Firecrest in the Cemy.

Sunday 17th August 2025.

A male Firecrest was a nice surprise in the Cemy this morning.

There was no Moth Box to check out this morning and so I had a bit of a lay-in, but I was still up at 6.30am to get cracking onto my Blog and update yesterday’s sightings. With good numbers of migrant birds coming in, I wanted to take my dogs for an early morning walk around Highland Road Cemetery and hopefully, come across something unusual. The weather was perfect with a cloudless sky, but there was a bit of a breeze blowing from the north-east to keep the temperatures hovering around 17 degrees centigrade.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

Another photo of the male Firecrest.

There were a few surprises here in the Cemetery this morning as I slowly walked my usual route on my local patch. A male Firecrest was first heard calling somewhere in the vegetation by the footpath, close to the footpath and eventually, the bird soon popped out of hiding and showed briefly within the shadows of the vegetation. I managed to grab a few photos of the bird as it flew up into one of the taller Lime trees and was joined by a small Tit flock.

Above, one of three Chiffchaffs noted this morning and below, a Smooth Sow-thistle growing by one of the graves.

On the subject of Tit flocks, I heard a Coal Tit calling several times near the Mausoleum area, but I did not get a sighting of the bird. This is a rare bird to this Cemetery and I can probably count on one hand on how many I have picked up here. At least three Chiffchaffs were heard calling of which only one was briefly seen, though I believe there were probably a lot more. Sadly, no Flycatchers or Redstarts this morning, but I bet some will arrive over the coming week.

Above, a Batman Hoverfly and below, a Tapered Drone-fly.

The only butterflies seen today were a few Small White’s, one Large White and a Red Admiral, though there were still quite a few Straw-barred Pearl micro moths flying around; though being a bit cagey to photograph. A Migrant Hawker dragonfly was hunting around in the centre of the Cemetery, but it never landed and flew off strongly. I shall make a few more trips here over the coming week and hopefully, something a bit rarer might arrive.

Above, a Carrion Crow keeping a watchful eye on me and below, a Hornet-mimic Hoverfly on the Buddleia.

Matt & Emma went to Cissbury Ring in West Sussex today and managed to ‘year-tick’ a Wryneck there. Unbelievably, a Wryneck turned up where the Pied Flycatcher at Northney yesterday was seen and a few photos were obtained of the bird. However, the bird, typically, quickly disappeared and was not seen again.

The Wryneck at Northney this morning. Photo by Andy Scarborough.

Hampshire sightings today:

Up to three Ospreys were fishing in Portsmouth Harbour north of Whale Island and another bird was seen in Langstone Harbour this morning. A single bird flew over Fishlake Meadows, near Romsey. There was a good scattering of Whinchats around the County including THREE on Old Winchester Hill this morning. A Glossy Ibis was at Hook-with-Warsash this afternoon on Hook Lake.