A few surprises within the Cemy this morning.

Friday 12th April 2024.

The Horse Chestnut trees are now full of leaves and I wonder how much wildlife they might hold within them?

It was back over to Highland Road Cemetery again this morning and the weather was decidedly quite warm. It is supposed to get up to 20 degrees today and with light winds and bright sunshine, I wouldn't be surprised if it got even warmer. The Council were out again in the Cemetery, doing a spot of ‘Strimming’ around the graves in the southern half of the Cemetery and even stopped briefly to give my dogs a good rub! I had the moth box on overnight as the nights are getting milder, so I was hoping for a few more moths than yesterday.

This Brimstone Moth was only one of two moths this morning by my moth box.

The Moth Box:

Despite a very mild night, there were only two moths this morning. My first Brimstone Moth in my garden for the year was present behind the moth box (saw a few in Andy’s house last weekend) and a Light Brown Apple Moth was perched on one of the metal struts. I had to quickly get rid of a spider building his web on my box last night!

Above, this Nursery Spider was my first for the year; found by the entrance gate. Below, a Starling in full song on his territory on the roof of a house in the southern half of the Cemetery.

Above, a pair of Blackbirds searching for food on the recently mown grass and below, the first 'Spikes' I have seen this year growing on one of the Horse Chestnut trees.

Above, a Buff-tailed Bumblebee and below, a Yellow-legged Mining Bee.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

There were a few surprises this morning within the Cemetery and though the noise of the Council ‘Strimmers’ was rather loud, it didn't seem to deter the bird life here in the bright warm sunshine. A Grey Heron was a surprise, though when you hear the alarm call of the local Herring Gulls, it normally means that a large raptor is around and so when I saw the Grey Heron flying low over the nearby St. Margarets Church and adjacent rooftops, I wasn't quite quick enough to grab a decent photo of the Heron as it flew off northbound, hotly pursued by several angry Gulls. There is a regular Grey Heron terrorising the local Goldfish Ponds up where my father lives in Lovedean! A Willow Warbler was seen flitting about low in a bush, but I just could not get any clear photos of the bird as it soon flew off only to be re-found searching for insects in the Oak Tree in the north-east corner of the Cemy. The bird even sang briefly several times; the first time I have heard one singing this year. Beautiful. Linnets are on the move now and I wasn't surprised that one flew over heading west. Finally, on the bird scene here, I watched a pair of Blackbirds copulating on a gravestone. I loved the way the female bird enticed the male by fluffing up her back feathers and lowering her head. Good girl!!!

Above, a Chocolate Mining Bee and below, Ivy-leaved Speedwell growing by one of the graves.

Above, a pair of Collared Doves and below, one of several Robins seen this morning.

Above, this Willow Warbler was found over on the east side of the Cemy and below, my first Speckled Wood butterfly of the year. 

On the insect scene, I finally got to see a butterfly in the Cemetery this morning. Over on the east side, while watching the Willow Warbler, a small dark butterfly flew past and I quickly picked it up and as it settled on the ground, it turned out to be my first Speckled Wood of the year. There were quite a few Bees flying around including a fine Buff-tailed Bumblebee, a Chocolate Mining Bee and my first Yellow-legged Mining Bee of the year. The stonework by the entrance gate held yet another moth! This time, it was a Common Plume moth; though a common species, I do not often find them in the Cemy, so I was pleased with that. As I entered the Cemetery, I had a quick check on the same stonework and nearby, I found my first Nursery Spider of the year. The usual plants were all seen and it was nice to see the first ‘flowering Spikes’ on the Horse Chestnut trees that are now fully in leaf. I also found my first Ivy-leaved Speedwell of the year growing by a grave.   

Above, the female Blackbird shortly after her exploits with her male companion and below, a Wren in full song by the footpath.

Above, the same Wren having a break from all that singing and below, you can just make out the Grey Heron flying off north and being chased by Gulls.

