Saturday 21st October 2023.
Heavy showers were predicted throughout the day and so I had a choice in where to go birding without getting soaked. Was it going to be the Hides at Titchfield Haven or the sea-watching Shelter at Gilkicker? I opted for the latter and so picking up Geoff first this morning, we then went on to pick up Andy, but not before checking what his moth box attracted overnight.
While enjoying a cup of coffee, I found out that there was a huge total of just THREE moths! However, one of them was one of the Epirrita species of moth, but most likely a November Moth. However, there are three more closely related species that look very similar and only can be safely told apart by dissection. But I am going for November Moth for now and a fine specimen it was too. The two other moths present were both micros, a Narrow-winged Grey and a Ruddy Streak. While enjoying the coffee, a flock of four Song Thrushes took off from nearby trees and headed off north, while overhead, we could hear Siskin, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and a few Pied Wagtails flying over.
Under the relative dryness of the Shelter of the building at Gilkicker, we were hoping for something of note, though on a calm sea and very little wind, the odds were not that good. But, persistence paid off when Andy spotted something interesting around midday, an hour before we left, and quickly getting onto it through the scope, it turned out to be a superb adult light-phase Arctic Skua! Totally unexpected, I kept watching the bird through the scope and watched it first fly west towards the settled flock of Gulls on the beach and then start to fly towards us low along the beach. We thought it was going to fly back eastbound, but it decided to fly inland and low over the houses and then out of view heading northbound. Sadly, I only got a few very distant photos of the bird, which really does not do it justice.
I found an Auk swimming on the sea and getting a good view of it through the telescope on high magnification. It was an adult Razorbill just drifting along eastwards on the water. I am still waiting for my first Hampshire Guillemot to reveal itself! A single drake Common Scoter sped distantly across the Solent westbound and other sightings included 8 Sandwich Terns, two solitary Oystercatchers heading east as did a lone Bar-tailed Godwit. A flock of eight and then seven Brent Geese flew low across the water heading east. Another two were seen flying later that morning heading towards the Isle of Wight.
Both an adult and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull were seen flying along the beach and overhead, there was a bit of visible migration going on with Siskin, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Linnets all seen heading over. Thankfully, we missed the worst of the rainfall, with Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and the Southampton area getting the worst of it, But it did provide some nice looking Rainbows!
Up to four Ring Ouzels were reported near the Chalk Pits on Portsdown Hill this morning, so we made our way to Fort Widley again and checked out the brambles and bushes behind the Fort. Though there were no Ring Ouzels hiding away here, we did see during our hour there up to 5 species of raptor that included a Common Buzzard, Red Kite, a male Kestrel, a female Sparrowhawk and finally, a female Peregrine. The latter bird scattered all the Pigeons, Crows and Gulls down in the fields below as I watched the bird sail over the countryside and land on the top of one of the nearby Pylons, where it remained till we left. A large number of Pied Wagtails were on the short grass below and soon scattered when the Peregrine flew over, with some flying over our heads. One other field held a good number of both Pheasant and Red-legged Partridge, but with distant shooting going on, no wonder they looked a bit skittish. As we reminisced about our School days and the teachers who taught us (we all went to the same school, Cowplain Comprehensive), we enjoyed the spectacular views this area offered us and the birds were the icing on the cake. Another good days birding.
