Water Hill Farm Cottages where we are staying for the week.
We made the long 287 mile journey to the farmhouse Cottage we had hired for the week today, all set for a relaxing (hopefully!) holiday up in North Yorkshire. Our Cottage was situated on a working Farm in the countryside near the village of Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, some five miles from Thirsk and the long journey up, to be honest, wasn't too bad. I have never been up to this area before, though in the past, I have been to South Yorkshire many times.
This male Pheasant came into roost and landed on one of the barns.
Sadly, no moth box, but it should produce a few interesting sightings and having had a couple of quick walks around the area, I already had seen a few notable birds and plants in the area. A stream runs parallel to the Farm which I believe is called Thirlby Beck (according to Google Maps) and possibly could hold Dipper and Grey Wagtail. Above the Stream, there is a long row of tall trees that hold a colony of Rooks that are busy nesting and with good numbers of Jackdaws around, it certainly is noisy with the Covids here.
Above, a pair of Common Buzzards flying over the fields nearby. Below, the stream called Thirlby Beck was running right by the Farm Cottages.
Our Isabelle joined me in the walks and though keeping an 8 year old happy is by far not easy at all, so it's a case of pointing out everything to her and educating her and keeping her interested. She even has her own binoculars which I brought with me. I had a good chat with the owner of the Farm and the 6 Cottages here and he told me that there were a lot of Badgers here (though he is not keen on the numbers here) as well as Bats, Foxes and a Tawny Owl. The possibility of a Little Owl is certainly not out of the question, but after a late walk this evening, I did not see or hear any.
Above, part of the Rookery by the Cottages. Below, my first White Dead-nettle of the year growing amongst Red Dead-nettle.
The drive up here produced the expected Common Buzzards and Red Kites, but I was too busy keeping my eye on the busy traffic as I did (and volunteered) all the driving. On arrival, while unpacking all the cases, a large flock of 50+ Redwing flew overhead towards the fields and also at least 10 Siskins were noted flying over. Other sightings included several Linnets and 2 Yellowhammers flying over and Goldcrest were heard in the trees opposite the Farm. While spending around 20 minutes outside the building as it got dark, I could hear a Curlew making its ‘bubbling’ call way in the distance. A pair of Common Buzzards rounded off the evening as they flew over the fields that hold both Alpacas and Chickens. I shall probably be up at first light to check the woods, fields and stream and the main Farmhouse has active bird feeders attracting a few birds too. Should be good!
A Carrion Crow and a couple of Wood Pigeons searching for food. Yes, they are not the rarest of birds, but though they are common, they are always worth watching.
It was back over Highland Road Cemetery late this afternoon for a quiet stroll to see if there were any migrants about. Sadly, it was much quieter than the last time I was here and with just 15 bird species seen during my hour there and not a single migrant, one could say it was rather ordinary. But that's never the case here. There is always something to look at and as I am interested in all aspects of nature, whether it's the birds, insects or plants, there is always something to grab my attention.
Above, the Horse Chestnuts are now in leaf and below this Robin was in song along the footpath. One of several was seen this afternoon.
There was no sign of any of the Firecrests seen earlier this week though the wind didn't help with a blustery southerly wind blowing across the Cemy. It was bright at first when I started my walk but the clouds rolled in and the threat of rain was always there. The likes of Willow Warbler and Blackcap should be a possibility soon and maybe a Redstart or something rarer? That's the great thing about birding, you just never know what might drop into this lovely area of Southsea.
Above, the Buff-tailed Bumble Bees and below, Honey Bees, enjoying the flowering Heather again.
Though it was overcast most of the time, there were some insects on the wing; notably the Heather grave that always seems to attract the Bees. Both Buff-tailed Bumble Bee and Honey Bees were present in small numbers here, but always prove a tad difficult to photograph as they are scurrying about deep within the purple Heather.