Above, the Common Plume moth by the Cemetery Gates and below, a clump of Bulbous Buttercups.

The birds seen or heard within the Cemetery this morning included the following:

• Herring Gull
• Great Black-backed Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Robin
• Wren
• Linnet
• Goldfinch
• Blackbird
• Grey Heron (1)
• Willow Warbler (1)
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit 

Above, a pair of Blue Tits came down briefly to feed on my Sunflower Hearts in the back of my garden.

Above and below, the Batman Hoverfly.

Above, a Migrant Hoverfly and below the Queen Common Wasp.

Above, the Hoverfly, Early Epistrophe.

My Garden:

This afternoon, seeing it was quite warm and sunny outside, I spent my lunch taking a few photos of the insects and birds within my back garden. There was a good array of insects on the wing including a Holly Blue butterfly briefly, but it was the Hoverflies and Bees that caught my attention. Batman Hoverflies (Myathropa florea) were in good numbers along with Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae) and a supporting cast of both male and female Hairy-footed Flower Bee and Early Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans). Even a Queen Common Wasp popped in briefly. A female Sparrowhawk was soaring overhead, but too quick for me to grab a photo as it went into a dive over nearby gardens.  

Yellow Wagtail over Southsea Castle.

Thursday 11th April 2024.

A murky, drizzly start to this mornings 'Sea-watch' from Southsea Castle, but I look forward to doing more 'Sea-watching' from here as Spring progresses. The Isle of Wight Ferry was making its way across the Solent past Spitbank Fort.

My plan this morning was to do a seawatch for a couple of hours from Southsea Castle where, hopefully, I might catch up with a Common Tern or Whimbrel, but when I arrived this morning at 7.30am, I was greeted by a heavy drizzly mist over the Solent and visibility was down to a couple of hundred yards. However, as the morning wore on, the visibility got better and though the aforementioned birds were not seen, I did see some interesting birds nonetheless, which made the trip worth it. Yesterday, I bought myself a transparent lid as a rainguard for my moth box and after drilling some holes in the corner of it to let any rain drain out, I tried my luck with the moth box overnight.

Above, the only moth by the box this morning was this Early Grey moth. Below, I potted this Bloxworth Snout moth last night that was by the box, but it was photographed through a moth pot, hence not very clear.

The Moth Box:

Ever hopeful of a good selection of moths, I was to be disappointed yet again with just two moths! Last night, just before retiring to bed, I saw a moth that looked interesting by the moth box and quickly potted it. It was a Bloxworth Snout and so after taking a few photos of it through the moth pot, it was bedtime. This morning, the only moth I found was an Early Grey perched on the kitchen wall in front of the box; but hey, it's better than a blank! My first Early Grey moth in the garden for 2024!

Above, three of the five Purple Sandpipers on the rocks just east of the Castle and below, one of several Great Black-backed Gulls flying over the Solent.

One of several Sandwich Terns flying over the Solent.

Southsea Castle & the Solent, Southsea:

And so, it was back to good old ‘sea-watching’. It is something you either hate or love and sorry guys, I opt for the ‘love’. It's simply the unpredictability of it and when something very interesting comes through, it's the ‘buzz’ it leaves you afterwards. I'll cut to the chase, it was very quiet this morning, but enough in the two and a half hours I was there to keep me entertained and with my first Yellow Wagtail of the year flying north calling, I was more than happy. Yes, I was hoping for a Common Tern or a Whimbrel, but I am sure they will arrive in due course.  Up to 12 Med Gulls were seen during my time there and up to 5 Sandwich Terns, but I am sure the latter species were overwintering birds and not the tight flocked birds you see later in the Spring on passage. Two adult Shags were also noted over the flat calm Solent

