Great Spotted Woodpecker added to year list.

Thursday 4 January 2023.

The trip over to Highland Road Cemetery kicked off with this halo over the sun. This is apparently caused by ice crystals where light is refracted off them.

This morning wasn't too bad regarding the weather with a clear sky overhead, with a light southerly breeze and temperatures around the 7 degree mark. However, this afternoon is set to change again with a ‘Yellow Weather Warning’ in place for very heavy rain and strong winds! That has been the story of this winter so far, though it is set to get drier and colder over the weekend.

Above, the Jay showed well in the south-west corner of the Cemetery this morning and below, this Cuckoo Pint (or Lords & Ladies plant) was in full leaf. This should not be coming out till around March, but where it has been so mild, plants are still leafing much earlier than normal.

Above, a male Blackbird tucking into Ivy berries and below, this Robin was caught flying off with a worm it had just flown down to grab.

This morning, on my first shift at Pembroke Road, I notched up a good total of 18 species of birds seen or heard that included a Cormorant, Brent Goose, the regular Jay and a Diver species that was simply too high to get a proper ID, for I had no binoculars to hand, though it looked good for a Great Northern Diver. I believe it must have come off the Solent and was heading north-west towards Portsmouth Harbour.

Above, I didn't expect to find someone sleeping in a tent in the Cemetery this morning. This homelessness is certainly getting out of hand when poor guys have to sleep in the Cemetery. Another discarded tent was by the bin near the main entrance. Sad times indeed. Below, one of the Wrens seen this morning included this lovely singing male bird.

Above, one of many singing Robins seen today and below, photos of the male Great Spotted Woodpecker seen this morning, my 88th species of the year. 

After my first shift, I took the dogs for their first walk around Highland Road Cemetery for this year and at least 21 species were seen here this morning, including my first Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year. This was the male bird that was seen in the Horse Chestnut trees high up in the southern half of the Cemetery. Three species of thrush were recorded today that included a Song Thrush flying high over, plenty of Blackbirds and a lone Redwing in the trees in the north-east corner. A Goldcrest was heard singing in a lone ornamental Conifer in the north-west end of the Cemy and a Wren (a species that was so elusive on Monday) sang right out in the open close to where I stood. Just the one Goldfinch was seen today, but a flock of 8 Greenfinch flew over. Congratulations to Andy Fisher by achieving 100 species for the year (102 to be exact!) by seeing both Black-necked Grebe and Common Scoter at Southmoor this morning and the Warblington Barn Owl later on. This year's winner of the Fly/Pye cup. On my second shift at Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth, while the rain lashed down here on the south coast, I added another species to my day total at this site, when I found a Great Black-backed Gull among the many Black-headed and Herring Gulls on Governor's Green, making it 19 species for the day here.

Birds recorded in the Cemetery this morning included the following:

• Black-headed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Jay
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Robin
• Wren
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Goldcrest
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Great Spotted Woodpecker (male)
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Blackbird
• Song Thrush
• Redwing   

Another photo of the halo around the sun this morning.