Off to Normandy Marshes for Roseates.

Saturday 8th June 2024.

The Roseate Tern on Normandy Marshes.

The three new moths for the year this morning in my Moth Box. From top to bottom: Clouded Border, Sycamore and the micro moth, Bramble Shoot Moth.

The Moth Box:

Another fair selection this morning, despite being cooler of late and a bit of overhead cloud. There were 47 moths of 21 moth species this morning that included three that were new for the year. I was up at ‘Whatstupidtimeisthis’ o’clock this morning (4.30am!) and it was still only just getting light. A quick check of the white sheet behind the moth box revealed a few moths, but not many, but better things were to be discovered when I found my first Sycamore moth of the year (an uncommon moth in my garden) as well as a superb Clouded Border, that was at the bottom of the moth box alongside a Garden Carpet. Of the micro moths, the best was my first Bramble Shoot Moth of the year; a common moth which I regularly see in the moth box throughout the summer, but always nice to get the first one. Other interesting moths included a White-point, which was probably an immigrant moth from the Continent; two Setaceous Hebrew Characters and two different forms of Marbled Minor.

The moths present this morning included the following:

• White Ermine 3
• Clouded Border (NEW FOR YEAR)
• Lime-speck Pug 3
• Common Pug
• Bright-line Brown-eye 3
• Common Marbled Carpet
• Marbled Minor 2
• Heart & Dart 4
• Dark Arches
• Garden Carpet 4
• Willow Beauty 4
• Sycamore (NFY)
• Vine’s Rustic 4
• Pale Mottled Beauty 4
• Setaceous Hebrew Character 2
• L-album Wainscot
• White-point
• Riband Wave
• Barred Marble 4
• Ruddy Streak
• Bramble Shoot Moth (NFY)

On reaching Andy’s house, we quickly got stuck into the moths there and this morning, there was a good number and variety to go through. Three more moths were added to my year list including a superb Scorched Wing that was perched on the back door frame. There were two colourful micro moths present that were new for the year: Garden Straw (Agapeta hamana) and also a Yellow-spotted Tortrix with the near unpronounceable latin name of Pseudargyrotoza conwagana. With the new moths for the year seen earlier this morning and the ones in Andy’s garden, I can now confirm that I have officially seen 102 species this year so far.

Another three more moths that were new for the year were the above. From top to bottom: Scorched Wing and the micro moths, Garden Straw and Yellow-spotted Tortrix.

The moths present here included the following:

• Willow Beauty 8
• Heart & Dart 3
• Dark Arches
• Freyer’s Pug
• Garden Carpet
• Scorched Wing (NEW FOR YEAR)
• Common Marbled Carpet 5
• Green Pug 2
• Freyer’s Pug
• Common Pug
• Brimstone Moth
• Treble Lines
• Vines Rustic
• Blair’s Mocha
• Garden Straw (New for Year)
• Bee Moth 2
• Narrow-winged Grey
• Blushed Knot-horn 2
• Brown House Moth 2
• Yellow-spotted Tortrix (NFY)

We had a three-way choice. Go for the Ruddy Shelduck on Petersfield Pond (a pretty poor year-tick, but it's still a year-tick) and also the Lizard Orchid of which I will not disclose the location of this very rare plant or the American Golden Plover in Pagham Harbour (yep, still there) or the Roseate Terns on Normandy Marshes. I put this to Mr Andy Fisher and it was a resounding Roseates please!!

Above, on arrival to Normandy Marshes, the first area on the west side, there were many family parties of Avocets wading in the shallow waters including their gorgeous fluffy chicks. Below, Little Terns were most entertaining by hovering right in front of us.

Above, one of the hovering Little Terns and below, a small group of Avocets together.

Above, the star bird, the Roseate Tern nesting with Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls.

Normandy Marshes, nr Lymington:

The long drive down to the site was worth it as we eventually got to see one of the Roseate Terns. We even met up with Keith Betton and his friend at the site by the seawall and had a good chat about the birds and also the Peregrines in Southampton and Portsmouth. The Roseate Terns here are actually breeding here and now have a 24hr guard to protect from egg-collectors. Sadly, there is still this type of scum still around, who I would love to meet and have a non-friendly chat with. It seems the justice system in the UK is so pathetically weak regarding these egg-collectors, that some other form of retribution just might be necessary. 

Above, this Redshank was one of two that liked perching on the fence posts in front of us while we watched the Terns by the seawall. Below, you can just about see a Ringed Plover walking by the edge of the island.

Above, an adult Avocet with its youngster and below, a Common Tern which has just caught a fish on the Marshes.

Above and below, a Common Tern, one of many here, was seen fishing around the islands.