My usual haunt to ‘Seawatch’ the Solent is one of the shelters on the Promenade near the Pyramids, but the work to do the Sea Defences does not look to be finished to at least the end of May and so I decided to sit on one of the benches, just east of Southsea Castle. From here, I had a great view over the Solent once the mist had cleared and I even found up to 5 Purple Sandpipers flying around the rocks below, though only three birds were visible to grab a quick photo. Sadly, a lot of dog-walkers were around and my trip here ended when two coach loads of French students descended on the area in front of me. Though they were polite, enough was enough and so made my way back home. However, before their arrival, I could hear Greenfinches ‘wheezing’ behind me and a Pied Wagtail calling. A Linnet flew over and the local House Sparrows and Feral Pigeons came close to my bench, oblivious of me being there. So starts the ‘Solent seawatching’ and I am so looking forward to it. Yes, it means some very early starts, but no pain, then no gain as they say.

 

Some superb birds in Hampshire today.

Wednesday 10th April 2024.

The Whooper Swan at Oxey Marshes today. Photo by Andy Friend.

The bad news is that the only bird of note I saw today was a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying near my house in Southsea around midday. The good news is that there was a selection of very good sightings in Hampshire today and there were plenty of ‘Lazee’s’ and ‘Hampshire listers’ on the chase for them. Sadly, there was no sign of yesterday's Hoopoe over in Eastleigh, but with a Stone-curlew found at Castle Shore Park, a Whooper Swan at Oxey Marshes and a Great Grey Shrike and a few Grasshopper Warblers singing at Bransbury Common, there was obviously a good day for birding. Best of all, a male Collared Flycatcher briefly seen just north of Fleet, flew in front of a birder while driving along Castle Bottom. It was seen to fly off into woodland but the birder failed to relocate the bird. It is most certainly a good start to Spring and I am wondering what else lies in wait for us expectant Hampshire birders? 

Above, the Hoopoe seen yesterday in Eastleigh and below, a Nightingale singing at an undisclosed site in Hampshire. Both photos by Pete Appleton.

Above, the Information Centre at Farlington Marshes. The heavy rainfall has resulted in a lot of areas being flooded, especially on this reserve. 

Quiet in the Cemy again.

Tuesday 9th April 2024.

This Jay was probably the most exciting find in the Cemetery this afternoon on what was a quiet afternoon on my 'local patch'.

I took another walk around Highland Road Cemetery this afternoon with the dogs and though it was sunny and bright, there was a strong southerly wind blowing and sightings of any unusual birds was lacking today. In fact, the bird of the hour was a Jay and I didn't see that until I was making my way out of the Cemetery. There has been talk of Farlington Marshes being flooded in areas and I have not only seen some of the photos on various media sites, but driving past the Marshes this morning, I could see by the Info Building a huge lake around it!! Very high tides were predicted today and with the strong onshore winds, there will be significant flooding in the area I expect.

Above, yes, it was that windy! This male Blackbird was being blown about by the wind in the Cemetery and below, one of a good number of Goldfinches again this afternoon.

There was a variety of plants on show that took my eye including (above) my first Spear Thistle of the year and below, Sticky Mouse-ear.

Just 14 bird species were noted in windy conditions within the Cemetery this afternoon, well down in species normally seen around this time of year. Yes, the windy conditions did not help, but no sign of any migrants whatsoever. The regular flock of Goldfinches (around a dozen or so) were flitting about in the small trees near the Mausoleum and a male Greenfinch ‘wheezed’ in one of the trees nearby. The Jay was probably the ‘saving grace’ in sightings this afternoon and showed well perched on one of the Holm Oak trees.

I kept an eye on the plants around the Cemetery that included my first Sticky Mouse-ear of the year, with several clumps dotted around the graves and more Herb Robert flowering in various areas of the Cemetery. I even found my first Spear Thistle of the year as well. There were plenty of Bees around the grave that is covered with flowering Heather over on the east side, but they simply would not stay still long enough to grab a photo! Though a few Buff-tailed Bumblebees were notable. Yet again, no Butterflies at all were seen despite the sunny conditions.

