Monday 11th November 2024.
Another week has begun and finally, the sun has broken through this long staying blanket of cloud. Though a tad colder this morning, I was hoping for a bit of visible migration, which started off well first thing when I took the dogs for their early morning walk and a small flock of thrushes contained 4 Fieldfare (calling) with a Redwing among them, flying north high over the rooftops. Also on my walk, I found a Rusty-dot Pearl moth sitting on a lit-up advertising board at a Bus stop!
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
Sadly, not a great deal of excitement during my hour here in Pembroke Road, with just 13 species seen this morning. The usual Jays were flying up and down, collecting their acorns from the Holm Oaks adjacent to the main road. The Great Black-backed Gulls were among the thirteen species when an adult and youngster were seen flying over the Garrison Church heading eastbound. Just the one Garden Spider still sitting in its web behind me, though it is supposed to be getting colder as the week progresses; so it is a matter of time these hardy creatures will be here for much longer. On the second shift, a Wren was heard singing somewhere by the Bowling Green to make it 14 species for the day.
Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, took a walk around Farlington Marshes yesterday and recorded the following sightings: Kingfisher, 5 Stonechats, Greenshank, 2 Peregrines, Common Buzzard and a Water Rail.
The birds seen over the weekend in Hampshire and beyond have been noteworthy. Firstly, a possible Amur Stonechat (Stejnegeri Stonechat as previously known), a species from Eastern Asia, was found around the southern entrance of Titchfield Haven last Saturday. It has been under an enormous amount of scrutiny from fellow local birders, with some excellent photos thrown in and the conclusion is that it is a Common Stonechat.
Another superb bird found over the weekend, was a female Pied Wheatear. Sadly, I have been too busy to go for one of my ‘bogey’ birds, a species I have always wanted to see along with Isabelline Wheatear. The bird was in the Seaford area at first, but moved further west today and relocated by Splash Point. Much further away, in West Yorkshire near Bradford, a Scarlet Tanager, a very rare North American passerine to the UK, was found at a place called Northowram within someone's back garden! This will no doubt bring on a huge ‘twitch’. Finally, good news regarding Farlington Marshes and the broken Sluice. The heavy machinery has arrived at last, due to huge public outcry, on the reserve to finally sort out this outrageous ‘cock-up’ by those supposed to be looking after the reserve. The huge reedbed around the Lagoon area is mostly destroyed by the seawater and will probably take years to get back to normal.
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