Fairly quiet over Old Portsmouth so far this week.

Tuesday 17th December 2024.

Sunrise through the Holm Oaks yesterday morning in Pembroke Road.

This is the last week I’ll be working before Christmas and it was back over to Pembroke Road in Old Portsmouth to provide the first two days of bird sightings. The weather has turned back to overcast and drizzly conditions, but, surprisingly, it is very mild. In fact, it is supposed to be in double figures! In Hampshire, there are always some good birds turning up, which are being discovered by many of the ‘Lazee Birders’ who are mostly retired from work and have the pleasure in exploring top sites here in the south.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A full moon showed well at 8am yesterday morning, but it eventually clouded over in Old Porstmouth.

Fifteen species of birds were recorded yesterday in Pembroke Road which included a nice flock of 6 Greenfinch going over and all the usual birds within the area. A lone Brent Goose flew over from Portsmouth harbour and headed off eastbound.

Today, I got up to 14 species, which also included a pair of Brent Geese and a Cormorant heading south. Up to four Blue Tits were chasing each other through the Holm Oak trees and a pair of Jays showed well next to the trees until flying off south. Sadly, nothing more unusual here today, but you just never know what just might fly over from 8am onwards.

Black Redstarts have returned to Lee on Solent again which included this female (above) and male (below). Photos by Emma Parkes.

Above, a male Goldeneye and below, a female type Long-tailed Duck at Keyhaven Marshes. Photos by Chris Geary.

Above, a Spotted Redshank on Pennington Marshes and below, a male Hen-harrier in the New Forest off to roost. Photos by Chris Geary.

In Hampshire today, the two female Velvet Scoters were off Chilling Cliffs again and both Black-throated Diver and a female Eider were seen nearby. The two female Scaup were both on Milton Lakes and a single bird off Stokes Bay, while Weston Shore still held the Red-necked Grebe and Slavonian Grebe along with a Great Northern Diver. More Great Northerns’ were off Sandy Point, Emsworth Mill Pond and Hayling Oyster Beds.