Pembroke Road & the Cemy.

Monday 23rd September 2024.

Looking very Autumnal in Highland Road Cemetery.

The heavy rain in the early hours of the morning woke me up a few times and the thought of getting a good soaking this morning on my first shift in Pembroke Road, was not what I wanted first thing this morning. A clap of distant thunder and the early morning news saying there was a 'Yellow-weather' warning for most of the south of England had me clambering for my waterproofs, though I really needed to as the worst of the rain passed by before I started work. Phew! All the photos on this entry to my blog were taken yesterday in Highland Road Cemetery.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A Red Admiral in the Cemetery yesterday.

Thankfully, the worst of the weather had left Old Portsmouth and I quickly got onto the local birds here. I managed to get up to 13 species here that included a Jay and a Chiffchaff. OK, they will not set the world alight in the birding world, but when you get the same old birds over and over again, they are a nice bonus to the morning; the latter bird was seen several times flying up into a roadside tree and then back into a small garden opposite where I stood. What I also liked was a Robin ‘ticking’ away and then bursting into song for a while.

Above, a Small White nectaring on the Buddleia and below, a Speckled Wood sunning itself on a Bramble leaf.

Above, a male Blackbird keeping an eye on me and below, a Batman Hoverfly nectaring on Ivy.

Apart from a few Bumblebees on the flower beds beside me, the insect life here was rather quiet, though I did save a Crane Fly from certain death from a small spider! Again, no rain during my second shift and when I got home and made a coffee, I checked out my Ivy growing in my back garden which held a variety of insect life that included a Small White butterfly, Drone Fly, Tapered Drone Fly, Batman Hoverfly, Honey Bee, Ivy Bee and a few smaller Hoverflies that escaped an ID. That's the beauty of nature, you just never know what will grab your attention next and a good proportion of the UK population simply take this for granted. 

Above, an Ivy Bee and below, at least one bird posed for me yesterday afternoon. A Collared Dove.

Above, a Garden Spider with its prey.

Yesterday, I took my dogs for an afternoon walk around Highland Road Cemetery and the weather wasn't too bad either. We are now in the throes of Autumn and therefore I was keeping an eye out for any migrant birds, but all I could find were Chiffchaffs. Not one, not two, but there must have been at least a dozen within the Cemetery, calling from all sorts of places, but none actually posed long enough for their photo to be taken!! Buggers! Instead, just a friendly Collared Dove posed for me instead! At least the insects here played ball and showed well!  The only other bird of note was a Goldcrest that called frequently, but only showed just once.