Friday 3rd January 2024.
The temperatures seriously dropped last night as a thick frost settled on our cars outside our house overnight. I still had to take the dogs for their walk and so, with a bright blue sky overhead and a heavy frost to boot, I took them for a walk around Highland Road Cemetery to see if anything of note could be seen today.
Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:
Incredibly, I picked up FIVE more ‘year-ticks’ over the Cemetery; kicking off with a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling over in the centre of the Cemy. Walking to the bird, I did actually see the bird flying off eastbound over the Cemy and seconds later, a Green Woodpecker was heard calling. It was over in the south-west corner, perched up in a tree until flying off back north and landing in one of the Lime trees. Two ‘year-ticks’ in a matter of minutes. My third ‘year-tick’ was a Goldcrest flitting about and calling in the Conifer in the south-west corner; but more were to follow. I didn't take my binoculars or camera with me, but I still got to see at least two Jays flying over the Cemy (4th ‘year-tick’) and finally, as I made my way to walk west again, I heard and briefly saw a Firecrest deep within cover by the main footpath to round off five ‘year-ticks’ for the day.
A lot of the usual birds were quite showy this morning that included several Blackbirds, Wren, Goldfinch and Greenfinch, though just the one Robin. It certainly was Arctic weather this morning with the grass covered in heavy frost, but I was well wrapped up to tackle the cold today.
Later in the afternoon, travelling up the M275 northbound, up to 3 Common Buzzards were seen perched on the roadside lamp posts and kindly jumping onto my year list.
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