New Year Storm hits the UK.

Wednesday 1st January 2025.

Back over the Cemy to start the New Year off during a break in the rain.

Our ‘Dawn to Dusk’ birdwatch planned for today was cancelled last night due to the fact that gale force winds and heavy rain was predicted for New Years Day. However, the dogs needed walking and so I took a stroll during a break from the rain around Highland Road Cemetery to see what birds I could add to my new 2025 year list. Birding pal, Andy Fisher, also had plans as he went out in his car and notched up with 43 species. Well done mate. The Fly/Pye Cup could be winging its way to you yet again? In 2024, I notched up 215 species for the year, which wasn't too bad and of those, 202 species were in Hampshire.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

The wind was howling across the Cemetery.

The wind was howling across the Cemetery and I had to be careful with falling branches as I made my way around the usual circuit within the Cemy. Earlier, I had seen both Herring Gull and Wood Pigeon from my garden, but all I could muster on my walk round was another 5 more species: Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Black-headed Gull. The weather, though stormy, didn't put off a good number of dog-walkers this morning, but all were pleasant enough.

A 360 degree view of the Cemetery this morning.

The trick is to get the uncommon species and then build up the species with all the common birds and with the 3 Scaup on Milton Lakes and a Black-throated Diver over at Weston, Southampton; these are a couple of species one must get on their year list. But hey, who knows what this wind has dropped into Hampshire and with a number of Gannets going through the Solent today, something good could be around tomorrow? 

Yesterday, there was at least a 100+ Brent Geese on the old Royal Marine Barracks, Eastney, grazing on the front lawn.

Very quiet in the Cemy.

Sunday 29th December 2024.

Carrion Crows and a Magpie in the treetops within the Cemetery. The Crows do like gathering up in numbers here occasionally.

With just a few days left of this year, I thought I would add this post to my blog even though there were very few birds to be seen today. This morning, I took the dogs for a walk around Highland Road Cemetery and later in the afternoon, I took a walk with my wife Becky around the new promenade in front of Southsea Castle. It was yet another overcast day with hardly any wind again, though still quite cool.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

A female Blackbird over on the south-east corner.

An early morning walk around the Cemetery with the dogs produced very little I’m afraid. All the usual birds were noted, including a pair of Jays that flew off north over the houses from the Cemetery; but little else of note apart from them. Again, the light was poor this morning but at least it wasn’t foggy like it was over the Solent and further north in Hampshire. If it wasn't for the fact that I recognised a lot of birds calling by the call, the only birds seen were the Herring Gulls and the Crows, though I did see a lone Collared Dove high up in one of the trees to the south of the Cemetery.

Just the one lone Collared Dove seen here this morning.

The birds noted this morning here included the following:

• Herring Gull
• Collared Dove
• Feral Pigeon
• Wood Pigeon
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Jay x2
• Blue Tit
• Blackbird
• Robin
• Wren
• Starling

Southsea Castle, Hampshire:

Parking up in the D-day Museum Car park, Becky and I took a slow walk to the new promenade in front of the Castle and it was teeming with people out for a stroll. I did take my spare binoculars with me, for I had a chance of finding the Purple Sandpipers that had already been seen by Rob Porter (fellow Lazee) this morning. Sadly, despite a good search, there was no sign of the birds, however, I did find a Harbour Seal swimming westbound just off the rocks and quickly got my wife onto the Seal using my binoculars. Further out in the Solent, an adult Shag was swimming well offshore. Despite a sign clearly marking that people should stay off the rocks, there were three idiots upon them. Despite having a moan to one of the parents, I wasted my breath.

Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, went to a fogbound Longwood Warren in the north of the County and notched up the following birds: 7 Red Kites, 3 Common Buzzards, 2 Ravens, Woodcock, 2 Stonechats, 140+ Chaffinch, Brambling and 300 Rooks. He also heard some Golden Plovers but failed to see the birds in the gloom.