Above, the young Avocet on Normandy Marshes.

Normandy Marshes is a superb habitat which has shallow pools in which waders can breed including the many Avocets here with young and a few Redshank. The islands held a large number of both breeding Common and Little Terns and both species showed well all the time. A Great Crested Grebe swam close to the islands while out in the Solent, we found at least 4 drake Eiders resting on the islands and a female was seen further west. Many Terns were seen flying over the Solent including plenty of Sandwich Terns; but it was the Roseate Tern that grabbed our attention. There was an elderly chap who kindly helped us to pinpoint where the Roseate Tern was nesting; but it wasn't quite visible with only brief wing or tail views. Then the shout went up, the bird was showing well and then we had some excellent views of the UK’s rarest Tern. The bird was getting grief from a nearby Black-headed Gull and had a right old fight until the Roseate Tern decided to fly around the island a few times and then return to its nesting area. Very spectacular.

Above, one of many Avocets chicks on the Marshes and below, a Great Crested Grebe swimming past the island with an adult Common Tern and youngsters in the background.

Above, fluffy Black-headed Gull chicks were abundant on the island and below, a Common Tern returning to its nest with food.

Above, the same Common Tern laden with fish for its youngsters.

Other birds present included large numbers of Canada Geese on the site and a few Oystercatchers dotted around too. A Common Whitethroat was singing nearby and eventually flew past us and headed off west. Checking my phone for any bird sightings, it turned out that a Quail had been heard singing on wasteland behind the nearby Fishtail Lagoon. Instead of hiking the long distance to get there, we walked back to the car and drove to the Car Park at the bottom of Lower Pennington Lane. From here, a Lesser Whitethroat was singing deep within a nearby bush (we did see the bird later on) and then we walked west along the Ancient Highway, but it didn't take long for us to catch up with the calling Quail. We had no chance of actually seeing the bird due to the tall vegetation, but the bird was calling roughly every ten minutes or so and we also had a comfy bench to have our lunch on while listening to the bird. Wonderful. 

Above and below, a female Common Darter dragonfly on brambles along the Ancient Highway track.

Above, a good number of both Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet were on the Fishtail Lagoon and also included Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover nearby. Below, this gorgeous male Marsh Harrier flew north close to where we sat overlooking Fishtail Lagoon.

Above and below, the male Marsh Harrier drifted off northbound.

There was a good selection of birds present here while we listened to the Quail that included a gorgeous male Marsh Harrier flying north and fairly close too. Out on Fishtail Lagoon, there was a good sized flock of Black–tailed Godwit present (roughly 30+ birds) along with three Ringed Plover and singles of Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover. A male Reed Bunting showed very well nearby and a large flock of around 20+ Swifts flew in and over our heads. A pair of Common Buzzards also flew overhead and a Kestrel was seen a little later. We had seen Andy Friend and Andy Tew earlier walking along the seawall and about 40 minutes later we caught up with them by the bench. Andy Friend had seen some Spoonbills on the western end of Fishtail Lagoon and so we went off to look at them. There were two birds present with two Little Egrets and all the birds showed very well, busy feeding on the shallow pools. A Cuckoo, which was earlier heard calling distantly, flew across Fishtail Lagoon and headed off low west being chased by Starlings! What a great variety of birds here.

Above, we saw both Andy Tew and Andy Friend walking along the seawall by Fishtail Lagoon. Look how close the Isle of Wight looks behind them. Below, a Honey Bee on Cow Parsley. When I saw this, the insect life here really caught my eye.

Above, a male Reed Bunting showed well by the bench and below, one of the Spoonbills taking flight over Fishtail Lagoon.

The pair of Spoonbills showing well over Fishtail Lagoon and below, settling down to feed.

Above, several Mirid Bugs were found along the track and below, I found this large Nursery Spider as well.

Above, a Roe Deer in the grass north of Fishtail Lagoon and below, the guys walking back to the car after another superb day at this fantastic site.

Yet another cracking days’ birding and talking to Andy Friend, he said we could accept both Quail and Bittern (the ‘booming’ bird on Fishlake Meadows earlier this year) on our year lists, as well as Tawny Owl. I had possibly (though I think it probably was) heard a Bee-eater calling from Pembroke Road last month, but because I only heard it once, I will not accept adding this to my Hampshire list this time. Emma and Matt Parkes also turned up at Normandy Marsh and got great views of the Roseate Tern including the sitting birds mate returning with a fish, well after we had left to go home.

Above, the Roseate Tern having a battle with a Black-headed Gull on Normandy Marshes.

More new moths and a trip around the Cemy.

Friday 7th June 2024.

One of two Swifts seen flying over Highland Road Cemetery.

