Damn cold this week! Brrrrrr!

Friday 22nd November 2024.

Highland Road Cemetery at dawn this morning while I was walking the dogs. Though not seen, Blackbird, Robin and a Wren were all heard calling in the dark.

Well, we have come to the end of the working week (nearly) and it has been a very, very cold week too. With the temperatures coming down to near freezing (even lower in the wind!), there is a rest-bite with wetter and milder weather coming in over the weekend with Storm Bert arriving. Yesterday, Southsea experienced around 2 hrs of snowfall, which is rare this far south in Hampshire. It laid on the cars for a while, but by midday it had all fizzled out, unlike other parts of the UK that had a few feet of snow! The cold weather has had a knock on effect with the bird sightings too, especially in Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth. However, some of the ‘Lazee’s’ have ventured out into the cold and knocked off some excellent photos.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A gloomy sky over Governor's Green and the Royal Garrison Church from Pembroke Road yesterday. 

Sadly, the cold weather has reduced the bird sightings here with the maximum seen being around 12 species and this morning, just 9 species were seen. Even the Jays have been scarce this week with one seen on Wednesday by the roadside as I was making my way home from a first shift and one was seen this morning flitting about the Housing Estate north off Pembroke Road. A vocal Pied Wagtail was on one of the rooftops nearby as I arrived first thing this morning here, but soon flew off northbound over the rooftops. I was so cold this morning that I struggled to concentrate on any birds flying over. Hopefully, it might be better later today?

Yes, it actually snowed in Southsea briefly yesterday. This was from my garden. Below, one of the 16 Purple Sandpipers seen this week on the rocks below Southsea Castle. Photo by Rob Porter.

This Purple Sandpiper at Southsea Castle this week was photographed by James Cutting.

Out and about in Southsea, I found a flock of some 100+ Brent Geese on a field within Eastney and below, this dog Fox was being fed in the gardens of a Retirement Home.