102 species for the year in Hampshire.

Tuesday 7th January 2025.

One of several Common Buzzards seen today on Portsdown Hill this morning.

My plan today was to get to 100 species in Hampshire for the year to win the Fly/Pye Cup and bring it back to Southsea once again. Andy Fisher has held it for the past two years, but, sadly, Andy was ill over the weekend and so I mopped up the best I could. Today, though bright and sunny, was very cold with a blustery westerly wind blowing over Old Portsmouth and despite nearly freezing to death in Pembroke Road, after a few jobs, I made my way up to Portsdown Hill to not only get my 100th species for the year, but added two more additional birds to my list.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Apart from that horrible wind again, it was bright and sunny, though on my first shift here in Pembroke Road, only 12 species were seen or heard. A Peregrine or a Grey Wagtail passing overhead would have been nice, but it was not to be. However, on my second shift, both Jay and a hovering Kestrel seen near the Curtain Moat, put the day's total here to 14 species.

Portsdown Hill, Hampshire:

A flock of Linnets were discovered from a lay-by on Pigeon House Lane.

I decided to drive up to Fareham and from the motorway, I took Boarhunt Road to get to the St. Nicholas Church Car park to view the fields opposite the Farm. From here I scanned the fields thoroughly for any Gamebirds and came up trumps with a pair of Red-legged Partridges scrambling about in the fields to add to my year list. Despite a good search, I could not find one Pheasant, which was surprising as there are normally truckloads around this area. Even the best laid plans sometimes do not happen. Not a great deal of note here and so I climbed back into the car and made my way to Pigeon House Lane.

Finally, the Gamebirds were discovered. Above, a pair of Red-legged Partridges were found in the field adjacent to St. Nicholas Church. Below, my 100th species were these male Pheasants.

Along the way, while driving eastbound along James Callahan Drive, I saw another much larger covey of Red-legged Partridges in a field adjacent to the road. Shame, as they would have made an excellent photo, On reaching Pigeon House Lane, I drove slowly down the road and eventually parked up half way down in a layby to check the countryside. From here, I was lucky enough to pick up my first Linnets of the year feeding on the stubble within a field nearby along with a solitary Goldfinch. Year-tick number two. The third was seen almost immediately, when I heard a Yellowhammer calling. It didn't take long to find the male bird perched on a bramble near the Linnets and a second bird was seen further along the hedge. I also scanned the fields and the horizon for a Red Kite, but the best I could do was a couple of distant Common Buzzards perched on bushes.

Just part of the Fly-tipping that goes on here within the country lanes.

Mandarin was now on my radar and to see these, I had to get to Hook Heath Farm where a small pond was hosting the birds nearby. I parked near the Ford and then on foot, made my way up to the Farm. Sadly, a lot of rubbish had been dumped on the side of the road, which is a big problem down here as Fly Tipping still goes on in this beautiful part of our countryside. On top of that, someone with a tractor was hedge trimming and the noise was deafening as I made my way past the tractor and up to the Farm.

And now the hedgerows get ripped to pieces!

I was now on 99 species for the year and eventually, before I encountered the Mandarins, I found my first Pheasants of the year to get my 100th species at last. Three male birds were out in the fields viewed by the side of the road and I took a few photos in the bright sunshine of the colourful birds. Passing the Farm to my left, I checked out the heavily grown over pond to the right and it wasn’t going to be easy to view the Mandarin either. In fact, I could not obtain any photos as the birds were seen for a few seconds at a time, two drakes that were swimming under all the vegetation. Happy with the Mandarins now on my year list I took a slow walk back to the car and then I heard a Redwing calling. I found a clearing through the roadside hedge and picked up a male Stonechat in the field and then I saw the Redwing flying out of a hedge and away over the countryside to make it 102nd species of the year.

Another Common Buzzard perched by a roadside tree.

I then sent Andy a text: ‘It’s coming home, it's coming home. The Fly/Pye Cup is coming home!’