Above, the Horse Chestnut buds are opening up within the Cemy. Below, this male Blackbird flew up onto a gravestone right in front of me.
All the expected plants were on show and included a few new ones that included Annual Mercury and a sprig of Three-cornered Leek, a species I have not seen here before! It warms my heart to see the leaves starting to come out and the Horse Chestnut trees are starting to look quite impressive.
This Three-cornered Leek was flowering near the Holm Oak Clump; the first I have ever seen within the Cemy.
The following bird species were present late this afternoon:
Starling
House Sparrow
Blackbird
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Feral Pigeon
Collared Dove
Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wren
Robin
Again, large numbers of Hirundines at Blashford Lakes, Testwood Lakes and even Posbrook Floods and also good numbers of Willow Warbler logged today also. The first Sedge Warblers were heard today including birds at Testwood Lakes and over near Sidlesham Ferry Pool. Even the long staying juvenile Iceland Gull remains at Redbridge still. Grim weather is coming in tomorrow, with plenty of strong winds and rain. A possible seawatch on the cards?
A pair of Med Gulls heading west over the Solent with Horse Sand Fort in the background
Continuing on from this mornings moths, the drizzle finally drizzled out and after reading that fellow ‘Lazee Birder’, Andy Dickety, who was birding at the seawatching site of Gilkicker, saw a dark-phased Arctic Skua flying east around 10.15am this morning. This spurred me on in doing a couple of hours checking the Solent for anything of note from one of the yellow Shelters near between the Pyramids and South Parade Pier. I used to sea-watch from here most Springs, but it has been a few years since.
Above, the lone Great Crested Grebe that was offshore all morning and below, a pair of distant Brent Geese heading east over the Solent.
An onshore wind was blowing, which, I hoped, would bring some migrants in and during the couple of hours I was there, it has to be said, it was rather quiet; however, I did get to see my first Whimbrel of the year, with a single bird flying south-west low over the water. Throughout my stay here, a Great Crested Grebe was swimming offshore, while at least 10 Mediterranean Gulls flew through and two small groups of Brent Geese headed fast east (2 and 4 respectively). Other sightings included three individual Oystercatchers heading east and a Sandwich Tern was fishing just offshore near the small rock jetty opposite the Pyramids.
This Sandwich Tern was fishing offshore near the new seawall.
Yes, it was a bit cold and though there were no Skua’s going through since Andy’s earlier sighting, there was always something to look at (a lot of Gulls were out in the Solent) to keep me on my toes and a few Cormorants passing through. Mr Dickety came up with the goods when he had an Osprey passing overhead at Gilkicker at 11.40am, but no such goodies for me I’m afraid. On reflection, I shall be back here in April to hopefully get the Skua’s etc passing through the Solent.
A darker form of Angle Shades moth which was resting on top of the fence panel this morning. This was my first of this species for the year.
On this miserable drizzly morning, I awoke this morning to the sad news that Paul O’Grady had passed away at the young age of 67 years old. Tributes are pouring in for this well loved man from the media stars and the general public. I, for one, found the man to be right up there with the likes of David Attenborough, Chris Packham and others who had a love of all things nature and was never afraid to speak his mind about it too. A sad loss to everyone who loved and respected the man.
This Angle Shades moth was a lot lighter than the one above.
Last night, I took a gamble and put the moth box on overnight and was rewarded with just the three moths this morning. One species was new for the year, a pair of Angle Shades resting outside of the box, though both looking quite dissimilar to one another as the photos show. There was one other moth, a Double-striped Pug, that annoyingly flew off before I could get a photo of it and was originally found resting on one of the outside egg trays (I must replace them as they are looking quite worn).
The Goldfinches came down to feed on the sunflower hearts this morning, which is always a pleasure to see. The ornament in front of the feeder was put there to stop some Feral Pigeons actually trying to feed on the seeds and I think it worked.
