvet Scoter, Glossy Ibis, White-tailed Eagle, a glorious male Hen-harrier in the New Forest, the Southsea Purple Sandpipers, Little Gull off Eastney, Barn Owl, Black Redstart at Sandy Point and a superb male Tree Sparrow at Chilling Barns, which is a real Hampshire rarity now.
February produced my first Iceland Gull at Redbridge Wharf and Andy and myself managed to see both the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a very distant Great Grey Shrike in the New Forest.
March’s highlights were my first Scaup; a female on Ibsley Water, Blashford Lakes and a Merlin hunting over Cheesefoot Head.
April was always going to be a busy month with spring passage of birds and it didn't disappoint with some really good birds in the mix. There was an influx of Night Herons in the UK and a superb showy adult popped up Stockbridge Common Marsh. A sea-watch from Southsea produced my first Arctic Skua and Arctic Tern of the year while good migrants included a Pied Flycatcher and Redstart at Woolmer Pond, a pair of Stone-curlews at their usual site in the north of the County and a singing Willow Tit, though this bird was seen in North Yorkshire while spending a weeks family holiday up there.
May is also considered one of the best months for rare birds, but the rarest bird for me personally, was the Hooded Crow on Gosport seafront, which was only my second of this species I have seen in Hampshire. The New Forest produced a good number of Goshawk sightings this month and I finally saw my first Nightjar for several years in Creech Wood one evening. Wood Warbler was also picked up in the New Forest, but the news of this species is dire as territories held by this lovely warbler have fallen dramatically. A nice summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper graced Farlington Marshes this month too.
June took in our annual pilgrimage to see the Puffins at Durlston with John Goodall and John Cronin, however, though we never saw any Puffins (the first time I have dipped on them since going to this site), we flushed a Quail by the top fields! Only my second ever sighting of this very elusive species. The only Lesser Whitethroat of the year for me was also seen at Durlston Head and I think this the first year ever I have not seen one of these in Hampshire. Black Terns were seen off Hill Head and the Turtle Dove was also seen in its regular haunt in Hampshire.
July can be a quiet month, but we were treated to good views of the Ospreys at Fishlake Meadows and some young Tawny Owls along the Canal Path at Titchfield Haven.
August signalled the return leg of the migrant birds as I finally caught up with my first Garganey of the year at Titchfield Haven. Both Manx Shearwater and Storm Petrels were seen off Dawlish Warren while spending a week's family holiday here. Good waders included Little Stints and Wood Sandpipers along with Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Little Owl and at last, a Water Rail.
September was particularly special with both Red-necked and Grey Phalarope seen, the former at Pennington Marshes and the latter on the same day off Hill Head. Cracking birds.
October is well known for the month for returning Ring Ouzels and although I never saw one in the spring, we saw several at a good site over at Butser Hill as well as a host of migrant birds on the move. I missed the spring Short-eared Owls at Farlington Marshes earlier in the year, but I finally got onto a gorgeous bird on Farlington Marshes this month; my fourth Owl species for the year.
November was busy with many winter birds returning, including many Redwing and a few Fieldfare coming in. But for me, the best bird of this month had to be the superb showy Black-throated Diver off Redbridge Wharf (where we saw the Iceland Gull earlier this year) in company with a Great Northern Diver.
December produced probably my second most favourite bird of the year, the Waxwing. Huge numbers arrived in Scotland and finally, they got to Hampshire by the month's end and I was lucky to see them yesterday in the village of Easton and as I write, the two birds present have now increased to 7 birds! The drake Ring-necked Duck at Blashford Lakes also was added to my year total.
On the Moth front, I saw a total of 276 species for the year that included three macro moth ‘lifers’ : Dwarf Pug, Small Dotted Buff and a Small Grass Emerald. Lifer micro moths included Sallow Button, Marbled Knot-horn, The Forester, Breckland Plume, Dingy Flat-body, Dark Pine Knot-horn, Sycamore-seed Pygmy, White-barred Knot-horn, Square-barred Bell, Saltmarsh Bell, Twin-barred Knot-horn, Crescent Plume, Rosy-striped Knot-horn, Ringed China-mark, Hook-tipped Grass Veneer and finally, Pointed Groundling.
Can 2024 follow that or even beat it? We shall see. Have a Happy New Year to all my readers.
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