I honestly thought that setting my alarm for 5am this morning would be ample time to get to my Moth Box before the Sparrows attack my moths; but I was very wrong. I could hear a Sparrow calling outside and when I let the dog out in the garden, at least 6 House Sparrows from around the Moth Box area. The white sheet was empty of moths and there weren't many close to the Moth Box either! So now I have to set my alarm even earlier. Sob!

Above, the Single-dotted Wave and below, the micro moth Barred Marble were both new for the year.

The Moth Box:

Another clear blue sky overhead first thing this morning, but most certainly a chill in the air as I went about trying to find the moths that survived outside the Moth Box. Just 31 moths of 17 species were present today and again, two more species were new for the year that included a fine Single-dotted Wave on one of the windows of which I quickly potted and the micro moth, Barred Marble (Celypha striana); a fairly regular species to my garden annually.

The moth present this morning included the following:

• Brimstone Moth
• Lime-speck Pug 2
• Common Pug
• Pale Mottled Willow 3
• Garden Carpet
• White Ermine 4
• Vine’s Rustic
• L-album Wainscot 2
• Riband Wave
• Bright-line Brown-eye 3
• Heart & Dart 5
• Single-dotted Wave (NEW FOR YEAR)
• Willow Beauty
• Dark Arches 3
• Barred Marble (NFY)
• Ruddy Streak
• Brown House Moth

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

Above, parts of the Cemetery were still overgrown, but for how long? Below, a Collared Dove posed nicely in the morning sunshine.

 

Above, this was the only Robin seen this morning in the Cemy.

Before my walk with the dogs around Highland Road Cemetery, my first shift at Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth, this morning produced just 12 species of birds in all. A lovely start to the morning with bright sunshine with very little wind, but a little chilly in the shadows. A few Swifts flew over and a single Goldfinch also headed west. The Carrion Crow that nested in one of the Holm Oaks by the Bowling Green has two fully fledged juveniles and they showed themselves occasionally. Now that the D-day celebrations are over, the area around Southsea is getting back to normal and all the roads have reopened. 

Above, a Narcissus Bulb Fly nectaring on a Smooth Sow-thistle. Below, a very small species just flew off after nectaring on this Scarlet Pimpernel plant.

Above, Purple Toadflax was growing abundantly around the perimeter of the Cemy.

Just 15 bird species were seen in the Cemetery this morning, which was a little disappointing, but I did see the Green Woodpecker briefly on my walk round. The bird flew up from the grass and flew west over the Cemetery but I failed to find where it actually landed. Unfortunately, I did witness a Carrion Crow take out a juvenile Blackbird, much to the anger of the parent birds that tried to get the Crow to drop the offspring. I know I shouldn't, but I even tried to chase the Crow, but the Crow was having none of it as it flew off with its kill. I later saw it ripping the hapless youngster apart to devour it. Though gruesome, the Carrion Crow probably has young to feed itself and so one has to accept the cruelty of nature now and then.

Above, a Five-spotted Ladybird on Prickly Sow-thistle. Below, an attractive clump of Ox-eye Daisies.

Above, a species of Ichneuman Wasp called Toothed Tiger.

There were plenty of plants on show, but I was very disappointed in the grass being cut again by the Council. However, pockets of long grass, especially by the graves themselves, were left alone (but for how long), which should encourage the insects to be abundant and then plenty of food for the young birds to feed on. Among the plants, Cat’s Ear, Meadow Hawkweed, Purple Toadflax and Scarlet Pimpernel were abundant throughout the Cemetery along with Ox-eye Daisies and Birds-foot Trefoil making it quite a colourful scene despite a lot of the grass being mown (which I find so ugly to look at). Sadly, I expect that some ‘bleeding hearts’ out there like the area to be mown and tidy rather than let nature take its course. Very sad!

Above and below, nature at its most raw. This Carrion Crow had just nabbed a fledgeling Blackbird to quickly devour.

Meadow Hawkweed growing in the Cemetery.

There were some interesting insects found this morning on my walk too with sightings of a Narcissus Bulb Fly, which is a type of Hoverfly which mimics Bees in appearance and also the Ichneumon Wasp called Toothed Tiger (Amblyteles armatorius); a very striking insect indeed. A few Ladybirds were seen and the only butterfly noted was a Speckled Wood, which flew off before I could grab a photo. 

The birds seen in the Cemetery this morning included the following:

• Green Woodpecker
• Herring Gull
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Robin
• Wren
• Blue Tit
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Wood Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Feral Pigeon
• Blackbird

A lovely walk in the Cemetery despite the noise of the Strimmers in the distance, but as always, the ‘grass cutters’ were very polite again. The American Golden Plover was again seen distantly from where we stood yesterday evening, today. Bugger!