While I was checking the moth box, a pair of Goldfinches had come down to feed on the sunflower hearts and remained there for at least ten minutes until pushed off by the local House Sparrows. Yesterday, the Hirundines were abundant on Blashford Lakes and included at least 300+ Sand Martins, 12 Swallows and 3 House Martins and even 3 Willow Warblers were present nearby. Mark Francis scored well with a dark-phased Arctic Skua passing Hill Head yesterday morning. It won't be long now before it's back to sea-watching again. But where? Southsea seafront or Gilkicker with the ‘Lazee’s’?
One of three Firecrests seen in the Cemetery today. This one is a female. I dont think that I have ever had more than one in the Cemy all the time I have been coming here.
Though the sun was out and shining brightly, the temperature wasn't all that warm and I don't think it even got into double figures, especially when I took a walk around my ‘local patch’, Highland Road Cemetery. There was always a chance of an early migrant in the Cemy today and so taking a leisurely stroll along my usual route, as per usual, I kept an eye on all the nature within this little jewel of a place in the middle of Southsea.
Above, the Starlings are starting to look smart in the summer dress. Below, several Wrens were seen today including this singing male bird.
Above, singing Robins were abundant today in various locations throughout this site.
Surprisingly, I couldn't find one Chiffchaff within the Cemy, but to make up for that, I found at least THREE Firecrests flitting around the Buddleia bushes not far from the Holm Oak clump. When I first came across the first bird, it was flitting about in one of the bushes then it flew up into one of the Holm Oaks and promptly disappeared within all the foliage. Disappointed that I wasn't going to get a photo of the bird, I heard another two calling behind me and they showed reasonably well for at least 15 minutes. This was a pair and both busied themselves searching for tiny insects within the leaves, but trying to get a reasonable photo with a Bridge Camera is not easy as they are restless little birds.
More photos of the showy Firecrests today.
A total of 18 bird species were recorded this morning and that included the female Sparrowhawk gliding high overhead. I think she was trying to attract her mate as she slowly flapped while gliding and then drifted off north. A pair of Mediterranean Gulls were first heard calling and then I picked them up flying southbound towards the Solent. They are starting to get regular now on my walks and should be seen often when I am walking around my patch.
Above, the female Sparrowhawk is soaring high over the Cemy. Below, I normally wait for around 15 minutes by this Conifer on the footpath and simply wait to see what passes by or overhead and quite often, yielding some surprising results.
The birds seen and heard this morning included the following:
Herring Gull
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull (2)
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
Collared Dove
Blue Tit
Firecrest (3)
Blackbird
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Wren
Starling
House Sparrow
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Robin
Sparrowhawk (f)
A Yellow-legged Mining Bee on a Daisy.
On the insect front, both Hairy-footed Bumble Bee’s and Yellow-legged Mining Bees were on show in good numbers and within the Heather grave, at least four Honey Bees were seen. My first Small Tortoiseshell butterfly of the year flew past at pace across the Cemetery, but sadly did not settle.
Above, male (all black) and female (brown) Hairy-footed Flower Bees enjoying nectaring on Red Dead-nettle.
All the usual plants were in bloom that included Daisies, Dandelions, Common Speedwell, Red Dead-nettle, Smooth Sow-thistle and my first Lesser Celandine of the year in the Cemetery. Hopefully, a few more species will be on show the next time I walk around here. A lot of the trees are starting to bud now, noticeably the Horse Chestnut trees around near the Mausoleum, which will provide a lot of food for the local Squirrels. All we need now is a few passing Goshawks to pop in, lol!
Above, my first Lesser Celandine of the year within the Cemetery and below, the female Sparrowhawk seen today.
The summer plumage Black-necked Grebe always remained distant on Ibsley Water today, but always spent its time out in the open among the Gulls.