Herb Robert plants were in flower throughout the Cemetery. Below, Red Dead-nettle surrounded by Daisies.

The birds recorded in the Cemetery this afternoon included the following:

• Herring Gull
• Wood Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Feral Pigeon
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Jay
• Robin
• Wren
• Starling
• House Sparrow
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Blackbird

In Hampshire today, a Hoopoe was found behind the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway building (see below), which will be a very good Hampshire ‘tick’ for those going for it. Two Little Gulls were on Posbrook Floods and good numbers of Hirundines were present too. A Leach's Petrel flew west past Selsey Bill, West Sussex, this morning.

I saw this superb photo on Facebook this afternoon of a pair of Sand Martins at Blashford Lakes and I had to ask to add it to my blog. Photo by Yvonne Williams.

Above, the Hoopoe behind the Eastleigh Steam Railway building. Both Matt and Emma Parkes rushed over after work to view this superb bird. Photos by Emma Parkes.

An hour by Eastney harbour entrance.

Monday 8th April 2024.

This beautiful adult Mediterranean Gull was posing nicely by the harbour entrance at Eastney.

I took a stroll by the harbour entrance at Eastney this morning and with a high tide within Langstone Harbour and the sun shining, it was nice to take in somewhere different for a change. I parked up in the car park overlooking the harbour entrance and first made my way north up to the Hayling Ferry and viewed the harbour from there. I first picked out a distant small flock of 4 Brent Geese swimming just off Milton Lakes and just south of them was a Great Crested Grebe on its lonesome, swimming among the boats. A Sandwich Tern was heard but I failed to locate the bird. Close to the Ferry Terminal, were two adult Mediterranean Gulls now in their full summer plumage and in this light, they both looked stunning, just standing on the beach watching me slowly walk past. I flushed a Turnstone from the shoreline, but it flew off south before I could grab a photo. They should be in summer plumage now. Apart from the usual Gulls, House Sparrows and Starlings, not a great deal else of note, so I got back in the car and took a drive to Ferry Road Car Park.

Above, the plant Alexanders were abundantly growing by the harbour entrance.

Above and below, a pair of adult Med Gulls were by the Hayling Ferry Terminal.

Above, a distant flock of Brent Geese with two Herring Gulls near Milton Lakes.  Below, a juvenile Mute Swans heading west over Langstone Harbour.

Above, Sea Radish was growing by the Ferry Road Car Park and below, from left to right: Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Blackbird and a Stock Dove on the perimeter fence by Fort Cumberland.

After negotiating the horrible potholes within the car park, I decided to check out the large field to the west, looking through the perimeter fence. Collared Doves, Stock Doves and a few Wood Pigeons could be seen on the perimeter fence opposite. A Chiffchaff was heard singing in the distance, but no sighting this time. A mixed flock of Linnet, Goldfinch and Greenfinch were feeding on the grass, but no Wheatears bouncing about on the grass, sadly. Sea Radish plants were growing by the brambles as well as clumps of Periwinkle. I only spent around 20 minutes here as I had work to do, but it was a pleasure just to get out of the house for a while. Common Whitethroats have been reported all along the south coast and I really fancied my chances for one here today, but it was not to be.

Above, Rob Porter snapped this shot of a male Wheatear at Lower Test Marshes today.

Above, a Willow Warbler and below, a displaying Sedge Warbler. Both birds were photographed by Andy Tew at Fishlake Meadows today. 

I had some work to do in the garden today and while doing some chores there, my first Holly Blue butterfly of the year flew in and out of the garden a couple of times and several Drone Flies and Marmalade Hoverflies were noted too. A few Arctic Skuas were seen flying through the Solent this morning along with some Common Terns and Whimbrel plus a Hobby was reported from Gilkicker as well.  

This Peregrine was photographed by Graeme Loader at Winchester Cathedral.