Guillemot off Bedhampton Slipway.

Thursday 14th March 2024.

The Guillemot off Bedhampton Slipway late this morning. This is my first 'Hampshire Bird' for a couple of years and showed very well too. Whether it is an ill bird, we will never know, but it had a flap of its wings several times while I was watching it, though the local Gulls took an interest in the bird too, which sounds ominous. 

Despite an hour of heavy rain this afternoon, it was actually a nice day with the occasional bright sunshine and a light southerly wind, which helped a good number of migrants fly into the UK today. I had the moth box on again overnight and was rewarded with more moths and there was a nice surprise when I did my first shift at Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth, early this morning. Checking the ‘Lazee Birder’ Whatsapp site when I got back, I was surprised to read that a Guillemot had been found swimming just off Bedhampton Slipway and so I had to go and see my first ‘Hampshire’ Guillemot for the year.

Above, the micro moth Water Dropwort Brown and below, one of two Beautiful Plumes.

The Moth Box:

It is getting much lighter in the mornings now and with no rain overnight and it being fairly mild, I was rewarded with a total of 6 moths in and around my moth box in my garden. All were micro moths that included 3 Common Plumes, 2 Beautiful Plumes and best of all, my first Water Dropwort Brown (Depressia daucella) of the year. If you are not interested in moths, then I am sorry as it is officially time for a lot of moth news from various sites where I set my moth box and I am so looking forward to the coming months. Not only the moths get my attention early in the morning, but there is also the ‘visible migration’ going on overhead and this morning, the only bird of note was a Meadow Pipit flying over. I pick out most of the birds by their call and I make the most of it, all the time my hearing is A1.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

There was a reasonable haul of bird species this morning and among the 16 species recorded on my first shift here, there was a calling Firecrest within the Holm Oaks and I even managed to see the bird fly out and flew into the garden behind the house opposite. A Jackdaw was also a good species to see here and makes a lovely change from the usual Carrion Crows. There was bright sunshine on my first shift and the potential for a migrant or two was on. I was hoping for my first Wheatear on Governor’s Green, but there was no sign of any; but a flock of 27 Brent Geese was compensation for that. My second shift this afternoon was a damp affair, with heavy rain at first for around 20 minutes and then all was dry again. A male Sparrowhawk flew south low over the Green and a Cormorant was seen flying west over the same field to make it 18 species for the day here.  

Above and below, a couple of photos of the obliging Guillemot off Bedhampton Slipway.

Above, the Guillemot was seen to be harassed by several Black-headed Gulls and below, a small flock of Brent Geese flying over Langstone Harbour in the sunshine. They will very soon be off to their breeding grounds.

Above, Wigeon were near the foreshore within the harbour and below, at least 6 Mergansers were off the Slipway with four birds shown here.

Above, a pair of dapper Red-breasted Mergansers were off the Slipway and below, this tidy flock of Mediterranean Gulls were joined by a Black-headed Gull.

Above, these Med Gulls were joined by a single Common Gull. Below, one of the noisy Med Gulls in flight.

Another Med Gull flew right over my head and showed superbly in the sunshine. Below, some film footage of this morning's Guillemot.

Bedhampton Slipway:

As mentioned before, I noticed that a Guillemot had been found and photographed at Bedhampton Slipway and even birding pal, Andy Fisher, couldn't resist going down to see the bird. I gave him a quick ring as I was making my way down to the site and he confirmed the bird did swim out into the harbour by the time he left and it would take a scope to find the bird off Bedhampton Slipway. By the time I got there, the tide was up and there was a good variety of Gulls swimming just offshore that included around 20+ Mediterranean Gulls that were quite vocal. I strolled around the footpath and walked west. Scanning the harbour with my binoculars, it didn't take me long to find the Guillemot and thankfully, it was swimming fairly close to the shoreline where occasionally, it was being harassed by the Gulls. I got a bit nearer, not to disturb the bird, where it was now swimming near the other car park further west and from here, I got some excellent views of this lovely Auk. This was my first ‘Hampshire’ bird after seeing them in North Norfolk earlier in the year; but having not seen one in Hampshire last year, it was good to catch up with this species.

Happy with my views and getting some nice photos, I then made my way back to the car park, but not before checking the harbour. There was a Black-necked Grebe in near summer plumage reported earlier this morning, but I could not locate the bird, but instead, there were at least 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, a female Goldeneye and a nice sized flock of Wigeon nearby. As mentioned before, there was a good variety of Gulls present and as well as the Med Gulls, there were Black-headed, Herring, Great Black-backed and Common Gulls swimming on the water. The Med Gulls were now sporting their neat black heads and were very vocal here too. My Hampshire list now currently stands at 143 species for the year and with the advent of all the migrants coming through, no doubt it will climb very much higher over the coming months.     

Andy Fisher had a surprise visitor in the shape of a Hedgehog by his porch, in his back garden, this morning! I have personally not seen a 'live' Hedgehog in years! I should have gone up to his house to 'twitch it'!!