'Patch tick' of Common Whitethroat in the Cemy.

Tuesday 14th May 2024.

My first Common Whitethroat I have seen in Highland Road Cemetery. One of two birds that were present there this morning.

After last nights and early morning downpour, there was a fresh feel to the weather first thing this morning and as the day wore on, the sun was out, but still quite a bit cooler than the weekend with a breezy southerly onshore wind. It was back to Old Portsmouth first thing this morning, but when I finished, I took the dogs for their walk around Highland Road Cemetery where I was in luck with a ‘patch tick’ in the form of a Common Whitethroat. Not one, but two were found!

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Another fairly quiet day at Pembroke Road where just 13 species were noted from both shifts there. The Swifts overhead showed well in the morning, but absent in the afternoon. The pair of Pied Wagtails were back on the Bowling Green early this morning and on the insect front, a few Bees were nectaring on the newly emerged garden flowers nearby. I had to pop over nearby  Somerstown for an hour and in that time, the alarm calls of Starlings alerted me that a female Sparrowhawk was flying over the rooftops. I was glad to see several Swifts high over the rooftops too. I just might go exploring if they are looking for nest sites around this area. 

Above, it is now 'No Mow May' within the Cemetery. Below, I came across this Common Whitethroat at the start of my walk around the Cemetery.

I returned to where I saw the first Common Whitethroat but this time, he was a little more elusive in the brambles.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

As mentioned, there were two Common Whitethroats present in the Cemetery this morning, which took me by surprise; but I suppose it was a ‘patch tick’ just waiting to finally appear. This species can turn up in the most strangest places and when I found a singing male on the west side of the Cemetery just as I started to make my way round, I was more than happy and it even was obliging enough to pop out and show itself nicely. Incredibly, a second bird was heard sub-singing deep within a bush roughly in the centre of the Cemetery, but this individual would not show itself this time. I have now seen 80 bird species on my ‘local patch’ in the 14 years I have been recording the wildlife here; not that bad considering it is only 18 acres in size.

Above, Herb Bennet is now growing all over the Cemetery and below, I liked this photo of a Robin with the purple background of Ivy-leaved Toadflax in the background.

Above, Starlings were busy searching for food in the long grass for their fledgelings. Below, this Speckled Wood was seen basking in the morning sunshine.

Good numbers of Swifts were overhead and it is always a challenge to try to get a reasonable photo of them using my Bridge Camera. All the usual birds were present here, though, surprisingly, I never saw any Great Tits today. They probably were there, but hidden in the tops of the trees I expect. Butterflies on show today included a single Speckled Wood and at least four or five Holly Blue’s. Plenty of Batman Hoverflies around as well throughout the sheltered areas of the Cemetery. It is now ‘No Mow May’ and a lot of the area has a lot of tall grass growing, though I did see a few areas where the Council workers have cut the grass. It should be interesting over the next week or two on how high the grass and what it could attract. I’m looking forward to that.  

Above, a male Blackbird basking in the sunshine and below, a pair of Holly Blue butterflies.

Above and below, Swifts over the Cemetery.

The birds recorded here today included the following:

• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Common Whitethroat 2 (patch tick)
• Blue Tit
• Robin
• Wren
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Swift
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Blackbird

Above, a Batman Hoverfly bathing in the sunshine and below, another Swift sailing overhead.

Above, this Charlock Mustard plant was growing in the Cemy. I am not sure I have ever seen them here before. Below, I have not a clue what this is. Some sort of fungi I think? It was growing on a Silver Birch tree.

In Hampshire today, the ‘Sea-watchers’ at Cut Bridge, near New Milton, recorded both Arctic and Great Skua through and up to 7 Manx Shearwaters passing through eastbound. Another Arctic Skua was seen harassing Terns again off Sandy Point. I had a coffee with one of my friends in the Coffee Cup restaurant at Eastney. While there, I noticed a lot of Sandwich Terns going through close along the shoreline and several pairs of Med Gulls were patrolling the shoreline too. With the excellent seating arrangement at the Coffee Cup, I am wondering if it is a good spot to do some early morning Sea-watching there?

Above, always entertaining, the Swifts were busy chasing each other screeching high over the Cemetery throughout my walk this morning.