It was back over Blashford Lakes again today for a good 6 hours birding from the Viewpoint overlooking Ibsley Water. The long drive there, which is always fraught with danger from dodgy drivers on the M27, was safely negotiated as Andy Fisher and myself went in search for more birds to add to our year list and whatever else might come our way. Yesterday’s sighting of an Alpine Swift over Ibsley Water was a very big temptation, but the chances of another was always going to be very slim; though it turned out to be a good day's birding.
Above, the Little Ringed Plovers always remained distant, spending most of the time on the spits in front of the Tern Hide. Below, a pair of Egyptian Geese flew low over our heads.
Our day kicked off with our respective moth boxes where I scored a big fat zero! A windy night did not help and I now had to rely on Andy’s moth box to come up with the goods. He had a massive total of just one moth; but it was new for the year nonetheless. My first Brindled Pug of the year, which was near the roof of his conservatory. I currently have a bad back and reaching up to pot the moth was not pleasant at all. But where there's a will……!
Above, good numbers of Goldeneye are still on Ibsley Water and below, this singing Chiffchaff was right behind us near the Viewpoint.
Above, the self-confessed the UK's laziest birder, but good company though!
Stopping off at the Garage at Blashford first of all for food supplies, we then made our way to the Tern Hide Car Park and promptly took our spots on the Viewing Platform. We now believe it gives a much better view of the whole area and God knows what we might have missed being stuck in the Hide with a very limited view of the whole area. At least you get a 360 degree look of the reserve and the big open sky above, instead of bouncing up and down when someone walks past behind you in the Hide! And don't even go there with those awful big windows. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but whoever designed them Hides seriously needs a rethink. But hey, at least you don't have to pay to use them……..yet!
Above, several singing Dunnocks were seen by the Viewpoint and many giving chase to the females! Below a Long-tailed Tit was now bringing feathers to line the inside of its nest.
Above, the female Scaup (centre) sporting the flash of white around the base of the bill was showing very well throughout the day. Below, some of the 70+ strong Black-tailed Godwit over on the east side of Ibsley Water.
Back to the birds. During our time there, Andy and I reckoned we clocked up to at least 53 species of birds that included 6 species of raptor (Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, a male Marsh Harrier, several Red Kites and a Peregrine) and 7 species of wader (2 Redshank, 70+ Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and 1 Common Sandpiper), which in truth, is certainly not bad at all for an inland reserve.
Above, another photo of the female Scaup with a Black-headed Gull. Below, the male Peregrine flying over Ibsley Water which scattered all the Godwit and Wildfowl.
Above, the Common Sandpiper on the spit to the right of the Tern Hide.
The female Scaup showed well most of the time, associating as always with the Tufted Ducks. Again, 11 species of duck was a very good tally for this time of year. Species present included Mallard, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon, a few Pochard, a female Goosander and at least 8 Goldeneye that included four drakes. Geese were represented by the usual Canada, Grey Lag and Egyptian, but in much smaller numbers of late. One of the star birds here, the Black-necked Grebe, was also showing very well, but busy diving a lot among the many Gulls out in the open water. The bird is now in summer plumage, but always remained distant.
Above, another photo of the male Peregrine flying over Ibsley Water. Below, a Chiffchaff briefly singing behind us from the Viewpoint.
Chiffchaffs were singing all around us as were several Dunnocks around the brambles surrounding us and a pair of Long-tailed Tits were coming back and forth, building their nest nearby. Overhead, the occasional small flock of Sand Martins would pass by, calling in doing so, but although Swallows were being reported at Testwood Lakes and Fishlake Meadows further east today, we saw no Swallows in the whole time we were there. It was blustery all the time we were there on the wooden Viewpoint, though the wind did ease up a little in the afternoon. Though we checked the skies constantly during our time there, our optimism for seeing an Alpine Swift belting over waned, but we were rewarded with plenty of raptor sightings throughout our time there, which was always exciting. We were joined by several experienced birders that included one of the ‘Lazee Birders’, James Cutting with some of his family in tow. Always nice to see him. A great day's birding and despite the pain in my back, some great birds to reflect on.
