Monday 11th March 2024.
Migrant birds are now starting to trickle in with numerous sightings of Wheatears, Little Ringed Plovers and even Ospreys being reported throughout the UK; something I am so looking forward to in the coming months. It is still chilly first thing in the morning and today, there was thick heavy cloud overhead, but, thankfully, very little wind and dry as I kicked off the day at Pembroke Road on my first shift. Yesterday was quiet for me and the only significant bird sighting I had was a Common Buzzard perched on a lamp post on the M275 as my wife and I made our way to Garcons Garden Centre. After my first shift this morning at Pembroke Road, I took the dogs out for their walk around Highland Road Cemetery.
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
I logged a good total of 18 species this morning that included at least two Meadow Pipits heading westbound. This species is now starting their Spring passage back to their breeding grounds. A Chiffchaff was a nice bonus too, flitting about in one of the roadside trees close to the Bowling Green and the Brent Geese flock on Governor’s Green got up to 53 birds. I was hoping for a Wheatear hopping about on the grass, but not today. It was much quieter on the second shift, though I did add Greenfinch to my day total, with two birds calling nearby.
Highland Road Cemetery:
A good total of 22 species were seen this morning in and over the Cemetery that included my first singing Chiffchaff of the year within my local patch. Two more birds were seen nearby, flitting about in the bushes and shrubs in the north-east corner, just before the Oak Tree. After briefly watching the Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over my head and heading off westbound over the houses, a passing chap asked me if I had seen the Green Woodpecker yet. He then pointed out where he saw the bird and sure enough, I found it searching for ants in a grave not too far from the main footpath. I even managed to grab some film footage of the bird going about its business. It was the male bird and was seen later on my walk high up in one of the trees as well. A pair of Meadow Pipits flew west overhead and a lone Song Thrush (not common here) was seen searching for food among the graves in the centre of the Cemetery.
Just the one Bumblebee seen this morning, but too fast to get an ID and another ‘first of the year’ this morning was a Dandelion just starting to come out in flower. I think the cold temperature and the overcast conditions put paid to any insects on the wing, unlike last week; though yesterday, when I was at Garcons Garden Centre, there were large numbers of Drone Flies feeding on the plants outside.
The birds logged this morning on my walk round included the following:
- Herring Gull
- Feral Pigeon
- Wood Pigeon
- Collared Dove
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Chiffchaff (3 birds including one singing briefly)
- Goldfinch
- Greenfinch
- House Sparrow
- Wren
- Dunnock
- Starling
- Robin
- Blackbird
- Song Thrush
- Carrion Crow
- Magpie
- Green Woodpecker
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Meadow Pipit
- Pied Wagtail
A second calendar year Caspian Gull was found on Saturday and was present yesterday also among Gull flock on the Stream area at Farlington Marshes and a Hoopoe was seen briefly flying over a road at Hedge End today, but could not be relocated, which obviously, would of sparked a big ‘twitch’ in Hampshire. A male Wheatear was found on Farlington Marshes today and the drake Ferruginous Duck was on Posbrook Floods again. Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, went to Brockwood Copse, near West Meon, yesterday and logged the following sightings: 3 Woodlark, 3 Firecrest, 2 Marsh Tit, 280+ Redwing, 2 Siskin, Redpoll, Raven, 6 Red Kite and 10 Common Buzzards.
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